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"He made me a better hitter today," said Sanchez, the Pirates' first-round pick in 2009. "I was watching him hit and I saw how he transferred his weight and I thought, 'Man, that's how he drives the ball 500 feet. Let's see what happens when I try and do that transfer.' And lo and behold, I hit a bomb down the line. I'm like, 'No wonder he's so good.' "
Thursday's winter league action with Pirates' players and friends...� the Dominican and Puerto Rican Leagues begin play on Friday.
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Bravos de Margarita� 3,� Cardinales de Lara� 2� -- 3B Andy LaRoche continued to struggle at the plate, going 0-for-4 for Margarita.� Los Bravos scored one run in the top of the 1st on a double, a stolen base, and a throwing error.� Lara tied the score in the bottom of the 4th with a solo home run.� Margarita took the lead again in the top of the 7th, and another fielding error jump started the inning.� After a walk and a strikeout, LaRoche grounded to third, resulting in a force out at second base, though LaRoche was safe at first.� He scored on a 2-run double by DH Selwyn Langaigne.� Lara scored one run in the 8th on a double and a single, and they had the bases loaded, but Los Bravos got out of the inning without any more runs scoring.� Jhonathan Ramos came on in relief of Margarita's starter Will Savage in the 6th.� Ramos got the ground out to end the inning, then retired three straight batters in the 7th.
Leones de Caracas� 6,� Tiburones de La Guaira� 4� -- Former Pirate C Carlos Maldonado blasted a 3-run homer in Caracas' 4-run 7th inning, and he also singled earlier in the game.� Caracas posted 13 hits in the game.
Navegantes del Magallanes� 5,� Tigres de Aragua� 1� -- Magallanes also had a 4-run inning, then scored another run in the 8th, while holding Los Tigres to just 4 hits and one run.� C Hector Gimenez and DH Raul Chavez were both hitless for Aragua, whose lone run came in the 3rd inning on a single and a double.� Los Navegantes began the 6th with a single and a sacrifice bunt, the SS Argenis Diaz worked a walk.� A wild pitch and a double brought in the first two runs, including Diaz.� Former Pirate LF Mike Ryan singled, plating another run, and he scored on the second double of the inning.
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MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE --
Venados de Mazatlan� 3,� Aguilas de Mexicali� 0 -- Mazatlan did all their damage in the 5th inning.� They began the inning by loading the bases on a single by 2B Freddy Sandoval, a walk to RF Rogelios Noris, and a hit batter SS Elliot Johnson.� A wild pitch scored Sandoval and moved Noris and Johnson up one base.� A double scored Noris, and an RBI ground out brought in Johnson.� That was all Los Venados needed.� Noris singled in the top of the 9th, but did not score.� Mexicali was held to just 4 hits in the shutout.
Yaquis de Obregon� 5,� Naranjeros de Hermosillo� 3� -- CF Jeff Salazar continued his hot hitting, with a single and a double for Obregon.� He opened the game with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball, then scored on a sacrifice fly in Los Yaquis' 3-run 1st inning.� Salazar's double in the 2nd inning drove in another run for Obregon.
Without hot prospect Bryce Harper on the field, the Scottsdale Scorpions could not stand up to the Solar Sox.� Despite out-hitting the Solar Sox 8-7, the Scorpions managed only 2 runs as the Solar Sox took the win this afternoon in the Arizona Fall League.
The Solar Sox went down in order int he first two innings, but C Tony Sanchez got things going in the bottom of the third.� SS Jordy Mercer led off the inning with a single lined into left field, and Sanchez followed by depositing a fly ball over the left center field wall for a 2-run homer.
They added another run in the 4th inning.� With one out, 1B Josh Vitters (Cubs) walked, and a wild pitch pushed him to second base.� LF Ryan Flaherty (Cubs) singled into right field, scoring Vitters.� Mercer walked, but was out when Sanchez bounced back to the mound to begin a double play.� A solo home run by 2B Jordany Valdespin (Mets) gave the Solar Sox another insurance run with a solo home run in the 5th.
Robert Carson earned the win for the Solar Sox, despite only going 3 innings in his start.� He gave up 3 hits, no walks, and struck out 2 batters.� One of the hits was a single in the 2nd inning, followed immediately by a ground out started by Mercer at shortstop.� In the 3rd, Carson gave up a single and a double to open the inning, then got out of the jam with a strikeout and a double play -- a fly out to right field, and a stellar throw in from RF Andrew Lambo to Sanchez, who tagged out the lead runner at the plate.
Ryan Brasier pitched the next two innings, and he gave up the first Scorpions' run in the 5th.� It was an unearned run, courtesy of two missed catch errors.� 2B Charlie Culberson singled with one out, then moved to third base when 1B Vitters missed the catch on a pickoff attempt.� The next batter grounded to first, but this time Brasier missed the catch on Vitters' toss to first -- the batter was safe at first and Culberson scored.
BJ Rosenberg and Chris Kissock (both of the Phillies) each pitched a scoreless inning with each gving up a single.� Aaron Pribanic took the top of the 8th, and he walked the first batter he faced, then struck out the next two.� He ended the inning with a grounder to third, forcing out the runner at second base.
Robert Fish gave up the Scorpions' second run in the top of the 9th.� A walk and a double put two runners into scoring position, then an RBI single brought in the runner from third base.
The Solar Sox put runners on base in each of their last three at-bats.� Twice (6th and 8th) it was due to errors, and the runners did not advance.� In the 7th, DH Andrew Romine (Angels) and CF Jeremy Moore (also Angels) both singled) but two fly outs ended the inning.
Andrew Lambo went 0-for-4 in the game; his average stands at .265.� Jordy Mercer was 1-for-3 with a walk, and his average is .292.� Tony Sanchez has a .316 average and went 1-for-3 with his 2-run homer.� Pribanic has pitched a total of 5.1 innings for Mesa in 3 games and has not allowed an earned run.� Opponents are hitting .111 against him.
Washington National's 18-year-old outfielder Bryce Harper made his pro debut in the Arizona Fall League, and the Mesa Solar Sox got the short end of the deal.� Harper's first at-bat, against Mesa's Josh Zeid (Phillies) resulted in a sky-high pop-out to short.� Harper lined out to center field in the 4th, and grounded to third in the 6th, but it was in the 7th inning that he really hurt the Solar Sox.
The Solar Sox began the game with a run in the top of the 1st.� CF Jeremy Moore (Angels) doubled, but was thrown out trying to steal third base.� 3B Josh Vitters (Cubs) also doubled and RF Andrew Lambo brought him home with a single up the middle.� The Scorpions got the run back in the bottom of the inning, on a double, a fielding error by Lambo, and an RBI ground out.
Zeid kept the Scorpions scoreless for the next two innings, allowing only a double.� Kyle Smit (Cubs) got a timely double play, turned by SS Andrew Romine (Angels) and 2B Josh Harrison, to get out of a jam in the 4th.� In the 5th, Smit loaded the bases on two walks and a single, then walked in a run� He was relieved by Chris Carpenter (Cubs), who gave up an RBI single before getting the last two outs of the inning.� Scorpions 3, Solar Sox 1.
The Mesa bats were quiet over those innings too.� Josh Satin (Mets) singled in the 3rd and Vitters singled in the 4th, but neither could come around to score.� Satin walked to open the 6th, but was forced out when Romine grounded to short (though Romine might have avoided a double play.� Moore doubled, and Romine scrambled around from first base to score.� Scorpions 3, Solar Sox 2.� The Sox threatened in the 7th, when Harrison and C Tim Kennelly (Phillies) hit back-to-back two-out singles, but a ground out ended the inning with both still on base.
Brian Leach took the mound to begin the bottom of the 7th, with the Solar Sox just one run down.� But the trouble started right away, when 2B Steve Lombardozzi ((Nationals) reached base on a throwing error by Satin.� AJ Pollock (Diamondbacks) doubled, moving Lombardozzi to third base.� After a fly out, 1B Jordan Pacheco (Team USA and Rockies) grounded to third, where Josh Vitters quickly fired to the plate so that Kennelly could tag out Lombardozzi.� That left runners on the corners and two outs.� Then Leach gave up a single to LF Marc Krauss (D'backs), driving in Pollock.� A wild pitch put runners on second and third, and a walk loaded the bases.� That brought up Harper.� He smacked a ground-rule double off the left field wall, missing a grand slam by inches, bringing in two more runs.� Leach was not charged with the loss (Smit was), and the 3 runs he gave up were unearned because of the error that opened the inning.
The Solar Sox scored one more run in the top of the 8th.� They loaded the bases on a single by Moore, and walks to Vitters and Lambo.� DH Jordy Mercer brought in the run with a sacrifice fly.� Justin De Fratus (Team USA and Phillies) pitched a scoreless bottom of the 8th, working around a throwing error by Romine at shortstop.
Mercer was 0-for-3 with the sacrifice fly.� Lambo went 1-for-3 with the RBI and a walk, and Harrison was 1-for-4.
Baseball America released their draft report card (subscription required) today, detailing the early results of how the 2010 draft worked out for the Pittsburgh...
Pirates' players and friends in action in the winter leagues on Wednesday...
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Tigres de Aragua� 5,� Aguilas de Zulia� 3� --� Brian Bass pitched 6 shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits for Aragua tonight.� He did not walk anyone, and he struck out 6 batters.� Bass retired the first 10 batters he faced, then with one out in the 4th, gave up a double and a single.� Thanks to some heads-up play by LF Brandon Guyer and C Raul Chavez, the runner who had singled was tagged out at second base, leaving a runner on third.� Bass got a ground out to end that inning.� He hit a batter in the 5th, but Chavez threw him out trying to steal second base, and Bass retired the side again in the 6th.
Unfortunately, Bass did not get the win.� Los Tigres were also held scoreless for the first 6 innings.� They scored one run in the top of the 7th, with Bass still the pitcher of record, on a walk, a single, a wild pitch, and an RBI ground out.� But in the bottom of the 7th, with Jeff Farnsworth taking over for Bass, Zulia scored 3 runs.� Aragua came right back in the top of the 8th.� Guyer singled, and scored from first base on DH Hector Gimenez's double.� Gimenez went to third on a ground out, then scored on an RBI single.� A 2-run homer by CF Jamie Hoffman gave the lead and the win to Aragua.
Bravos de Margarita� 7,� Navegantes del Magallanes 3 � -- Justin Thomas made the start for Margarita, though he lasted only into the 4th inning and was not eligible for the win.� Thomas gave up singles to the first two batters he faced, then got a double play and a strikeout to end the inning.� He faced only 7 batters over the next two innings, surrendering only one hit, to his Indy Indians' teammate SS Argenis Diaz. Thomas got into trouble in the bottom of the 4th, opening the inning by allowing 3 straight singles, including one to former Pirate/Indian DH Mike Ryan, for a run.� That was the only run Los Navegantes scored until the bottom of the 9th, when a walk and another single by Diaz put runners on the corners.� Diaz moved to second base on defensive indifference, and both runners scored on another single.� It was too little too late, though.� Los Bravos scored 3 runs in the top of the 1st, on four singles, a walk to 3B Andy LaRoche, and a sacrifice fly.� Margarita scored one more run in the 5th, and LaRoche's RBI double gave them another run in the 5th.� A single, a double, and a sacrifice fly gave Los Bravos two more insurance runs in the top of the 9th.
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MEXICAN LEAGUE
Venados de Mazatlan� 8,� Aguilas de Mexicali� 3� -- RF Rogelios Noris had 2 hits, a single and a double, raising his average to .273.� Noris was the only member of Los Venados' lineup to not come to the plate in their 3-run 1st inning.�� They scored after two outs had been recorded, on a walk, a single, a hit batter, then two RBI singles.� Mexicali scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the 3rd, then one more run in the 6th.� In the top of the 5th, Mazatlan added two runs on a double, a triple, and an RBI triple by the hometown favorite Noris.� 1B Robert Saucedo added a 2-run homer in the 8th, followed by another run on a single and a double.� Noris singled in the 7th, but was out at second base on a double play.
Yaquis de Obregon� 3,� Naranjeros de Hermosillo� 0� -- Former Pirate CF Jeff Salazar's batting average dropped to .379, since he had just one hit in 4 at-bats.� He singled to lead off the game, but was left on base.� Obregon scored 2 runs in the 2nd and one more in the 3rd inning.� They held Hermosillo to just 4 hits in the shut-out.� Former Pirate C Humberto Cota went 0-for-4.
Three Pirates prospects started today, and Brian Leach made an appearance in the bullpen, as the Mesa Solar Sox lost 6-3:
-Josh Harrison (.185) started...
Aguilas de Zulia� 5,� Tigres de Aragua� 4 -- Los Tigres had a 4-1 lead after 4 innings, but Los Aguilas got 2 runs back in the 6th and another in the 7th to tie the game.� Then with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, a single and a stolen base put the winning run on second base.� After an intentional walk, DH Tony Alvarez lined a single to right, scoring the runner from second base.� Hector Gimenez, behind the plate tonight, had the first of two walks to lead off the 3-run 2nd inning, then scored on 1B Ramon Castro's 3-run homer.� DH Raul Chavez doubled in the 6th, but was left on base.
Navegantes del Magallanes� 7,� Cardinales de Lara� 6� -- Magallanes also broke a tie with a run in the bottom of the last inning.�� In this case it was the 10th, and Argenis Diaz scored the winning run in his first appearance for Magallanes.� Diaz entered the game as a defensive replacement at shortstop in the top of the 7th, and of course the first batter of the inning grounded right to him (easy out).� He lined out to right field in the 7th inning.� With the score still tied at 6-6, Jean Machi pitched a scoreless top of the 9th, and Los Navegantes went down in order in the bottom of the frame.� Machi returned the favor, with three straight ground outs in the top of the 10th.� Then in the bottom of the 10th, with one out, Diaz singled into center field.� Another single pushed Diaz to second base, and LF Johermyn Chavez singled into left field, and the speedy Diaz raced around from second base to score the winning run.� Machi earned the win, his first of the winter season.� DH Mike Ryan went 0-for-4 at the plate (unusual for him, with his .357 average), and walked and scored in Magallanes' 5-run 6th inning.
Caribes de Anzoategui� 6,� Leones de Caracas� 0� -- Los Leones managed 8 hits, but could not get any runs across the plate.� C Carlos Maldonado had two of those hits, a single and a double.� Los Caribes scored 3 runs on 2 homers in the 1st inning, then two more runs in the 3rd inning.� Former Pirate farmhand Ronald Uviedo came on in relief for Caracas in the bottom of the 7th, when he got two outs to end the inning.� Then he gave up the final Caribes' run in the bottom of the 8th, on two singles and a double.
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MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
Naranjeros de Hermosillo� 12,� Yaquis de Obregon� 8� -- Former Pirate CF Jeff Salazar went 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in Obregon's losing effort.� Another former Pirate, C Humberto Cota, singled and homered -- a 3-run homer in the 5-run 6th inning.
Venados de Mazatlan� 7,� Aguilas de Mexicali� 6� -- Mazatlan took the lead with 4 runs in the 3rd inning, then kept ahead of Mexicali with another run in the 5th and two more in the 7th.� RF Rogelios Noris went 0-for-4 for Los Venados.
