PIRATES PROSPECTSPITTSBURGH PIRATES MINOR LEAGUE NEWS, TRANSACTIONS, AND ARTICLES

Yoslan Herrera pitched 7 shutout innings, scattering 7 hits and a walk, while striking out 5, to earn his 6th win of the season for the Curve. �He was backed up by his infielders, who turned 4 double plays,�three with Herrera on the mound, and one more for reliever Dustin Molleken. �The biggest threat Herrera faced came in the 7th, when two singles and a wild pitch put runners on the corners with no outs. �A line out and a double play ended the inning without a run scoring. �

Molleken pitched the final two innings of the game in relief. �He gave up 3 straight singles with one out in the 8th, but the double play got him out of the jam. �The only run he allowed was a lead-off homer in the top of the 9th inning. �

The Curve posted 16 hits in the game, including 3 hits each by 2B Jim Negrych, CF Gorkys Hernandez, and 3B Pedro Alvarez. �They scored their first run in the bottom of the 2nd inning, on a lead-off single by Alvarez, a double by 1B Miles Durham, and a sacrifice fly by C Steve Lerud. �The Curve went on to score 2 runs in each of the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings. �Back-to-back doubles by Lerud and SS Ray Chang, followed by LF Jeff Corsaletti's single brought in the 2 runs in the 4th. ��Singles by Negrych and Hernandez combined with a throwing error by the Harrisburg pitcher, put runners on the corners in the 5th. �RF Jose Tabata bounced into a double play, but Negrych was able to score. �Alvarez followed with a solo home run over the right-center field wall. �In the 6th, with two outs, the Curve scored twice more on 4 consecutive hits: �a single by Negrych, a double by Hernandez, and singles by Tabata and Alvarez. �

Jose Tabata now has a 10-game hitting streak. �Ray Chang has an 8-game hitting streak -- all 8 games he's appeared in since being promoted to Altoona. �

A 4-run 6th inning gave the Hillcats the boost they needed to overcome the Nationals in the final game of the series. �The Hillcats jumped out to a good start with 2 runs in the top of the 1st. �2B Jose De Los Santos led off with a single. �He went to second on CF Alex Presley's sacrifice bunt, and to third on a fly out. �1B Matt Hague doubled, scoring De Los Santos, and DH Kent Sakamoto followed with another double, scoring Hague. �

The P-Nats came right back in the bottom of the inning with 3 runs of their own, to take a 3-2 lead. �Starter Chi-Hung Cheng started off by getting two outs, then gave up a walk, hit a batter, and gave up a 3-run homer. �The P-Nats added one more run in the 3rd, on a double and an RBI single. �

That 4-2 lead held until the 6th inning. �Matt Hague led off with a double and moved on to third base on a wild pitch. �He scored on Kent Sakamoto's RBI single. �C Eric Fryer was hit by a pitch, and 3B Eddie Prasch singled, scoring Sakamoto. �Prasch went to third on the throw, and the Hillcats had two runners in scoring position. Both scored on RF Ciro Rosero's double into center field, and the Hillcats had regained the lead, 6-4. �

It got closer in the 7th. �Chi-Hung Cheng had pitched 5 innings and allowed the 4 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, with 2 strikeouts. �Ramon Aguero relieved Cheng and pitched a 1-2-3 6th inning, but then gave up a run on two singles and a sacrifice fly in the 7th, and the P-Nats were within one run. �

The Hillcats added an insurance run in the top of the 9th, when Jose De Los Santos led off with a single. �He stole second base (36th of the season, third in the Carolina League), and when the P-Nats' catcher tried to pick De Los Santos off second base, the throw sailed into center field, and De Los Santos took off. �The center fielder also made a throwing error on the play, and De Los Santos scored. �

Relievers Harvey Garcia and RJ Rodriguez each pitched a scoreless inning for the Hillcats, with Rodriguez picking up his league-leading 17th save of the season. (The three next closest relievers are tied with 12 saves.) �Cheng took the win, his 7th of the year. �

The Power were swept by Augusta in this 4-game series, despite a 3-hit night by RF Austin McClune and 2 hits each by CF Starling Marte and DH Jeremy Farrell. �The Power had the early lead, as they scored 3 runs in both the 2nd and 3rd innings. �A fielding error put 3B Bobby Spain on base in the 2nd inning, and McClune and 2B Danny Bomback followed with singles to load the bases. �SS Adenson Chourio's sacrifice fly scored Spain, and a big double into left field by Starling Marte brought in both McClune and Bomback. �The 3rd inning began with the first 5 Power batters reaching base safely: �a walk to 1B Calvin Anderson, a double by Farrell, RBI singles by Spain and McClune, and a fielding error to put Bomback on base a nd load the bases. �Chourio grounded i nto a double play, but Spain was able to score, and the Power had a 6-0 lead. �

The lead didn't last long, though, as the Greenjackets scored in each of their next three at-bats. �Power starter Brian Leach had allowed two singles and a walk over the first two innings, but in the bottom of the 3rd, he gave up 2 runs on a double, three singles, and a walk. �Four consecutive singles led off the bottom of the 4th, and with one run already in, Leach was relieved by Wilson Ortiz. �Ortiz gave up a sacrifice fly (run charged to Leach), and the inning ended with the Power still ahead, 6-4. �

Augusta took the lead in the 5th inning, sending 10 batters to the plate. �With Ortiz still on the mound, a walk and a 2-run home run tied the game at 6-6. �A hit batter, a single, and an RBI ground out broke the tie, and a fielding error and another ground out added another run for Augusta. �Ortiz hit the next batter with a pitch, and he was relieved by Noah Krol. �Krol gave up an RBI single before ending the inning, with Augusta taking a 9-6 lead. �

The Power got one of the runs back in the 7th inning. �Calvin Anderson and Jeremy Farrell led off with back-to-back singles. �A double play erased Farrell, but moved Anderson to third base. �Austin McClune's third hit of the night scored Anderson, but that was all the Power could get, and it wasn't enough to catch up. �

The Spikes came from behind to tie the score in the 9th inning, but the ValleyCats scored one more in the 10th to get the win. �

The Spikes were behind 5-2 going into the top of the 8th. �1B Justin Byler led off with a double, and DH Aaron Baker walked. �A ground out moved both runners up 90 feet. �Byler scored on a wild pitch, and Baker came in on an RBI ground out by 3B Pat Irvine, and the Spikes had moved to within one run, 5-4. �Butch Biela tied the score in the top of the 9th with a lead-off pinch-hit home run. �

Reliever Phillip Irwin retired the ValleyCats in order in the bottom of the 9th. �The Spikes threatened in the top of the 10th, when RF David Rubinstein singled, and moved on to second on a throwing error. �Pat Irvine walked, but a strikeout ended the inning with both runners still on base. �

Marc Baca came on to pitch the bottom of the 10th inning. �He gave up a lead-off double, and hit the next batter with a pitch. �A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, and an intentional walk loaded the bases. �The runner from third base scored on a wild pitch by Baca, to give the ValleyCats the win. �

Nelson Pereira had the start for the Spikes. �He pitched 4 innings and gave up a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning. �Victor Black gave up two more runs in the 5th inning on four singles and a sacrifice fly. �Phillip Irwin pitched 4 innings in relief, and allowed a run in the 7th on a walk, a single, and a sacrifice fly. �

The Spikes scored one run in the 2nd inning on singles by Aaron Baker and Pat Irvine, and a sacrifice fly by 2B Ty Summerlin. �SS Brock Holt's solo home run added another run in the 3rd. �

The Pirates and Yankees carried a 2-2 tie into the top of the 11th inning. �2B Gift Ngoepe led off the 11th with a walk, and stole second base. �Ngoepe scored the go-ahead run on 1B Gerlis Rodriguez's single into right field, and Rodriguez advanced to second base on a throwing error by the Yankees' right fielder. �RF Wesley Freeman scored Rodriguez with an RBI double, giving the Pirates an insurance run and a 4-2 lead. �Then reliever Diomedes Garcia retired the Yankees in order in the bottom of the 11th to preserve the win.

The Pirates had jumped onto the scoreboard first, back in the 1st inning, when Gift Ngoepe singled, went to second on a ground out, and scored on Gerlis Rodriguez's RBI single. �Starter Brooks Pounders pitched 4 scoreless innings and allowed only 2 hits, while striking out 4 batters. �Ryan Beckman pitched the next 4 innings. �He gave up 2 runs in the 5th inning, on a double, a single, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI single, as the Yankees took a 2-1 lead. �Melkin Laureano pitched 2 more scoreless innings for the Pirates. �

3B John Gourley tied the score at 2-2 in the 7th inning. �He led off with a single, stole second base, and scored on DH Rogelio Noris' RBI single. �That tie lasted until the top of the 11th.�

The Altoona Curve's Jason Delaney (photo)