Fun with the Pirates' lower minor league affiliates on Thursday night...

Altoona Curve  7,  Erie SeaWolves 2
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A big 6-run 6th inning gave the Curve the win over Erie, despite the SeaWolves out-hitting the Curve 15 - 6.  

The Curve got onto the scoreboard first with a run in the bottom of the 2nd inning.  C Tony Sanchez reached base and got all the way to second on a throwing error by the Erie shortstop.  A ground out by DH Kris Watts moved Sanchez to third, and a sacrifice fly by 1B Miles Durham brought Sanchez in to score.  

Altoona starter Aaron Thompson gave up a single in both the 1st and 3rd innings, and both times erased the runners with a double play.  He hit a batter and allowed two singles in the 2nd, but caught one runner stealing, and got out of the inning without a run scoring.  The top of the 4th inning began with a lead-off homer to tie the score.  After a fly out, Thompson gave up another solo homer, and Erie had a 2-1 lead.  

After three hitless innings, the Curve erupted in the 6th, sending 10 batters to the plate.  Holt started the rally with a double into right field.  CF Starling Marte beat out a bunt for a single, moving Holt to third.  LF Quincy Latimore lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Holt, and when the Erie center fielder's throw back in went wild for an error, Marte moved to second base.  That put Marte in position to score on SS Jordy Mercer's single.  3B Jeremy Farrell and Watts both walked to load the bases, then Durham lined a single into left field, plating both Mercer and Farrell.  A double by RF Brad Chalk scored Watts and Durham, and the Curve had a 7-2 lead.  

Thompson was relieved after 5 innings, having allowed 2 runs on 9 hits and a walk.  Chris Leroux took over and pitched the next two innings.  He gave up three singles but did not let a run score, and he was the pitcher of record when the Curve scored their 6, so he earned the win.  Michael Dubee began the top of the 8th with three consecutive singles, then got out of the mess with a strikeout and a double play.  He retired the side in order in the 9th.  

Durham Bulls  1,  Indianapolis Indians   0
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Brian Burres (photo) gave up just one run and scattered 4 hits in a morning-into-afternoon game at Durham Bulls' Athletic Park today -- but he suffered his 5th loss of the season.  Burress had the Bulls under control for the entire game, but there was just one problem.  That problem was the only hit that counted -- a solo home run by Bulls' RF Justin Ruggiano in the bottom of the 1st.  Ruggiano, who was also the Bulls' game hero last night, scored the only run of the game with his homer.

Burres matched his season-high 7 innings in this start.  He struck out 5 batters and walked only one.  After the game, Burres said that he felt that his mistake was not the fast ball that Ruggiano took over the wall, but the two pitches before that, both outside the strike zone, which put Burres behind in the count.  Burres gave up a single to 3B Russ Canzler in the 2nd, but erased him when C Jose Laboton bounced into a 6-4-3 double play (SS Pedro Ciriaco to 2B Chase d'Arnaud to 1B John Bowker).   

The lefty Burres retired the Bulls in order in the 3rd and 4th innings, then gave up back-to-back singles to 1B Leslie Anderson and C Jose Lobaton in the 5th.  Another double play, off the bat of former Indy Indian SS JJ Furmaniak got Burres and the Indians out of that jam.  Another 1-2-3 inning took care of the Bulls in the 6th, then Burres walked LF Brandon Guyer to begin the 7th, but got three quick outs to end his afternoon.

The Curve played a (mostly) morning game today; the Marauders and the Power play in the evening.

Altoona Curve  13,  Harrisburg Senators  2
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The Curve had a great morning today, blasting away at the Senators with 13 runs on 18 hits.  All but one of the starting lineup had at least one hit, and that one was not starting pitcher Jeff Locke.  Locke singled twice and came around to score, doing his share, and reliever Anthony Claggett also had a hit.  CF Starling Marte, SS Jordy Mercer, and 1B Miles Durham each had 3 hits, and two of Mercer's hits were home runs.  Mercer contributed 5 RBI, while Durham and RF Jose Hernandez each had 3 RBI.

The game actually began in Harrisburg's favor.  Marte doubled in the top of the 1st, then moved to third base on a wild pitch, but got no further.  In the bottom of the inning, Locke began by hitting the lead-off man with a pitch, then gave up a single to give Harrisburg runners on the corners.  An RBI ground out brought in the first run, then an RBI single added a second run.  After another single, Locke finished the inning with a tapper back to the mound.  

After that inning, it was all Altoona.  Locke shut down the Senators, retiring the next 12 batters in order.  He gave up a single and a double in the 6th, but left both runners in scoring position.  Locke threw 79 pitches (57 strikes) in earning his second win of the season.  

The Curve put their hitting shoes on in the 3rd.  Locke and 2B Brock Holt led off with back-to-back singles.  That chased the Senators' starter, and brought in former Indy Indian and Curve Jimmy Barthmaier.  Barthmaier got Marte to ground into a force out at second, but could not get the double play.  Marte stole second base, then Mercer blatsed his first homer, a 3-run shot over the left field wall, to give the Curve a 3-2 lead.  

Locke singled again in the 4th inning, though he was left on base.  Marte singled to begin the 5th, and was moved to second on LF Quincy Latimore's sacrifice bunt.  Mercer singled, and Marte came around from second base to score.  Mercer stole second, and he scored on C Eric Fryer's double.  Then Fryer scored on Durham's 2-run homer for a 4-run inning, giving the Curve a 7-2 lead.  Holt singled and came around to score on Latimore's RBI single in the 6th.  

The Curve put up another 4-run inning in the 7th.  3B Jeremy Farrell, the only Curve position player without a hit in the game, was hit by a pitch to begin the inning, and Fryer reached base on a fielding error.  Durham doubled, driving in Farrell, then Hernandez's 3-run homer gave the Curve a 12-2 lead.  Mercer's second home run, a solo homer, provided the Curve with their final run in the 8th.  

Anthony Claggett relieved Locke in the 7th inning.  He pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th, then worked around a hit batter and a single in the 8th, to keep the Senators from scoring again.  Tim Alderson finished the game for the Curve, with a perfect 9th inning.