Altoona Curve� 6,� Binghamton Mets� 5 (box)
The Curve were playing late again tonight, taking 12 innings to get this win in Binghamton.� With the score tied at 5-5 since the end of the 8th inning, 3B Josh Harrison led off the top of the 12th wint a single lined into right field.� SS Jordy Mercer’s sacrifice bunt moved Harrison to second base, and when 1B Matt Hague grounded to short, Harrison advanced to third.� The Mets intentionally walked C Hector Gimenez, who already had a single, and a 2-RBI double in the game, so they could pitchd to RF Miles Durham, who was 0-for-5.� But Durham fooled them, lining a single into right field to score Harrison from third with the go-ahead run.
Reliever Mike Dubee had come into the game in the bottom of the 11th, when he gave up a 2-out single, but got a ground out to end the inning and preserve the tie.� In the bottom of the 12th, clinging to the one-run lead, Dubee gave up a lead-off single, then got a strikeout.� Another single put runners on first and second, but a fly out and a line out ended the threat and the game.
Both teams had gotten onto the scoreboard in the 3rd inning.� CF Jose De Los Santos got it started for the Curve with a single, then stole both second and third bases.� 2B Chase d’Arnaud walked, and Harrison singled, driving in De Los Santos.� After a fly out, Hague singled, scoring in d’Arnaud.� A wild pitch moved Harrison to third and Hague to second base, putting them both into scoring position for Gimenez, who brought them both in with his double.� Curve ahead, 4-0.
The Mets got 3 of the runs right back in the bottom of the inning.� A passed ball by Gimenez on strike three put the lead-off batter on base, and a wild pitch by starter Justin Wilson advanced that runner to second base.� Wilson walked the next batter, then gave up a double and a sacrifice fly, each plating a run.� A fielding error by Harrison allowed the third run to score.
Wilson pitched 5 innings, allowing those 3 runs (only one was earned), on one hit and 4 walks, while striking out 7 batters.� Derek Hughes walked two batters in the 6th, but did not allow a run.� Then in the 7th, the Mets tied the score on a single, a fielding error, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI single.
The Curve took the lead again in the top of the 8th, without recording a hit.� Mercer walked, and stole second base.� The throw from the Mets’ catcher went sailing into center field, allowing Mercer to reach third base.� The center fielder picked up the ball and fired it back to the infield — only he airmailed it into the third base dugout, and Mercer scored.
Once again, the Mets tied the score again, at 5-5 in the 8th.� With Hughes on the mound, the first batter singled.� After a pop out, Anthony Claggett relieved Hughes, but he gave up a ground-rule double to the first batter he faced, moving the runner to third.� A wild pitch got past C Gimenez, and that runner scored from third base.
Daniel Moskos relieved Claggett, and he pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing only a walk, while striking out 3 batters.� Dubee replaced Moskos in the 11th.� The Curve threatened in the 10th, when Harrison led off with a double and Mercer walked.� A new Mets’ reliever came in and got a grounder force out, then ended the inning with a strikeout and a fly out, and the tie continued.� De Los Santos singled in the 11th, then went to second on Moskos’ sacrifice bunt, and stole third base (his third steal of the game), but he was left stranded.� Then came the 12th, and the Curve luckily did not need to go another 19 innings or to 1 am to finish the game.
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West Virginia Power� 6,� Asheville Tourists� 4 (box)
The Power came from behind with 6 unanswered runs in the late innings to get this win.� The first three batters in the Power order all homered, and 3B Elevys Gonzalez led the way with 3 hits, including his game-winning 3-run homer.� 2B Jarek Cunningham and RF Jose Hernandez also homered.
Eliecer Navarro had the start for the Power.� He gave up a lead-off homer in the 2nd, and another run in the 3rd on a single, a stolen base, and an RBI single.� Another home run, this one for 2 runs (after a walk), gave the Tourists a 4-0 lead in the 5th inning.� Navarro also gave up two doubles in the inning, though one runner was thrown out by C Jairo Marquez, and the second double followed the home run.� Maurice Bankston relieved Navarro after the second double, and he finished that inning, then went on to pitch two more scoreless innings.� Kyle McPherson pitched 2 scoreless innings to finish the game, and he was the pitcher of record in the 9th, so earned the win.
The Power put a runner on base in each of the first 5 innings, but could not push them around to score.� In both the 1st and 2nd, the lead off batter walked, the second batter struck out, then the third batter bounced into a double play.� DH Kyle Morgan and LF Rogelios Noris singled and Cunningham doubled, but none scored.
The Power got going in the 6th.� Elevys Gonzalez led off with a single, and Cunningham and Hernandez followed with back-to-back home runs, to put the Power onto the scoreboard, 4-3.� Gonzalez singled again in the 7th, and CF David Rubinstein hit a ground-rule double in the 2nd, but again they were left on base.� The bottom of the 9th began with a walk to Marquez and a single by Morgan.� SS Benji Gonzalez tried to bunt them over, but the Asheville pitcher was quick enough to make the force out at third and leave Benji Gonzalez at first base.� Then Elevys Gonzalez ended the game with a walk-off 3-run homer for the Power win.
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State College Spikes� 3,� Jamestown Jammers� 1 (box)
All the scoring occured in just two half-innings in this one, and the Spikes pitchers took a no-hitter into the 7th inning.� The Spikes did their damage in the 5th.� With two outs,� RF Cole White blasted a solo home run.� SS Drew Maggi followed the homer with a line drive double into left field.� Singles by CF Mel Rojas and LF Adalberto Santos brought in Maggi and then Rojas to give the Spikes a 3-0 lead.
The Spikes collected only two other hits in the game.� 1B Gerlis Rodriguez singled in the 2nd inning, then moved to second when 2B Kelson Brown reached on a throwing error.� Both moved up one base on a ground out, but were left there.� Santos, the only Spike to have more than one hit, singled to lead off the 4th, and stole second base, but he was also left on base.� After the 5th inning, the only Spike base runners were Rojas and C Matt Skirving, both of whom walked.
Colton Cain made the start and pitched 4 scoreless innings without allowing a hit.� He had a batter reach on a fielding error by 3B Walker Gourley and walked a batter in the 2nd, but worked around those runners.� Kevin Decker relieved Cain to begin the 5th.� He retired the first 6 batters he faced, then gave up the lone Jamestown run in the 7th on a single, a wild pitch, and an RBI single.� Decker also gave up a single in the 8th, but after two ground outs, that runner was out at the plate (maybe trying to steal home?)
Jhonathan Ramos pitched the final inning, allowing only a single.� He earned his 2nd save, while Decker earned his 6th win.
The Pirates and the Spikes announced today that they have extended their affiliation for the next two years, through the end of the 2012 season.
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GCL Pirates� 7,� GCL Phillies� 5 (box)
Four RBI by 3B Eric Avila led the Pirates as they took down the Phillies this afternoon.� The game began with a run for each team in the 1st.� The Phillies scored on a walk and three singles.� The Pirates scored when CF Junior Sosa singled, stole second base, and came in on Avila’s first RBI of the game.
The Phillies added two more runs in the 2nd.� Two singles and a bunt put the first two batters of the inning onto second and third bases, then a double drove them both in.� The Pirates responded with 3 runs in the bottom of the 3rd, thanks to wold throws.� 2B Kevin Mort was hit by a pitch, and two wild pitches put him on third base.� DH Gavi Nivar walked, then Sosa tapped back to the mound, where the Phils pitcher picked up the ball and threw home, getting Mort out at the plate.� That still left two runners on base for Avila, who rocketed a 3-run homer over the left field wall, to give the Pirates a 4-3 lead.
Another homer added two more runs to begin the 4th.� C Elias Diaz led off with a walk, and RF Gregory Polanco homered to increase the Pirates’ lead to 6-3.� Following the homer, the Pirates loaded the bases again on a walk by Mort, SS Jorge Bishop reaching on an error, and a single by Nivar.� Sosa grounded to third, but when the Phils’ third baseman threw home for the force out, his catcher missed the catch, and Mort crossed the plate safely.
James Archibald gave up the Phillies’ early three runs on 6 hits and a walk in 2 innings of work.� Emmanuel De Leon retired the side in order in the 3rd, then loaded the bases with a walk and two singles in the 4th.� De Leon was relieved by Rinku Singh, who ended that inning with a fly out.� Singh went on to pitch a scoreless 5th and 6th.� He gave up one run in the 7th on a single, a balk, and an RBI single.� Joan Montero pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th, then gave up one run on two walks and an RBI ground out in the 9th.� It was still good enough for Montero to earne his 3rd win, while De Leon earned his first win.
The Pirates have reported that the newly signed Mexican pitcher, Luis Heredia, will be doing some observing and learning in Bradenton with the GCL Pirates — similar to what Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie will be doing in State College and/or West Virginia.� Heredia is not going to be pitching just yet — that will wait until fall instrux.
