The Pirates prospects had a big day on offense, leading the Mesa Solar Sox to an 18-9 win: -Josh Harrison (.293) started at second, batting...

I have a weird quest to acquire every regular issue baseball card for every Pirates player from 1952 to 1993. I'm way more than half way there, but my collection essentially starts in the early 1970s. I recently acquired a 1981 Topps Jason Thompson card, which got me thinking.

Phoenix Desert Dogs� 8,� Mesa Solar Sox� 6

A 5-run inning by Phoenix overcame an early Solar Sox lead this afternoon in the Arizona Fall League.� Each member of the Solar Sox' lineup except one had at least one hit in the game, including a single by C Tony Sanchez.

Mesa jumped out to a 3-run lead in the top of the 1st.� 2B Jordany Valdespin (Mets) opened the game by beating out an infield single.� CF Brett Jackson (Cubs) walked, and LF Jeremy Moore (Angels) drove them both in with a triple lined into right field.� A single by 3B Brandon Wood (Angels) brought in Moore.� Sanchez also singled in the inning, but he was left on base.

The Solar Sox added another run in the 2nd, on a single by SS Andrew Romine (Angels), who then stole second base.� Jackson singled, and Romine scored from second base.� They picked up an unearned run in the 3rd, when RF kirk Nieuwenhuis (Mets) singled, moved to second when DH Josh Vitters (Cubs) reached on a fielding error at short (it should have been the third out), and scored on 1B Ryan Flaherty's(Cubs) RBI single.

Cubs' Jake Muyco made the start for Mesa.� He zipped through the first inning, but gave up a double and a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning.� Muyco and the Solar Sox were still leading 5-2 going into the bottom of the 3rd. That's when the trouble started.� A double, a walk, and a 3-run homer tied the score at 5-5.� Muyco got a ground out, then gave up another double.� A second grounder gave him the second out of the inning, but an RBI single followed.� That was all for Muyco.� He was relieved by Ryan Brasier (Angels), who was greeted by the third double of the inning, which brought in the 5th run for the Desert Dogs.� Dogs 7, Sox 5.

Andrew Romine started another Solar Sox rally in the 6th with a single up the middle.� Valdespin added a single into right, moving Romine to third base.� Jackson's sacrifice fly brought him home, and Valdespin stole second base, but couldn't come around to score.

After Brasier finished the 3rd inning, he retired the side in order in the 4th.� BJ Rosenberg (Phillies) worked around a walk and a single to keep Phoenix from scoring in the 5th.� Aaron Pribanic took care of the 6th, allowing a walk, but erasing the runner with a double play.

The Desert Dogs scored one more time in the 7th.� With Robert Fish (Angels) on the mound in relief of Pribanic, Andrew Romine's brother Austin (Yankees) doubled, then moved to third base on a passed ball by Sanchez.�� A single scored the run from third base.� Chris Kissock (Phillies) pitched the final inning for the Solar Sox and retired the side in order.

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The only winter league game tonight was in the Puerto Rican League, where Los Gigantes de Carolina beat Los Indios de Mayaguez 6-2.� Carolina made use of a 4-run 3rd inning, which was started by former Indy Indian RF Luis Matos, who hit the first of four consecutive singles.� A walk and a fifth single finished the inning.

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VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

Navegantes del Magallanes� 2,� Caribes de Anzoategui� 0� --� Corey Hamman earned his first save of the winter season for Magallanes.� Hamman entered the game in the top of the 8th, with pinch-runner Adenson Chourio on first and no outs.� He got a ground out to first to end the inning, then came back out in the 9th, w hen he worked around a lead-off walk for a scoreless inning.� Los Caribes were held to just 4 hits in the game, and Los Navegantes did not hit much better -- only 5 hits.� Magallanes scored one run in the top of the 1st on a walk, a ground out by DH Mike Ryan which moved the runner over, and an RBI single.� A walk and a double brought in the run in the 5th.� Ryan also singled in the 8th, but was left on base.

Leones del Caracas� 14,� Tiburones de La Guaira� 5� -- The Sharks were clawed up by the Tigers this afternoon, as every member of the Caracas lineup had at least one hit.� La Guaira scored 2 runs in the 3rd inning, but Caracas scored in each of the last 5 innings, including 4-run innings in the 8th and 9th.� C Carlos Maldonado singled in the 2nd inning, but did not factor into any of the late scoring.

Bravos de Margarita� 5,� Aguilas de Zulia� 0 -- Los Bravos did all their scoring in the 7th (3 runs) and 8th (2 runs), and held Los Aguilas' hitters to just 5 hits.� Andy LaRoche did not get into the game.

Tigres de Aragua� 5,� Cardinales de Lara� 3 -- DH Raul Chavez, C Miguel Perez, and pinch-hitter Hector Gimenez all went hitless in the game, but Chavez was hit by a pitch and scored in the 2-run 1st inning for Aragua.� A walk and four singles gave Los Tigres 3 more runs in the 3rd.� Lara also had a walk and four singles, plus an Aragua throwing error, in the top of the 5th, when they also scored 3 runs.

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Mesa Solar Sox� 7,� Surprise Rafters� 2

Mesa batters piled up 5 runs over the first two innings, while their pitchers held the Rafters to just 3 hits in the Arizona Fall League this evening.� RF Andrew Lambo and LF Josh Harrison combined for 5 hits, 4 of which were for extra bases.

Harrison got the Solar Sox jump-started with a lead-off double in the bottom of the 1st.� CF Brett Jackson (Cubs) followed with a double, scoring Harrison.� Lambo blasted a 2-run homer over the right field wall, to give the Solar Sox a 3-0 lead.� The Sox kept right on going in the 2nd inning, with singles by 2B Jordany Valdespin (Mets) and Harrison.� Both stole the next base, and both scored on 3B Brandon Wood's (Angels) double, and Mesa had a 5-0 lead.

Things were quiet over the middle innings, then Harrison tripled again in the 6th.� He was left on base, but the Solar Sox went on to score again in the 7th.� Wood singled and moved to second on a wild pitch.� Lambo doubled him in, then a wild pitch and an RBI single by 1B Ryan Flaherty (Cubs) plated Lambo.

Brad Holt (Mets) pitched 3 scoreless innings to start for the Solar Sox.� He gave up just one hit, and struck out 5 batters.� Six more pitchers took one inning each for the rest of the game.� Chris Carpenter (Cubs), Justin De Fratus (Phillies), and Steven Geltz (Angels) each pitched a perfect inning.� Kyle Smit (Cubs) and David Cales (also Cubs) each walked a batter but kept his inning scoreless.� Brian Leach pitched the 7th inning, the only inning in which the Rafters scored.� With one out, an error by Valdespin at second base put a runner on base.� After another out, a pair of doubles allowed 2 unearned runs to score.

Jordy Mercer also got into the game at shortstop, but was hitless in 4 at-bats.

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