The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 11

www.tennessean.com THE TENNESSEAN Wednesday, September 10, 2003 5C no SPURTS: BASEBALL, NHL River Cats 4, Sounds 2 Next game: Today, vs. Sacramento When: 7 p.m. Precis: Talks going nowhere bi Sacramentoab bi 1 2 1 0 1 Sounds: Score in first, then bats grow too silent 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 1 1 2 0 Fkxes2b 5 Pnetocf 4 Edwards If 4 Kooncelb 2 GratwskidM Loprs3t) 4 LocKwoodrf3 Johnson 4 Pousess 3 Rhetneckrp 0 Lenrp 0 Frttacp 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 NsshvM Alvarez If 4 Doster3b 4 Bamesdh 4 Hyzducf 4 Tocalb 4 Davis rf 4 Hii 2t 3 Holbert se 3 Snuszc 2 House phc 1 vogelaongpO Brooks 0 Sanchezp 0 Horep 0 Bermettp 0 Grabowp 0 Totals 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o- 0 0 Totals 33 4 8 4 6 Game at a glance Losing pitcher. Ryan Vogel-song. Big stick: Tony Alvarez, 2-for-4, solo home run, stolen base.

How they lost Luis Lopez's three-run shot in the second inning off Vogelsong helped Sacramento overcome an early 1-0 deficit, and Nashville couldn't get closer than two runs the rest of the night. Tonight's pitchers: Sounds -RHP Pat Mahomes (8-4, 2.67 ERA regular season; 0-1 9.00 postseason). River Cats RHP Erik Hiljus (1 1 -1 0, 4.69 regular season; 1-0, 1.23 postseason). MAURICE PATTON Sacramento NashviHa 4 8 0 2 6 0 030 001 000 100 001 000 3 DP- Nashville 1 LOB- Sacramento Nam 5 2B-Koonce (1). Johnson (2i Doster 13).

HR- Lopez (2); Alvarez (2). SH- Rouse SB- Alvarez (2). Oh er bo to Sacramento 1 MMMMMMMMMMl MM MMNMWMHIMmniMlilf Mli illiMfeWWMMttW I Mil II 1 1 (1 11 Nil IJJil'UIli i r- cr, ft jiSc I t'l 1 RneineckerW.2-0 61 5 2 2 1 Lehr 13 1 0 0 0 FacS.1 1.0 0 0 0 0 Nashville Vogelsong 0-1 5.2 7 4 4 2 Brooks 1 1 0 0 0 0 Sanchez 01 0 0 0 1 Hertz 00 1 0 0 0 Bennett 01 0 0 0 0 Graoow 1.1 0 0 0 0 May 8 victory, allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in four of his six innings last night with two of those scoring. He wound up allowing seven hits while striking out just three in 5 23 innings. Sacramento starter John Rhi-necker, making just his seventh start at the Triple-A level, gave up just five hits and a walk in 6 13 innings.

Two of the hits were to Alvarez, who added a two-out single in the third. For the night, Nashville came up with just six hits against Rhinecker and relievers Justin Lehr and Jeremy Fikac. It was only the firth loss in the last 18 games for the Sounds, and the third in their last 12. Last night marked the seventh time the Sounds have appeared in a league championship series in the franchise's 26-year history. Maurice Patton covers the Nashville Sounds for The Tennessean.

He can be reached at 259-8018 or PCL Championship Series Nashville vs. Sacramento BEST OF FIVE Last night Sacramento 4, Nashville 2. Sacramento leads series 1-0. Tonight Sacramento (Erik Hiljus 11-10, 4.69) at Nashville (Pat Mahomes (8-4, 2.67), 7 p.m. Friday: Nashville (Matt Guerrier 4.53) at Sacramento (Ed Yarnall 3-3, 3.76), 9:05 p.m.

Saturday: Nashville at Sacramento (Roy Smith 7-4, 5.23), 9:05 p.m. Sunday: Nashville at Sacramento, 3:05 p.m. "If necessary Championship tickets available Tickets for tonight's Game 2 of the Pacific Coast League championship series are available. It is the Sounds' final game of the season at Greer Stadium. David Poile was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Legwand had originally planned to come to Nashville last week to take part in informal workouts with his teammates. But Morris said that when negotiations stalled, he told Legwand to remain home in Detroit, where he's skating and working out with his former junior team in Plymouth, Mich. Morris said he hadn't closed the door on the possibility of Legwand playing in Europe this season, but said he was focusing on trying to secure a new deal with the Predators. "We'll analyze that when the time comes and see whether if viable or not," Morris said "But right now our full concentration is on trying to reach a deal with Nashville, so that's only specularioa" Should Legwand fail to appear tomorrow, he'd become the fourth veteran in Predators history to fail to report to training camp on time. Defenseman Drake Berehowsky missed a bit of the team's second training camp, goalie Mike Dunham missed most of the second training camp and defenseman Kimmo Tim-onen missed most of the third training camp.

All three were eventually signed before the regular seasoa "It's a very tough situatioa" Timonen said. "You work out hard all summer, waiting for something to happen and nothing happens. Training camp comes closer and closer and you don't have a deaL "You kind of get nervous, but it's a business side and you have to think about that side of it. I'm sure they will get something done before we start." Predators Coach Barry Trotz said recently that the team will do some line shuffling if Legwand doesn't arrive for camp, with the possibility of players like Rem Murray, Scottie UpshalL Greg Classen, Vem Fiddler, Ben Simon and Wyatt Smith seeing time at the center positioa Injuries to Legwand and leading goal-scorer Andreas Johansson were two of the main reasons for the Predators' tailspin late last year. With Legwand missing the last 18 games and Johansson playing in just four of the final 18, the Preds were 1-10-4-3 in that stretch.

ERIC PARSONS STAFF Sounds outfielder Tony Alvarez reaches in vain to try to catch a Sacramento home run in the second inning last night Double-A stars House, pitcher Jacobsen added By MAURICE PATTON Staff Writer As expected, the -Nashville Sounds did get some reinforcements for their Pacific Coast League championship series with Sacramento. Added to the roster were J.R. House, heralded as the Pittsburgh Pirates' catcher of the future since his fifth-round selection in the 1999 draft, and pitcher Landon Jacob-sea Both came from Double-A Altoona, after the Curve was eliminated from the Eastern League playoffs by Akroa House, who was tabbed the round of the "99 draft, went 9-11 with a 2.93 earned run average in 27 starts at Altoona. The right-hander struck out 80 in 162 23 innings. He takes the roster spot vacated by pitcher Dave Williams, who was shut down for the year following his playoff start at Albuquerque (one inning, six runs).

Also reinstated to the roster was right-handed reliever Duaner Sanchez (4-4, 3.69, one save, 41 appearances), who went on the disabled list on Aug. 28 with a strained right groia To open a spot for him, veteran infielder Chan Perry (241, one RBI in 11 regular-season games) was taken off the roster. Barthol and Perry were both reassigned to Altoona; Williams was placed on the DL In his Triple-A debut, a pinch-hitting role in the seventh inning, House forced Bobby Hill at second on a sharp grounder to shortstop. Deep thoughts: Adam Hyzdu's three home runs in the four-game PCL American Conference playoff series against Albuquerque tied a Sounds record previously set by Brad Komminsk, who hit three in the seven-game American Associ ation championship series against Iowa in 1993. Coming home: Former Vanderbilt standout Bert Snow is a member of the Sacramento pitching staff.

The lOth-round pick of the Athletics in the 1998 draft, Snow is in his second stint with the River Cats. The right-hander was 1-0, 528 in 12 appearances out of the bullpen as he continues to come back from Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of the 2001 seasoa Maurice Patton covers the Nashville Sounds for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 259-801 8 or mopattontennessean.com. Pirates' top prospect prior to the 2001 and '02 seasons, hit 333 in 20 games with Altoona with a pair of home runs and 11 RBI after opening the year in the Gulf Coast League as he recovered from off-season surgery to his right elbow. He has previously been slowed by an abdominal muscle injury and a hernia.

House reprices veteran catcher Blake Barthol on Nashville's playoff roster, after Barthol injured his right shoulder in the Albuquerque playoff series. Jacobsen, selected in 50th TrT Selig quiets rumors about Rose miib Up Jo 50 on seiea vres Wild card standings AMERICAN LEAGUE Team GB Boston 84 60 .583 -Seattle 82 61 .573 Vh Yesterday's results Boston 9, Baltimore 2 Texas at Seattle NATIONAL LEAGUE Team GB Florida 80 65 .552 Philadelphia 80 65 .552 Houston 77 67 .535 Tk Los Angeles 76 66 .535 2V4 St. Louis 75 70 .517 5 Yesterday results Florida 3, N.Y. Mets 1 Philadelphia 18, Atlanta 5 Houston 7, Milwaukee 6 Colorado 8, St Louis 1 Los Angeles at Arizona PWnmcesToriE Easy View, 2.3" Anti-Glare Screen VHFChannels 2-13 UHFChannels 14-69 Operates AC (Adapter Not Included) or with 4 "AA" Batteries (included) Rod Antenna Tennessean News Serviees Pete Rose remains ineligible. Baseball is healthier than it has been in years.

And there is nothing wrong with the way the Cincinnati Reds are doing business these days. That, in a nutshell, was the message of commissioner Bud Selig during a brief, hastily arranged news conference in a press-level lobby at Great American Ball Park on Monday night. Selig addressed the rampant rumors that Rose's reinstatement is imminent, including an infamous Internet report on last month claiming that Rose and Selig had an agreement under which Rose would be reinstated this fall. "I keep reading that, but I don't have a timetable," Selig said. At a time when Reds officials have been widely derided for a series of trades in which talented, highly-paid veterans have been shipped out for players who are younger, cheaper and largely unproven a series of moves those club officials insist are for the future and creating "payroll flexibility" Selig defended the organizatioa "One thing about baseball is that nothing ever stays, the same," Selig said.

"I know that when clubs do what Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are doing, it's controversial in the local number of small-market teams still in contention for the postseason not only as a sign of the improving, overall health of the game. Lowell wants quick return: Mike Lowell hasn't given up on returning to the Florida Marlins' lineup before the regular season ends. The Marlins' cleanup hitter, broke a bone in his left hand when he was hit by a fastball from Montreal reliever Hector Almonte on Aug. 30. The original estimate had Lowell missing the rest of the regular seasoa But recent improvements and the Marlins' stature in the NL wildcard race, has the third baseman eyeing a quicker comeback.

"The, swelling has gone down considerably," Lowell said. "I couldn't even see my knuckle in Puerto Rico so I think the last four days have been a big improvement." Flayers discuss Expos's future: If the Montreal Expos play a split home schedule next year, they want conditions a little more in their favor. Expos players met before last night's game against the Chicago Cubs and decided not to vote on whether to accept such a plaa Schneider said that if the Expos do play another split schedule like this seasoa major league has to make some concessions. He would not elaborate. IV UAH WHCK Kill BUI 4 BMDGESTDHC ima nm wrm im-v, um-iur on UfP.

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