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Spring Training: Jeff Sues; Chang is China’s Star
Despite having been drafted by the Pirates in 2005, right-hander Jeff Sues has pitched only one full season as a professional player. �Shortly after being drafted and finishing his college career at Vanderbilt University (yes, same as Pedro Alvarez), he was shut down for the rest of the year due to right shoulder problems. �Those shoulder problems necessitated surgery on the shoulder to repair the rotator cuff. �That meant that Sues (pronounced like "Sooooz", rhymes with "shoes") also missed the entire 2006 season while doing rehab. �Finally in 2007, Sues actually got to pitch, beginning in May of that year. �He got to make 8 starts at low A Hickory, and pitched a total of 31.1 innings, to earn a 3-2 record and a 7.18 ERA. �He allowed 37 hits and 26 runs (25 earned), including 9 homers. �He walked 19 batters and struck out 26. �Then, to add to the frustration, soreness recurred in his right shoulder. �Sues' season was halted in mid-July to protect the shoulder.
Things looked better in 2008, as Sues was moved to the bullpen. �He began the season in A+ Lynchburg, where he made 13 appearances over the first 7 weeks of the season, all in relief. �He pitched 9.1 scoreless inning over 5 of his 7 appearances in April, and gave up only one run in another 2-inning appearance, and 3 runs (2 earned) in his only loss in April. �Sues struck out 8 batters in the 13.2 total innings in April, and walked 5. �In May, Sues continued to look tough. �He allowed one run in two of his outings, and had 4 scoreless appearances. �In 7.2 innings, he gave up 6 hits and only one walk, with 9 strikeouts. �He also earned 2 saves in his time with the Hillcats, and a 2.11 ERA.
On May 20th, Sues was promoted to AA Altoona. �He pitched in 5 games over the rest of the month for the Curve, and struck out 12 batters over 9 innings. �June proved a bit more difficult, when Sues allowed 8 runs on 15 hits and 7 walks over 13.2 innings (8 appearances), but he still struck out 13 batters. �In July, Sues made 8 relief appearances, for 18 innings, and gave up 8 runs on 13 hits, with 8 walks and an amazing 28 strikeouts. �Batters hit .197 against Sues in July (.283 in June and .182 in May). �He made only 2 appearances in August, and allowed only one hit over 2.1 innings. �The old shoulder soreness returned, and he made his last appearance on August 8th, after which he was shut down for the rest of the month. �He finished his season with 11 scoreless innings.�
The shoulder issues did not last as long this time, and Sues was invited to participate in the Arizona Fall League. �He pitched in 11 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions. �Sues pitched 14.1 innings and earned one win and one save. �In 6 of his outings, he did not allow an earned run. �He finished with a 5.65 ERA, 9 runs on 21 hits, with only 4 walks and 16 strikeouts.
Sues was added to the 40-man roster in November, and he reported to the Pirates' major league camp for Spring Training. �The 25-year old has made 3 appearances in Grapefruit League and WBC exhibition games, for one inning each, and he has allowed one hit and one walk, though no strikeouts. �He is expected to return to AA Altoona to begin the season, according to an early report by Kyle Stark. �The Pirates want him to work on some mechanics and on being consistent. �They seem to think that he'll be moved up to Indianapolis by mid-season, and are not ruling out a call up to Pittsburgh in September. �The keys for Sues will be consistency and staying healthy.
Sunday's game:
Pirates 11, Astros 4
The Pirates hit 3 home runs and took advantage of sloppy Astro pitching to get this win. �2B�Freddy Sanchez hit a solo homer in the 3rd inning, RF Craig Monroe�hit a 2-run bomb in the 4th, and 1B Garrett Jones�added two more with his blast in the 5th. �Jones and DH�Andy LaRoche each had 2 hits, and Jones picked up another RBI in the 8th. �Some of the Pirates' runs in the 8th were walked in. �2B Shelby Ford walked and came around to score in the 8th, as did CF Andrew McCutchen, SS Brian Bixler, and Jones. �Three of the Pirates' 5 runs in the 8th inning were walked in, and RF Jeff Salazar brought in the other two with a single. �Miles Durham, Steve Lerud, and Pedro Alvarez also got into the game. �
Starter Ross Ohlendorf�had trouble with his slider, and he gave up 2 runs (1 earned) in 3.1 innings of work, on 6 hits. �Jesse Chavez came on to finish up the 4th inning for Ohlendorf, which he did by neatly striking out the two batters he faced. �Donnie Veal had his first tough outing of the season, but he still was credited with the win. �He pitched the 5th inning and walked 4 batters, threw a wild pitch and balked, bringing in 2 runs. �Evan Meek, Matt Capps, Jason Davis, and Denny Bautista�each pitched a scoreless inning, and of the four, only Meek allowed a hit.
Pirates in WBC Play:
USA 15, Venezuela 6 -- John Grabow: one pitch, one out. �Very efficient of him. �An 8-run 6th inning put the game out of reach. �Homers by Kevin Youkilis, Adam Dunn, and Ryan Braun. �A triple by Mark DeRosa, and doubles by Chris Iannetta, Dustin Pedroia, and Jimmy Rollins. �
Go USA!!
Korea 14, China 0 -- Oops. �The Mercy Rule was invoked -- the game is over if one team is leading by more than 10 runs after 7 innings (or more than 15 runs after 5 innings). �Five runs in the 5th and another 5 in the 6th inning for the Koreans put the game well out of reach. �China was held to only two hits -- one by Pirates' farmhand SS Ray Chang, and one by RF Fei Feng. �Chang took the first pitch he saw right back up the middle for a single in the top of the 1st inning. �He looked good at shortstop, with a particularly good play in the bottom of the third, when he was turned almost all the way around to snag a grounder that took an awkward bounce, but still whirled and fired to first base in time for the out. �Chang, who was born and grew up in Kansas City, MO, has been almost a celebrity among his Chinese teammates. �They are fascinated to hear about his experiences as a pro baseball player in the US. �
Cuba 8, South Africa 1 -- South Africa was overmatched the whole time, but they did scrape out one run in the top of the 9th, and the whole crowd at the stadium in Mexico City erupted in cheers for them. �South Africa turned two double plays, though. �2B Gift Ngoepe ( according to the
announcers, the pronounciation is something like this: "Nnn-weep-ay")
started the double play in the second inning, going to his right to nab a grounder near the second base bag, stepping on the bag, and throwing on to first. �3B Jonathan Phillips started a 5-4-3 double play in the 4th inning. �Ngoepe had two plate appearances, a pop out and a strikeout. �South Africa was held to 4 hits, and didn't get their first base runner until they got a walk in the 4th inning. �Their first 2 hits came in the top of the 5th. �In the top of the 9th, a single, a ground out, and another single scored their lone run. �
EDIT: �Louise, who is in South Africa and should know, says the pronounciation is "EN-GO-PAY" � �Thanks, Louise!
Australia 17, Mexico 7-- Mexico got off to a good start with 5 runs in the 1st inning, and 7 runs after 3 innings. �But the Aussies came from behind, scoring 13 runs in the last 4 innings. Pirates'�Paul Mildren pitched 2 innings for Australia and gave up one run on 2 hits and 2 walks. �He entered the game in the 2nd inning, with one run already in on a homer by former Indy Indian Alfredo Amezaga, and another runner on second base after a double. �Mildren walked the first batter he faced, but then the runner who had been on second was thrown out trying to steal third. �A double play ended the inning without further runs scoring. Mildren came back for the 3rd inning. �A single and a wild pitch put the first batter on second base, but he was erased and a man left on first base with a fielder's choice grounder. After a fly out, a walk and an RBI double brought in one run. �Former Pirate farmhand Brett Roneberg singled 3 times and scored twice for Australia. �
More Notes:
In his pre-game show, Neil Huntington said that the first round of cuts, which will be on the small side, will come in the next few days. �A larger round of cuts will come "in the middle of the month". �
Brandon Moss has been sent back to Pittsburgh to see a hand specialist. �The working diagnosis at this point is a "contusion" to his thumb. �
Danny Moskos has reported in his blog that fellow minor leaguer SS�Jarek Cunningham has injured his knee. �The official word now is that Cunningham, last year's 18th round draft pick, has a tear of his anterior cruciate ligament. �He'll need surgery,�and will miss all of the 2009 season. �He has had knee problems in the past. �The Pirates had been considering moving Cunningham from shortstop to another position, probably second base, partly because they have other shortstops -- 3rd round pick Jordy Mercer�and 4th round pick Chase D'Arnaud -- already pegged for the A levels. �Third base is also busy at the A level, with 8th round pick Jeremy Farrell and 9th round pick Matt Hague.�
You hate to benefit from others' misfortune, but in baseball, that's sometimes how it goes. �With all the injuries to outfielders -- Moss, Eric Hinske�(bruised ribs), Steve Pearce (sore calf), and�Jose Tabata (shoulder) -- Miles Durham is the one who will benefit. �The Pirates have asked�him�to come up from minor league camp to the major league camp. �Tabata might be able to swing the bat and DH tomorrow. �
Spring Training: Brian Bixler; Walker Hitting
It's not that shortstop Brian Bixler doesn't like Indianapolis.
Pirates Can’t Catch Up Enough; Classic Begins
Lots of baseball action today:
Reds 10, Pirates 6
The Pirates got behind, and caught up, and got behind, and caught up again, then took the lead... and ultimately lost it in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Pirates Can’t Catch Up Enough; Classic Begins
Lots of baseball action today:
Reds 10, Pirates 6
The Pirates got behind, and caught up, and got behind, and caught up again, then took the lead... and ultimately lost it in the bottom of the 10th inning. �Shelby Ford and Andy Phillips ���had two hits each. �Ford started the Pirates' scoring in the 6th inning with a triple. �Brian Bixler picked up an RBI with a single,�Nyjer Morgan added another single, and both scored when Brandon Moss was safe on an error. �They picked up another run in the 8th,�courtesy of singles by Andrew McCutchen, Andy Phillips, and Pedro Alvarez (RBI). �A walk to Garrett Jones and singles by Ford and Luis Cruz tied it up again in the 9th. �The Pirates took the lead for the first time in the top of the 10th, when Phillips led off with a single, Alvarez walked, and ground outs by Neil Walker and Jones brought Phillips around to score.�
The Pirates couldn't hold the lead for long, though. �In the bottom of the 10th, with Ronald Uviedo on the mound, a double and a walk, and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third bases, and another run filled the bases. �Todd Frazier hit an RBI single, to tie the score and Darnell McDonald's grand slam ended the game. �Uviedo took the Blown Save and the Loss. �Paul Maholm gave the Pirates a solid start, going 3 innings and allowing 1 run on 2 hits. �Jeff Karstens�was responsible for 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk in 2.2 innings. �Denny Bautista allowed 1 unearned run in his 1.1 innings. �Donny Veal and Jason Davis each pitched a scoreless inning.
Jeff Salazar, Robinzon Diaz, and Jason Jaramillo also got into the game. �
Notes:
Steve Pearce�is suffering from soreness in his left calf and is being held out of practice in the field and out of games. �Batting practice is ok. �He's projected to be out for several days yet. �
Luis Cruz's hip seems to be back to normal. �He had no problems running bases or in the field today. �
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
The WBC opened early this morning (no, I was not up at 4:30 am!) with China and Japan facing off in the Tokyo Dome: �Japan 4, China 0. �Team China looked... inexperienced and overmatched. �They got 5 singles and one batter walked, but none of those base runners got as far as second base, thanks to timely double plays, force outs, and one caught stealing. �Japan was also held to 5 hits, but were helped out by 8 walks. �Pirates' farmhand Ray Chang�was at short for China. �I saw him bobble a bouncing grounder in the 3rd or 4th inning for an error. That play was followed by a high fly to short left field near the foul line. �Chang went racing back and got there, but he was trying to make the play over his shoulder, and the ball bounced off his glove. �Later, in the 8th, he kept a run from scoring when he scooped up a grounder and alertly fired the ball to third base in time for 3B Jia to tag the runner Kataoka out. �If Kataoka had been safe, he would have been able to score when the next batter, Iwamura, flied out. �Chang singled in the 7th inning, but was forced out at second to end the inning. �
WBC Warm-Ups
Puerto Rico 9, Red Sox 5 -- Ramon Vazquez went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Puerto Rico.
USA 9, Phillies 6 -- John Grabow pitched 0.2 inning for Team USA. �He gave up a single and hit a batter. �Former Indy Indians/Pirates Jorge Velandia and JJ Furmaniak each singled for the Phillies. �
Canada 6, Yankees 0 -- The Canadian pitchers held the Yankees to only 4 hits. �Dave Davidson pitched 1.1 innings, didn't allow any of the hits, and struck out two batters.
Twins 4, Netherlands 2 -- Former Pirate Yurendell de Caster singled for the Netherlands. �Randall Simon went 0-for-2.
Brewers 10, Australia 5 -- Pirates' farmhand Josh Hill pitched one inning for Australia. �He gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk, and struck out one batter. �Former Pirate Chris Duffy went 0-for-3 for the Brewers. �Former Indy Indian JJ Hardy (2004) hit a 2-run homer, and former Indian (2004) Corey Hart doubled for the Brewers. �
A's 6, South Africa 1 -- Gift Ngoepe had one of South Africa's three hits. �Former Pirate Rajai Davis had 2 hits for the A's.
Spring Training: Daniel McCutchen; Gorzelanny Inconsistent
Since joining the Pirates' organization last summer, relief pitcher Daniel McCutchen has been "the other McCutchen".
Jones’ Dutch Treat
Tuesday's Game: �Pirates 5, Netherlands 4
The minor leaguers and non-roster invitees took on the Dutch team this afternoon, as the various national teams are warming up for the World Baseball Classic, which begins later this week. �The Dutch team included former Pirates Randall Simon (born in the Netherlands) and Yurendell de Caster (from Curacao in the Netherlands' Antilles), and former Indy Indians' coach Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens (also from Curacao) is on the coaching staff. �
RF�Garrett Jones�was the offensive hero. �He had two of the Pirates' 6 hits, both RBI singles. �He drove in both runs in the 1st inning and one of the runs in the 3rd. �1B Andy Phillips' double brought in the other run in the 3rd. �The Pirates' final run came on CF Jeff Salazar's solo homer in the 8th. �
Pedro Alvarez got his first start of the year at third base. �He went 0-for-4 at the plate with 2 strikeouts. �2B Luis Cruz doubled in the bottom of the 1st, and came around to score on Jones' single, but he was clearly not comfortable running, and thought that the leg might be getting tight. �He came out of the game but was checked out ok. �
DH Craig Monroe had the other hit in the game, also a double. �LF�Ruben Gotay made his first appearance for the spring, as did C Miguel Perez.
The Pirates used 8 pitchers in the game. �Ross Ohlendorf made the start and went 2 innings. �He allowed 4 hits and one run, but got out of both innings with a double play. He got the win. ��Denny Bautista allowed a solo home run in the 4th inning, and Jesse�Chavez gave up a run on one hit in the 5th.��Daniel Haigwood gave up one run on 2 hits and a walk in the 9th inning, getting the save. ���Matt Capps, �Donnie Veal, Romulo Sanchez, and Jeff Sues each pitched one inning, and each gave up at least one hit (2 for Sanchez), but did not allow a run. �
More notes:
Pirates' reliever John Grabow has been asked to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic. �Not on the original roster, Grabow is taking the bullpen spot of Brian Fuentes (Angels), who was not going to be able to play at least in the first round, because of family issues. �
I saw a bit of the game between Team Canada and the Blue Jays, and caught a quick glimpse of former Altoona manager Tim Leiper in the Canada dugout. �Dave Davidson picked up the save with a perfect 9th inning (one strikeout) in Canada's 6-4 win. �Former Pirate TJ Beam pitched the 5th inning for the Blue Jays, allowing one hit and striking out one. �
Pirates'�Eliecer Navarro pitched 2 innings for Panama, and allowed one hit and one walk. �Atlanta beat Panama 11-2. �
Ian Snell started for Puerto Rico, and pitched 3 scoreless inning, giving up a hit and striking out 3. �The Twins beat Puerto Rico 3-2. �Ramon Vasquez played third base and had an RBI single. �
More WBC team exhibition games tomorrow. �Also tomorrow, the Pirates' game is scheduled to be audio broadcast by mlb.com. on the Pirates' website.
Spring Training: Luis Cruz — In the Game
Luis Cruz has had a small interruption to his Spring Training, when he suffered a hip flexor injury last week.
Spring Training: Jesse Chavez; Another Grapefruit Win
Pirates' reliever Jesse Chavez was the team leader in Saves in AAA Indianapolis in 2008, and it's a title he would gladly relinquish -- he'd much rather be getting those Saves in Pittsburgh.
Chavez, a California native, was drafted by the Rangers in the 42nd round of the 2002 draft, and steadily moved up through their organization.
Spring Training: Jimmy Barthmaier; Homers in the Wind
Continuing to look at Pirates' minor leaguers or potential minor leaguers (in no particular order):
Jimmy Barthmaier got a brief taste of the major leagues in 2008.
World Baseball Classic: Pirate Participants
A total of 9 Pirates and Pirates' farmhands will be participating in the World Baseball Classic -- though none on Team USA.
Team Canada:
LHP Dave Davidson
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