PIRATES PROSPECTSPITTSBURGH PIRATES MINOR LEAGUE NEWS, TRANSACTIONS, AND ARTICLES

An abbreviated report of the Pirates' minor league games tonight.

The West Virginia Power and Hagerstown Suns were postponed due to wet grounds in Hagerstown. �

Phil Dumatrait made a AA rehab start with the Curve, and he did not have a happy time. �He began by giving up 4 runs in the top of the 1st. �The first Trenton batter singled, then Dumatrait got a fly out. �Then the next 4 batters reached base safely -- two singles, a hit batter, and a 3-RBI double. �Finally Dumatrait struck out two batters to end the inning. �He retired the side in the 2nd inning, then gave up two singles and a double for another run in the 3rd inning. �A single and a double in the 4th did not result in a run due to an unassisted double play on a line drive caught by 1B Jason Delaney. �Dumatrait finished with 4 innings of work, and 9 hits for 5 runs, with 4 strikeouts. �

Jeff Sues pitched 3 scoreless innings in relief, and�Dustin Molleken added two more scoreless innings.

The Curve were held to one hit, a single by 3B Pedro Alvarez, over the first 4 innings. �Jason Delaney and SS Brian Friday also singled, and Alvarez added another single in the 7th.��The Curve finally got onto the scoreboard in the 9th inning. �With two outs, four straight singles -- by Pedro Alvarez, DH Miles Durham, LF Jonel Pacheco, and Jason Delaney -- brought in Alvarez with the first run. �A wild pitch scored Durham before a grounder ended the inning and the game. �

A 4-run 4th inning and a 5-run 5th inning put the Keys ahead to stay, despite 10 hits for the Hillcats. �The Hillcats scored one run in the 1st inning when 2B Jose De Los Santos walked, stole 2nd base (his 43rd of the season), and scored on SS Jordy Mercer's RBI single. �They added three runs in the bottom of the 5th, when C Kris Watts came to the plate with the bases loaded and brought them all in with an RBI single, with some help from a throwing error by the Keys' left fielder. �A double by Mercer, walks to 1B Matt Hague and Watts, and a 2-RBI single by LF Jared Keel gave the Hillcats 2 more runs in the bottom of the 9th. �

Bryan Morris got the start and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits over 3 innings of work. �Paul Mildren gave up another 3 runs on 4 more hits in 1.2 innings, and Mike Colla was responsible for 4 runs on 5 hits in 2.1 innings. �Both Mildren and Colla gave up 2-run homers in the 5th inning. �

The Hillcats sent 8 batters to the plate in the 5th inning to score their 3 runs. �RF Erik Huber and C Eric Fryer led off with singles, and 3B Eddie Prasch walked to load the bases. �2B Jose De Los Santos brought in Huber and Fryer with an RBI single, but Prasch was thrown out at third. �De Los Santos went to second on a throwing error and to third with a stolen base (#44), and he scored on CF Alex Presley's single. �

Justin Wilson earned his 5th win with 6 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and a walk, with 4 strikeouts. �RJ Rodriguez gave up a run in the 7th on a walk, a ground out, and a single, but he still earned his 20th save. ��

SS Brock Holt's solo home run to lead off the 7th inning was the only run of the game. �Holt went 3-for-4 with two singles besides the homer. �DH David Rubinstein, 3B Carlos Silva, and LF Pat Irvine had the only other hits for the Spikes. with Rubinstein's and Silva's coming in the 6th. �The Spikes also threatened in the 5th, when C Craig Parry, 2B Ty Summerlin, and CF Evan Chambers all walked to load the bases, but could not get around to score. �

Starter Tyler Cox, Nelson Pereira, and Marc Baca combined for 9 shutout innings. �Cox allowed 3 hits in his 4 innings, with 4 strikeouts. �Pereira struck out 6 and allowed one hit in his 4 innings, and he earned the win. �Baca gave up one hit and struck out one in the 9th. �

Brad Clapp suffered the loss for the Pirates, as he gave up 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk. �He pitched a scoreless 3rd, but in the 4th, gave up 3 singles and a double, and two batters stole second base. �Rafael Quintero gave up a double, an RBI single, and a 2-run homer in the 6th inning, and a solo homer in the 7th inning.

The Pirates scored on run in a wild 3rd inning. �RF Wesley Freeman walked and stole second base, but was out at third on the fielder's choice. �3B Henry Henry reached base on that fielder's choice, stole second base, and went to third on a wild pitch. �2B Gift Ngoepe singled to score Henry, and he also stole second base. �They added another 2 runs in the 6th. �SS Benjamin Gonzalez singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on another wild pitch, and scored on C Andrew Walker's line drive double. �Walker went to third base on wild pitch #3, and he scored on DH Ramon Cabrera's sacrifice fly. �

The Pirates�came back in today's scheduled game, scoring 6 runs in the first two innings. �After stealing 4 bases in the first game, they stole another 5 in game 2, and four of those came in the first inning. �SS Gift Ngoepe singled and stole second base. �After two outs, DH Jairo Marquez struck out, but strike 3 was a wild pitch, allowing Ngoepe to score and putting Marquez on first base. �Marquez promptly stole second. �2B Elevys Gonzalez singled to score Marquez, and he stole second. �RF Wesley Freeman reached on a fielding error and Gonzalez scored, and (guess what!) Freeman stole second. �LF Gemmy Gonzalez singled to score Freeman, but a ground out ended the inning before Gemmy Gonzalez could steal. �In the 2nd inning, CF Melvin De La Cruz singled and stole second (of course), 1B Gerlis Rodriguez singled, and Jairo Marquez brought them both in with a double. �De La Cruz also scored the final run in the top of the 7th, when he walked, went to third on 2B Benjamin Gonzalez's double, and scored on a wild pitch. �

Edgar Gutierrez�started for the Pirates and pitched 4 innings, allowing only one run, which came in the bottom of the 1st. �He gave up only 2 hits over the next 3 innings. �Eliecer Navarro got the win, with 3 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits. �