In playoff action out of the Dominican last night, Alex Valdez was the only Pirates player to get his name in the boxscore. He went 1-for-4, with a run scored, as his team pulled out a rare victory in the round-robin playoff tournament. Valdez was batting second all season for Estrelles, but last night the struggling second baseman batted ninth. His team moved to 4-11 in the playoffs.
In action out of Venezuela, Darren Ford was again on the bench to start the game. For the second time in a row, he finished the game as a defensive replacement in left field without getting a plate appearance. Ford is hitless in the playoffs and has started just three of his team’s ten games.
From the U18 National Youth Championship in Australia, Sam Kennelly went 1-for-4, with two runs scored and an RBI double. His team is 6-0 so far in the tournament, thanks in part to his steady defense at shortstop and a .500 average(11-for-22) with nine RBI’s.
Also from the same tournament, Nick Hutchings got his second start and again ran into early trouble. Hutchings allowed seven runs(five earned) over three innings, giving up six hits, while walking three and striking out two batters. It was the second loss for Hutchings, who has allowed 14 runs over seven innings, though six of the runs have been unearned.
In a bit of old news out of Colombia, three Pirates players made the late-December All-Star game in the Colombia Professional Baseball League. The Pirates were represented at the all-star game by infielders Dilson Herrera and Yhonathan Barrios, and pitcher Oderman Rocha. Herrera was the big bat of the all-star game, hitting two home runs and driving in six runs in his team’s 13-2 win. The league runs a three month regular season, ending tomorrow. Coming into the All-Star game, Rocha had not allowed an earned run all season.
Currently, Rocha has pitched 25.2 innings, posting a 2.45 ERA, with nine walks and 30 strikeouts. Barrios is hitting .240 through 75 AB’s, with two doubles. Herrera has struggled with his average, though he has hit for some power. He’s batting .204 in 113 AB’s, with six doubles and five homers.
Highly touted prospect, Harold Ramirez is also in the league seeing regular playing time. He is hitting .221 in 113 AB’s, with a .319 slugging percentage.
Other Pirates players include Tito Polo, who is 6-for-24 in twenty games played and Angelo Del Castillo, who has gone 2-for-17 in 15 games.
