Joshua Palacios had three hits, including a key home run, helping Indianapolis to a victory on Friday night.
The Pirates' Triple-A squad was down 2-0...
Alika Williams had four hits on Thursday night for Indianapolis.
Since being sent down for Nick Yorke, Williams is 8-for-14 at the Triple-A level. He's...
The DSL Pirates teams ended their seasons this week, which brings the rookie-level affiliates to an end.
I've been reviewing the best performing hitting and...
The Indianapolis Indians ended their 4-game spring training winning streak with a loss today to the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Pirates' Ronny Cedeno came to minor league camp to DH in the game and posted 3 hits for the Tribe. OF Andrew Lambo singled and tripled for the Indians, and his triple in the 4th inning brought in one run. The score was tied at 4-4 going into the top of the 9th, with reliever Tom Boleska on the mound for the Indians. He gave up 3 hits, including an RBI single by former Pirate Brandon Moss, plus a sacrifice fly, to give the Iron Pigs a 6-4 lead. The Indians got within one run when INF Jim Negrych got on and was brought across the plate by INF Josh Harrison's RBI single. Lambo's single loaded the bases with one out. But a double play ended the inning and the game with the Indians unable to catch up.
Twins 4, Pirates 1
Newest Pirate LHP Garrett Olson made his debut with his new team this afternoon, as the Pirates lost to the Twins in Bradenton. Olson came on in relief to pitch the 8th inning, and retired the side in order with a pop out, a fly out, and a ground out. Paul Maholm made the start for the Pirates. He pitched 6 innings and gave up 9 hits and 2 walks, but allowed only 2 runs. With two outs in the 3rd, Maholm gave up a single, then made a throwing error on a pick-off attempt, which put the runner into scoring position. A single by C Joe Mauer brought in the run. The second run scored in the 5th, when a double, a single, and a walk loaded the bases. A grounder to short started a double play, but the runner from third still scored. Jose Veras pitched a scoreless 7th inning for the Indians, allowing just a double. Anthony Claggett took the 9th, and he gave up the remaining two Twins' runs. A walk and a single put runners on the corners, then a ground out plated the first run. A fielding error by SS Pedro Ciriaco allowed the runner from second base to come around and score. The Pirates' only run scored in the 2nd inning, and was unearned. A fielding error on a force attempt gave the Pirates runners on first and second. C Jason Jaramillo lined a single into center field for the RBI, as RF Matt Diaz scored from second base. The Pirates had just 6 hits in the game, including one by LF Steve Pearce. That gives Pearce 9 hits over his last 9 games (9-for-19, .474), and a .308 average overall. LF John Bowker and C Dusty Brown also singled. CF Corey Wimberly, 2B Shelby Ford, 1B Josh Fields, pinch-hitter Starling Marte, and 3B Andy Marte all got into the game.
The reassignments were not as sweeping as some had thought they'd be, but the Pirates did make three roster moves this morning:
Garrett Atkins was given an unconditional release. He had signed with the Pirates as a minor league free agent over the off-season, and had been in competition for the back-up corner infielder spot. But Atkins was not able to get his bat going this spring. In 17 Grapefruit League games, he was just 4-for-31 at the plate (.129) with 11 strikeouts.
LHP Justin Thomas and RHP Fernando Nieve were reassigned to minor league camp. They were both signed as minor league free agents over the winter, and were long shots to make the big club's bullpen. Thomas has pitched 4.1 innings this spring in 5 games, and allowed one earned run on 8 hits, for a 2.08 ERA. He's walked 4 and struck out 4. Nieve has also pitched in 5 Grapefruit League games this spring, and has earned a 1-1 record and 2 saves. In 7.1 innings, he's given up 17 hits and 2 walks, for 8 runs, and he's also struck out 8 batters. Both Thomas and Nieve should be assigned to Indianapolis.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have released infielder Garrett Atkins, and cut Fernando Nieve and Justin Thomas from major league camp, cutting their Spring Training roster...
Continuing to work our way up the Pirates' minor league pitching ranks... Zacharys today...
Jameson Taillon -- R/R, 6' 6", 225 lb Everyone knows about Taillon, the Pirates' #1 draft pick in 2010. Taillon, who is 19 years old, has a mid-to-high 90's fastball and a hard curve, plus a slider and changeup that both need some work. He signed at the deadline, so did not make his pro debut in 2010, though he did report to Fall Instrux and did fine there. Taillon got into a minor league spring training game today, and pitched 2 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits with 2 strikeouts. Just fine for his first time out. Taillon should be ready for A level West Virginia to begin the 2011 season, though Pirates' Kyle Stark has suggested that Taillon might remain in Bradenton for some extended spring training if it is "too cold" in West Virginia in early April.
Zack Von Rosenberg -- R/R, 6' 5", 205 lb Zack's full name is Zachary, and he was born and attended high school in Zachary, Louisiana. The Pirates picked Von Rosenberg in the 6th round of the 2009 draft. He signed in time to make just one start, one inning, for the GCL Pirates that year (no hits, no walks, one strikeout). He made 13 starts for the State College Spikes in 2010. He struggled in his first four starts, allowing 12 earned runs in 16 innings for a 6.75 ERA. He had only 4 strikeouts over the first three games, but struck out 4 more in the fourth game, going into July. His next two starts were better, as he allowed only one run in each of two 5-inning starts, and struck out 4 and 5 batters respectively in those two games. On July 20th, he had another tough outing, as he gave up 4 runs on 8 hits in 5 innings. Von Rosenberg pulled it together for the rest of the season. In his remaining 6 starts, he allowed 3 earned runs over 28 innings (0.96 ERA), and struck out 20 batters in those games. The 20-year-old should start 2011 in West Virginia, where the Pirates would like to see more velocity develop on his fast ball (usually high 80's to 90 or so), which could boost his strikeout rate.
Pirates 3, Astros 1 Starter Charlie Morton continued to show the Pirates' management that he belongs in the starting rotation with a 6-inning shutout performance today in Kissimmee, Florida. Morton scattered 4 hits over his 6 innings and did not walk a batter. He struck out 5 Astros. C Humberto Quintero had two of those hits -- a single in the 3rd, when he reached as far as third base before being stranded, and a two-out single in the 5th. Astros' starter Jordan Lyles followed that second single with a line drive into left field, and Quintero raced around the bases. Pirates' LF Josh Fields got the ball back into the infield quickly, and Quintero was caught in a run-down and tagged out by C Ryan Doumit. Evan Meek and Chris Leroux each pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Neither gave up a hit, but both worked around base runners who got on due to fielding errors. SS Benji Gonzalez had a tough afternoon, with a fielding error in the 7th, back-to-back fielding errors in the 8th, then another fielding error in the 9th that lead to an unearned run. With Mike Crotta on the mound in the 9th, the error, a single, and a walk loaded the bases, and a sacrifice fly drove in the Astros' only run. Crotta has not allowed an earned run in his previous 6 appearances (8.1 innings).
SS Ronny Cedeno provided the Pirates with their first 2 runs, on a 2nd-inning home run that followed Josh Fields' double. Ryan Doumit picked up the RBI in the 3rd inning with a triple into left field, driving in 1B Andy Marte, who had singled. Steve Pearce, who started at third base today, singled twice in the game. CF Pedro Ciriaco, 2B Corey Wimberly, RF Cole White, 1B Garrett Atkins, and pinch-hitter Josh Rodriguez also got into the game.
More roster moves are expected on Monday, as the Pirates head into the final full week of spring training.
