Cheering for the Pirates' players and friends in Tuesday's winter league action...
I'll be going on the road for a few days... catch up with everyone at the beginning of next week.


VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

Cardenales de Lara  6,  Tigres de Aragua  2  --  Los Tigres were held to 5 hits.  They scored their 2 runs in the 7th inning on a walk, a triple, and a single.  Aragua also had two singles in the 3rd inning but didn't score, and 3 walks in the 6th, but a double play and a pop out ended that inning without a run scoring.  Los Tigres' only other hit in the game was a double by 1B Hector Gimenez to lead off the 9th inning.  Raul Chavez pinch hit in the 9th, but popped out to end the game.  Lastings Milledge started the game in left field, and popped out to end the 2nd inning (with no runners on base).  He was removed from the game as the bottom half of the inning began, but no explanation was given.  CF Jorge Cortes went 0-for-3 for Los Tigres.  Former Indy Indian C Alex Delgado had an RBI single in the 4th for Lara, and doubled and scored on a 2-run homer in the 6th. 

Bravos de Margarita  2,  Navegantes del Magallanes  1  --  Pitching ruled for the first 6 innings of this game.  Margarita scored a run in the 7th on two singles and added another run in the 8th on a walk and two more singles.  Los Navegantes scored just one run, which came in the bottom of the 9th, on a walk and a double.  Justin Thomas took the mound in relief for Los Bravos to begin the bottom of the 5th.  He worked around a lead-off single for a scoreless 5th, then loaded the bases on two singles, a sacrifice bunt, and an intentional walk to begin the 6th inning.  Edgar Martinez relieved Thomas and got a strikeout and pop out to end the inning with the bases still loaded.  Ronald Belisario earned his 7th save for Margarita, even though he was responsible for Los Navegantes' run in the 9th.  

Leones del Caracas  5,  Caribes del Anzoategui  4  --  Four runs in the top of the 9th were not enough for Los Caribes to catch up to Los Leones.  Adenson Chourio came into the game to pinch-run in the 9th, with the bases loaded and one run already walked in.  A double lined into center field scored the runners from second and third, but Chourio was out at the plate on the throw in from center field.  C Carlos Maldonado was the one who tagged out Chourio.  Maldonado's lead-off homer in the 8th gave Caracas what turned out to be the winning run.  He also singled in the 2nd and walked in the 6th.   

Surprise Rafters  7,  Mesa Solar Sox 2

It was a good news-bad news kind of game for the Pirates' contingent of the Mesa Solar Sox.  The good news was that 2B Josh Harrison had two hits in the game, raising his average to .329. Harrison had struggled in the early part of the Arizona Fall League season, but turned it on after that, and has finished strong.  The bad news is that Harrison's two hits were half of the Solar Sox' total for the day.  

The other piece of bad news is that DH Jordy Mercer was hit by a pitch in the top of the 7th inning and had to leave the game.  

The Solar Sox missed out on a big chance in the top of the 1st, when they couldn't take advantage of three Rafters' errors.  Josh Harrison began the game by reaching base on a missed catch error at first base.  He was eliminated, though, when SS Andrew Romine (Angels) bounced into a double play.  3B Josh Vitters (Cubs) singled and RF Andrew Lambo reached base on a fielding error at third.  When the Surprise third baseman then made a throwing error, Lambo moved to second and Vitters went on to third.  A fly out ended the inning without a run scoring.  

The Rafters' SS Cale Iorg (Tigers) had a big day, beginning in the bottom of the 1st, when he hit the second of a pair of lead-off singles, stole second in a double steal, and scored the second run on a 2-RBI double.  Iorg's day got even better in the bottom of the 2nd, with Jake Muyco (Cubs) still on the mound for the Solar Sox.  Muyco gave up a single and two walks, and Iorg followed with a grand slam.  That gave the Rafters a 6-0 lead.  

Robert Fish (Angels) pitched a perfect inning for the Solar Sox in the 3rd, then BJ Rosenberg took the 4th inning.  Rosenberg gave up a single, then Iorg drove in another run for the Rafters with an RBI single.  Ryan Brasier (Angels) and Aaron Pribanic each retired the side in order in one inning apiece.  

Harrison led off Mesa's 3rd inning with a line drive into center field, and Romine walked.  A ground out moved both into scoring position, but they remained there when a strikeout and a fly out ended the inning.  The Solar Sox had only one base runner over the next three innings, when 1B Josh Satin (Mets) walks in the 6th.  The Solar Sox scored their only runs in the 7th.  Mercer led off by being hit by the pitch, and he was replaced on first by pinch-runner Ryan Flaherty (Cubs).  LF Tim Kennelly (Phillies) pushed Flaherty to third base with a line drive into left field.  Flaherty scored on C Kai Gronauer's (Mets) ground out to short.  Harrison's second single of the game, grounded through to left field, and Kennelly advanced to third base.  Kennelly scored on Romine's ground out.  The rally ended with another ground out, and that was the end of the game.  

All of today's AFL games were halted at 7 innings.  Tomorrow's (Wednesday's) games will all go 9 innings, then back to 7 innings again for the last games on Thursday.  The point is to help teams limit pitch counts and innings for the pitchers.  The championship game between the Scottsdale Scorpions and the Peoria Javelinas on Saturday will not have an innings limit, though.  

MESA SOLAR SOX  5,  PHOENIX DESERT DOGS  5   (TIE)
 
Starter Justin Wilson pitched into the 4th inning and allowed 2 runs, but the game ended in a tie.  That means that the Solar Sox will not be able to catch up to the Scottsdale Scorpions, who have clinched the Arizona Fall League's Eastern Division.  The Solar Sox have three games remaining.  The Scorpions will play the championship game on Saturday, against either the Peoria Javelinas (1st place in the AFL West) or the Surprise Rafters (2nd place, 3 games behind with 3 games to play).

The Solar Sox got the early lead, with a run in the 1st inning.  2B Ryan Flaherty (Cubs) singled up the middle, and a wild pitch put him on second base.  1B Matt Rizzotti (Phillies) also singled up the middle, and Flaherty raced around from second base to score.  
Wilson worked around a pair of singles in both the 1st and 2nd innings, to hold onto the slim lead.  But in the top of the 3rd, Wilson hit the first batter of the inning.  Then with two outs, he gave up a 2-run homer to LF Brandon Laird (Yankees), and the Desert Dogs had a 2-1 lead.  

A pair of doubles, by 3B Josh Vitters (Cubs) and RF Andrew Lambo, drove in a run for the Solar Sox in the 4th inning, to tie the score.  A hit batter and a ground out by C Tony Sanchez moved the runners to second and third bases, but SS Jordy Mercer struck out to end the inning and leave both runners in scoring position.

Wilson began the 4th with a fly out and a walk, then was relieved by David Cales (Cubs), who got out of the inning without a run scoring.  Nicholas Carr (Mets) pitched a scoreless 5th inning for Mesa, then gave up two lead-off singles in the 6th.  A fielding error by Mercer brought in one run for Phoenix, and another single added a second run, giving the Desert Dogs a 4-2 lead.  

Jordy Mercer made up for his error in the 7th, when he led off with a solo home run.  DH Andrew Romine (Angels) singled following the homer, but was erased in a double play off the bat of Flaherty.  LF John Tolisano (Blue Jays) doubled and Rizzotti walked, but that attempt at a rally ended with a ground out.  The Solar Sox were closer, at 4-3.

Eric Neisen (Mets) finished the 6th inning for Carr, then pitched a 1-2-3 7th inning.  Brian Leach extended his perfect ERA streak with a perfect 8th inning -- two ground outs and a strikeout.  Eddie McKiernan (Angels) took over for Leach to begin the top of the 9th, and he gave up a double, then a fielding error by Rizzotti allowed that runner to score, and the Desert Dogs were back to a 2-run lead.  

Mercer began the bottom of the 9th with a line drive single into center field.  Romine walked, and Flaherty moved both up a base with a sacrifice bunt.  Mercer scored on Tolisano's RBI ground out, and Romine scored on a wild pitch.  But a strike out ended the inning and cut the rally short, and the game ended in a tie.  

Sunday's winter league action with the Pirates' players and friends...
As usual, the Arizona Fall League has Sunday off.  Guess who is leading the AFL in RBI?  That's right, it's OF Andrew Lambo.
The Australian League also has a few days off, with the Adelaide Bite and Quincy Latimore back in action on Wednesday.


 VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
 
Tigres de Aragua  6,  Cardenales de Lara  4  --  A 4-run 4th inning gave Los Tigres the edge over Los Cardenales.  A pair of singles opened the inning, then after a fly out, CF Jorge Cortes loaded the bases with a single into right field.   Lara changed pitchers, but he gave up three more singles.  The first drove in one run, then SS Ronny Cedeno singled in two more runs.  A passed ball put runners onto second and third bases, and RF/LF Lastings Milledge's single drove in the fourth run of the inning.  Los Tigres' first run came on a solo home run that opened the game in the top of the 1st.  Cedeno singled and Milledge walked after the home run, but they did not score in that inning.  Aragua added a run on a double and a fielding error in the 2nd inning.  Cedeno also singled in the 3rd inning, for a total of 3 hits in the game.  C Raul Chavez was hitless in 5 at-bats.  Lara also scored one run in the 1st inning, to tie the score.  Los Cardenales took a 3-2 lead with 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd, but that lead lasted only a few minutes, until Aragua scored 4 in the 4th.  

Aguilas del Zulia  10,  Navegantes del Magallanes  4  --  Los Aguilas also had a 4-run inning, the 9th, to cap their scoring and take the win.  LF Mike Ryan singled in the 1st inning for Magallanes but did not come around to score.  Magallanes scored one run in the 3rd and another in the 4th.  In the 9th, Los Navegantes loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, then scored one run on SS Argenis Diaz's sacrifice fly.  Another single plated one more run, but a double play ended the rally.  


Los Bravos de Margarita are reporting that manager Luis Dorante has been hospitalized with kidney failure.  He will be out for two weeks.