Pittsburgh Pirates Prospect Watch 5/18/11

DAILY SUMMARY

Top Pitcher: Brad Lincoln (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 0 HR)

Top Hitter: Chase d’Arnaud (3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI)

Home Runs: Chase d’Arnaud (3), Matt Curry (8), Rogelios Noris (1), Daniel Grovatt (1)

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (AAA)

Box Score

Result: Indianapolis 6, Buffalo 1

Starting Pitcher: Brad Lincoln (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 0 HR)

Top Hitter: Chase d’Arnaud (3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI)

Notes: Brad Lincoln (4-3, 4.27) put up his best start of the 2011 season, pitching seven shutout innings, allowing four hits, one walk, and striking out seven.  In his last four starts, spanning 25 innings, Lincoln has a 1.80 ERA and a 23:6 K/BB ratio.  Cesar Valdez (3.04) pitched a shutout inning, allowing one hit.  Tim Wood (4.70) allowed a run on two hits in an inning of work, with no walks and two strikeouts.

Chase d’Arnaud (.285) extended his hitting streak to eight games with a big night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs.  In the month of May, d’Arnaud has a .377/.409/.541 line in 61 at-bats.  That’s brought his season total up to a .285/.358/.444 line in 144 at-bats.  Gorkys Hernandez (.239) went 2-for-3 with a double.  Josh Harrison (.333) went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Alex Presley (.346) went 1-for-4 with a double.

ALTOONA CURVE (AA)

Box Score

Result: Akron 16, Altoona 6

Starting Pitcher: Jeff Locke (4.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 6 BB, 5 K, 1 HR)

Top Hitter: Jordy Mercer (2-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI)

Notes: Jeff Locke (2-4, 4.68) had his worst start of the season, allowing eight runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings, with six walks and five strikeouts.  Bryan Morris (4.11) made his return from the disabled list in what pretty much amounts to a rehab appearance, allowing four runs, two earned, in an inning of work.  Brian Leach (7.42) allowed four runs on four hits, getting just two outs.  Things got so bad that outfielder Jose Hernandez (0.00) came on to pitch the 8th inning.  Surprisingly, Hernandez not only pitched a perfect inning, but struck out the side. Hernandez is currently hitting for a .235 average.  Might a position change be in his future?

Starling Marte (.327) went 2-for-4 with a triple, a walk, and two runs.  Jordy Mercer (.237) went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, and two RBIs.  Miles Durham (.230) went 2-for-4 with a double.

BRADENTON MARAUDERS (A+)

Box Score

Result: Dunedin 13, Bradenton 3

Starting Pitcher: Nate Baker (1.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 0 HR)

Top Hitter: Robbie Grossman (3-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 R)

Notes: Nate Baker (2-3, 5.59) was hurt by his defense tonight, lasting only 1.2 innings, and allowing seven runs, two earned, on six hits.  Eliecer Navarro (6.23) allowed one run on three hits in 4.1 innings.  Porfirio Lopez (5.49) allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits in two innings.  Duke Welker (3.24) pitched a shutout inning, allowing a walk and striking out two.

Robbie Grossman (.259) went 3-for-4 with a double.  Aaron Baker (.273) went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.  Baker has been in a slump lately, with a .151/.207/.208 line in May, after a hot start in April.  He is currently blocking Matt Curry from a promotion to Bradenton.

WEST VIRGINIA POWER (A)

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Result: Lexington 4, West Virginia 2; West Virginia 9, Lexington 3

Starting Pitcher: Jameson Taillon (4.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HR); Tyler Waldron (4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR)

Top Hitter: Matt Curry (3-for-6, HR, 3 RBI)

Notes: Jameson Taillon (1-1, 2.84) took his first pro loss tonight, allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits in four innings.  Taillon struck out four and didn’t issue a walk.  Brooks Pounders (1.89) pitched two shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk.  Drew Maggi (.198) recorded the only hit of the game, going 1-for-3, although the West Virginia offense combined for five walks.

Tyler Waldron (4.00) started game two, allowing a run on three hits in four innings.  Kevin Decker (1-1, 2.66) allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits in three innings, with a walk and four strikeouts.  Matt Curry (.361) went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs.  Daniel Grovatt (.295) went 3-for-4 with a homer.  Rogelios Noris (.250) went 2-for-4 with a triple, a homer, and three RBIs.  Kawika Emsley-Pai (.429) went 3-for-3 with a double.

VSL Pirates (RK)

Box Score

Result: Pirates 16, Rays 8

Starting Pitcher: Andy Otamendi (3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 0 HR)

Top Hitter: Kelly Aponte (4-for-5, 2B)

Notes: Dilson Herrera (.375) went 2-for-5 with a run and a stolen base.  Jose Roman (.250) went 2-for-4 with a double and four runs.  Kelly Aponte (.556) went 4-for-5 with a double. Luis Sucre (.375) went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and three RBIs.  Ulises Montilla (.333) went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, and three runs.