PIRATES PROSPECTSPITTSBURGH PIRATES MINOR LEAGUE NEWS, TRANSACTIONS, AND ARTICLES

Meanwhile..... �The Altoona Curve and the Binghamton Mets were rained out today. �They will make it up with a doubleheader tomorrow, beginning at 5:05 pm. �Phil Dumatrait is scheduled to make a rehab start with the Curve on Friday. �

The State College Spikes and the Jamestown Jammers were also rained out. �They will play a doubleheader starting at 6:05 pm. �

Two afternoon games: �

The Pirates tied broke a 1-1 tie with 2 runs in the top of the 9th to beat the Yankees. �Rehabbing starter Jared Hughes pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out 2 batters to get the Pirates off to a good start. �The hit was a triple, and it was followed by an excellent play by SS Gift Ngoepe, who took the next batters' grounder and fired it to third, where the base runner had hesitated long enough 3B Henry Henry was able to tag him out trying to get back to third base. �

Brooks Pounders took over on the mound in the 3rd inning. �He gave up a run on another triple, which was followed by an RBI single. �Pounders also gave up a single in the 4th, but that base runner was caught stealing. �Then he gave up a double and two walks, but struck out the next batter to end the inning. �

The Pirates tied the score in the 4th inning. �With two outs, DH Andrew Walker and LF Rogelio Noris hit back-to-back doubles, scoring Walker. �The 1-1 tie held for the next 4.5 innings, as Pirates' Jhonatan Ramos gave up a single in the 5th, but picked that runner off base. �Ramos struck out two other batters in the 5th, and then went on to retire the next 12 batters in order, with a total of 7 strikeouts. �

The Pirates had at least one runner on base in each of the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings, but two were caught stealing and two were left on base. �In the top of the 9th, Rogelios Noris gave the Pirates the go-ahead run with a solo home run. �Henry Henry added one more run when he reached base on fielding error, moved to second base on a walk to CF Edwin Roman, stole third base, and came in to score when the Yankees' catcher made a wild throw to third base. �Jhonatan Ramos held the Yankees in the bottom of the inning, and the Pirates had the win. �

The Hillcats posted 10 hits (to the Blue Rocks' 5), but could only manage to get one of those base runners across the plate. �RF Erik Huber led the way with 3 hits for the Hillcats. �The 'Cats loaded the bases in the 1st inning, on singles by 2B Jose De Los Santos and CF Alex Presley and a walk to C Kris Watts, but a line out and a double play ended the threat without a run scoring. �They put two base runners on in each of the 2nd, 4th, and 7th innings, and each time, no one came in to score. �

Jeff Locke pitched 6 innings and allowed only one hit -- but that hit was a solo home run. He retired the first 9 batters he faced, then had the first batter in the 4th inning reach on a fielding error by SS Angel Gonzalez. �Kris Watts promptly threw the runner out trying to steal second base, and Locke retired the next 4 batters. �With two outs in the 5th, Locke gave up the home run, to give the Blue Rocks a 1-0 lead. �After 4 more outs, Locke's night was done. �

Tom Boleska pitched the rest of the game. �He gave up a double in the 7th, and two singles in the 8th, but did not let a run score. �The Hillcats tied the game in the 8th, when Alex Presley singled and stole second base. �Matt Hague also singled, and a double steal plus a throwing error by the Blue Rocks' catcher let Presley score the tying run. �But in the bottom of the 9th, with Boleska still on the mound, a throwing error, a single, and a hit batter loaded the bases. �Boleska got a fly out, then threw a wild pitch that allowed the runner from third to score the winning run. �

And an evening game:�

The Power rallied in the late innings but could not catch up to the River Dogs after their 5-run 7th inning. �

The RiverDogs scored in the top of the 1st, when they began the game with a triple, and scored on a sacrifice fly. �The Power threatened in the 2nd inning, when 3B Jeremy Farrell and DH�Danny Bomback were hit by pitches and SS�Greg Picart walked, loading the bases with two outs. �A strikeout ended the inning without a run scoring. �The Power did get the�2 runs back in the bottom of the 4th. �1B Kyle Morgan led off with a double, and he went to third base on a ground out. �Jeremy Farrell singled, scoring Morgan. �Farrell went on to second base on a ground out and to third on a wild pitch. �Danny Bomback singled to bring in Farrell, and the Power had a 2-1 lead. �

Charleston retook the lead in the top of the 5th, on a walk, a double, an RBI ground out, and an RBI single. �That was the end of the night for Power starter Gabriel Alvarado, as he pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. �Wilson Ortiz took the mound to begin the 6th, a nd he kept the River Dogs from scoring in that inning. �Disaster struck in the 7th inning, though. �The River Dogs batted around and scored 5 runs, as Ortiz gave up 5 straight singles without recording an out, bringing in 3 runs. �Yoffri Martinez relieved Ortiz, but he gave up a single and a double, as 2 more runs scored, all charged to Ortiz. �Finally a double play and a ground out ended the inning, with the River Dogs ahead 8-2.

But the Power did not give up. �They came right back in the bottom of the inning to bat around themselves and score 4 runs. �Greg Picart singled, Danny Bomback reached on a force attempt/throwing error, and 2B Adenson Chourio singled to load the bases without an out. �A wild pitch allowed Picart to score, and CF Starling Marte followed with a 3-run homer, and the Power had closed the gap to make the score 8-6. �Greg Picart led off the bottom of the 8th with a solo home run, and the Power were within one run, 8-7. �

Ryan Kelly kept the River Dogs from scoring in the 8th, despite two hits and a hit batter. �He got a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded. �He retired the side in order in the 9th. �But the Power could not score again, going down in order in the bottom of the 9th, and the River Dogs had the win. �