- I talked previously about his growing pains, but this year's 6th round pick, Jarrett Burgess, has actually hit the ball well lately. Burgess has 4 multi-hit games in his last 9 games, including 3 doubles and a triple. After struggling his first 5-6 weeks in pro ball, the 18 year old has managed a more respectable 286/329/377 in the month of August. His line drive rate has improved into the teens (from 7% in July), and a 55-60% GB combined with his speed always gives him a fighting chance on those pitches he doesn't drive. Speaking of footspeed, he swiped his 15th base of the year yesterday (in only 182 AB). The kid's got an uphill climb, but he's starting to gain traction as the season comes to a close.

- The last thing you want to do in a doubleheader is wear out your bullpen any more than you need to. The games are 7 innings in the minors, fortunately, and this is usually manageable. You get 4-6 innings from your starter in the front, have another guy finish, maybe 2 guys if the 1st one can't get that far... then try to do the same for the nightcap.

Kyle Haas and Blake Nation did just fine in a 3-2 PMs win on the front end (and Haas really needed a good start after an otherwise pitiful August). But the best laid plans of mice and men go awry when you can't score any runs in your nightcap. Reliever Andres Esquibel allowed the tying run in the 6th to blow a mammoth 1-0 lead, and thus we went into an 8th, then a 9th, then a 10th inning before Kenn Kasparek, dropkicked out of Everett after 8 reasonable starts and landed right in the PMs bullpen, served up a suck pitch for a walkoff solo HR with one out in the 10th.

The PMs managed 6 hits in the nightcap, only one of which was more than a single. They also used 3 relievers.

- While his stat line indicates that Tracy Thorpe has hit the wall, his last start actually didn't go too badly, save for a rough 1st and 3rd inning. He struck out 6 batters in just over 5 innings, and got 9 groundballs to 3 flyballs and 4 line drives (okay, that's a little much for 5+ innings). Unfortunately, he gave up 3 runs between those two frames, including a leadoff HR to start the game, and got tagged for another after he departed in the 6th.

1st: Line drive (HR), strikeout (swing), strikeout (swing), line drive
2nd: Flyball, strikeout (swing), groundball
3rd: Line drive, line drive, flyball, groundball, strikeout (swing), pop up
4th: Groundball, strikeout (swing), flyball
5th: Groundball, groundball, groundball, groundball
6th: Strikeout (swing), walk, groundball, groundball

Groundballs: 9
Flyballs: 3
Line Drives: 4 (1 HR)
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 6

Stats below the jump.

Rk-AZL: Brewers 5, Mariners 4
AZLMs: 10-14... AZL Brewers: 5-18
(League: 264/346/375... 4.40 ERA)

Yao Wen Chang: 3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER (HR), 5 K, wild pitch (14 app, 1st start, 5.59 ERA, 19.1 IP, 2 HR, 19/17 BB/K)
Fray Martinez: 4 IP, 3 H, (3 R) 1 ER, 3 walks, 2 K, hit batter (7 GS +6, 6.49 ERA, 52.2 IP, 5 HR, 28/45 BB/K)
Nick Love: 1 IP, 1 H, K (13 app, 8.72 ERA, 21.2 IP, 6/14 BB/K)
Dustin Birosak: 1 IP, 1 H, K
Jarrett Burgess: 3-4, double, R, RBI, SB #15 (225/286/286)
Alfredo Mateo: 1-4, R, RBI, K (241/332/353)
rest of AZLMs lineup: 2-28, 11 K

Rk+: They played two in Pulaski.

Game 1: Pulaski 3, Bristol 2, 7 innings

Kyle Haas: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER (2 HR), 4 K, hit batter (13 GS, 7.04 ERA, 47.1 IP, 7 HR, 28/47 BB/K)
Blake Nation: 1 IP, 1 H, K (19 app, 2.74 ERA, 23 IP, 1 HR, 8/23 BB/K)
Jose Rivero: 2-2, 2 R, walk, SB (255/335/373)
Kris Sanchez: 2-3, double, 2 run HR, K (331/416/631)

Game 2: Bristol 2, Pulaski 1, 10 innings
PMs: 39-27... BRI: 34-29
(League: 262/331/387... 4.11 ERA)

Brian Oates: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 walks, 5 K (13 GS, 3.27 ERA, 63.1 IP, 3 HR, 28/52 BB/K)
Andres Esquibel: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, walk, K (16 app, 2.70 ERA, 33.1 IP, 2 HR, 6/20 BB/K)
Stephen Penney: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 walks, K (16 app, 4.60 ERA, 29.1 IP, 4/22 BB/K)
Kenn Kasparek: one out, 1 H, 1 ER (HR), K (4 GS +1, 3.10 ERA, 20.1 IP, 3 HR, 3/25 BB/K)
Mario Martinez: 1-4, double, walk, 2 K (321/347/467)
Juan Fuentes: 1-4, sac fly RBI, K (337/407/462)
rest of PMs lineup: 4-26, 3 walks, 6 K

A-: The storm system that drenched Seattle yesterday spread across WA and BC. Needless to say, Everett's game with Vancouver was postponed. They have a doubleheader scheduled today but I'll be surprised if they get one game in nevermind, the rain has given way to general overcast. This is do-able.

A: Wisconsin 5, Quad Cities 3
WIS: 22-40... QC: 31-31
(League: 252/323/372... 3.70 ERA)

Juan Ramirez: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER (HR), 9 K (21 GS +3, 4.30 ERA, 117.1 IP, 9 HR, 37/106 BB/K)
Ryan Moorer: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K (42 app, 4.30 ERA, 58.2 IP, 2 HR, 22/44 BB/K)
Jeff Dunbar: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER (HR) (15 app, 3.44 ERA, 18.1 IP, 1 HR, 6/12 BB/K)
Denny Almonte: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, 3 K (244/302/417)
Edilio Colina: 1-3, double (302/359/398)
Joe Dunigan: 2-4, double, 2 RBI (233/295/408)
Juan Diaz: 2-4, solo HR, K (235/278/311)
Israel Nuñez: 2-3, R, walk (225/277/286)

A+: San Jose 11, High Desert 8
Mavs: 22-41... Little Giants: 38-25
(League: 273/340/412... 4.52 ERA)

Travis Mortimore: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER (HR), 2 walks, K (11 GS +2, 7.67 ERA, 54 IP, 14 HR, 30/37 BB/K)
Michael Wagner: 1 IP, 1 H, (5 R) 0 ER, 3 walks, K, wild pitch (49 app, 4.57 ERA, 65 IP, 3 HR, 21/51 BB/K)
Austin Bibens-Dirkx: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 K (31 app, 7.68 ERA, 41 IP, 9 HR, 14/30 BB/K)
Steve Uhlmansiek: 1 IP, K (34 app, 5.03 ERA, 53.2 IP, 6 HR, 28/41 BB/K)
Jamie McOwen: 2-4, 3 R, walk, K (270/329/403)
Ronnie Prettyman: 1-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K (292/336/455)
Chris Minaker: 1-5, RBI, K (293/323/424)
Travis Scott: 1-3, double, 3 RBI, walk, K (266/333/450)
Geraldo Valentin: 0-2, sac fly RBI, walk, K (242/283/333)
Kevin Reynolds: 1-4, RBI (258/294/289)

AA: West Tenn 8, Montgomery 5
WTN: 27-34... MON: 32-29
(League: 264/342/400... 4.21 ERA)

Tracy Thorpe: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER (HR), walk, 6 K, wild pitch (6 GS, 4.34 ERA, 29 IP, 3 HR, 14/25 BB/K)
Roman Martinez: one out, 1 H (35 app, 4.99 ERA, 39.2 IP, 4 HR, 18/30 BB/K)
Marwin Vega: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, walk (45 app, 4.86 ERA, 66.2 IP, 3 HR, 43/47 BB/K)
Shawn Kelley: 1 IP, K (27 app, 1.99 ERA, 40.2 IP, 1 HR, 16/41 BB/K)
Mark Kiger: 1-3, R, RBI, walk (218/350/285)
Mike Wilson: 1-4, double, R, 2 RBI (279/386/563)
Marshall Hubbard: 1-2, R, 2 RBI, walk (290/401/497)
Greg Halman: 1-3, triple, R, walk (286/336/505)
Matt Mangini: 1-3, RBI, walk, K (198/248/244)
Jeff Dominguez: 2-3, R, walk, SB #18 (208/274/269)

AAA: Tacoma 7, Portland 4
TAC: 73-62... POR: 68-67
(League: 277/347/443... 4.83 ERA)

Travis Chick: 7 IP, 4 H, 3 walks, 7 K, 2 wild pitches, hit batter
Jared Baek Bait Wells: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER (HR), walk, K (50 app, 6.40 ERA, 57.2 IP, 7 HR, 34/51 BB/K)
Justin Thomas: one out, 1 K (5 app, 5.40 ERA, 11.2 IP, 2 HR, 7/14 BB/K)
Prentice Redman: 1-5, R, 2 RBI, K (304/376/538)
Shawn Garrett: 1-4, RBI, K (297/335/441)
Craig Wilson: 1-4, 2 run HR, 2 K (260/374/493)
Oswaldo Navarro: 1-3, 2 RBI, walk (258/325/328)