TheCrew07

I don't think my opinion on it matters much, the Brewers are going to do what they do. I'd say it's 50/50 he repeats given their history with their top pitching prospects. They've usually moved up 1 level a year regardless of performance except with Arnett, and Bradley wasn't quite there yet. I forgot Nelson who is a likely candidate to start next season in AA. As I'm thinking more about this maybe it's 60/40 he repeats, I think it depends entirely on his spring. If it were up to me he would have started in A ball to begin with, so I'd definitely force him to repeat the level and have some success.

I think this has been explained elsewhere, so forgive my naivety. Will there ever be an "official" P50 again? A couple of posts up.

I'm not opposed to Marcum on a one year deal but why has Estrada earned a rotation slot? Everyone coming up behind him has more talent and he's just not the type of player that should ever stand in the way of any legitimate prospect. He's good enough when we don't have anyone better, but he's easily replaceable when we do. He may perform better than any of our young pitchers in year 1 but once those guys get to years 2 and 3 there shouldn't be much of a comparison. Wouldn't it make more sense to use him as a fall back option and start the youngsters in the rotation to see if they can hack it? I'm okay with Thornburg starting the year in AAA but Rogers will be out of options so if he fails as a starter he'll immediately go to the pen. After a putrid couple of months Peralta has put together a couple of nice months in a row as well, I wouldn't be opposed to Wily starting 2013 in the rotation. That still leaves us with Burgos, Stinson, Thornburg, Hellweg, and Pena in AAA. In AA we'd have Bucci (hopefully), Jungmann, Bradley, and Gagnon, that's 2 pretty darn nice rotations that are very close to Milwaukee. Wily has been pitching for 6 years in the minors (he missed his 18 year old season after TJ surgery), it's not like he's being rushed at all and Rogers has to be on the MLB roster next season or he walks. I'd much rather see Gallardo, Marcum, Peralta, Rogers, and Fiers than Gallardo, Marcum, Estrada, Fiers, Rogers. If one of them has to shift to the pen then Estrada comes back to the rotation or we call up the next guy from AAA. Estrada's great insurance against more than 1 of those prospects failing but again, It will drive me nuts if he's handed a rotation slot just because he's "proven". It certainly wouldn't be the first time this current management team has blocked a legitimate talent with replaceable talent so I can see Estrada getting a slot, but I don't think that's the best of use all of the assets we'll have on hand for 2013. I really liked what the Rays did with Sonnanstine who was a similar pitcher to Estrada, he was good enough until they had better talent. After 2008 they shifted him to the pen where his stuff had a chance to be better and he was still insurance against failure after Niemann and Price joined the rotation.

I doubt Hamilton is the one to stick at SS, but what a CF he would make.

Blaze's Crabbe nearly untouchable Reds prospect tosses six no-hit innings, fans nine in win By Robert Emrich / Special to MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/08/09/qrDwb9xh.jpg Tim Crabbe is 3-0 with a 3.03 ERA in five starts for Bakersfield in 2012. (Bakersfield Blaze) Tim Crabbe decided to give his outfielders the night off on Wednesday. Crabbe pitched six hitless innings before allowing a pair of infield singles in the seventh as Class A Advanced Bakersfield beat Visalia, 5-4. Crabbe retired the first 11 batters of the game before issuing a two-out walk to Michael Freeman in the fourth inning. Freeman was immediately thrown out trying to steal second base to end the frame. The 24-year-old right-hander then set down the side in order in the fifth and sixth before Ryan LaPensee singled to short to open the seventh. "We were just trying to go right after hitters," he said. "I was able to throw the slider in the zone today. It was pretty effective today, that helped out. I was trying to go after them with fastball-slider. We used the changeup in the later innings against lefties." Crabbe (3-0) exited after 6 2/3 innings, fanning a season-high nine while walking two batters. He was charged with a run that scored after he left the game and allowed only one ball to leave the infield, a first-inning flyout by Gerson Montilla. "I can't really speak to the key for keeping the ball in the infield," Crabbe said. "We were just able to get ahead really, and throwing the breaking ball in the zone is always an advantage, because they can't just sit on fastball. Keeping the ball down and letting the infielders do their thing helped also." Crabbe began the year with Double-A Pensacola, going 3-6 with a 4.90 ERA in 18 starts for the Blue Wahoos. He was sent down the California League on July 16 to work on one thing in particular. "When I was sent down, they told me to work on fastball command," the Arizona native said. "\I think I've been able to make some improvements on that." With a gem like Wednesday's under his belt, it'd be easy to take for granted how he's pitching. But Crabbe is looking to carry his approach with him going forward. "I'd say the important thing to take away is throwing first-pitch strikes," he said. "I've struggled with command in the past. So not worrying about that, going one pitch at a time, and attacking hitters and having that approach." Kyle McMyne entered the game with a runner on first in the ninth and retired the next three batters to earn his sixth save for the Blaze. Ryan Wright, the Reds' No. 9 prospect, slugged his first homer as a member of the Blaze, and finished with three hits.

Appy notes: Kaalekahi in command

Projecting The 2012 Affiliation Shuffle

MWL notes: Piscotty finds consistency Stanford product enjoying smooth transition to Quad Cities By Curt Rallo / Special to MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/08/08/hTliwVGU.jpg Third baseman Stephen Piscotty was St. Louis' first-round pick in June. (Paul R. Gierhart/MiLB.com) Stephen Piscotty calls 2012 "eventful." Others would probably call it grueling. Piscotty led the Stanford Cardinal to NCAA Regional action. One day after they missed out on a shot at the College World Series, Piscotty was drafted in the first round (36th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals. He quickly signed with a reported $1.43 million bonus and picked up a bat for the Class A Quad Cities River Bandits of the Midwest League. As soon as the season is over, it's back to Stanford to work on his degree. "It's been a long year, but it's been a lot of fun," Piscotty said. "It's been eventful, finishing my career at Stanford and getting drafted. I haven't played as many games as the guys in Quad Cities who playing a full season. That's something I have to get used to, getting my body to adapt to that lifestyle." Piscotty, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound right-handed hitter, has transitioned into pro ball exceptionally well. He's hitting .281 in 31 games. "It sounds cliché, but I try to take things day-to-day," Piscotty said. "My biggest thing is trying to stay consistent. I watch a lot of the players go through emotional roller-coasters, where they tear it up for a week and then they can't get a hit for a week. I feel like that can be negated. "I think if you take things one at a time, you can stay consistent," he added. "Consistency is what allows you to become a great baseball player. The season is a long time. You can have a great first month and then struggle. But if you stay consistent game-to-game, that's where the results come out." Piscotty only had one hit in his first nine at-bats. Since then, he's gotten into the swing of things for the River Bandits. "I hadn't seen pitching in two and a half weeks when I first got to [Quad Cities]," Piscotty said. "It took a little bit of an adjustment to get the rust off after taking a break. I had to get used to the lifestyle of a pro ballplayer. After I got the first few games under my belt, I started playing my game and feeling comfortable in the box and seeing the ball better. "I also realized, it's just baseball. I've played the game a lot. Players change, but the game doesn't change. I just started to feel more comfortable using the wood bat after using the aluminum bat. I did some little adjustments with my swing to put the ball in play. Line-drive contact is one of my biggest things. I'm just trying to have good at-bats and hit the ball hard." Piscotty has hit two homers in his 31 games and would like to see the power numbers take a jump. "The one thing I might like to improve, not that I can control it, is to go out and start hitting more home runs," Piscotty said. "I'd like to have more power, more pop, but I don't want to start trying to hit home runs. That would get me in trouble. But I'd like to improve driving the ball a little bit more." One of the great values of Piscotty's game is his versatility. He plays third for Quad Cities, but has played shortstop and outfield. And when Stanford needed pitching help, Piscotty stepped up and strong-armed the competition. "I've always been a utility guy," Piscotty said. "I have no problem jumping around. Whatever gets me into the lineup. That's how I've always gone about things. Third base is definitely a position I need to work at. I need to get better. I'll play wherever the Cardinals want me to play." In brief Record rout: Fort Wayne's 16-0 loss at South Bend on Aug. 2 tied a mark for the worst blowout in franchise history. Fort Wayne lost, 20-4, to the Michigan Battle Cats on May 18, 1996, and also suffered a 16-run loss to the Beloit Brewers on July 20, 1997. Reliever Daniel Sarria, activated off of the disabled list and pitching for the first time since April 19, tossed two-thirds of an inning but gave up a homer to Chris Ellison and was ejected after beaning Raul Navarro. Two TinCaps position players, Tyler Stubblefield and Travis Whitmore, also pitched in the game. South Bend achieved season highs in runs and hits (22). Ellison homered twice for the Silver Hawks, and Marc Bourgeois and Roidany Aguila had one homer apiece. Walking the plank: The West Michigan Whitecaps collected 14 hits, including three home runs, but allowed 10 walks in an 8-7 loss to Lansing on Aug. 4. Eight of the 10 walks given up by the Whitecaps came in the final two innings. Retro radio: Lansing radio broadcasters Jesse Goldberg-Strassler and Keaton Gillogly on Aug. 5 celebrated the anniversary of the first baseball broadcast by calling a game based on written accounts and using mini-bats for sound effects -- the way baseball was broadcast in the 1920s. Goldberg-Strassler first did a re-creation broadcast in 2005 with Brockton (Mass.) of the Independent Can-Am League as an assignment from the general manager. "We grabbed a pair of mini bats and a baseball and stationed someone outside. They messaged me what was going on. I worked with my intern, and we re-created the game," he said. "Coincidentally, it was the first no-hitter in the history of the [brockton] franchise, and I didn't see it."

As with every Hamilton story video at the link Hamilton steals three in Wahoos' win Reds top prospect climbs within 14 of Minor League record

Link Hardy hasn't exactly been stellar at the plate this season...

Final: Sacramento 1, Nashville 0 (10 Innings) Sacramento Blanks Sounds In Extras To Force Series Split Hiram Burgos Tosses Six Shutout Innings In No-Decision WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Designated hitter Daric Barton was hit in the knee by Donovan Hand with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Sacramento River Cats a 1-0 shutout victory over the Nashville Sounds in the finale of a four-game set on Wednesday afternoon at Raley Field. Brandon Hicks hit a ground-rule double on the first pitch from Hand to begin the bottom of the 10th inning, which was lost in the sun by center fielder Logan Schafer. Hicks later moved to third on a couple of walks, and scored the winning run as Barton was struck by Hand's off-speed pitch. Hand and pitching coach Fred Dabney both argued that Barton leaned into the pitch after the game ended. The defeat moved Nashville to 5-8 in extra-inning play this season and gave the club two series splits during their eight-game road trip through Fresno and Sacramento. The Sounds' series split with the River Cats was only the second in team history at Raley Field (also in 2008). Nashville has been involved in four 1-0 contests this season, taking two from New Orleans and losing one to Iowa. Sacramento third baseman Josh Donaldson provided three of the River Cats' four hits on the afternoon. The Sounds were held to just three hits. Shortstop Jeff Bianchi singled to extend his hitting streak to a season-high eight games, while second baseman Eric Farris and first baseman Sean Halton also added base hits. Designated hitter Jordan Brown reached twice on a couple of walks. Nashville threatened in the ninth, stranding the go-ahead run on third base against reliever Travis Banwart. Bianchi singled to begin the frame and advanced to third on a sacrifice and infield groundout, but was stranded as Taylor Green struck out to end the inning. Sacramento rallied in the bottom of the ninth, but also came up empty. With the bases loaded and two outs, Amaury Rivas induced a Grant Green 5-4 groundout to end the inning and force the game to extras. Nashville starting pitcher Hiram Burgos authored his best Triple-A start of the season, striking out five while tossing six innings of shutout ball. The 24-year-old walked one and allowed only two hits, a single and double to Donaldson. Fautino De Los Santos struck out two of his former teammates in 1 1/3 shutout innings. Juan Perez followed with a scoreless inning while stranding his only inherited runner. Rivas escaped a ninth-inning jam to strand two inherited runners. Hand (3-2) was given the loss with the run allowed. Sacramento starter Bruce Billings also pitched well in a no-decision, facing only two batters over the minimum during his outing. The right-hander allowing two hits with six strikeouts in seven scoreless innings. Banwart (8-3) allowed one hit and one walk in three scoreless innings in relief for the victory. After a league-wide off day tomorrow, the Sounds return home to Music City on Friday to begin an eight-game homestand against the Salt Lake Bees (AAA-Angels) and Tacoma Rainiers (AAA-Mariners) of the Pacific Conference Northern Division. Right-hander Claudio Vargas (5-1, 3.86) takes the mound for Nashville in Friday's 7:05 p.m. CT homestand opener against Salt Lake southpaw Greg Smith (7-8, 4.15). Nashville Box Score Dang, what a gem by Hiram Burgos wasted with no offense, the game story pretty much says it all. Nashville Play By Play How exactly do you eject someone after the game is already over? Sacramento Bottom of the 10th Pitching Change: Donovan Hand replaces Amaury Rivas. Brandon Hicks hits a ground-rule double (23) on a fly ball to right-center field. Donovan Hand intentionally walks Shane Peterson. Jermaine Mitchell strikes out swinging. Josh Donaldson walks. Brandon Hicks to 3rd. Shane Peterson to 2nd. Daric Barton hit by pitch. Brandon Hicks scores. Shane Peterson to 3rd. Josh Donaldson to 2nd. Nashville Sounds Pitching Coach Fred Dabney ejected by HP umpire John Tumpane.

I'm glad they are shutting down Bradley for the year, hopefully his velocity returns for 2013.

MiLB.com set up a page just for Billy Hamilton's pursuit of the stolen base record. Plenty of video at the bottom of the link if you are so inclined.

Bradley notes at the bottom in bold. FSL notes: Ramsey ready for challenge Palm Beach outfielder seeking consistency in debut season By Guy Curtright / Special to MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/08/07/TVqVsJHM.jpg James Ramsey is batting .252 with 37 strikeouts in his first 32 games. (Mark LoMoglio/MiLB.com) After a storybook senior season at Florida State University, it's been back to baseball reality for James Ramsey. The Palm Beach center fielder wouldn't have it any other way, though. "There's joy for me in the challenge," Ramsey said. "I never thought it would be easy. My numbers aren't what I'm used to, but I'm not disappointed. I know it's a process. I'm learning every day. This is a tough league, and I appreciate the opportunity to start off here." Ramsey, taken by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 23rd overall pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, had three hits in his debut July 2. But he's had as many downs as ups since against Florida State League pitching. The left-handed hitter from the Atlanta area ended July on a strikeout binge, fanning 17 times in his final nine games. He whiffed four times in one game and three times in another. "The one frustrating thing is that I'm getting myself out more than I ever have," Ramsey said. "I haven't felt overpowered, but there are a lot of more polished pitchers at this level and I'm helping them out right now." Ramsey went 3-for-18 in the first five games of August to drop his average to .252 in 32 games. He had an on-base percentage of .342 thanks to 17 walks, however, and was 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts. There was no question that Ramsey was holding his own. He just wasn't excelling the way he did in his final season at FSU. Ramsey hit .378 and led the Seminoles to the ACC championship and College World Series while being named ACC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American. But the onetime infielder was hardly a can't-miss Major League prospect entering college, even after leading his high school to Georgia's Class AA state title. Ramsey started just nine games as a freshman at FSU and wasn't taken by Minnesota until the 22nd round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, despite hitting .364 as a junior with the Seminoles. After a stellar summer in the Cape Cod League, Ramsey returned to FSU and improved his Draft stock dramatically while captaining the Seminoles to the College World Series. His father, Craig, had done the same in 1980. An honor student with strong Christian beliefs, Ramsey was the face of the Seminoles and some likened his charisma and conviction to quarterback Tim Tebow. Ramsey was the second of two first-round Draft picks by St. Louis, going three spots behind Texas A&M pitcher and Palm Beach teammate Michael Wacha. Ramsey signed for a bonus of $1.6 million and headed out to start his Minor League career. But it's a long way from the spotlight of the College World Series to the semi-privacy of Roger Dean Stadium during the long Florida State League season. "The lack of so much attention is a nice change," said Ramsey, who lives about a mile from the ballpark with a couple of teammates. But regularly playing before less than 1,000 is quite a change from the packed houses at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee and the College World Series in Omaha. "The atmosphere certainly isn't the same," Ramsey said. "I knew that would be the case. But you still have to be ready to play every game and go all out." Unlike college, winning isn't the ultimate goal, either. The Minor Leagues are about player development. "I'm used to everything being result-oriented," Ramsey said. "Here it's the process that counts. That's an adjustment. I have to remember not to get too caught up in one at-bat or one game." On Monday, Palm Beach got just its second scheduled day off since Ramsey joined the team. "It's definitely been a grind," Ramsey said. "It's different getting used to playing every day. But it's fun any time you can be out on the field. It's a blessing to be playing baseball and getting a chance to work toward your goal." In brief Scoreless streak: Jupiter's Jose Fernandez has given up just six hits over three straight five-inning scoreless outings since July 26. The last was Sunday against Charlotte, when he allowed a hit and a walk while striking out five. Fernandez, the Marlins' first-round pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, is 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA in seven starts for Jupiter after going 7-0 with a 1.59 ERA for Greensboro of the Class A South Atlantic League. The 20-year-old Cuban is the Marlins' No. 3 prospect and ranked No. 91 on MLB.com's Top 100 list. On-base machine: Palm Beach outfielder Mike O'Neill leads the Florida State League batting race by a large margin with a .341 average and is closing in on the franchise record for hits in a season. Juan Lucena had 141 hits in 2006 and O'Neill had 125 in 107 games through Sunday. O'Neill had also drawn 68 walks, and his .442 on-base percentage was by far the best in the league. More struggles: Brevard County left-hander Jed Bradley fell to 5-10 after giving up six runs over less than five innings in consecutive starts. The first-round choice by Milwaukee in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Georgia Tech has enjoyed little success since starting the season pitching 23 innings without allowing an earned run. Bradley has a 5.53 ERA for the year and opponents are batting .311 against him. He's the Brewers' No. 3 prospect and ranked No. 80 on MLB.com's Top 100 list. Turnaround: Daytona second baseman Ronald Torreyes finished May batting .184, but he's hit .318 since to raise his average to .271. He was 14-for-25 over a recent six-game stretch. The 19-year-old from Venezuela has 19 doubles, four triples, six homers and 42 RBIs for the season and had also stolen 13 bases in 17 attempts. He was signed by Cincinnati and came to the Chicago Cubs in the trade for Sean Marshall. edit. fixed link

a self scout piece on Cubs prospect Trey McNutt Prospect Pitch: McNutt makes best of it Double-A Tennessee's power-armed righty bumped to bullpen

2012 Minor League Best Tools Unfortunately for some this is a subscriber only piece. Lots of divisional mentions however Hunter Morris was listed as the SL best hitting prospect and best defensive 1B. Scooter Gennet was listed as the SL best defensive 2B, which actually surprised me some. No other Brewer prospects made the list. edit. Perhaps I should clarify that just like when scouts grade players hitting and power are 2 different categories, Morris was not the best power prospect, that was Matt Davidson from Mobile. Still it's nice the consensus is that he has the best potential to hit for a high average.

The DSL game was postponed.

The Cubs also have a Peralta, which stinks, video at the link. Peralta fans 14 in perfect-game bid Peoria righty retires first 17 in order before giving up home run By Robert Emrich / Special to MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/08/07/qjbZYrwJ.jpg Starlin Peralta faced two over the minimum for Peoria on Tuesday. (Paul R. Gierhart/MiLB.com) What's more impressive than racking up a high strikeout total? Racking up a high strikeout total when you're not even trying. Starlin Peralta retired the first 17 batters in order and struck out a career-high 14 batters over seven innings as Class A Peoria defeated Clinton, 5-3, on Tuesday. Signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on May 8, 2008, Peralta saw his perfect-game and no-hit bids broken up on the same pitch when he yielded a solo homer to Anthony Phillips with two outs in the sixth inning. The 21-year-old right-hander allowed a single to Jamaal Austin to open the seventh, but finished by fanning the final three batters he faced. "His stuff has always been good," pitching coach Ron Villone said. "He had command, he had control of his fastball and slider, and he mixed in the occasional changeup. He can move his fastball in and out and his slider in and out." Remarkably, Peralta needed just 92 pitches to earn his fourth victory for the Chiefs. According to Villone, the Dominican native got first-pitch strikes against 14 of the 23 batters he faced. Villone attributed Peralta's success to keeping the ball down and not looking for the strikeout. "He wasn't trying to strike anyone out, he was trying to get ground balls," the former Major Leaguer said. "I think when you have someone who has a plus arm -- he was sitting in the mid-90s -- when you have that and a little bit of movement, when he starts taking control of that and using the soft stuff properly, the sky is the limit." Peralta, who set a Peoria Chiefs stadium record with his strikeout total, is 4-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 15 outings for the Chiefs. Not surprisingly, Tuesday's outing was his best of the season. "Once or twice early in the season, we had some flashes of him progressing," Villone said. "He's been working hard, keeping the ball down, pitching with good extension, understanding that he is in charge. He put it all together tonight. He had a great tempo. He looked the same on each pitch. "He keeps his pitches down and he has a lot of movement. His fastball is like a hard, heavy sinker, and it got better as it went on. Guys started chasing pitches. It was great to see him take control of the zone. When you start putting guys away, it's the power stuff. He had control over the power stuff." Bryce Shafer allowed two runs on three hits while recording two outs, and Larry Suarez recorded the final four outs of the game for his first save for the Chiefs. Zeke DeVoss was 4-for-4 with four runs scored and finished a homer shy of the cycle while Chadd Krist drove in a pair of runs for Peoria .

Nashville Wins Again In Dramatic Fashion, 5-4 In Sacramento Sounds Have Scored The Winning Run In Their Final At-Bat In Four Of The Last Six Wins WEST SACRMENTO, Calif. - Outfielder Logan Schafer scored on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth inning to give the Nashville Sounds a 5-4 victory over the Sacramento River Cats on Tuesday night at Raley Field. · AUDIO: Schafer Scores Winning Run Schafer, who collected two hits in his first game since being activated from the disabled list, previously reached on a triple to center field in the ninth and scored with two outs on Merkin Valdez's wild pitch during the Edwin Maysonet at-bat. Robert Wooten worked around an inning-opening single for a scoreless ninth to collect his third save of the season. Eighteen of Nashville's 53 victories this season have come when the Sounds score the winning run in their final turn at the plate, which has been the case in four of the club's last six wins. Designated hitter Jordan Brown had two hits for his team-leading 27th multiple-hit effort. Shortstop Jeff Bianchi homered for the second consecutive night. Sounds starting pitcher Tyler Thornburg was charged with two early runs over a 33-pitch first inning, as Sacramento jumped out to a 2-0 advantage. Leadoff hitter Jermaine Mitchell worked a five-pitch walk and proceeded to score on the following play as Grant Green crushed a double to center. Josh Donaldson followed with an RBI single to left. Sacramento starter Tyson Ross was cruising until the Sounds were able to plate three runs in the sixth and take a 3-2 lead. Third baseman Edwin Maysonet began the rally with a high-bouncing double down the third base line and later scored on an infield single from second baseman Eric Farris. After Jordan Brown's second hit of the game moved to Farris into scoring position, a groundout from first baseman Taylor Green moved up both runners up, outfielder Khris Davis smashed a two-run single up the middle to give Nashville a 3-2 advantage. · AUDIO: Khris Davis Two-Run Single Bianchi went deep for the second consecutive game to extend the Sounds' lead to 4-2 in the next inning off Arnold Leon. Bianchi's third home run of the season also extended his hitting streak to a season-best seven games. · AUDIO: Jeff Bianchi Homer The River Cats got both runs back over the next two innings to tie the game at 4-4. Shane Peterson singled off reliever Mitch Stetter and scored two batters later on a RBI triple from Mitchell in the seventh. Designated hitter Kila Ka'aihue opened the eighth with a double and was pinch run for by Wes Timmons, who moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a RBI single Daric Barton. Thornburg settled in after a rough first inning to keep the River Cats scoreless over the next four frames in a no-decision. The 23-year-old also fanned six while walking five in five innings of work. Tim Dillard pitched a scoreless inning. Stetter was charged with a run in 1/3 of an inning. Jesus Sanchez (3-0) gave up one run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings for the victory. Ross fanned seven over six innings while allowing three runs in a quality start no-decision. Valdez (0-1) took the loss. The Sounds and River Cats wrap up their four-game season series with a 2:05 pm CT afternoon finale on Wednesday at Raley Field. Nashville righty Hiram Burgos (0-1, 7.84) will toe the rubber in the finale against Sacramento right-hander Bruce Billings (7-4, 3.67). Nashville Box Score I feel like I've been posting the same thing about Tyler Thornburg starts for about 4 months, probably because I have, as I'm beginning to get concerned, but once again walks and XBHs where Thornburg's Achilles Heel. At least tonight he limited the opposition to just one XBH, but as you read above a walk, an XBH, then a single and he's given up 2 runs. If not for a WP, Jesus Sanchez might not have given up that run. All of the hitting and run scoring was covered in the game story. Nashville Play By Play

I have to believe he meant the best athlete playing the position, and not the best "SS", or at least that's how I took it.

Final: DSL Brewers 3, DSL Tigers 2 (5 innings) DSL Brewers Box Score In the past rain shortened games got under my skin but this year given what the farmers in southern WI and throughout the Midwest are dealing with it can rain all it freaking wants, and soon... So, I just happened to be texting my friend about the whizzinator (he's been the trainer at the HS for years now), we were joking back and forth about some of our "athletes" and their off season training regimen even though I'm not coaching this season. Then I looked at this box score and now I can't get "Rizzinator" out of my head, and it's all TLB's fault! At least I didn't get a Disney character stuck in my head... and no I'm not suggesting that as a nickname, just saying damn you TLB! So if you haven't figured it out Gian Rizzo was the starter and was flat out dominant allowing 1 baserunner (single) until the 5th when somehow those weasels from the Tigers managed to string together 4 singles in a row to score 2 runs. I'm going to blame the inclement weather, just because I can. Gian also walked 1 and struck out 6 in his "complete game". I'm going to keep an eye on Hot Sheet chats and next time Ben Badler is up for the chat I'll see if I can get some information on Rizzo and Ortega. With such a short contest no Brewers had a multi-hit game but Juan De Leon did double. Apparently the Tigers' battery is inept at holding runners because the Brewers did this in just 4 innings since they didn't even play the bottom of the 5th: BASERUNNING SB: Dicent, Js (4, 2nd base off Chavez/Rodriguez, S), Belonis 2 (23, 2nd base off Chavez/Rodriguez, S, 2nd base off Chavez/Rodriguez, S), Mendoza, A (11, home off Chavez/Rodriguez, S), Santana, Y (5, 2nd base off Chavez/Rodriguez, S). Alejandro Mendoza let me just say that stealing home is awesome and quite possibly my favorite event in a baseball game! DSL Brewers Play By Play Rizzo's 5th, I claim shenanigans. DSL Tigers Top of the 5th Sandy Acevedo flies out to left fielder Elvis Rubio. Omar Oses singles on a fly ball to right fielder Yunior Santana. Sandy Rodriguez singles on a fly ball to right fielder Yunior Santana. Omar Oses to 2nd. Anderson Yance singles on a fly ball to left fielder Elvis Rubio. Omar Oses to 3rd. Sandy Rodriguez to 2nd. Albertin Chavez singles on a ground ball to center fielder Juan Ortiz. Omar Oses scores. Sandy Rodriguez scores. Anderson Yance to 2nd. Francisco Contreras called out on strikes. Yerison Pena flies out to left fielder Elvis Rubio.

I'd cover you but I'll be out of town as well, I'll be doing mine from MN.

Southern notes: Reds' Cingrani a steal Pensacola left-hander continues to dominate after promotion By Guy Curtright / Special to MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/08/06/Pj4TtwLn.jpg Tony Cingrani earned Southern League Pitcher of the Week honors on July 2. (Blue Wahoos) Cincinnati gave up two good pitching prospects to acquire reliever Jonathan Broxton from Kansas City, but the Reds made sure one of them wasn't Tony Cingrani. Pensacola teammate Daniel Corcino is the Reds' No. 1 pitching prospect, and MLB.com's list at the time of the deal had the departed J.C. Sulbaren and Donnie Joseph slightly ahead of the left-hander. But with his success since being taken in the third round of the 2011 Draft, Cingrani remains as intriguing as any pitcher in Cincinnati's Minor League system. "He gets a lot of swings and misses," Pensacola manger Jim Riggleman said. Cingrani had 15 strikeouts over eight innings against Jackson on June 27 in his fifth start for the Blue Wahoos after his promotion from Class A Advanced Bakersfield and has been putting up eye-catching numbers ever since signing with the Reds. It's hard to believe this is the same pitcher who saw little action as a junior at Rice University after transferring from a junior college. He struggled at the start of his senior year as well before moving to the bullpen. But Cingrani flourished in that new role and has kept the same mentality he developed as a closer in his return to the rotation in the Minors. The 23-year-old has a simple but effective approach. "I just try to throw it hard and to a spot," the native of suburban Chicago said. "For the most part, I hit my spots. I elevate the ball and move it in and out. When they swing, they usually miss. That's basically it." Cingrani's fastball doesn't light up radar guns, usually sitting around 93 mph. But that's enough when he complements it with a good changeup and developing slider. The 6-foot-4 Pensacola ace struck out 80 and walked only six while posting a 1.75 ERA in 51 1/3 innings with Billings of the rookie Pioneer League last season. You would think it would be impossible to match those numbers with the move up in competition, but Cingrani has done it. In 21 combined starts with Bakersfield and Pensacola, the 23-year-old is 10-4 with a 1.57 ERA and has 137 strikeouts to 38 walks in 120 1/3 innings. He has given up just 82 hits for a .193 batting average against. Cingrani, now ranked as the Reds' No. 7 prospect, certainly hasn't had any trouble adjusting to being a starter again. But that wasn't the role he expected when the Reds selected him. "I thought I was getting drafted as a reliever," said Cingrani. "But once I sat down with my Reds scout, he said they wanted me as a starter. So they began to build me up and I was on my way." Cingrani uses his height to good advantage, and his delivery helps him slip his fastball by flailing hitters. "They miss pitches in the strike zone and out of the strike zone," Riggleman said. Continued development of his slider will determine if Cingrani remains a starter or moves back to the bullpen in the future. But the pitch has been effective against lefty hitters, and Cingrani has the changeup as his primary second pitch against righties. The three hits he allowed to Jackson in his 15-strikeout game came after the seventh inning, and he followed that effort up by not allowing an earned run in his next three starts. Over the four straight victories, Cingrani scattered 11 hits and an unearned run. Concerned about the buildup of innings in Cingrani's first full season after a seven-inning complete game July 13 at Chattanooga, the Reds had him skip his next start and he lost his last two outings in July. But he bounced back to pitch five scoreless frames in a no-decision at Huntsville on Saturday. Cingrani was 5-3 with a 1.98 ERA for Pensacola after going 5-1 with a 1.18 ERA in the usually hitter-friendly California League with Bakersfield. No wonder the Reds wanted to make sure to hold on to him. Cingrani was the 114th overall pick in the 2011 Draft and received a bonus of just $210,000 as a college senior with no bargaining leverage. And while Billy Hamilton is drawing all the attention with Pensacola as he goes for the Minor League stolen base record, Cingrani might be a steal as well. In brief Run, Billy, run: Pensacola shortstop Billy Hamilton stole three bases for the second time in three games Sunday at Huntsville, running his season total to 125. Cincinnati's No. 1 prospect had 21 steals in 26 attempts for the Blue Wahoos after swiping 104 bases in 125 attempts for Bakersfield. Hamilton, No. 26 among MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects, is pursuing the Minor League record of 145 steals set by Vince Coleman for Class A Macon in 1983. Streak over at 46: Hak-Ju Lee's team-record on-base streak for Montgomery came to an end after 46 games as the Biscuits were held to two hits in a 1-0 loss at Jacksonville on Saturday. Lee, who was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, had last failed to reach base June 11 against Chattanooga and had set a Montgomery record with a 21-game hitting streak during the stretch. The shortstop is Tampa Bay's No. 1 prospect and ranks No. 35 on MLB.com's Top 100 list. Quick impression: Shortstop Jean Segura was called up to Milwaukee after batting .433 with four stolen bases in his first eight games for Huntsville after being acquired from the Angels in the Zach Grienke trade. Pitchers Johnny Hellweg and Ariel Pena were also obtained in the deal and sent to Huntsville, with Hellweg getting a victory in his first start. Segura, who was batting .294 with 33 stolen bases for Double-A Arkansas of the Texas League, immediately became the Brewers' No. 1 prospect. He is No. 38 on MLB.com's Top 100 List. Brawl aftermath: Four Mississippi players and two from Mobile drew three-game suspensions after the benches-clearing melee in the ninth inning of a game at Mississippi on July 28. Suspended were catcher Christian Bethancourt, infielder Alden Carrithers and relief pitchers Cory Rasmus and Mike Tarsi of Mississippi, as well as catcher Rossmel Perez and outfielder Alfredo Marte of Mobile. Seven players were hit by pitches during the game and the brawl broke out after Perez's hard slide into Tarsi at the plate.

Sounds Even Series With River Cats With 5-3 Win Nashville Comes From Behind To Defeat PCL Frontrunners WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Nashville Sounds evened their series against PCL-leading Sacramento with a come-from-behind 5-3 victory on Monday evening at Raley Field. Trailing 3-2 in the seventh, red-hot outfielder Khris Davis (2-for-3) delivered a two-out, two-run single to push the visitors into the lead and Jeff Bianchi belted a ninth-inning homer to provide the final two-run cushion. The Nashville bullpen worked around several Sacramento baserunners in the final two innings, stranding the bases loaded in the eighth and leaving a pair of runners on in the ninth to keep the Cats at bay with a pair of scoreless frames to preserve the win. Jordan Brown went 3-for-5 and missed the cycle by a triple to pace the Sounds' offense. The veteran is batting .411 (23-for-56) over his past 16 contests. Sacramento took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second when left fielder Shane Peterson delivered a two-out, two-run single off Sounds starter Brian Baker. Michael Taylor (walk) and Grant Green (double) each scored on the go-ahead knock. The Sounds rallied to tie the game at 2-2 in the fourth against Sacramento starter Graham Godfrey. Brown led off the frame with his seventh home run of the year, a solo shot to right that halved the deficit. Following the longball, Nashville loaded the bases with one out on a Davis walk and singles by Taylor Green and Jason Jaramillo. Edwin Maysonet followed with a game-tying sacrifice fly to left. · AUDIO: Jordan Brown Solo HR The River Cats reclaimed the lead at 3-2 in the sixth on a Grant Green two-out RBI single that chased Baker from the contest before the Sounds responded in the next half-inning and grabbed their first lead of the night. Bianchi drew a one-out walk from Sacramento reliever Jim Miller (0-3) and moved to third on a two-out Brown double before both baserunners scored on a two-out, two-run single off the bat of Davis, who has hit safely in 20 of his last 21 contests. · AUDIO: Khris Davis Go-Ahead Two-Run Single Sounds reliever Fautino De Los Santos, a member of the Sacramento club for most of the season before being acquired by the Brewers at the trade deadline, worked out of a bases-loaded jam unscathed in the bottom of the eighth to keep the one-run Nashville advantage intact. After Juan Perez allowed a leadoff single to open the Sacramento eighth, De Los Santos gave up a single and a walk to fill the bags with none down. After popping up Daric Barton for the first out, the hard-throwing right-hander struck out Grant Green and Peterson in succession to escape the jam. Bianchi provided the Sounds with an insurance run in the ninth when he extended his longest hit streak of the year to six games with a one-out solo homer to center off Justin Souza. The blast, the infielder's second of the year, increased the Nashville cushion to 5-3. · AUDIO: Jeff Bianchi Solo HR Nashville had a chance to further increase the lead later in the frame after loading the bases against Souza with two outs but the right-hander popped up Sean Halton to end the inning. Rob Wooten took over on the hill for the Sounds in the bottom of the ninth and allowed a double and a walk to bring the potential winning run to the plate before inducing a game-ending groundout from Jermaine Mitchell to nail down his second save. Perez (3-0) picked up the win in relief for the Sounds after working 1 1/3 scoreless frames with three strikeouts. The teams continue the series with another 9:05 p.m. CT meeting on Tuesday. Right-hander Tyler Thornburg (1-0, 1.80) will toe the slab for the Sounds to face Sacramento right-hander Tyson Ross (4-2, 2.72). Nashville Box Score At one point Khrush Davis didn't have an official AB after being HBP and walked but then he got hits in 2 of his next 3 appearances, he's on some kind tear. Rob Wooten has been shakey all year but got the job done, I'm still holding out hope that he can be a viable bullpen guy in the bigs. Nashville Play By Play

too many questions about the Cubs... we need to start asking Brewer questions BA Hot Sheet Chat August 3, 2012