In the last year, almost every television show my wife and I watch has been either cancelled, has reached the end of a long...

The Mesa Solar Sox got off to a great start in the first week of the Arizona Fall League, going 4-1.  Since there is...

The Arizona Fall League takes Sundays off, but you can check out the latest post on Tony Sanchez's AFL Blog.

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VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE

Caribes de Anzoategui� 5,� Bravos de Margarita� 0 -- Los Bravos were held to just 5 hits, and Los Caribes scored 4 of their runs in the 2nd inning on back-to-back lead-off homers plus two triples.� But, 3B Andy LaRoche had the day off.

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Tiburones de La Guaira� 3,� Tigres de Aragua� 0� -- Los Tigres out-hit Los Tiburones 6-4, but Aragua's pitchers helped out by throwing wild pitches that contributed to two of the runs.�� Aragua's 1B Alex Nunez went 3-for-3, but never came around to score.� DH Hector Gimenez singled and C Raul Chavez tripled for Aragua.

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MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE

Algodoneros de Guasave 4,� Venados de Mazatlan 1� -- RF Rogelios Noris lifted his average to .308 with two singles tonight for Los Venados.� Guasave starter Daniel Guerrero retired the first 13 Mazatlan batters of the game, then hit LF Matt Clark with a pitch, but retired the next two batters to get out of the inning.� Guerrero also retired the first two batters of the 6th, then gave up a solo home run to 3B Elliot Johnson for Mazatlan's only run of the game.� After a walk, Guerrero was relieved, and while they didn't score again, Los Venados did post some hits in the last three innings.� Mazatlan loaded the bases in the 7th on two singles, one by Noris, and a walk, but a double play ended the inning.� They had one single in the 8th, then a pair of two-out singles in the 9th, including Noris' second hit of the game.� Guasave scored one run in each of the 3rd and 5th innings, then two more in the 7th.

Mesa Solar Sox� 10,� Peoria Saguaros 1

RF Andrew Lambo singled and doubled for the Solar Sox, who used a 6-run 4th inning to overwhelm the Saguaros in Arizona Fall League play this evening.

After 3.5 scoreless innings, the Solar Sox opened the bottom of the 4th with a single by DH Brandon Wood (Angels), a walk to 1B Matt Rizzotti (Phillies), and a 3-run homer by 3B Josh Vitters (Cubs).� Andrew Lambo followed the homer with a double, and C Tony Sanchez walked.� A grounder to first forced Sanchez out at second base, but left Lambo on third and LF Ryan Flaherty (Cubs) on first base.� 2B Jordany Valdespin's (Mets) single drove in Lambo, and a wild pitch put the runners on second and third.� SS Andrew Romine (Angels) walked to load the bases, and Peoria changed pitchers.� CF Jeremy Moore (Angels) greeted the new pitcher with an RBI single, and a walk to Wood forced in the 6th run of the inning.� A double play ended the inning, with Mesa on top 6-0.

Justin Wilson made the start for the Solar Sox.� He pitched 2 scoreless inning, working around a single in each inning and a walk in the 1st.� Kyle Smit (Cubs) added two more scoreless innings.� Chris Carpenter (Cubs) gave up Peoria's only run in the 5th, on a single, a walk, a passed ball by Sanchez, and an RBI ground out.� Carpenter gave up a lone single in the 6th inning, but kept the Saguaros from scoring again.� Brian Leach pitched the 7th, working around a double.� Chris Kissock (Phillies) and Eddie McKiernan (Angels) each threw a scoreless inning to finish up for the Solar Sox.

The Solar Sox just kept going.� In the 5th, Lambo singled, then moved to third base on a fielding error, and scored on Valdespin's RBI single through the hole into right field.� Singles by Romine and Moore, combined with another fielding error added another run in the 6th.� Valdespin walked to open the 8th inning.� Romine reached on a fielder's choice, with Valedspin safely at second base. Moore singled again, driving in Valdespin.� Pinch hitter Tim Kennelly (Phillies) singled to give the Sox bases loaded.� Rizzotti flied out to center field, but too short for Romine to tag up.� Vitters came through, though, with a fly ball long enough for Romine to score.

Wilson did not pitch long enough to qualify for the win -- that went to Smit.� Lambo was 2-for-5, and Sanchez was 0-for-3 with a walk.

The Arizona Fall League takes Sundays off.� The Solar Sox will be back at it again on Monday.

Pirates' players and friends in winter league action....� The Dominican and Puerto Rican Leagues begin in less than a week.

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE

Cardinales de Lara� 3,� Tigres de Aragua� 2 -- The first inning was the most important in this game.� Aragua scored one run on a walk, a hit batter, a fly out, and an RBI ground out by 1B Hector Gimenez. Lara came back with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the frame, to take a 2-1 lead.� Los Tigres continued to put runners on base, including a single by former Pirate farmhand C Miguel Perez in the 2nd, but they could not score again until the 6th, when two singles and Perez's sacrifice fly brought in their second run.� But Lara, also scored again, when former Indy Indian C Alex Delgado led off the 5th with a single, then scored on a sacrifice bunt and another single.

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Caribes de Anzoategui� 9,� Bravos de Margarita 1 -- 3B Andy LaRoche went 0-for-4, dropping his batting average to .100, but Los Bravos only managed 4 hits tonight.� Their only run came in the 2nd inning on a walk and a triple by 1B Javier Brito.� Justin Thomas made his first appearance for Margarita, taking over to begin the bottom of the 4th with the score tied at 1-1.� Thomas gave up a single in that inning, but the runner was thrown out trying to steal second base.� He began the 5th with a hit batter, then got two outs, then gave up a double.� Thomas was relieved, but both runners scored on an RBI single, both charged to Thomas, making him the losing pitcher.�� Yoffri Martinez pitched to two batters in the bottom of the 8th -- he gave up a walk, then got a ground ball for a double play.� Los Caribes scored one run in each of the 6th and 7th, then added 4 more runs in the 8th inning.

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MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE

Algodoneros de Guasave� 7,� Venados de Mazatlan� 3 -- RF Rogelios Noris tripled in a run for Mazatlan in the 7th inning.� Los Venados also scored one run in the 3rd on a double and an RBI single, and plated one more in the bottom of the 9th on a walk and a single, but they fell short.� Former Pirate 1B Yurendell de Caster went 3-for-4 with a double, two singles, and a walk, as Guasave totalled 15 hits.�� De Caster doubled and scored in the 2nd, and he had the second of four singles in Guasave's 3-run 4th inning.� Guasave also scored two runs in the 7th on two singles, a double, and a sacrifice fly.� They added one more in the 9th on a walk and a double.

Justin Wilson got the start tonight, while Andrew Lambo and Tony Sanchez played for the offense, leading the Mesa Solar Sox to a 10-1...

While glancing at the Win Expectancy chart for last night’s Yankees-Rangers game, I realized that FanGraphs also has these charts for historical games. Although I already knew that, I had never taken the time to sift through some older games. Here is a look at some of my all-time favorite Pirates games.

Three years ago, Neal Huntington took over a team with a farm system widely regarded as barren. Seven years of poor drafting, unwillingness...

Your Saturday afternoon reading, with appearances by MGL, Tony Sanchez and Joe Posnanski.

A quick look at some winter league games involving Pirates' players and friends:

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE

Navegantes del Magallanes� 3,� Bravos de Margarita� 0 -- Margarita just couldn't get anything going in this game.� The only time they had more than one runner on base at a time was in the 1st inning, when CF Frank Diaz and RF Rene Reyes hit a pair of two-out singles.� Diaz had 3 hits in the game.� 3B Andy LaRoche was hitless in 4 trips to the plate, including 3 strikeouts.� Los Navegantes scored 2 of their runs in the 5th, on a walk and four singles.� Former Pirate DH Mike Ryan had one of those singles, and he scored one of the runs.� Jean Machi pitched the 9th inning for Magallanes, earning the save.� He gave up two singles, but got a double play in between then.� Jhonathan Ramos came in to finish up the 5th inning for Margarita, then pitched the 6th.� He gave up a hit but followed it with a double play.

Leones del Caracas� 11,� Tigres de Aragua� 0 -- Los Leones devoured Los Tigres, holding Aragua to just 5 hits.� 1B Hector Gimenez had one of the hits, a single in the 7th, but was left stranded. C Raul Chavez also had a single, but he was erased in a double play.� Caracas posted a total of 14 hits, and had two 4-run innings (2nd and 7th).� C Carlos Maldonado doubled, walked, and reached on a fielding error, and scored all three of those times.

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MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE

Algodoneros de Guasave� 6,� Venados de Mazatlan� 4 -- RF Rogelios Noris doubled and scored for Los Venados, and former Pirate 1B Yurendell de Caster singled and doubled for Guasave.� Noris' double led off the 3rd inning, and two more doubles gave Mazatlan 2 runs in that inning.� Guasave scored 3 times in the 4th inning, and that tipped the scales in their favor for the rest of the game.� De Caster's RBI double brought in a run in the 5th, and his single plated another run in the 8th.� Mazatlan's last run came on a homer in the 6th.

Mesa Solar Sox� 8,� Surprise Rafters� 7

It was a wild finish in Mesa this afternoon as the Solar Sox scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 11th inning to defeat the Surprise Rafters in Arizona Fall League play.� DH Jordy Mercer and RF Andrew Lambo each had� hits in the game, and they combined for 3 RBI.

Lambo got the Solar Sox going with a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning, bringing in 1B Matt Rizzotti (Phillies) who had walked.� The Rafters responded with 5 runs in the top of the 3rd.� With Ryan Brasier (Angels) on the mound for the Solar Sox, the first four Rafters reached base on four straight hits -- a single, an RBI triple, and a pair of RBI doubles.� Brasier got a ground out, then was relieved by David Cales (Cubs).� Cales gave up a triple to the first batter he faced, driving in the fourth run of the inning.� A fielder's choice to third base was not fielded fast enough to catch the runner from third before he crossed the plate, and Surprise had taken a 5-2 lead.� Cales finally ended the inning with a double play.

Mesa tried to get caught up in the 4th.� With one out, Rizzotti grounded a single up the middle, and Mercer followed with a double lined into center field.� That moved Rizzotti to third base.� Lambo bounced to third and this time the fielder's choice play worked -- Rizzotti was out at the plate.� Both te Rafters and the Solar Sox put two runners on base in the 5th, with a double and a walk for the Rafters and 2B Ryan Flaherty's (Cubs) single and SS Andrew Romine's (Angels) walk for the Sox.� CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis (Mets) walked in the 7th, but was erased in a double play.

LF Josh Harrison, in the outfield today, started the rally that tied the game in the 8th inning.� He led off with a double into left field, then went to third base when Romine reached on fielding error at shortstop.� Brandon Wood (Angels) and Rizzotti both singled, driving in Harrison and Romine.� Mercer grounded to second base for a force out, and it might have been a double play, but Mercer was safe at first and the tying run, Wood, scored.� Lambo also singled, moving Mercer up to second base, but the inning ended with the score still tied.

The Solar Sox pitchers were also holding the Rafters scoreless.� Nicholas Carr (Mets) took over for Cales and threw 2 scoreless innings, with one hit and one walk.� Tyson Brummett (Phillies) added two more scoreless frames with one hit.� Robert Fish (Angels) pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th, with three ground outs to the shortstop Romine.� Steven Geltz (Angels) allowed only a single in two innings (the 9th and the 10th), and C Kai Gronauer (Mets) obligingly threw that base runner out trying to steal second base.

With the score still tied, the Solar Sox went down in order in the bottom of the 9th.� Mercer singled in the bottom of the 10th, but did not score.� Eric Niesen (Mets) took over for Geltz to begin the top of the 11th, and he got into trouble, aided by two errors.� With one out, Niesen hit RF Joey Butler (Rangers) with a pitch.� The next batter, SS Pete Kozma (Cardinals) grounded to second base, where Ryan Flaherty first made a fielding error then a throwing error, leaving runners on second and third.� A singled drove in Butler, and another unsuccessful fielder's choice play let Kozma score.� A double play got Niesen out of the inning, but the Rafters led 7-5.

The Solar Sox were not done, though.� Nieuwenhuis tried to bunt for a hit, but his first attempt went foul, and he was hit with the second pitch.� Gronauer walked, then Flaherty was able to drop down a sacrifice bunt, moving the runners to second and third.� Grounauer was replaced by pinch-runner Jordany Valdespin (Mets).� Harrison popped out for the second out of the inning. Romine walked to load the bases.� Then Brandon Wood was the hero of the game with a bases-clearing double lined into center field.� Romine raced around from first base to score the winning run on the walk-off double.

None of the Pirates' pitching prospects got into this game.

Tony Sanchez was off today, but the rest of the Pirates hitting prospects started today, leading the Mesa Solar Sox to an 8-7 victory: -Andrew...