TheCrew07

Final: Oklahoma City 10, Nashville 7 Sounds Lose Slugfest To RedHawks, 10-7 Packed House Watches Schafer Belt Two Homers For Nashville NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Brett Wallace belted a pair of homers to lead the Oklahoma City RedHawks to a 10-7 victory over the Nashville Sounds in front of 9,047 fans on Friday evening at Greer Stadium. With the slugfest victory, the RedHawks gained a split of the four-game set with Nashville (30-45) and won the season series by a 13-3 margin. The Sounds finished their homestand with a 4-4 record. Center fielder Logan Schafer hit a pair of home runs as part of a 4-for-5 evening for the Sounds, missing the cycle by a double. It marked the first multiple-homer game of his six-year career as well as the first two-homer effort by a Sound this season. Corey Patterson added a season-best 3-for-4 evening for the Sounds, who out-hit Oklahoma City, 13-10, in the losing effort. Sounds starter Wily Peralta endured a rough first inning, giving up four runs and facing eight batters before departing with two outs in the frame after tossing 45 pitches. With the bases full of RedHawks with two outs following a pair of walks sandwiched around a single, Peralta hit Fernando Martinez with a pitch to force home Brandon Barnes (3-for-6) with the game's first run. Catcher Landon Powell followed with a two-run single to center before Jordan Kreke chased the right-hander from the contest with a bloop RBI single to right that gave the visitors a 4-0 lead. Johnnie Lowe followed Peralta with a solid relief effort, working 4 1/3 scoreless frames and allowing only one hit. He worked around five walks and fanned a season-high five batters in his longest outing of the season. Nashville halved the deficit to 4-2 in the home half of the opening frame. Schafer led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo homer to deep right-center off Oklahoma City left-hander Brett Oberholtzer, his sixth homer of the year and the Sounds' third game-opening longball of the season. Jeff Bianchi followed with a double down the left field line and later scored on Andy Gonzalez's two-out bloop single to shallow right. AUDIO: Schafer's 1st HR The Sounds pulled within a run at 4-3 in the third. Schafer led off with a fly ball to right that Brad Snyder lost in the lights. The ball dropped on the warning track, Schafer ended up on third with a triple, and then scored on Bianchi's ensuing groundout to short. Nashville evened the contest with an unearned run off Oberholtzer in the fourth. With one out, Eric Farris hit a grounder to deep short and advanced all the way to second when Kreke fired wide of first. Patterson followed with a game-tying single to right but was thrown out as he attempted to advance to second on the play. Schafer powered the Sounds to a 5-4 lead in the fifth when he led off with his second homer of the night, a line drive shot onto the Family Leisure beyond the wall in the right field corner. AUDIO: Schafer's 2nd HR Oklahoma City jumped right back in front in the top of the sixth with a three-run rally against Sounds reliever Victor Garate. Pinch-hitter Angel Sanchez drew a walk to open the frame and later scored the tying run on a Snyder sacrifice fly before Wallace (2-for-4) gave the RedHawks a 7-5 lead with a mammoth home run to right, a two-run shot that landed on Chestnut Street on the fly, at least 450 feet from home plate. The go-ahead dinger was the third baseman's 11th of the year. The RedHawks extended the lead to 9-5 in the seventh against Garate on Barnes' one-out, two-run single to center. Schafer continued his solid night in the seventh with an RBI single off Jonnathan Aristil to bring in Patterson, who singled to open the frame. After advancing to third on a Bianchi single, Schafer later scored to reduce the Sounds' deficit to 9-7 when Oklahoma City reliever Mickey Storey misfired to first base on a pickoff attempt. Wallace slugged his second home run of the night to lead off the eighth, swatting an opposite-field shot to left-center off Garate to stretch the visitors' lead to 10-7. After Storey worked 1 2/3 scoreless frames of relief for Oklahoma City, Hector Ambriz worked around a leadoff Patterson single to work a scoreless bottom of the ninth to preserve the win and notch his first save of the year. Oberholtzer (1-1) backed into his first career Triple-A victory after departing the game on the short end of a 5-4 deficit before the RedHawks' sixth-inning rally. The southpaw allowed five runs on eight hits over his five frames of action. Garate (2-5) absorbed the loss for the Sounds after suffering a blown save and surrendering six runs in his two innings. First baseman Travis Ishikawa went 0-for-3 in his sixth rehab game for Nashville, during which he has batted .222 (4-for-18). A pair of Sounds had season-best hitting streaks snapped in the contest: catcher Jason Jaramillo had a six-gamer end with an 0-for-4 evening and outfielder Jay Gibbons went 0-for-2 to snap his five-gamer. The Sounds embark upon a seven-game road trip tomorrow that includes stops in Albuquerque (AAA-Dodgers) and Round Rock (AAA-Rangers). Right-hander Mark Rogers (2-4, 5.68) will take the hill for Nashville in Saturday's 8:05 p.m. CT opener of a four-game series at Isotopes Park. Albuquerque will counter with left-hander Michael Antonini (1-5, 5.14). Nashville Box Score I wonder what kind of athlete Wily Peralta is? How could he possibly screw up his mechanics so bad he's suddenly pitching the way he's pitching? This season has turned out to be way beyond what would have been my worse case for Wily. Hopefully Victor Garate never pitches to Brett Wallace again, 2 bombs in 2 innings, wonderful. At least Johnnie Lowe was clutch and Robert Wooten pitched 2 scoreless. Inquiring minds want to know if Logan Schafer will get a shot to make the big club next year? Maybe they'll keep both Morgan and Schafer so we have 4 CFs on the MLB roster! Schafer's OPS will be more than .780 after today's power barrage, not too shabby for a CF, about all he needs now is a haircut. Jeff Bianchi chipped in a 2-4 effort including the double, as did Andy Gonzalez. Corey Patterson's night detailed above. Nashville Play By Play Wooten's performance, something positive on the pitching side. Okla. City Top of the 8th Sean Halton remains in the game as the first baseman. Brett Wallace homers (12) on a fly ball to left field. Mike Hessman singles on a ground ball to left fielder Corey Patterson. Jake Goebbert reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by pitcher Victor Garate. Mike Hessman to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Robert Wooten replaces Victor Garate, batting 4th. Defensive Substitution: Hainley Statia replaces pitcher Victor Garate, batting 9th, playing third base. J. B. Shuck grounds into a force out, fielded by shortstop Jeff Bianchi. Mike Hessman to 3rd. Jake Goebbert out at 2nd. Shuck to 1st. Landon Powell lines into double play, center fielder Logan Schafer to first baseman Sean Halton. J. B. Shuck doubled off 1st. Okla. City Top of the 9th Jordan Kreke grounds out, pitcher Robert Wooten to first baseman Sean Halton. Angel Sanchez pops out to first baseman Sean Halton in foul territory. Brandon Barnes lines out to left fielder Corey Patterson.

Preach on brother, I've just never been able to feel optimistic about Hall... low GO:AO rate, actually negative since he left AZ, a career WHIP of 1.457, career SO/9 of 6.5, career H/9 of 10.1, and surprisingly his BB rate has spiked to 4.7 so far this year. He still has plenty of time to turn it around, but the young man needs a better out pitch at the very least.

Final: Nashville 2, Oklahoma City 1 Sounds Win Second Straight Over Oklahoma City, 2-1 Gibbons Goes Yard For Second Consecutive Game NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds beat the Oklahoma City RedHawks for the second day in row with a 2-1 victory on Thursday night at Greer Stadium. The one-run victory was the club's PCL-leading 17th of the season. Eleven of the 15 games played between Nashville and Oklahoma City this season have been decided by two runs or less. Nashville (30-44) was held to four hits, but two went for extra bases and were responsible for both runs. In his fifth rehab game while recovering from a left oblique strain, Travis Ishikawa went 1-for-4 with a double and the go-ahead RBI in the sixth inning. Oklahoma City scored their only run in the opening frame on three consecutive two-out singles, highlighted by a Fernando Martinez RBI base hit to right field. Outfielder Jay Gibbons crushed a game-tying solo homer off RedHawks reliever Aneury Rodriguez in the bottom of the fourth. Extending his hitting streak to a season-best five games, Gibbons' homer was his second in back-to-back contests and his fifth in nine games. Nashville went ahead at 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning. After Caleb Gindl worked an inning-opening walk, Ishikawa cranked an RBI double off the wall in right-center. In his second rehab appearance while recovering from a right quadriceps strain, Nashville starter Marco Estrada gave up one run on six hits in five innings of work for a no decision. He also struck out three and walked one with 77 pitches (52 strikes). The Nashville bullpen pitched well and didn't allow a run for the second straight game while following up with four scoreless frames from four different pitchers. Amaury Rivas (4-4) worked around two hits for a scoreless inning and the victory. Brian Baker walked two and struck out one in a scoreless frame. Donovan Hand pitched a scoreless inning behind three great defensive plays from second baseman Eric Farris and shortstop Jeff Bianchi. Jim Henderson struck out the side and stranded the tying run on second base to convert his sixth save of the season. For the second time in the series, Oklahoma City's starter lasted only one inning. Armando Galarraga gave up one hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning. Rodriguez (2-7) followed five innings in relief, allowing two runs on two hits, but came away with the loss. The Sounds and RedHawks will conclude their season series at 7:05 pm CT on Friday evening at Greer Stadium. Nashville right-hander Wily Peralta (2-8, 5.96) will toe the rubber against Oklahoma City lefty Brett Oberholtzer (0-1, 6.75). Nashville Box Score Hey another win for Nashville, Marco Estrada was strong in his second rehab start as detailed above. He did have a balk, I'd be curious if it was called on a pick off move or what the exact circumstances were. I highlighted the part about Jay Gibbons above because he didn't have a single HR for Huntsville and has 5 since joining the Sounds, however his BA has dropped significantly with the increase in power, small sample alert, but something to keep an eye on. Gibbons also added an OF assist in the contest and Eric Farris stole his 20th base off our old friend Carlos Corporan. Nashville Play By Play

Final: DSL Brewers 1, DSL Tigers 0 DSL Brewers Box Score I'm loving these low scoring well played games in DSL so far this year. As Mass alluded to Jorge Ortega was just lights out going 8 innings allowing 6 hits, 1 walk, and no runs against 6 strike outs. Eliezer Montano worked around a lead off walk in the 9th with the help of some good defense to close it out. We really need some accurate scouting reports on these latin kids. No Brewer had a multiple hit effort though Carlos Belonis stole his 11 base but was also caught stealing for the 3rd time. Raphachel Colatosti got nabbed trying to thieve a base as well, his first caught stealing of the season. The Brewers played clean defense and Montano picked off a runner at 1B, the work on pick offs has apparently extended all the way down to the DSL as well, nice. Between errors, walks, and balks the young Brewers had plenty of base runners throughout the contest but couldn't push any runs across after the first. DSL Brewers Play By Play You don't see a single first inning run hold up very often, and what a clutch way to manufacture a 2 out run! DSL Brewers Top of the 1st Francisco Castillo called out on strikes. Raphachel Colatosti grounds out, second baseman Gregoris Hidalgo to first baseman Lenny Pena. Carlos Belonis walks. With Elvis Rubio batting, Carlos Belonis steals (11) 2nd base. Elvis Rubio singles on a line drive to right fielder Ignacio Valdez. Carlos Belonis scores. Juan Ortiz flies out to center fielder Samuel Crafort. Ortega worked some magic here, runners on 2nd and 3rd with no out... DSL Tigers Bottom of the 6th Eurys Felipe singles on a line drive to right fielder Elvis Rubio. Manuel Joseph singles on a fly ball to right fielder Elvis Rubio. Eurys Felipe to 3rd. With Gregoris Hidalgo batting, Manuel Joseph steals (2) 2nd base. Gregoris Hidalgo pops out to second baseman Alejandro Mendoza. Lenny Pena pops out to third baseman Raphachel Colatosti. Ignacio Valdez flies out to center fielder Francisco Castillo. Arguably the most exciting frame in the whole game to end it. DSL Tigers Bottom of the 9th Pitcher Change: Eliezer Montano replaces Jorge Ortega. Ignacio Valdez walks. Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Felix G. Santana replaces Sandy Acevedo. Felix G. Santana out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Eliezer Montano to second baseman Alejandro Mendoza. Ignacio Valdez to 2nd. Francisco Contreras reaches on a fielder's choice out, first baseman Jose Dicent to third baseman Raphachel Colatosti. Ignacio Valdez out at 3rd. With Felix A. Santana batting, Francisco Contreras picked off and caught stealing 2nd base, pitcher Eliezer Montano to first baseman Jose Dicent.

I vote for standardization, make it within 2 hours of game completion! It's silly that the box didn't pop until after 1 AM CDT this morning.

My intention was that other readers bookmark it as I don't have the ability to pin it (I bookmarked it myself). Maybe one of Mass or one of the other mods will move and pin? Excellent suggestion though. Edit. Just occurred to me that I should post this as well, here's BA's Draft Database, another excellent resource for those that don't frequent BA or aren't familiar with the site.

I mostly agree with this, however I don't believe it's that black and white. Trade analysis shouldn't be about what the prospects traded have done or didn't do, that's very superficial analysis in my opinion. The prospects had a definable and set value at the time of the trade, so ultimately any trade analysis should be about the value received vs the value given as well as the resulting domino effect on the organization. Did the trade ultimately solve the problem or did it turn out to be a purely temporary measure? What if we don't resign Greinke and just end up with draft pick compensation for him? Was the move worth it then if our pitching drastically drops off? The same happened with the Sabathia and that team didn't have any kind of legitimate shot to make a post season run with just Sabathia and Yo coming off his ACL injury after Sheets went on the DL. The "we made the playoffs so the trade was worth it" defense of the Sabathia, Marcum, and Greinke trades stops too short because it completely ignores the state of the organization and the state of the pitching for the Brewers MLB team once those players leave. The domino effect must also be considered which in turn raises the question was the player acquired the best possible value for that package? I'm not talking about the sentimental value of being relevant or being in the playoffs, I'm asking people to put their emotion aside and try to be as objective as possible. Have these trades objectively moved the organization forward on the field? I would argue not, especially with how thin the organization has become, and it was actually worse last year, we didn't have 3 prospects we could use to bolster the pen and/or rotation but Peralta, Fiers, and now Thornburg have all contributed in 2012. A couple of season ending injuries in 2011 and we don't sniff the playoffs either... which also raises the question about continually "going for it" when a key injury can sink your entire season. Can the risk be continually justified with objective analysis? I'm not talking about taking a shot here and there, I'm talking about buying every year, year in and year out, until you run out of prospects to spend. Wouldn't logic suggest that a GM should play it both ways? Sometimes selling, sometimes buying? What impact prospects have we acquired back via a trade? I completely agree this is crux of both sides of the argument. As are any draft picks that would come as compensation for losing Greinke, it could be just like Sabathia if a team like the Cubs were to go after him on a long-term deal (a team with a top 10 pick), we'd be looking at a sandwich pick and a 2nd rounder for compensation. The Cubs are not as far away as people seem to think they are, it's not as if a team has to be competitive today to sign Greinke tomorrow. The Cubs have 3 hitting prospects in AAA that are MLB ready, with Greinke the Pirates could make a significant jump, Cole is only a year away and is a better prospect than Thornburg, all of a sudden the Pirates would have the best 1-3 in the division. I don't want to get carried away with the different scenarios but I don't exactly see Milwaukee as a team on the rise but I could make a legit argument for 5-6 teams that haven't been discussed as suitors for Greinke making a play for him. Best case for us any draft pick compensation would be ready to pitch or perform in 2015, how do we bridge the gap through 2013-14? When do we quit hoping to as Melvin said, "win 8 or 9 out of 10 and we're right back in it", and look to build more depth which allows for a sustained run of success? The value gained from Melvin's signature moves will be completely short lived, 4.5 seasons of above average to outstanding pitching from 3 different players over 3 different MLB seasons while the organization still hasn't proven it can develop pitching like the Rays, Giants, Braves, and so on. Could we have gotten more longevity in the rotation using the same players we sold if we had bought different pitchers? The dominoes only fell this way because Melvin chose that path, not because it was the only path available. The root of this problem goes all the way back to 2004-05, it's never been addressed and keeps coming back around. I'm really high on Thornburg, but I was really high on Parra as well, not to mention Eveland, Hendrickson, and on down the line. I'm a much more educated fan now, but I don't see a Gallardo in our minor leagues that I'd go out on a limb for (Odorizzi was that young man for me), we need to hit on a run of pitching prospects like we did hitting prospects with Fielder, Braun, Hart, Weeks, and Hardy or our pitching problems will never truly be solved. If we can't produce pitching we'll perpetually be in this state of close but not good enough especially since Melvin hasn't proven he's willing or able to trade for impact cost controlled pitching. Unfortunately I don't feel any where near as strong about this current group of pitching prospects as I did that first wave of hitting prospects, there's just too many unknowns with every pitcher from Peralta in AAA through Gagnon in A for me.

A very handy resource to quickly follow this year's draft picks, the rest of the data at the link Track the top 2012 Draft picks Check here to see when picks sign and where they're headed http://www.milb.com/images/2012/06/12/oypsiOKl.jpg Houston selected prep shortstop Carlos Correa with the first pick of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. Looking for information on Draft picks? Here's a grid displaying information on top picks and notable players, including where they came from, when they signed and where they've made their debut.

Helena falls behind early, can’t complete rally in Great Falls http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/c1/9c1683fc-bb65-11e1-ba55-001a4bcf887a/4fe2b75f63bd1.preview-300.jpg Rion Sanders Great Falls Tribune - Helena pitcher Erik Semmelhack delivers a pitch to a Great Falls Voyagers batter during Wednesday evening’s game at Centene Stadium in Great Falls. Helena lost 11-7. The Helena Brewers fell into an early hole against the Great Falls Voyagers on Wednesday night in the Electric City and couldn’t muster up enough offense to complete a rally in an 11-7 loss. The Voyagers scored one run in the first inning and two in the second inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead, but the Brewers bounced back with two runs of their own in the third. Great Falls, however, created too much breathing room over the next three innings and took a 11-2 lead into the seventh. The Brewers scored two in the seventh and three in the eighth to trim Great Falls’ advantage to four runs, but that’s where the offense stopped for both teams. Five Voyagers finished with multi-hit games, led by shortstop D.J. Jarrad’s 4-for-5 performance with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored. First baseman Abe Ruiz and designated hitter Steven Nikorak each had three hits for Great Falls. Nikorak finished with four runs and four RBIs — three on a sixth-inning home run. Jonathan Casey pitched six innings, allowing five hits and two runs — one earned — to pick up the victory. Eric Semmelback pitched three innings and took the loss for Helena, allowing five hits and three runs — one earned. Second baseman Chris McFarland, left fielder Lance Roenicke and designated hitter Michael Nemeth led the Brewers’ offense with three hits apiece. McFarland and Roenicke each added two RBIs. The Brewers, who split a home series with the Voyagers on Monday and Tuesday, slip to 1-2. Great Falls improves to 2-1. The teams meet again at 7 tonight in Great Falls.

Final: DSL Blue Jays 3, DSL Brewers 2 DSL Brewers Box Score Our favorite man of mystery Gian Rizzo dominated the competition again this morning going 7 incredibly strong innings allowing a paltry 2 hits and 2 walks against 7 strike outs. He did allow an unearned run and his ERA currently sits at a miniscule .39. I'll beat the drum one more time since he did already dominate the DSL in 2011, it's pretty safe to say he's ready for a higher challenge. Hopefully he jumps right to Helena next season... Angel Ventura continues to struggle in short relief allowing both runs in the 9th on a game winning home run, he's yet to post a scoreless appearance in 2012. Junior Flores replaced Ventura and managed to record the final 2 outs without allowing a run. No Brewers had a multi-hit game but Raphachel Colatosti did hit what was the go ahead HR in the bottom of the 8th and finished 1-3 with a walk. Colatosti also stole his 5th of the base of the season in the middle of a Blue Jay defensive collapse in the 4th which allowed the first Brewer run. Carlos Belonis had another good day on the bases stealing 2 and pushing his season total to 10 already. DSL Brewers Play By Play The Brewers were gifted this run in the 4th. DSL Brewers Bottom of the 4th Raphachel Colatosti walks. Carlos Belonis reaches on fielding error by third baseman Gustavo Perinan. Raphachel Colatosti to 2nd. Elvis Rubio flies out to left fielder Ronniel Demorizi. Juan Ortiz strikes out swinging. Raphachel Colatosti steals (5) 3rd base. Yunior De La Cruz reaches on fielding error by third baseman Gustavo Perinan. Raphachel Colatosti scores. Carlos Belonis to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Jonathan Torres replaces Carlos Rodriguez. Carlos Pena grounds out, pitcher Jonathan Torres to first baseman Angel Rojas. Missed a chance here to tack on more, must have been a good play in RF. DSL Brewers Bottom of the 8th Raphachel Colatosti homers (1) on a fly ball to center field. Carlos Belonis strikes out swinging. Wild pitch by pitcher Manuel Lopez. Carlos Belonis to 1st. With Elvis Rubio batting, Carlos Belonis steals (10) 2nd base. Manuel Lopez intentionally walks Elvis Rubio. Juan Ortiz strikes out swinging. Yunior De La Cruz flies out to right fielder Cesar Barazarte. Carlos Belonis out at 2nd. Carlos Belonis out at 2nd, right fielder Cesar Barazarte to second baseman Ronniel Demorizi. Angel Ventura has put up one of these frames in every game. DSL Blue Jays Top of the 9th Angel Rojas flies out to left fielder Juan Ortiz. Edwin Fuentes singles on a fly ball to center fielder Francisco Castillo. With Luis Martin batting, wild pitch by Angel Ventura, Edwin Fuentes to 2nd. Luis Martin homers (1) on a fly ball to center field. Edwin Fuentes scores. Cesar Barazarte singles on a fly ball to center fielder Francisco Castillo. Pitcher Change: Junior Flores replaces Angel Ventura. With Juan Tejada batting, Cesar Barazarte steals (2) 2nd base. Juan Tejada strikes out swinging. Ronniel Demorizi hit by pitch. Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Juan Kelly replaces Andres De Aza. Juan Kelly grounds out to first baseman Yunior De La Cruz.

Because he's replaceable talent? Why would you sign him to a FA contract? He has 3 years of team control left. If the Brewer rotation has Narveson, Fiers, and Estrada it in then we simply won't be very good. All 3 of those are guys are fine 4/5s but are pitchers you are looking to push to the bullpen, not build around.

Pirates' Cole wins Double-A debut Top overall pick in 2010 Draft strikes out six over five innings By Danny Wild / MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/06/21/2pYtD7Rd.jpg Gerrit Cole delivers a pitch in the first inning of his Double-A debut. (Mark Olson/MiLB.com) Gerrit Cole has garnered a lot of attention and hype, and at this point, he's turned the nerves that come along with the big moments into a positive. "I felt pretty good, some butterflies beforehand, but they went away like they always do," Cole said after making his much-anticipated Double-A debut on Wednesday night. "It just happens every game, but that was kind of reassuring -- it was like any other start." For a while, it looked like another of Cole's dominant starts in the Florida State League. He ended up holding New Britain to a pair of runs on five hits and struck out six over five innings as Altoona beat the Rock Cats, 9-4. Cole (1-0) took a no-hitter into the fourth inning before Twins No. 2 prospect Aaron Hicks lined a leadoff double and scored on Chris Colabello's single. It was Hicks again an inning later who easily handled one of Cole's fastballs and turned it into an RBI single that trimmed Altoona's lead to 8-2. "I tried to establish the fastball early and then went to the changeup. It was feeling good," said Cole, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 Draft out of UCLA. He mentioned the change as a key complement to a fastball that's been known to reach triple digits. "I have confidence in it. I'll throw it with two strikes or early in the count." Cole, who was reached for three hits in his final inning, popped up Chris Herrmann to end his night after 72 pitches. Scouts reportedly clocked Cole's fastball as high as 98 mph, although the radar gun at Peoples Natural Gas Field had him maxing out at 96. That, however, isn't as important. The Pirates No. 2 prospect knows he's facing better, more patient hitters in the Eastern League. Pure heat won't get the job done all the time, as Hicks reminded him. "It's not about velocity anymore, it's about location and changing speed," he said. "You're trying to force contact and get quick outs and get your guys back in the dugout." But Cole more or less resembled the ace he was with Class A Advanced Bradenton. He's held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in 10 of his last 11 starts. He said he took Wednesday's outing, one that came less than 100 miles from the parent club in Pittsburgh, the same way he's approached any other start. "[i'm] staying the same, controlling what you can control, just going out there and pitching," he said. Cole said his first-pitch fastball was big early in the game. "It's a huge part of anybody's game, to get quick outs, so you can always get better at it," he said. "It was pretty good tonight, but again, you gotta stay on top of it." The start had a few other memorable moments, including a 15-minute delay following a power failure. Cole took the break to stay focused. "It was actually nice to get some warmup pitches in before [the lights] went out," he said. "Just came in, threw on a jacket and tried to keep rolling." He also had Curve fans excited in the fifth when a strikeout of a pre-selected Rock Cat would have gotten free hamburgers for everyone in attendance. Cole said he didn't even hear the chants on the mound -- and no burgers were given away. As far as making adjustments from the free-swinging FSL, Cole said there's room for improvements next time. "They might have been a little more aggressive early, but the second time, that was expected. I need to make better pitches," he said. The 21-year-old right-hander also spoke about the ability to handle big games after going through the Draft twice (he didn't sign with the Yankees after they selected him in the first round in 2008) and making debuts in the FSL and Arizona Fall League. "It's gotten a lot simpler, I'm more comfortable with the routine. It's just a matter of going out there and treating it like another start," he said. "[it's about] getting comfortable with your surroundings and all the situations that pro ball throws at you. You just tuck 'em under your belt and move on." Altoona cruised to the win, thanks to homers from Robbie Grossman -- the Pirates' No. 7 prospect -- and Quincy Latimore.

No DSL box score, if I don't post then it wasn't up before I went to bed.

Final: Nashville 3, Oklahoma City 2 Sounds Clip 'Hawks On Gonzalez Walkoff Homer NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Third baseman Andy Gonzalez led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a home run to power the Nashville Sounds to a 3-2 walkoff victory over Oklahoma City on Wednesday evening at Greer Stadium. Gonzalez's blast, his sixth of the year, came on a 3-2 offering from RedHawks right-hander Adalberto Flores and gave Nashville (29-44) its 11th last at-bat victory of the year. · AUDIO: Andy Gonzalez Walkoff HR The walkoff blast made a winner out of Vinnie Chulk (3-0), who worked a scoreless top of the ninth for the Sounds. Flores (4-1) took the loss for Oklahoma City. Nashville starting pitcher Seth McClung took a hard-luck no-decision after allowing only two hits over his six innings of work during his team co-leading fifth quality start of the year. The right-hander helped his own cause with an RBI double in the contest. Sounds right fielder Jay Gibbons broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth when he slugged his fourth home run in his last eight games, a leadoff solo shot to right on a 2-0 offering from RedHawks starter Brian Bass. · AUDIO: Jay Gibbons Solo HR The Sounds doubled the lead to 2-0 later in the frame when Eric Farris drew a two-out walk from Bass, stole his team-leading 19th base to advance to second, and scored on McClung's opposite-field RBI double to left-center. · AUDIO: Seth McClung RBI Double McClung was dominant in the early going, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning and retiring 14 of his first 15 batters faced. The big right-hander ran into trouble in the sixth, however, as Oklahoma City rallied to knot the contest at 2-2. RedHawks shortstop Angel Sanchez opened the frame and was drilled in the head by a McClung pitch, which shattered the infielder's batting helmet. He stayed in the game initially before departing mid-inning and was replaced by pinch-runner Jordan Kreke. Landon Powell drew a five-pitch walk from McClung to put a pair of runners on base for Bass, who attempted to sacrifice. As the RedHawks hurler squared to bunt, McClung's first offering was up and in and struck Bass' hand while on the bat, which was ruled a foul ball by the home plate umpire. Following a lengthy argument at the plate by Oklahoma City manager Tony DeFrancesco, the skipper was ejected from the game, along with Bass and strength coach Gary McCoy. After pinch-hitter Jake Goebbert, who replaced Bass, struck out, J.B. Shuck ripped a game-tying, two-run triple to the wall in right-center. McClung escaped further damage and left Shuck standing at third by inducing a pair of grounders to end the inning. Nashville missed an opportunity to reclaim the lead in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs against the Oklahoma City bullpen before pinch-hitter Jeff Bianchi lined out softly against Juan Abreu to end the threat. Shortstop Cesar Izturis went 0-for-3 in his fourth rehab contest for Nashville and is just 1-for-12 in his time with the Sounds. First baseman Travis Ishikawa also played his fourth rehab game and went 1-for-3 with a double; he is 3-for-11 in his four contests with Nashville. The teams continue the series with another 7:05 p.m. matchup on Thursday evening. Right-hander Marco Estrada (0-0, 0.00) will make his second rehabilitation start for Nashville as he recovers from a right quadriceps strain. Oklahoma City will send right-hander Armando Galarraga (1-0, 1.86) to the hill. Nashville Box Score Big Seth McClung had quite the outing going until he lost his control in the 6th, hopefully Sanchez is okay, I'm shocked the trainer actually let him try to continue. Donovan Hand, Mike McClendon, and Vinnie Chulk each pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Jay Gibbons went 2-4 with a double in addition to the HR covered above. Eric Farris stole his 19th base and the Sounds played clean defense. Nashville Play By Play Nothing much beyond the game story.

Marauders' Taillon snaps out of funk Bucs prospect yields one hit over career-high seven innings By Robert Emrich / Special to MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/06/19/WM5hO4Bf.jpg Jameson Taillon had allowed 20 earned runs in his previous four starts. (Cliff Welch/MiLB.com) Jameson Taillon felt like he earned the right to pitch on Tuesday. Then he went out and proved it. The Pirates' top prospect allowed one hit over seven innings in his longest outing as a pro, pitching Class A Advanced Bradenton to a 7-0 blanking of St. Lucie. Taillon (4-6), who struck out five and walked three, allowed only a fifth-inning single to Blake Forsythe. He threw 47 of 78 pitches for strikes and faced only four over the minimum in his 14th start for the Marauders. "It's one of those days where I felt like I had all three pitches working for me," Taillon said. "I had good command of my fastball, in and out and up and down. I worked it inside early, that was the key. I was trying to make them uncomfortable. After that, it was three-pitch mix." Taillon, who pitched six innings on June 2 against Brevard County to match his longest previous outing, had struggled in his six starts. Over 31 innings, he surrendered 28 earned runs on 41 hits while striking out 26. The biggest difference Tuesday was mental, not physical. "I'd say it was attitude," Taillon said. "My attitude tonight was that I deserved to be there and I've been working hard -- have some fun, play the game and have a positive outlook. Honestly, it's a lot more fun when you throw well. We've started off the second half really well." The second overall pick in the 2010 Draft was excited to make his way past the sixth for the first time. Despite walking two in the inning, it was a great experience. "I was pumped to see the seventh," Taillon said. "You have to earn it at this level. It's all about the pitch count and how efficient you can be. Whenever you can see the seventh at this level, you know you've done something right." MLB.com's No. 5 overall prospect lowered his ERA to 4.10 in his second season as a pro. He ranks seventh in the Florida State League with 67 strikeouts over 74 2/3 innings and opponents are batting .234 against him. The 20-year-old right-hander began the season in the rotation with Gerrit Cole, who will make his Double-A debut Wednesday. Taillon hopes to follow the top overall pick in last year's Draft but understands he has to earn a promotion. "It was awesome that [Cole] got to move up, it's always good to see a good friend get moved up one step closer," Taillon said. "It's one of those things that I can't really control and I have to keep going out there and doing my thing. "I'd say [i have to] show consistency and not have as many ups and downs. Just string together good starts. You don't have to be great every time, just show you can be good on a consistent basis." Kenn Kasparek allowed a hit and walk in the eighth and Zach Foster tossed a hitless ninth to wrap up Bradenton's fifth shutout. Mel Rojas was 3-for-5 with an RBI and Kirk Singer plated a pair of runs for the Marauders.

struggling Shelby Miller with candid interview at bottom of the main story link, it's worth it to watch if you have the time Memphis treats: BBQ nachos, Miller Crowds love Redbirds' dry rub, but Miller still warming to town By Benjamin Hill / MLB.com http://www.milb.com/images/2012/06/19/hqbZO4vs.jpg Memphis' signature barbecue nachos have inspired other local restaurants. (Benjamin Hill/MiLB.com) In most Minor League ballparks, the thought of nachos outselling hot dogs would be patently absurd. It sounds like some sort of alternate reality scenario, taking place in a world in which the Cubs have 27 world championships and Howard the Duck is the highest-grossing movie of all-time. But that's just the situation at AutoZone Park, the home of the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. Barbecue nachos are the team's signature concession item, one so popular that it does indeed outsell the iconic hot dog. The barbecue nachos can be traced back to the team's days at old Tim McCarver Park (where they were known as "Pig Nachos"), and they were re-christened with their current name when the team moved to AutoZone Park in 2000. From there, an enthusiastic cult following soon blossomed into full-on mainstream adoration. They are a relatively simple concoction -- consisting of tortilla chips topped with pulled pork, nacho cheese, barbecue sauce and dry rub -- but the details are crucial. The latter two ingredients are supplied by Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous, a downtown Memphis barbecue institution located just a few minutes walk from the ballpark, and it's the dry rub in particular that gives the nachos a memorable kick. When I visited AutoZone Park last week, Ovations concessions general manager Mike Brulatour placed an order of the nachos in front of me, pointed out the copious amounts of dry rub sprinkled on top, and asked, "Do you like Old Bay Seasoning? Well, this is better." Better is in the eye of the beholder, and I am still pondering whether the Rendezvous rub is indeed superior to Maryland's No. 1 seafood enhancer. The two are certainly comparable (Rendezvous has more of a kick to it), and there's no doubt that the Redbirds have hit upon the right recipe. Brulatour notes with pride that the Redbirds sparked a trend throughout Memphis, with established barbecue joints throughout the area copying the team. "We were the first place that had barbecue nachos," he said. "And now, almost every restaurant has them on the menu." Growing pains Though food may be the first order of business for many Memphis fans, there are also those whose top priority is seeing the future of the St. Louis Cardinals organization in an intimate environment. And this season, there is no greater prospect on the Redbirds' roster than 21-year-old right-hander Shelby Miller. The Cardinals' first-round Draft pick in 2009, Miller possesses the sort of innate talent that had led to smooth sailing in his professional baseball career. He was named the Cardinals' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in each of the past two seasons and, in 2011, compiled a stellar 2.77 ERA while pitching in the usually challenging environs of the Double-A Texas League. And then came Memphis. Miller is currently sporting an unsightly 6.00 ERA, opponents are batting .306 against him, and he is averaging fewer than five innings per start. Most unsettlingly, he has surrendered 15 home runs over 66 innings pitched (for perspective, he entered the season having yielded 13 home runs over 247 career innings). I requested an interview with Miller the day after his dispiriting start against the Nashville Sounds on June 11 (he took the loss, allowing six runs over four innings), and considering the circumstances I would have understood if he declined or, at the very least, kept himself at a safe remove. Instead, he sat down in the home dugout and spoke candidly about his struggles in a largely unprompted and refreshingly unguarded manner. "There has been a lot of adversity for me this year. I think it's travel stuff, waking up at four o'clock, and you might have a start that day," he said. "The hitters are better; the parks play different -- they play weird. You can't really make excuses for it. A lot of people will say it's a fair league, but it's tough to pitch here, that's for sure. It's the biggest jump for me so far." Nonetheless, Miller is doing his best to find silver linings amidst the clouds. "[A positive attitude] is something I'm working on, actually, because I haven't really dealt with adversity and having to deal with bad numbers," Miller said. "Through my Minor League career, I've done really well. The story of my life right now is I'm giving up big innings, and it's due to home runs. Once I finally cut that out and eliminate the long ball -- just bear down in the fourth and fifth or whenever that long inning presents itself -- it's gonna be a way better season then it's been looking like so far."

In the first he was lighting up the gun pretty good, regardless the 2 88 MPH pitches that were getting too much run in the game thread were so obviously aimed because he was struggling that I wouldn't draw any conclusions about his velocity from 1 start. He may have been just trying to be too fine which would have caused his velocity to dip significantly, he looked the same as he had all game in 6th until he gave up that first HR. Here's the BA scouting report from this season: I've read nothing about this supposedly dip in velocity late in games that has scouts worried, and his start seemed to be pretty consistent with his scouting report. I'm not saying that concern isn't valid, I'm just saying there's no way to make that judgement off of 1 MLB start. I will say from what I saw that his biggest issue is his command and once again that lines up with his scouting report.

Copied from my post in the game thread. As far as Thornburg goes, his performance was about what I expected given his AA work. He's been wildish for well over a month, and his location wasn't good all night, he was all over place high and low, spending way too much time up in the zone and he managed to bounce some breaking pitch about 12 feet in front of home plate. He needs time to iron out his command and he'll be fine. Every home run was a horribly located pitch, he just got burned throwing hitters' pitches. I'm not going to make any judgements on his longevity or velocity as a starter based on 1 appearance. For all I know he was overthrowing early because every FB was 95-96 and gassed himself. While I've been covering Huntsville until recently, I only listened to 3 Stars games all year and none were Thornburg starts. I'm sure I'll catch some in Nashville, but I was under the impression he worked 93-95 on a regular basis.

Final: DSL Brewers 6, DSL Angels 3 DSL Brewers Box Score Eduard Reyes was outstanding, but is also 21 years old and probably shouldn't be toiling in the DSL at this age. He went 7 IP allowing only 2H and 2BB against 4SO and committed a throwing error. Miguel Diaz had trouble in the 8th loading the bases with 2 walks but Felix Paulino got him out of the inning. Paulino had trouble of his own in the 9th giving up all 3 runs to the Angels, though only 1 was earned. 18 year old Elvis Rubio had a big day going 3-3 with a walk, double, and HR accounting for 5 of the 6 runs the Brewers scored. Raphachel Colatosti was the other Brewer to have a multi-hit day going 2-4. Carlos Belonis walked twice and stole his 8th base but then was caught stealing 3rd to end the first. The defense wasn't quite a good in this one as Sthervin Matos committed his 2nd error (throwing) and Carlos Pena had his 3rd passed ball. DSL Brewers Play By Play Crooked Runs in the 5th and 7th put the game away. DSL Brewers Bottom of the 5th Francisco Castillo singles on a ground ball to right fielder Ranyelmy Mendoza. With Raphachel Colatosti batting, wild pitch by Ramon Rodriguez, Francisco Castillo to 2nd. Raphachel Colatosti singles on a ground ball to left fielder Ayendy Perez. Francisco Castillo to 3rd. Carlos Belonis walks. Raphachel Colatosti to 2nd. Elvis Rubio doubles (5) on a fly ball to left fielder Ayendy Perez. Francisco Castillo scores. Raphachel Colatosti scores. Carlos Belonis scores. Elvis Rubio out at 3rd on the throw, left fielder Ayendy Perez to catcher Enyelber Vivas to third baseman Steven Mateo. Juan Ortiz called out on strikes. Sthervin Matos flies out to right fielder Ranyelmy Mendoza. DSL Brewers Bottom of the 7th Pitcher Change: Jose Reyes replaces Ramon Rodriguez. Francisco Castillo grounds out, pitcher Jose Reyes to first baseman Gabriel Villavicencio. Raphachel Colatosti singles on a ground ball to third baseman Steven Mateo. Raphachel Colatosti advances to 2nd, on throwing error by third baseman Steven Mateo. Carlos Belonis called out on strikes. Elvis Rubio homers (1) on a fly ball to left field. Raphachel Colatosti scores. Juan Ortiz strikes out swinging.

Midwest League All-Star Game Final: East 18, West 2 (not a typo) Midwest League All-Star Game Box Score In case you don't click on the box score link, the T-Rats players played for the West... what a thumping. The good news from this game was that Gregory Hopkins went 2-2 with a 2B. Jason Rogers and Rafael Neda both were 0-2 playing as substitutions. Tommy Toledo and Drew Gagnon each pitched only a third of a inning without being charged for a run. Mark Williams was also clean pitching two thirds of an inning, unfortunately Seth Harvey was charged with 2 runs after another reliever allowed his 2 base runners to score. Divisional all-star prospects Kyler Burke (Cubs) and Heath Wyatt (Cards) were brutal on the mound being charged with 7 of the 18 runs. Midwest League All-Star Game Play By Play Harvey's 9th. MID East All-Stars Top of the 9th Pitcher Change: Seth Harvey replaces Mark Williams. Jace Peterson doubles (1) on a ground ball to left fielder Jamal Austin. Ryan Brett strikes out swinging. Kevin Pillar walks. Pitcher Change: Heath Wyatt replaces Seth Harvey. Ryan Wright singles on a line drive to center fielder Jonathan Goncalves. Jace Peterson scores. Kevin Pillar to 3rd. Joseph Winker singles on a line drive to right fielder Zeke DeVoss. Kevin Pillar scores. Ryan Wright to 2nd. Matt Helm singles on a line drive to center fielder Jonathan Goncalves. Ryan Wright to 3rd. Joseph Winker to 2nd. Chris Hawkins grounds into a force out, pitcher Heath Wyatt to catcher Rafael Neda. Ryan Wright out at home. Joseph Winker to 3rd. Matt Helm to 2nd. Chris Hawkins to 1st. Matt Rice singles on a soft fly ball to center fielder Jonathan Goncalves. Joseph Winker scores. Matt Helm scores. Chris Hawkins to 2nd. Eugenio Suarez strikes out swinging.

Final: Oklahoma City 10, Nashille 6 RedHawks Score Late To Beat Sounds In Opener, 10-6 Nashville Rallies Back To Tie Game, But Gives Up Lead In The Eighth NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Oklahoma City RedHawks plated five late runs to hand the Nashville Sounds a 10-6 defeat in the opener of a four-game series on Tuesday night at Greer Stadium. The Sounds (28-44) have lost 12 of their 13 games to the RedHawks in 2012, including the last 10 in a row. Second baseman Eric Farris went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Outfielder Jay Gibbons also had two hits including a double and a run. Both teams traded two runs in the first inning. After Brandon Barnes singled, Jimmy Paredes crushed his sixth homer of the season off the clubhouse in right-center. Nashville came back and loaded the bases after walks to outfielder Logan Schafer and the rehabbing shortstop Cesar Izturis, and a single to rehabbing first baseman Travis Ishikawa. Third baseman Andy Gonzalez brought home the first run on an infield groundout. Gibbons then grounded a high chopper over the first baseman's head to bring home the tying run. Audio: Jay Gibbons Game Tying Single Oklahoma City's next three runs in the third inning again came via home run. After Paredes and Brett Wallace reached on singles, Mike Hessman belted his team-leading 20th homer of the season over the left field wall. Consecutive two-out doubles from Gibbons and catcher Jason Jaramillo trimmed the lead to 5-3 in the home half of the third. Nashville came within one run at 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Farris singled to right field, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on an infield groundout by Schafer. The Sounds knotted the contest at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Farris smoked a two-out double to left-center and scored the tying run on the following at-bat when pinch hitter Hainley Statia hit an RBI single to center. Statia is now hitting .556 (5-for-9) in pinch hitting opportunities this season. Audio:Statia's game tying RBI The RedHawks scored four runs to take a 9-5 lead in a crazy top of the eighth inning. Two straight doubles by the RedHawks put two runners in scoring position, while the second two-bagger of the frame appeared to be caught by Schafer in center. The centerfielder was then ejected along with manager Mike Guerrero for arguing the call. After an intentional walk to load the bases, reliever Robert Wooten entered the game and issued two consecutive walks for the two first two runs. The final two scored during a bases loaded groundout to first base, which was mishandled by Wooten during an exchange. The RedHawks tacked on their tenth run with an RBI double by Angel Sanchez in the ninth. Entering the game as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning, Sean Halton added his fifth homer of the season for the final run of the contest. The pinch hit homer was the first for the Sounds in 2012 and first since Erick Almonte went yard on July 4, 2011 vs. Memphis. Nashville starter Claudio Vargas gave up five runs on nine hits while striking out three in six innings. All five runs came on two homers allowed. Reliever Amaury Rivas (3-4) was charged with three runs in one plus innings for the loss. Rob Wooten surrendered one run while allowing all three inherited runners to score in 1 1/3 innings. Victor Garate ended the game a run in 2/2 inning. In his third rehab appearance, Travis Ishikawa went 0-for-1 with a fly out and two walks. Izturis went 1-for-4 with a single in his third rehab appearance. Oklahoma City starter Wes Musick allowed two runs in one inning and left early due to an apparent arm injury. Mickey Storey (5-2) pitched a scoreless frame for the win. The Sounds and RedHawks continue their series at 7:05 pm CT on Wednesday night at Greer Stadium. Right-hander Seth McClung (1-8, 4.75) will make the start for the Sounds against RedHawks righty Brian Bass (1-1, 4.57) Nashville Box Score So truth be told, I quit following Nashville about 6 weeks ago only checking in on Wily Peralta starts so I have some catching up to do. For example, I had no idea Amaury Rivas had pitched so poorly in May giving up 16 runs in 9 appearances. Rivas probably deserved a better fate considering the Schafer play and subsequent intentional walk before Wooten walked in 2 batters on him. Speaking of Rob Wooten, he certainly hasn't been dominant this season but this Sounds' staff has been just brutal. Only 2 pitchers with with more than 20 innings have an ERA under 3.5 and look at those WHIPs and rate stats... my goodness. For good measure Victor Garate gave up a run in the 9th to ensure every Nashville pitcher who made an appearance gave up a run. Nashville Play By Play It was game until this. Okla. City Top of the 8th Defensive Substitution: Jeff Bianchi replaces shortstop Cesar Izturis, batting 2nd, playing shortstop. Scott Moore doubles (24) on a fly ball to center fielder Logan Schafer. Brad Snyder doubles (11) on a fly ball to center fielder Logan Schafer. Scott Moore to 3rd. Defensive Substitution: Caleb Gindl replaces center fielder Logan Schafer, batting 1st, playing center field. Nashville Sounds Manager Mike Guerrero ejected by 1B umpire Jason Arends. Nashville Sounds center fielder Logan Schafer ejected by 1B umpire Jason Arends. Amaury Rivas intentionally walks Angel Sanchez. Pitcher Change: Robert Wooten replaces Amaury Rivas, batting 9th. Carlos Corporan walks. Scott Moore scores. Brad Snyder to 3rd. Angel Sanchez to 2nd. Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Jake Goebbert replaces Mickey Storey. Jake Goebbert walks. Brad Snyder scores. Angel Sanchez to 3rd. Carlos Corporan to 2nd. Brandon Barnes lines out to third baseman Andy Gonzalez. Jimmy Paredes reaches on missed catch error by pitcher Robert Wooten, assist to first baseman Jordan Brown. Angel Sanchez scores. Carlos Corporan scores. Jake Goebbert to 2nd. With Brett Wallace batting, wild pitch by Robert Wooten, Jake Goebbert to 3rd. Jimmy Paredes to 2nd. Brett Wallace lines into unassisted double play, third baseman Andy Gonzalez. Jake Goebbert doubled off 3rd.

As far as Thornburg goes, his performance was about what I expected given his AA work. He's been wildish for well over a month, and his location wasn't good all night, he was all over place high and low, spending way too much time up in the zone and he managed to bounce some breaking pitch about 12 feet in front of home plate. He needs time to iron out his command and he'll be fine. Every home run was a horribly located pitch, he just got burned throwing hitters' pitches. I'm not going to make any judgements on his longevity or velocity as a starter based on 1 appearance. For all I know he was overthrowing early because every FB was 95-96 and gassed himself. While I've been covering Huntsville until recently, I only listened to 3 Stars games all year and none were Thornburg starts. I'm sure I'll catch some in Nashville, but I was under the impression he worked 93-95 on a regular basis.

His last 3 appearances in AA will give you an idea.

Ummmm AAA talent is normally less than what you would see at AA. AAA is full of AAAA players or veteran MLB players (Suppan, Hall, etc type of players). I would say at AAA it is step down talent wise and there is more MLB talent in AA. I would rather see Thornburg stay in AA where the competition is actually higher than that of what it would be in AAA. False. Top pitching prospects don't spend much time in AAA, that much is true. However it's a decent enough jump for pitchers, AAA is step definitely a step up. It's just more valuable for pitchers than hitters... hitters can get used to facing crafty junkballers, pitchers will have to face many hitters with MLB experienced who are fairly polished with good approaches at the plate. Just take a look around at all of the top prospects struggling in AAA this season... as more MLB teams stash depth in AAA and now even AA the line-ups pitchers face are becoming less prospect laden and more professional hitter filled by the year. The Brewers AA team started the year with guys like Jay Gibbons playing down there, it's just the way it is now.

Top Pitching Performances Over The Weekend, June 15-17 • Reds righthander Daniel Corcino tossed eight no-hit innings against Mobile on Saturday, and reliever Wilkin de la Rosa finished the job in the ninth to give Double-A Pensacola the eighth no-hitter of the minor league season (the link above contains a chart listing all eight). Corcino appears none the worse for wear after skipping the high Class A level on his way to the Southern League.