Jack Brannigan showed some power tonight in Greensboro, as part of an 11-1 victory by the Pittsburgh Pirates High-A squad. Brannigan went 2-for-5, hitting...
Nick Gonzales keeps hitting.
The middle infielder, playing second base on Tuesday night for Indianapolis, went 2-for-4 with a walk. That extends his hitting streak...
The Pirates have Gold Glove third basemen in Ke'Bryan Hayes and Jared Triolo. They've got another candidate in the system in power hitter Jack Brannigan.
Valentin Linarez had one of the biggest recorded velocity jumps in minor league baseball last year.
Baseball America tracked the year-over-year four-seam velocity gainers from...
At the start of the 2023 international signing period, the Pittsburgh Pirates added David Matoma as their first signing out of Uganda. The right-handed...
Last week we heard from Dejan Kovacevic that the Pittsburgh Pirates and Andrew McCutchen are currently in talks about extending the young center fielder....
Home runs by RF John Bowker and DH Andrew Lambo and a triple by LF Corey Wimberly gave the Indians the offense they needed to power past the Bulls tonight. The game was played at the old Durham Athletic Park, which is the original stadium in Durham -- the one where the old A-level team played, and where the movie "Bull Durham" was filmed. Last season, the Bulls played one game at the old stadium, which sits about 5 blocks from their "new" stadium, Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Everyone must have had fun, because they decided to do it again this year, and this time the Indians were the visitors who got to participate. It was a bit awkward for the players -- they had to change clothes and do batting practice at the new stadium, then take a bus to the old stadium for the game. After the game, they rode back to the new facility to shower up and change clothes again. Lambo said that the players had fun at the old park, even though the dugout was a little cramped. The teams wore "retro" uniforms for the game.
Jose Ascanio (photo) made a one-inning start for the Indians, throwing 31 pitches (20 strikes) and giving up 2 runs. Ascanio began the inning by allowing a single to SS Ray Olmedo. CF Justin Ruggiano reached base on a fielding error by 3B Josh Harrison. A wild pitch by Ascanio let both runners move up a base, then a walk to LF Brandon Guyer loaded the bases with no outs. Ascanio got a strikeout, but then RF Chris Carter lined a double into right field, bringing in both Olmedo and Ruggiano to score. Another strikeout and a ground out got Ascanio out of the inning, though with the Indians trailing 2-0.
Three walks and an RBI ground out in the bottom of the 9th gave the Senators a walk-off win against the Curve. Altoona had scored first, on 3B Jeremy Farrell's solo home run in the top of the 2nd inning. The Senators replied with a solo home run by 3B Tim Pahuta in the bottom of the inning. The Curve took the lead again in the top of the 4th, when LF Quincy Latimore singled, then Farrell picked up another RBI with his double into center field.
Mike Colla pitched 5 innings and struck out 5 batters in his start. He gave up that solo homer, plus two singles in the 1st inning. Colla walked two batters, and those were the only Harrisburg base runners over the last three innings of his outing. Tim Alderson struck out two batters in his scoreless 6th inning. Chris Leroux took the mound to begin the 7th inning. He was charged with a Blown Save when he gave up Pahuta's second solo home run, tying the game at 2-2.
The Curve threatened in the 6th inning, when CF Starling Marte led off with a single. Latimore grounded into a force out at second, replacing Marte at first. A fielding error by Pahuta let SS Jordy Mercer reach base safely. Former Indy Indian Jimmy Barthmaier came on in relief for Harrisburg, and he got Farrell to bounce into a double play, ending the rally. Barthmaier gave up a double to 1B Miles Durham with one out in the 7th, then walked pinch hitter Kris Watts, before being relieved himself. A strikeout ended that threat without a run scoring.
Each team put a runner on base in the 8th -- Mercer walked and stole second for the Curve, and the Senators had a single, and the runner moved to second on a wild pitch by Leroux -- but neither one scored. The Curve went down in order in the top of the 9th. Noah Krol replaced Leroux to begin the bottom of the 9th. He walked the first batter he faced, then a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second base. Pahuta was intentionally walked, then the next batter was unintentionally walked to load the bases. A ground out to third looked like it might be a double play, but the 5-4-3 throw only got out the batter at first, while the runner going to second was safe. That allowed the runner from third to score, giving the Senators the win.
Jose Ascanio started tonight's Indianapolis Indians game, making his final rehab appearance during his time on the 15-day disabled list. A quick look at...