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Pirates Prospects Daily

Quinn Priester Shows Promising Swing and Miss in Pirates Loss

Ignoring the walkoff loss late Friday night, I think the Pittsburgh Pirates got one positive sign in the opening game of their series with...

Pirates Split Series With Brewers

The Pirates couldn't hold the lead against the Brewers on Thursday, dropping the final game 7-5 to split a four game series. Milwaukee got on...

P2Daily: More Premium Articles For Pirates Prospects Subscribers

Six weeks ago, Pirates Prospects returned as a solo project. Since that point, this article is the 122nd that I've posted. If you're doing...

Bailey Falter Shuts Down the Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers aren't a big swing and miss team. Prior to Tuesday night's game against the Pirates, they ranked 22nd in baseball in...

Prospect Watch

Pirates Prospect Watch: Jack Brannigan Leads a Power Display in Greensboro

Jack Brannigan showed some power tonight in Greensboro, as part of an 11-1 victory by the Pittsburgh Pirates High-A squad. Brannigan went 2-for-5, hitting...

Pirates Prospect Watch: Paul Skenes Pitches Into the Fifth in Latest Start

Paul Skenes is human, after all. The 2023 first overall pick gave up his first runs of the season against Omaha on Wednesday afternoon, in...

Pirates Prospect Watch: Nick Gonzales Extends Hitting Streak

Nick Gonzales keeps hitting. The middle infielder, playing second base on Tuesday night for Indianapolis, went 2-for-4 with a walk. That extends his hitting streak...

Player Features

Jack Brannigan is the Next Gold Glove Quality Third Baseman in the Pirates System

The Pirates have Gold Glove third basemen in Ke'Bryan Hayes and Jared Triolo. They've got another candidate in the system in power hitter Jack Brannigan.

Mitch Jebb Brings Elite Speed and Swing Decisions to Greensboro

With so many three-true-outcome approaches in pro ball, 2023 second round pick Mitch Jebb brings a refreshing style of contact, speed, and hustle.

Discussion

Saturday Sleepers

Saturday Sleepers: Wilber Dotel Off to a Good Start in the Greensboro Rotation

Wilber Dotel makes his latest start for Greensboro this evening, after starting the 2024 season with 10.1 shutout innings, striking out nine in the...

Saturday Sleepers: Carlos Jimenez Has One of the Best Changeups in the System

In early 2022, I saw Carlos Jimenez pitch for the Bradenton Marauders. Of all the players who played in Single-A on that particular day,...

Saturday Sleepers: Valentin Linarez Added Velocity and Improved Control in 2023

Valentin Linarez had one of the biggest recorded velocity jumps in minor league baseball last year. Baseball America tracked the year-over-year four-seam velocity gainers from...

Saturday Sleepers: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 17 year old throw 100 miles an hour”

At the start of the 2023 international signing period, the Pittsburgh Pirates added David Matoma as their first signing out of Uganda. The right-handed...

ARCHIVES

Game 34: Bailey Tosses Complete Game Shutout

If I wasn't crying, I'd be laughing. I had no idea when I woke up this morning that I'd be writing about another gem from the Reds. Nor did I think I'd reference Chad Hermansen in my post.

Lincoln Dominates Red Wings, 3 RBI For Alvarez

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Indianapolis Indians 5, �Rochester Red Wings �2 (box)

IMG_3067Indians' starter Brad Lincoln (photo) made his seventh and longest start of the season this afternoon at Victory Field, going 8 innings to earn his 4th win. �He was aided by 3 RBI by DH Pedro Alvarez, who doubled and homered, as well as RBI hits by 1B Brian Myrow and LF Kevin Melillo.

Lincoln got right down to business and worked quickly all afternoon -- the game lasted only 2 hours 12 minutes. �He began his work by retiring the first 13 batters he faced in order. �He went to a full count in only one of those 13 batters, and struck out one batter in each of the first three innings. �When the Rochester batters did make contact, they hit easy balls, mostly right to Lincoln's teammates behind him.

Rochester RF Dustin Martin was the first Red Wing to reach base against Lincoln, with a one-out double down the right field line in the 5th inning. �Lincoln hit the next batter, 3B Danny Valencia, then gave up another hit, a grounder through the hole and into right field by DH Jacque Jones. �That scored Martin from second base. �1B Brock Peterson next fired a liner right back at Lincoln. �The ball struck Lincoln's right leg as he finished his follow-through, but Lincoln was able to turn and recover the ball, and still make the throw to first base to get Peterson out. �Manager Frank Kremblas and the Indians' trainer Thomas Pribyl came out of the dugout to check on Lincoln, who was shrugging it off. �After a trial pitch to prove that he was indeed ok (photos below), Lincoln remained in the game and ended the inning with a ground out.

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Lincoln further proved that his leg was fine when he retired the Red Wings in order again in the 6th inning. �With one out in the 7th, Dustin Martin got to Lincoln again, this time with a little bunt into the no-man's-land between third base and the pitcher's mound. �Danny Valencia singled through the hole into right field, moving Martin to third base, and Jacque Jones picked up a second RBI with a sacrifice fly to score Martin again. �A grounder forced out Valencia at second base to end the inning.

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(Photo: �3B Doug Bernier makes an out in foul territory.)

Lincoln had been efficient with his pitches, throwing only 37 pitches over the first four innings. �That 5th inning took 18 pitches, as Lincoln faced 6 batters. �Then he needed 12 pitches for the 6th and only 11 pitches for 5 batters in the 7th. �That was still only 78 pitches over 7 innings, and Lincoln was still not letting that leg bother him. �He may have been tiring a little in the 8th, but allowed just a two-out single to SS Trevor Plouffe, but left him stranded when he struck out LF Brian Dinkelman to end the inning. �Lincoln threw 16 pitches in the 8th, for a total of 94 pitches (63 strikes).

In The Pink — Photos from May 9th

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More photos from May 9th, with the Indianapolis Indians wearing pink jerseys for Breast Cancer Awareness.

Left: �Pedro Alvarez takes a practice swing; �Right: Doug Bernier coaches at firstIMG_2830

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Left: �Rowdie leaps past Neil Walker; � Right: Alvarez at third base

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Left: Argenis Diaz at shortstop; � �Right: �Brian Friday

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Click on "read more" �or on the title above "In the Pink" -- to see more photos

Penn Looks Strong in Indians’ Loss

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Rochester Red Wings 7, �Indianapolis Indians �5 (box)

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Three runs in the top of the 10th inning broke a 4-4 tie and gave the extra-inning win to the Red Wings at Victory Field on Tuesday night. �With the usually reliable Jean Machi on the mound for the Tribe, the inning began in a promising way: �Machi threw one pitch and got one ground out. �Then things went downhill. �Rochester's RF Brian Dinkelman bounced a double down the left field line, and he moved to third base on a wild pitch. �2B Luke Hughes was hit by the next pitch to put runners on the corners. �Machi got DH Dustin Martin to tap one back to the mound,a and the Indians were nearly out of the jam. �But the ball was rolling slowly, and even though Machi fielded it cleanly, whirled, and fired to second base to force out Hughes, �SS Brian Friday's (photo) relay throw to first base was not in time to beat Martin to the bag. �Dinkelman scored from third base, and the Red Wings had the go-ahead run. �Martin stole second base, then advanced to third on another wild pitch by Machi. �3B Danny Valencia followed with another slow roller to the right side of the infield between the mound and the third base line, for an infield hit, scoring Martin. �LF Jacque Jones doubled, driving in Valencia, and the Red Wings had a 7-4 lead. �Machi walked 1B Brock Peterson, before striking out C Allan de San Miguel to end the inning.

IMG_3054The Indians had come from behind three times already during the game, and in the bottom of the 10th, they made one more effort. �RF Brandon Moss led off with a line drive single into center field. �After C Erik Kratz lined out to center field, LF Kevin Melillo (photo), in his first start with the Indians, ripped a double into the right field corner, which moved Moss over to third base. �Brian Friday grounded to first base, allowing Moss to score. �This time the Indians' catch-up bid fell short, as the rally and the game ended with a strikeout by CF Jose Tabata, and the Red Wings had the win.

Righty pitcher Hayden Penn (photo at the top), who had been designated for assignment by the Pirates, then sent to Florida for extended spring training, joined the Indianapolis Indians today and was immediately inserted into the starting rotation. �Penn was limited to 80 pitches, and he stretched those pitches out so that he could pitch 6 innings -- he actually threw only 78 pitches, with 55 strikes. �He gave up 3 hits on 8 hits, no walks, with 6 strikeouts. �Penn pitched well against most of the Red Wings' batting order, but he had trouble with the very top of the order: �CF Jason Repko and SS Trevor Plouffe.

Game 33: Cueto Fires One Hitter

The headline says it all.

Rain Cuts Curve Short

Harrisburg Senators 3, �Altoona Curve 2 (box)

Rain cut short the late-morning/early afternoon game in Altoona on Tuesday, and didn't give the Curve a chance to catch up to the Senators for a second time. �Starter Derek Hankins gave up an unearned run in the top of the 2nd. �A lead-off double and Hankins' own throwing error on a pickoff attempt put a runner on third base with no outs. �After a walk, a grounder for a double play was enough to score the runner from third base.

The Curve batters went down in order for the first two innings. �Two Harrisburg errors put C Kris Watts on third base and SS Chase d'Arnaud on first with two outs in the 3rd inning, but a fly out ended that threat as the rain began to fall. �Altoona got onto the scoreboard in the 4th, tying the game on a single by 1B Matt Hague and an RBI double by RF Miles Durham. Durham went to third base on a ground out, but was left there when the inning ended.

Harrisburg didn't let the tie last long. �They scored 2 more runs in the top of the 5th, on a walk and a 2-run homer, taking a 3-1 lead. �The Curve came right back in the bottom of the inning. �Watts was hit by a pitch, and pinch-hitter Jim Negrych doubled into right field, moving Watts to third base. �A sacrifice fly by d'Arnaud plated Watts and moved Negrych to third base. �He could not advance further, though, as a ground out and a line out ended the inning. �At that point, the rain was much harder, and the umpires called for a rain delay. �After nearly two hours of waiting and hoping for another chance to score, it was clear that the rain was not going to stop. �Since 5 full innings had been played, it was an official game, and the Curve were on the losing end.

The rain also held Alex Presley to just 2 at-bats, both of which were outs. �That ended his 24-game on-base streak.

Six Scoreless For Morris In Loss; Hughes Wins #6

Daytona Cubs �2, �Bradenton Marauders 1 (box)

Starter Bryan Morris pitched 6 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and a walk, while striking out 4 Cubs' batters. �Unfortunately he did not earn a win, as the Marauders lost in extra innings. � Morris had to work around a fielding error and a walk in the top of the 1st inning, but got out of the frame leaving two runners on base. �He allowed only one base runner over the next 4 innings, and that was a double to lead off the 4th. �Back-to-back singles began the 6th inning, and a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, but Morris got a strikeout and a pop out to end that inning.

The Marauders were also held scoreless over the first 5 innings. �They had at least one runner on base in each of those innings, but base running errors erased two of the runners. � Four runners were left on base, two after singles and two after walks. �Finally in the 6th, Daytona starter Brooks Raley was relieved, and the Marauders got going. �With one out, four consecutive singles, by C Tony Sanchez, LF Quincy Latimore, 3B Jeremy Farrell, and 1B Calvin Anderson brought in one run, and the Marauders had a slim lead.

Casey Erickson took over for Morris to begin the 7th inning. �He retired the side in order in the 7th, but then gave up a run on a double and a single in the 8th to tie the game. �SS Brock Holt singled in the bottom of the 7th, but was left stranded. �They also went down in order in the 8th and 9th, and the game went into extras.

Noah Krol relieved Erickson to begin the 9th. �He gave up a lead-off single, but did not let that runner score. �Then in the top of the 10th, a walk, a stolen base, and a triple brought in the go-ahead run for Daytona. �The Marauders could not respond in the bottom of the inning, and Krol was charged with the loss.

This was Bryan Morris' fourth straight start in which he did not allow an earned run. �That gives him 26 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. �Morris's ERA stands at 0.66 -- 3 earned runs over 40.2 innings.

Game 32: Arroyo Keeps Buc Bats at Bay

The only thing worse than knowing that Bronson Arroyo was once a Pirate is knowing that the Pirates got nothing in return for him. He was released free and clear and picked up on waivers by Boston in February 2003. Ouch, babe.

Carlin, Friday, and McCutchen Clip the Wings


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Mike Crotta and Donnie Veal are charting in the stands.

Indianapolis Indians 7, �Rochester Red Wings 2 (box)
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C Luke Carlin went 3-for-3 at the plate and SS Brian Friday gave the Tribe the lead with a huge triple, to help Daniel McCutchen and the Indians take the first game of a 4-game series against the Rochester Red Wings at Victory Field on Monday night.
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Daniel McCutchen (photo) had to work hard during the first three innings. �In the first inning, he threw 21 pitches, and threw a first pitch ball to each of the 5 batters. �He needed 26 pitches in the 2nd inning, and three of those five batters also saw a first pitch ball. �Finally in the 3rd, McCutchen started throwing first pitch strikes, to four of the five batters in that inning.
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The game began with a bang, as Red Wings' 2B Matt Tolbert ripped a 2-1 pitch down the right field line and into the corner. �Tolbert rounded second and headed for third. �He got there just as the ball did, but the throw from the relay man, 2B Neil Walker, came in to 3B Pedro Alvarez high, and Alvarez had no chance to apply a tag. �McCutchen got the next batter, SS Trevor Plouffe, to ground out to short and Tolbert did not advance, but when LF Brian Dinkelman grounded to the right side of the infield, Tolbert scored easily. �3B Luke Hughes singled into right field, but was left on base, and the Red Wings had a 1-0 lead.
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IMG_2378McCutchen worked around a 2-out single by 1B Brock Peterson and a walk to C Jair Fernandez in the 2nd inning. �In the third, again with two outs, he gave up a single to Luke Hughes and an RBI double by CF Dustin Martin off the top of the wall in left-center to the right of Jackie Robinson's "42". �Martin was left stranded when RF Matt Macri struck out, but the Red Wings had increased their lead to 2-0.
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Rochester starter Glen Perkins came into the game with an 0-3 record and a ERA above 10. �He did not pitch like that for the first four innings, though. �Perkins faced only one batter over the minimum in those four innings. �He retired the side in order in the 1st. �He gave up a walk to Pedro Alvarez in the 2nd, but erased him in a double play. �He let Luke Carlin (photo) single up the middle in the 3rd, but erased him with another double play. �The Indians left their first runner on base in the 4th, when CF Jose Tabata led off with a grounder to short and beat out the throw to first base. �Tabata stole his 17th base of the season, but got no further, as Perkins ended the inning with two short fly outs (Neil Walker and 1B Brian Myrow) and a strikeout (Alvarez).
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PLC Myth-Smashers: “Neal Huntington can’t spot talent”

One oft-repeated complaint about Neal Huntington is that his acquisitions, both at the major and minor league level, have not performed well, that all we hear about is their “potential.” There are legitimate points to debate regarding Huntington’s plan, but the claim that only a few of the players he has brought in have produced, and that this speaks poorly of his evaluation skills, is inaccurate.

Curve Rallies Fall Short; Power Held To 3 Hits

Erie SeaWolves 10, �Altoona Curve 7 (box)

A 4-run rally in the 8th and a franchise-record 16 opposing batters struck out could not push the Curve past the SeaWolves on Sunday in Altoona. �Curve batters C Kris Watts doubled twice and 1B Matt Hague singled twice in the losing effort.

The Curve scored first, when CF Gorkys Hernandez singled, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a throwing error in the bottom of the 1st. �After a couple of quiet innings, Erie took the lead in the top of the 4th, on a 2-run homer by 1B Michael Bertram. �Matt Hague tied the game in the bottom of the frame, when he led off with a single, went to second on DH Jim Negrych's bunt, to third on a wild pitch, and scored on LF Alex Presley's RBI single.

Curve starter Rudy Owens had allowed only a single and a walk over the first three innings, then a walk and the homer in the 4th. �Another homer, by C Max St. Pierre, led off the 5th, and Owens then gave up three singles and a walk for two more runs, and Erie was ahead, 5-2. �The SeaWolves just kept coming, scoring 3 runs (2 earned) in the 7th off reliever Mike Dubee. Dubee gave up a single and a walk, then a fielding error loaded the bases with SeaWolves. �CF Wilkin Ramirez cleared the bases with a double, and Erie was ahead 8-2. �They added another run in the 8th on a triple by St. Pierre and an RBI ground out, then a homer by RF Josh Burres lifted the Erie total to 10 runs.

The Curve rallied in the bottom of the 8th, as they batted around. �Watts opened the inning with a double, Hernandez walked, and pinch-hitter Jose De Los Santos singled to load the bases. �A single by Hague scored Watts, and the bases were still loaded. �A walk to Negrych forced in Hernandez, and a fielding error let De Los Santos score. �Presley's grounder force out plated Hague, and left runners on the corners, but a fly out ended the inning, with the Curve closer at 10-6.

Watts also doubled to begin the 9th inning, and the Curve had hopes that another rally might get them a win. �The third Erie error of the game, on a ball hit by Shelby Ford, put runners on the corners. �Hernandez grounded back to the mound for a fielders' choice, scoring Watts, and that was all the Curve could get.

Owens pitched 5 innings, and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks, with 9 strikeouts. �Dubee struck out 4 in his 2 innings of work, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 2 hits and 2 walks. �Ronald Uviedo pitched the final two innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, no walks, with 3 strikeouts.

Indians Think Pink To Beat Bison

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Indianapolis Indians �5, �Buffalo Bison �4 (box)

IMG_2781The Indianapolis Indians celebrated Mother's Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Day with pink jerseys and a few pink bats. �Like in past years, the pink agrees with them. �The score went back and forth, and there was some sloppy play on both sides of the field, but the Indians held on for the afternoon win at Victory Field.

Each team posted 12 hits, and C Erik Kratz and SS Argenis Diaz each went 3-for-4 at the plate, including a triple for Kratz. �2B Neil Walker and 1B Brian Myrow had 2 hits each, with a solo homer apiece.

Starter Jeremy Powell (photo) pitched 6 innings to earn his third win. �He worked around runners on base in each inning -- in fact, neither team went down in order in any inning -- but did not go deep into counts on many batters. �Powell threw 82 pitches (58 strikes), and used only 7 pitches against 4 batters in the 4th, and 8 pitches against 6 batters in the 5th.

The Bison loaded the bases against Powell in the 1st. �With two outs, a walk to 1B Mike Jacobs, a ball to the arm of 3B Mike Hessman, and a rare fielding error by Neil Walker at second base as he fumbled trying to pick up the ball on a grounder, filled the bases with visitors. �But Powell calmly got 2B Russ Adams to ground out to short, leaving all three runners standing there.

IMG_2802Walker (photo) made up for his mistake in the bottom of the inning. �CF Jose Tabata reached base on a fielding error by Buffalo SS Ruben Tejada, who also had trouble picking up the ball. �Neil Walker and his pink bat were next. �Walker, batting right-handed against knuckleball pitcher RA Dickey, smashed a double to deep left-center field. �The speedy Tabata scored easily from first base, and the Indians had an early 1-0 lead.

Powell had to work around two hits in the 2nd inning. �C Josh Thole led off with a bloop single behind first base, then Powell got two outs. �CF Jason Pridie grounded to short for what ought to have been the third out, but SS Argenis Diaz was not as aggressive making the scoop, the transfer, or the throw as he could have been, and Pridie beat out the throw to first base. �Again Powell remained calm and fired strikes to RF Jose Feliciano, striking him out. �Feliciano was apparently having issues with the way that home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez was calling the strikes. �After he swung and missed strike three, he slammed his bat and must have said the wrong words, because Gonzalez immediately ejected him. �Alex Cintron came in to the game to replace Feliciano in right field, though he later swapped positions with Russ Adams and took over at second base.

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