In the Dominican on Sunday night, Willy Garcia went 3-for-5 with a double, run scored and his first stolen base. The double was his fifth of the season. Garcia is hitting .341 in 44 at-bats.
Mel Rojas Jr. went 1-for-5 with an RBI. He has a .258 average in 17 games and has driven in seven runs.
Carlos Paulino went 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored. He has started three times in the last four days after playing twice in the first four weeks.
Rafael Perez retired the only batter he faced on Sunday. More on him below.
In Venezuela, Matt Nevarez and Jhonathan Ramos each threw a scoreless inning of relief. They both retired the side in order. Nevarez picked up a strikeout. Ramos has thrown seven scoreless innings in his nine appearances. He has given up just two hits and two walks.
Ramon Cabrera went 0-for-3, starting his second game in a row after not getting a start for nine days. In 18 games, he is hitting .222 and all 12 of his hits have been singles.
A.J. Morris pitched one inning of relief, giving up a run on two hits and a walk. In six appearances, he has pitched seven innings and allowed five earned runs on nine hits and four walks, with six strikeouts.
In Mexico, Carlos Munoz started for the second straight day, but he was pinch-hit for in the fourth inning. He flew out to center field in his only at-bat. Munoz is 1-for-8 with four strikeouts.
Monday’s Action
Monday was a slow day in winter ball for Pirates players. All of the action happened in the Dominican.
Willy Garcia had another nice game on Monday, hitting his first homer, plus a double in four at-bats. The better news is that he has just ten strikeouts in 48 at-bats, well below his average during the season.
Mel Rojas Jr. went 0-for-3 before leaving for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning.
Rafael Perez retired the last batter in the sixth inning, stranding an inherited runner. In the seventh, he gave up a lead-off double before being replaced. That run came around to score. He has pitched seven innings over eight appearances, posting a 6.43 ERA.
Wirfin Obispo had a rough game, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks in one inning. He had not allowed an earned run in his first eight appearances.
