PIRATES PROSPECTSPITTSBURGH PIRATES MINOR LEAGUE NEWS, TRANSACTIONS, AND ARTICLES

A year ago the Lynchburg Hillcats, the high-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates at the time, beat the Salem Red Sox to win the...

Last night, Brian Burres made his third consecutive impressive start since returning to the rotation on September 6th. Over that span, he has allowed just five runs and one walk in 20 innings, while striking out 12.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded Octavio Dotel to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for a player to be named later.  While that news...

Your Saturday afternoon reading, with appearances by David Golebiewski, Cory Giger and Joe Posnanski.

The Pirates offense scraped together four runs to snap a losing streak and take the opening game of the homestand. Andrew McCutchen - scratched from the starting lineup due to illness - walked leading off the ninth and scored the winning run on a Ronny Cedeno single.

Altoona Curve� 5,� Trenton Thunder� 0 ...������ (box)

The Curve took advantage of the unexpected day off yesterday, and came back to action ready to roll.� Three Curve pitchers combined to shut out the Thunder in Trenton, as the Curve took a 2-games-to-one lead in the 5-game Eastern League Championship Series.

Justin Wilson made the start for the Curve, pitching 7 innings and allowing only 5 hits and a walk, with 3 strikeouts.� Wilson had to work around at least one runner on base in every inning but one, as he scattered the hits and the walk, and also had a batter reach third base on a fielding error by Anthony Norman in right field.� The Thunder put two runners on base in the 3rd inning, when Wilson got two outs, then gave up a single and a walk.� That was the closest the Thunder came to hurting Wilson, though, and he calmly got a fly out to end the inning.� Wilson was also able to take advantage of timely double plays to erase base runners in the 6th and 7th innings.� He earned his second post-season win, and increased his total of post-season scoreless innings to 13.

LF Andrew Lambo was the first to provide Wilson with some run support, when he blasted a solo home run, rising over the left-center field wall in the 2nd inning.

The Curve batters were quiet for the next two innings, until DH Jim Negrych walked to start a two-out rally in the 5th.� A passed ball put Negrych on second base, and CF Jose De Los Santos singled to second base, moving Negrych to third.�� Norman slipped a grounder just out of the reach of the Trenton second baseman, scoring Negrych.� 2B Chase d'Arnaud was hit by a pitch, loading the bases.� That gave 3B Josh Harrison the opportunity to drive another single into right field, bringing in both De Los Santos and Norman, and the Curve had a 4-0 lead.

The Altoona Curve took a 2-1 lead in the best of five Eastern League Championship Series on Friday night after shutting out the Trenton...

Baseball America held an early 2011 draft chat today, touching on a lot of topics pertaining to the top three players in the 2011...

When the Pirates dealt three relievers at the July 31st trade deadline, it looked like the rest of the 2010 season would be quite the adventure in the late innings. After seeing someone absurdly knock the Octavio Dotel trade because it hurt the bullpen, I decided to take a quick look.

Mike Pelfrey and the Mets fans battled rain and the Pirates. Pelfrey threw seven strong innings and drove in the go ahead run. Lucas Duda had two hits to overcome a historically bad start to his career. Angel Pagan made a great catch to close down a Pirates rally and also had three hits and two RBI. Add it up and the Mets swept the Pirates.

Tonight's game Eastern League playoff game between the Altoona Curve and the Trenton Thunder was postponed due to rain.� After waiting for about 35 minutes past the scheduled start time, with no end in sight to the rain, the game was called.� Luckily for the starting pitchers, this means that neither of them got burned by getting all warmed up and starting, then only getting in an inning or two before having to stop.� Justin Wilson will make the start tomorrow, and Game 4 will be played on Saturday.� If a Game 5 is needed, that will be played on Sunday.

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In the International League playoffs.... Durham avoided being sent home with a 3-2 win over Columbus.� With the game tied at 2-2 going into the bottom of the 9th, the Clippers helped the Bulls load the bases with a walk, a single, and an intentional walk, with no outs.� A sacrifice fly brought in the winning run.� The Clippers lead the best-of-5 series, 2 games to 1.

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The Pirates lost to the Mets, 6-2, and a few recent Indy Indians got into the game.� John Bowker again got the start in right field.� He had an RBI single in the 2nd inning, bringing in the Pirates' first run of the game.� Alex Presley led off the 7th inning with a pinch-hit single, He dropped down a bunt on the first pitch he saw, and by the time the Mets' catcher Josh Thole could get to it, the speedy Presley was already crossing first base.� Steven Jackson took the mound to begin the 8th, but after one out, he gave up a single and a walk, then got a ground out that moved both runners into scoring position.� Justin Thomas relieved Jackson, and he gave up a 2-RBI double to Angel Pagan.� Jackson was charged with both runs.

RHP Brian Bass, who was DFA'ed this week, has cleared waivers.� He accepted an assignment to AAA Indianapolis, but it's a paper move as he will be a minor league free agent when the season ends.

I have a weakness for patient hitters. I thoroughly enjoy hitters who torture pitchers by refusing to chase anything out of the zone. Having said that, I think Pedro Alvarez could greatly improve his production by being a bit more aggressive.