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...
Limited winter league action on Monday night...� but back to full strength on Tuesday� (Go Vote!)
Tigres de Aragua� 6,� Leones del Caracas� 4� (Venezuelan League)� -- Starter Brian Bass won his first game for Los Tigres tonight.� He allowed 2 runs in the 1st inning on a single, a triple and an RBI ground out by Caracas' C Carlos Maldonado.�� Then Bass scattered 3 hits and 2 walks over the next four innings.� He started the 6th with a double and a line out before being relieved.
Los Tigres threatened in their half of the 1st, loading the bases on a single, a double, and a walk, but leaving the bases loaded.� C Raul Chavez was the only Aragua batter to reach base over the next four innings� -- he walked to lead off the 2nd inning, but was out in a double play.� He also led off the 5th with a single, but was again forced out at second base.
Aragua got going again in the 6th, starting with a double by CF Lastings Milledge. A walk and another double drove in two runs to tie the score, and Chavez's sacrifice fly brought in the third run for the lead.� A walk, a throwing error, and a wild pitch increased the lead to 4-2 in the 7th inning.
Chavez continued on a roll in the 8th inning, when his solo homer followed LF Luis Maza's homer, for a 6-2 lead.� Caracas got 2 runs back in the bottom of the 8th, on a double and two singles, but got no further, and Aragua had the win for Bass.
Milledge went 2-for-5 with a single and a double; Chavez went 2-for-2 with a single and a homer, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch, plus 2 RBI.
The 2010 winners of the Fielding Bible Awards were announced today, along with the complete voting tallies. Unsurprisingly, no Pirates defenders took home an award. Scanning the lists of players receiving votes, very few Pirates were even considered.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have released their 2011 Spring Training Schedule, which can be downloaded here.
The Pirates are scheduled to open their 2011 Grapefruit League...
Sunday's action for Pirates' players and friends in the winter leagues.� The Arizona Fall League and the Mesa Solar Sox have the day off.
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Tigres de Aragua� 20,� Leones del Caracas� 15 -- No, they weren't playing football.� That's 35 runs on 38 hits, 17 walks, 10 strikeouts, 4 wild pitches, 2 hit batters, and 2 errors.� LF Lastings Milledge hit a solo homer in the 3rd.� Los Tigres broke the game open in the 4th, which included three homers -- a solo homer by RF Alex Romero,� and back-to-back blasts by 1B Hector Gimenez (three runs) and 3B Marquez Smith.� Aragua added 3 more in the 5th and 2 in the 7th, then sent 11 batters to the plate to score 7 runs in the top of the 9th.� Caracas had one run in the bottom of the 2nd, then had a rally in the 6th, scoring 4 runs.� The added one more in the 7th,� Los Leones were trailing 20 - 6 going into the bottom of the 9th, and that's when they had the biggest inning of the game.� Of the 13 batters who came to the plate, the first seven reached base safely, and after a few more singles and their only homer of the game, Caracas scored 9 runs in the bottom of the 9th.� Still not enough for the win, though.� Milledge went 3-for-5 with 4 runs scored and 2 RBI.� Gimenez was 2-for-5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.� Former Altoona Curve and Indy Indian CF Jorge Cortes also went 2-for-5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.� Another former Curve and Indian C Miguel Perez was the only member of the Aragua starting lineup who did not have a hit or a walk in the game.
Navegantes del Magallanes� 11,� Tiburones de La Guaira� 3� -- Former Indy Indian LF Mike Ryan hit for the cycle, going 4-for-5 for Magallanes, who posted 18 total hits.� Ryan starter with a double in the bottom of the 1st.� Los Navegantes scored 7 runs in the 3rd inning, and Ryan contributed a 2-run homer and a single in that inning.� Then he got the hardest part, a triple (and an RBI) in the 5th, and scored moments later.
Bravos de Margarita� 6,� Cardenales de Lara� 4� -- "Only" 22 hits in this game.� One belonged to 3B Andy LaRoche, who homered to lead off the 2nd inning and start Los Bravos' scoring.� Three singles and a double added two more runs for Margarita in the 2nd.� Two singles, a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly gave them another run in the 4th.� LaRoche was intentionally walked in the 7th inning, when Margarita scored twice more.� Lara scored one run in each of four innings.� Justin Thomas took the mound in relief for Los Bravos in the 6th, with two Cardenales on base and two outs.� He gave up an RBI single, though that run was charged to the previous pitcher.� Thomas started the 7th inning with a strikeout, then a hit batter and a single.� He was relieved, but an RBI grounder brought in the first runner, and this run was charged to Thomas.
A 4-run 8th inning and 3 hits by 2B Ryan Flaherty (Cubs) were not nearly enough for the Solar Sox to catch up to the Desert Dogs in Arizona Fall League action this afternoon.
Phoenix hit up Solar Sox' starter Jake Muyco (Cubs) for 4 runs on 7 hits in the first 4 innings.� The Desert Dogs had a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning, and another 2-run blast in the 4th, both off the bat of RF Cory Harrilchak (Braves).� Steven Geltz (Angels) took over for Muyco to begin the 5th inning, but Geltz gave up a 3-run homer to C Kyle Skipworth (Marlins).
Chris Carpenter relieved Geltz, but three more singles, including one by Harrilchak, added the fourth run of the inning.� Skipworth followed Harrilchak's lead, adding another 3-run homer in the 6th inning, off Carpenter.� Carpenter was crazy wild in the 6th, walking three batters and throwing two wild pitches, one of which brought in a run before the homer.
Kyle Smit (Cubs) finished the 6th inning for Carpenter, then pitched a scoreless 7th inning.� Chris Kissock and Justin De Fratus (both Phillies) each pitched a scoreless inning to finish things up.
But the Solar Sox could not get things going.� C Tony Sanchez had the only bright spot for Mesa in the early innings, with his solo home run that led off the 3rd inning.� It was the only hit for the Solar Sox in the first 3 inning.� Flaherty singled to lead off the 4th and stole second base, but got no further.� He singled again in the 6th, following a single by 1B Josh Satin, but both were left on base, and 3B Josh Vitters singled in the 7th, but he was erased in a double play.
Finally in the 8th inning, the Solar Sox heated up a bit.� LF Tim Kennelly (Phillies) led off with a ground-rule double, and Satin followed with a double that glanced off the Phoenix third baseman's glove and into left field.� That plated Kennelly.� Flaherty walked, and with two outs, RF Andrew Lambo lined a double into center field, scoring Satin.� Vitters added a single, driving in Flaherty, and CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis (Mets) singled, bringing Lambo across the plate.� It was 4 runs for the inning, but it got the Solar Sox only as far as 12-5.
Kennelly led off the bottom of the 9th with his second double in two innings.� DH Josh Harrison walked and Flaherty's third hit of the game loaded the bases for the Solar Sox.� SS Jordy Mercer walked to force in a run, but a strikeout and a grounder force out ended the game with the bases still full.
As usual, the Arizona Fall League takes Sunday off, so the Solar Sox will be back on Monday.
Saturday's winter league action for the Pirates' players and friends.� The Puerto Rican League had their Ponce/Caguas game postponed.
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VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Bravos de Margarita� 11,� Cardenales de Lara� 1� -- Despite 10 hits, Los Cardenales were able to score just one run, which came in the 3rd inning.� Los Bravos piled up 12 hits and 11 runs, with two big innings.� Margarita began with one run in the 1st, then added another in the 2nd.� With all of the hits Lara was collecting, the Margarita starter, Will Savage, was relieved in the 5th inning, with one on and one out.� Jhonathan Ramos came in for Savage, and ended the inning by getting a double play.� He only pitched to one batter, but with the Bravos' rally in the bottom of the inning, Ramos was awarded his second win of the season.� Margarita scored 4 runs in the 5th.� 3B Andy LaRoche singled and stole second base in the inning, then scored on a later RBI single.� LaRoche also walked in the 7th, and scored on another RBI single, for the first run of what would be a 5-run inning.
Navegantes del Magallanes� 6,� Tigres de Aragua� 3� -- LF Lastings Milledge singled twice and walked once for Aragua, but it wasn't enough for a win.� Milledge led off the bottom of the 4th with a single, and a fielding error, a single, and a grounder force out gave Aragua 2 runs, for a 3-1 lead.� Milledge also singled to lead off the 6th and stole second base, but was left on base when Corey Hamman came on in relief for Magallanes and struck out the only batter he faced.� Another pitcher relieved Hamman and ended the inning with Milledge still on third base.� Milledge also reached third base in the 8th, when he walked, and advanced to third on a single.� Magallanes scored 3 runs in the 6th inning, then two more in the 7th, to take the lead and the win.� Jean Machi earned his 2nd win for Magallanes when he struck out the side (all swinging) in the 9th inning. � LF Mike Ryan went 0-for-4 for Magallanes.� C Hector Gimenez went 0-for-4 for Aragua.
All four Pirates hitting prospects played tonight, as the Mesa Solar Sox lost 12-6:
-Josh Harrison (.333) batted leadoff as the designated hitter. He went...
The Solar Sox could not get heated up in last night's Arizona Fall League game in Scottsdale.� The Sox were held to just 5 hits, and managed only one run, and their own 4 errors only made it worse.
Mesa put one runner on base in three of the first four innings, but could not bring any of them around to score.� Their only run came in the 5th inning, when 1B Ryan Flaherty (Cubs) singled, then advanced to second base on a wild pitch, and on to third on C Kai Gronauer's (Mets) ground out.� He scored on 2B Jordany Valdespin's (Mets) RBI single.� Only two more Solar Sox batters reached base for the rest of the game -- Valdespin singled in the 8th, but was left stranded, and DH Matt Rizzotti (Phillies) walked in the 9th, but was erased in the game-ending double play.� RF Andrew Lambo went 0-for-3 in the game.
Scottsdale scored their first run of the game off starter Bradley Holt (Mets) in the bottom of the 1st, on a walk, a passed ball by Gronauer, and a wild pitch.� Holt worked around a double, a hit batter, and another passed ball in the 2nd inning, but couldn't get out of the 3rd.� A double, and a single gave the Scorpions one run, then a dropped foul pop error and two walks loaded the bases.� Eric Niesen (Mets) relieved Holt, but Scottsdale's 3B Ryan Adams (Orioles) cleared the bases with a double, and the Scorpions had a 5-0 lead.
Niesen pitched a scoreless 4th inning, then Brian Leach came on for the 5th.� Leach gave up a double and a single, then a wild pitch to put two runners into scoring position with no outs.� Lambo made another dropped foul pop error, but Leach made it not matter, with the help of SS Andrew Romine (Angels).� He got Adams to ground to short, and the runners had to hold up.� Another grounder to short resulted in a fielder's choice, as Romine threw to the plate and Gronauer tagged out the runner trying to score from third.� A third easy grounder to short ended the inning without a run scoring.
Nicholas Carr pitched a scoreless 6th for Mesa, then errors got him into trouble in the 7th.� After a lead-off single and a walk, Adams grounded to second, and a throwing error by 2B Valdespin allowed both runners to score, and put Adams on second base.� The next batter also grounded to Valdespin, and this time he made a fielding error, allowing Adams to score.� The inning ended with a double play, which Valdespin started, no problems.� Scottsdale scored one more run, on a homer in the bottom of the 8th, off reliever Eddie McKiernan.
Friday's winter league action for Pirates' players and friends:
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Bravos de Margarita� 3,� Cardinales de Lara� 0� -- 3B Andy LaRoche got Los Bravos onto the scoreboard with a solo homer in the 4th inning -- his first home run in the Venezuelan League.� LaRoche also walked in the 5th inning, when Margarita used two singles, two wild pitches, and another walk to score 2 more runs.� LaRoche also walked in the 7th inning, but didn't score.� Lara was held to just 4 hits in the shutout.� Jhonathan Ramos pitched to three batters in the 7th inning -- a double, a fielding error, and a strikeout.� Ronald Belisario pitched a perfect 9th inning to earn his 2nd save.
Tiburones de La Guaira� 7,� Tigres de Aragua� 4� -- Los Tiburones scored 5 runs in the late innings to overcome Los Tigres.� Aragua scored 2 runs in the top of the 1st, when 3B Luis Maza led off with a double (the first of 3 hits for him in the game), 1B Hector Gimenez walked, and LF Lastings Milledge plated the first run with an RBI single.� Another single brought in Gimenez.� La Guaira tied the score with a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning.� A triple and a single gave Aragua the lead in the 4th, and a double, a throwing error and a single added a run in the 7th.� La Guaira scored 3 runs in the 6th and 2 more in the 8th.� Milledge and Gimenez both went 1-for-3 with a walk.� C Raul Chavez was hitless in 4 at-bats.
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MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
Caneros de Los Mochis� 6,� Venados de Mazatlan� 3� -- Los Caneros also scored 5 runs in the late innings, to overcome Los Venados.� Mazatlan scored their first run in the 2nd inning on a throwing error and a double by 1B Roberto Saucedo.� Saucedo drove in the second run in the 4th inning with a bases-loaded single.� Los Caneros got one run back in the bottom of the 4th, then scored 2 runs in the 6th inning with a home run.� 2B Freddy Sandoval homered for Los Venados in the 8th inning, to tie the score, but Los Caneros responded with another 2-run homer and another insurance run in the bottom of the inning.� LF Rogelios Noris singled in the 6th inning for his hometown Mazatlan, but was left on base.
