The Greensboro Grasshoppers won the South Atlantic League North first half last week, putting the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the post-season....
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.
On December 23rd, the Pittsburgh Pirates claimed left hander Aaron Thompson off of waivers from the Washington Nationals. Thompson was a first round pick...
Again just two winter league playoff games on Tuesday night -- the Venezuelan championship has the night off.
Signing news: C Robinzon Diaz has signed a minor league contract with the Rangers.
PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE Leones de Ponce 4, Criollos de Caguas 2 -- Los Leones took a 3-2 game lead in this 7-game series with a win tonight. Ponce got right down to business with a run on two hits, a throwing error, and a ground out in the top of the 1st. Los Criollos tied the score with a walk, a double, and an RBI ground out in the bottom of the 1st. Los Leones made use of another RBI grounder to break the tie in the top of the 3rd, with a run driven in after a single and a double. An RBI single made it 3-1. Los Criollos got within one run in the 6th, scoring on a single, a walk, and (guess what?) an RBI ground out. A solo home run added an insurance run for Ponce in the top of the 9th. Caguas threatened in the bottom of the 9th, when SS Luis Figueroa was hit by a pitch and moved to third base on a ground-rule double. A walk loaded the bases, but two fly outs ended the rally and the game. Figueroa singled in the 3rd and walked in the 7th, but could not come around to score. Ramon Vazquez struck out in a pinch-hitting appearance.
MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE Algodoneros de Guasave 2, Yaquis de Obregon 1 -- Pitchers ruled in this game, as Guasave tied the 7-game series at 2 games each. Los Yaquis were held to 4 hits, and scored their only run with 3 of those hits, all singles, in the top of the 8th. Their only other hit, another single, came in the 1st inning. Guasave had just 6 hits, and half of those came in the first two innings. Their first run was a solo home run in the 6th inning. they scored again in the 7th inning, when a single, a sacrifice bunt by 1B Yurendell de Caster, and two walks loaded the bases. An RBI single brought in what turned out to be the winning run. De Caster had one of the Guasave singles in the 2nd inning.
Just two winter league playoff games tonight, since the Dominican League is done and the Puerto Rican League has a night off. That 7-game series is tied at 2 games each (Ponce and Caguas).
In other news, former Pirate Andy LaRoche signed a minor league deal with the Oakland A's.
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE Caribes de Anzoategui 8, Tigres de Aragua 7 -- Los Caribes took a 2-game lead in the championship series with tonight's win over Los Tigres. Los Tigres began this game almost like last night's, with a solo homer in the top of the 1st. Los Caribes came back with a 2-RBI double and an RBI single in the bottom of the inning, for a 3-1 lead. Aragua began the top of the 2nd with three consecutive walks, including to DH Hector Gimenez and LF Lastings Milledge. A throwing error on a pickoff attempt (trying to pick Milledge off first) allowed a run to score. Then Los Tigres took a 5-3 lead in the 3rd. A walk, a double, and a fielder's choice brought in one run. A single loaded the bases, then a single by Gimenez and a walk by Milledge both drove in a run. But Los Caribes regained the lead in the 5th. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases. A hit batter forced in a run, then a bases-clearing double added 3 more runs, to give Los Caribes a 7-5 lead. A solo homer gave Los Caribes their final run in the 7th. Los Tigres scored twice more -- one in the 7th on a walk, a single, and an RBI ground outs, then a solo homer in the top of the 8th. Wil Ledezma pitched the bottom of the 8th for Los Tigres. He hit the first batter he faced, then turned a bunt back to the mound into a force out at second base. Two strikeouts ended the inning.
MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE Algodoneros de Guasave 12, Yaquis de Obregon 3 -- Guasave picked up an early lead with 3 runs in the 2nd inning, on three singles and an error. They added to that lead with a run in the 4th and a solo homer in the 5th. Then they put the game out of reach with a 6-run 7th inning, which featured a lead-off triple, two RBI singles, a double, and a 3-run homer by 1B Yurendell de Caster. De Caster also drove in a run in the 8th with an RBI ground out. Obregon scratched out a run in the 6th and had a 2-run homer in the 8th, as they managed only 4 hits in the game. Each team committed 2 errors. Los Yaquis lead the 7-game series 2-1.
Just 3 winter league playoff games on Sunday, as the Mexican Pacific League takes a travel day...
PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE Leones de Ponce 4, Criollos de Caguas 1 -- Los Criollos out-hit Los Leones, but Los Criollos also left 10 runners stranded, while Ponce had only 5 runners left on base. Three errors by Los Criollos also contributed to their own demise. Los Leones scored in the bottom of the 1st with a walk, a stolen base with a throwing error, and an RBI single. A pair of walks, a bunt, and RBI ground out and an RBI single added 2 runs in the 3rd inning. Two errors, an intentional walk, and an RBI grounder gave Los Leones an insurance run in the 6th. Los Criollos scored their only run in the top of the 3rd, with a walk and a triple. SS Luis Figueroa and 3B Ramon Vazquez each had a single and a walk in the game, and all those times they were left on base.
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE Caribes de Anzoategui 8, Tigres de Aragua 5 -- A 4-run 3rd inning boosted Los Caribes for the win in the opener of the Venzuelan championship series. The game began with home runs dominating. Los Tigres' CF Hernan Iribarren opened the game with a home run. Los Caribes' lead-off batter CF Endy Chavez homered to begin the bottom of the inning. In the top of the 2nd, the first Aragua batter was hit by a pitch, and LF Lastings Milledge hit a 2-run homer. Los Caribes had another solo homer in the bottom of the frame. Los Caribes changed it up in the 3rd, with three doubles, followed by another homer, to take a 6-3 lead. Aragua got closer in the 6th, with solo homers (not back-to-back) by DH Hector Gimenez and Milledge. Los Caribes got some insurance with a run in both the 6th and 7th innings, both times on a single and a double. In addition to his two homers, Milledge walked and stole second base in the 4th.
DOMINICAN LEAGUE Toros del Este 4, Estrellas de Oriente 2 -- Los Toros completed the 5-game sweep of the series with today's win over Los Estrellas. Pitching ruled this game. Los Toros recorded only 3 hits, and they scored their 4 runs in the 7th inning using only one hit. After 6 scoreless innings, a walk, a single, and a sacrifice fly brought in Los Toros first run in the 7th. A sacrifice fly complicated by both a fielding error and a throwing error gave them their second run, and after an intentional walk to load the bases, a hit batter and an unintentional walk forced in a run each. A hit batter with the bases loaded also forced in a run for Los Estrellas in the top of the 8th, and they also scored on an RBI single.
The following is from Pirates Prospects contributor John Dreker, as part of his ongoing Pirates History feature. The feature focuses on the history of...
Cheering for the Pirates' players and friends in the winter league playoff games on Saturday night...
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE Tigres de Aragua 5, Leones de Caracas 2 -- The Big Cats had to have a one-game playoff because they finished tied for second place in the round robin tournament. Former Pirate farmhand Ronald Uviedo made the start for Los Leones, and while he made it through the first inning, Los Tigres got to him in the next three innings. DH Hector Gimenez blasted a solo homer in the 2nd inning. A walk, a sacrifice bunt by CF Jorge Cortes, and two RBI's on a double and a single gave Aragua another 2 runs in the 3rd inning. LF Lastings Milledge started the 4th inning rally with a walk, moved to second on a ground out, and to third on a wild pitch. An RBI single plated Milledge, and sent Uviedo to the showrs. The Caracas reliever gave up a single to Cortes, then another RBI single gave Aragua their final run. Caracas scored their first run on a solo homer by LF Mike Ryan in the 2nd inning. Ryan also singled in the 7th inning, and came around to score from first base on 2B Jose Castillo's RBI double. Castillo singled in the bottom of the 9th, and C Carlos Maldonado reached base on an error, and was replaced by a pinch-runner. With two outs, Wil Ledezma came on to make the final out, earning a save. Los Tigres will now face Los Caribes in the championship series.
DOMINICAN LEAGUE Toros del Este 11, Estrellas de Oriente 2 -- Los Toros posted 14 hits as they ran over Los Estrellas, who hurt their own cause with 6 errors. The scoring began with 3 runs in the top of the 1st. SS Pedro Ciriaco began a rally in the 3rd with a lead-off single. He scored on a fielding error and a single, and an RBI ground out brought in another run. A walk, a single, and another error in the 4th made the score 6-0. Los Estrellas got onto the scoreboard with a solo homer in the 6th, and scored again with two singles in the 7th. Los Toros kept going, though, scoring 2 runs in the 7th on yet another error, a walk, and a double. Ciriaco walked in the 8th, and scored on a 3-run homer. Ciriaco singled in the 6th as well. Franquelis Osoria pitched the top of the 9th for Los Estrellas, and worked around his teammates' 6th error to keep Los Toros from scoring in that inning. Los Toros now lead the championship series 4 games to none, and need one more for the series sweep.
