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Pirates Prospect Watch: Termarr Johnson Continues Hitting With His Sixth Homer

Termarr Johnson hit his sixth homer of the year for Greensboro on Wednesday night. The 2022 fourth overall pick put the Grasshoppers on the...

Pirates Prospect Watch: Patrick Reilly Strikes Out Ten in Six Shutout Innings

Patrick Reilly had the best start of his pro career on Tuesday. The right-hander went six shutout innings for Greensboro, striking out ten batters...

Pirates Prospect Watch: Indianapolis is Regaining Depth For Pittsburgh

As I mentioned in last week's recap, we're entering the time of the season where the most consistent performers should start getting moved up....

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Ohlendorf, McLouth Put Bucs over .500

Nate McLouth started the scoring with an RBI single in the fourth and capped it with a 3 run jack in the sixth. Ross...

Another Rainy Day for Pirates’ Affiliates

Still rainy in Indy today, though the Indians have the day off. �They will be heading up to Toledo for the next series, which begins tomorrow. �Expect Luis Cruz to join the team.

Reading vs. the Altoona Curve were postponed due to rain. �They will play a double header on May 23rd to make it up.

Frederick vs. the Lynchburg Hillcats were also postponed due to rain. �They will try again with a double header tomorrow, beginning at 6 pm.

West Virginia did manage to play, and they got in two games, making up yesterday's rain out.
Game 1:
Lexington Legends 3, West Virginia Power 0 �

The Power were held to just three hits in the first game. �Two of them belonged to 3B Bobby Spain, a single in the 1st inning and another in the 3rd inning. �Both times, he was left on base. �C Josue Peley doubled in the 2nd inning. �Peley got as far as third base on a ground out, but he too was left on base. �SS Chase D'Arnaud was hit by a pitch, and CF Robbie Grossman worked a walk, but were not able to come around to score either. �

Duke Welker pitched 5 innings in his start for the Power. �He allowed 2 runs (one earned) in the 3rd inning, on 2 singles, his own throwing error, and a wild pitch. �Another error, a fielding blunder by LF Quincy Latimore in the 5th inning, turned a double into a runner on third base, and after a walk, the Legends pulled off a double steal, scoring a run on the steal of home. �Ramon Aguero pitched the final inning for the Power, allowing only a walk. �


Game 2
Power 6, Legend 3

After being limited to only 3 hits in the first game, the Power showed more power in the night-cap with a total of 11 hits. �They threatened in the 2nd inning when C Andrew Walker and DH Calvin Anderson led off with back-to-back singles. �A smart play by the Legends' pitcher turned a sacrifice bunt into a force out at third, and the rally fell short. �But the Power came right back in the 3rd, when RF Austin McClune, just activated from the disabled list, walked with two outs, and SS Chase D'Arnaud followed with a 2-run homer over the left field wall. �CF Robbie Grossman's RBI single in the 4th plated 3B Bobby Spain to add another run in the 4th inning. �

Doubles by Walker, Spain, and 2B Greg Picart plus a walk to LF Edward Garcia�and a hit batter (1B Erik Huber) produced three more runs in the top of the 5th inning, breaking a 3-3 tie. �Each member of the Power lineup except McClune (who walked and scored) had a hit. �Walker, Spain, and Picart each had 2 hits, and Picart and D'Arnaud each had 2 RBI.

Lexington scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning�on a homer given up by starter Tyler Cox, after a single and a walk. �Cox scattered two other hits over his first three innings of work, and pitched a total of 4 innings, with 3 strikeouts. �Kyle McPherson relieved Cox to begin the 5th inning. �He pitched the remaining 3 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 4 batters.



NOTES:
Former Pirate farmhand and (2008) Lynchburg infielder Tony Mansolino is on the roster for the �Saint Paul Saints of the (independent) American Association. �Joining Mansolino on the Saints' pitching staff: �Pirate 2008 2nd round draft pick Tanner Scheppers. �The Saints' season begins on May 14th.

Alvarez’s Homer Not Enough; Moskos Gets Curve Win

Wilmington Blue Rocks 8, Lynchburg Hillcats 7

Alvarez’s Homer Not Enough; Moskos Gets Curve Win

Wilmington Blue Rocks 8, Lynchburg Hillcats 7 �(10 innings)

3B Pedro Alvarez hit a solo homer with two out in the top of the 9th, tying the game at 7-7, and giving the Hillcats another chance at victory. �But they could not capitalize on RF Miles Durham's lead-off single in the top of the 10th inning. �The Blue Rocks scored on three singles in the bottom of the 10th to get the win. �

The Hillcats had two 3-run innings earlier in the game. �In the 3rd inning, C Kris Watts led off with a walk, and he went to third base when 2B Eddie Prasch doubled. �DH Alex Presley followed with an RBI single, to score Watts, and SS Jordy Mercer doubled to plate both Prasch and Presley. � �Two innings later, it was Prasch who opened the inning with a walk, and Presley who followed with a double. �Mercer brought Prasch in with a sacrifice fly. �Back-to-back walks to Alvarez and 1B Matt Hague loaded the bases for Durham, whose RBI double gave the Hillcats 2 more runs. �They came close to scoring one more, when LF Maiko Loyola grounded to second base, but Hague was thrown out at the plate.

Matt McSwain pitched 3.2 innings for the Hillcats, allowing one run on 4 hits and no walks, with one strikeout. �He gave up a solo homer to Royals' prospect Mike Moustakas in the 1st inning, then pitched two scoreless innings. �In the 4th inning, McSwain gave up a lead-off double and a single, then got two infield pop outs, including a great catch by SS Mercer, who then threw to home to make sure the lead runner stayed put on third base. �Mike Felix came on to relieve McSwain, and he�ended the 4th inning with a ground out. �Felix gave up two runs (one earned) in the 5th on two walks, a wild pitch, and a fielding error, but Lynchburg was still ahead 6-3. �

Chris Cullen pitched two perfect innings of relief for the Hillcats, and Christian Castorri came on to begin the 8th. �A hit batter, a walk, a double, and a 3-run homer, all charged to Castorri, gave Wilmington a 7-6 going into the 9th inning. �That set up Alvarez to almost be the hero. �Castorri gave up the run in the 10th, and he suffered the loss. �Miles Durham went 3-for-5 for Lynchburg, including 2 doubles, and Jordy Mercer had 3 RBI. �



Altoona Curve 6, Erie SeaWolves 4
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Danny Moskos earned his first AA win this afternoon as the Curve won their second game of the season. �Moskos pitched 6 innings and allowed only 2 runs on 8 hits and one walk, while striking out 5 batters. �

The Curve took the lead first, when 2B Jim Negrych led off the bottom of the 1st inning with a triple off the "Got Milk?" sign on the right field wall. �CF Jose Tabata followed with an RBI single to bring Negrych home. �The SeaWolves got the run right back in the top of the 2nd inning, on a ground-rule double, a single, and a ground out. �

Not to be outdone, the Curve also came back with another run in the bottom of the 2nd. �C Steve Lerud walked, and he and DH James Boone executed an excellent hit-and-run play, moving Lerud to third base when Boone slipped a single through the hole vacated by the second baseman. �3B Angel Gonzalez's RBI single flew just over the leaping stab of Erie's shortstop, and brought Lerud home, and the Curve again had the lead, 2-1. ��

The Curve had a small scare in the top of the 4th inning. �Erie's Alex Avila lined into center field, and Tabata made a dive for it. �He missed the ball and fell striking his right knee hard. �He was slow to get up, and then limped around for a few minutes while being checked out by the Curve's training staff. �Tabata convinced them that he was ok, and he remained in the game. �

Moskos' second run allowed came in the top of the 5th, on a walk and two singles, tying the score at 2-2. �Moskos got into some trouble in the top of the 6th, on a double and a single, but LF Jonel Pacheco made an on-target throw in from left field to Lerud at the plate, to gun down the runner trying to score. �

RF Brad Corley broke the tie in the bottom of the 6th with a solo homer, and the Curve added another run in the same inning, on a single by Lerud and a triple by Gonzalez. �They added 2 more for insurance in the next inning. With two outs, SS Pedro Lopez and Corley singled, and Lerud walked to load the bases. �Boone brought in Lopez and Corley with a single into right field. �

Yoslan Herrera, recently returned from a short stint with Indianapolis, came on to relieve Moskos to begin the 7th inning. �He gave up an unearned run when Lopez made a throwing error from shortstop (his back foot slipped as he was planting to make the throw), and Gonzalez made another throwing error from third base. �Herrera worked around another error, a fielding blunder by 1B Jamie Romak, to get through a scoreless 8th inning. �Sean Smith pitched the 9th inning and gave up another run, after a hit batter, a double, and a sacrifice fly, but he held on long enough to earn the save. �


It has been raining in Kentucky all day, so both the West Virginia Power /�Lexington Legends game and the Indianapolis Indians / Louisville Bats games were rained out.

Braves Pounce on Pirates

Jeff Francouer delivered a two run single in the first and Casey Kotchman added another RBI knock later in the inning to put the...

Rain in Louisville

The game between the Indy Indians and the Louisville Bats has been rained out.

Curve Get First Win; Dubee Makes Pirate Organization Debut

Altoona Curve 7, Erie SeaWolves 5

The Curve had to scratch and claw, but they held on to their lead and even picked up an insurance run in their last at-bat, to win their first game of the season.

Bats’ Homers Blast Tribe

IMG_8842Vasquez.JPG
Louisville Bats 4,
Indianapolis Indians 1


The home run ball was the Tribe's downfall this afternoon in their first road game of the season at Slugger Field in Louisville, KY.

Bats’ Homers Blast Tribe

IMG_8842Vasquez.JPG
Louisville Bats 4,
Indianapolis Indians 1


The home run ball was the Tribe's downfall this afternoon in their first road game of the season at Slugger Field in Louisville, KY. �

Starter Virgil Vasquez (photo) was charged with the loss, his first of the season, as he gave up three home runs. �The trouble began in the 1st inning, when�Vasquez gave up a single to 3B Adam Rosales, followed by a home run to 1B Kevin Barker. �LF Daniel Dorn led off the bottom of the 2nd inning with a solo home run over the right field wall. �Vasquez retired the side in order in the 3rd inning and worked around two singles in the 4th. �Then, in the 5th inning, Rosales added another right field solo homer. �

Vasquez allowed only 1 other hit over his 6 innings of work. �He had no walks, and struck out 5 batters. �Juan Mateo came in from the bullpen to start the 7th inning, and he retired 6 straight Bats' batters, including 2 strikeouts. �

Thumbnail image for IMG_8865Machado.JPG
The Indians scored a run in the 3rd inning. �3B Anderson Machado,�(photo) making only his second start of the season, led off the inning with his first hit of the season -- a triple. �After two outs, Brian Bixler, doubled home Machado. �The Tribe scattered 5 other hits, including a double by LF�Jeff Salazar and a single by Virgil Vasquez, over the rest of the first 8 innings. �They had two baserunners on in the 6th on back-to-back singles by RF Garrett Jones and 1B Larry Broadway, but couldn't get them around to score. �

The Tribe threatened again in the 7th inning, when C Erik Kratz led off with a single and Anderson Machado walked. �Pinch-hitter Neil Walker struck out on a close pitch, CF Andrew McCutchen grounded out, and Bixler also struck out, to leave the runners stranded again. �Salazar singled to lead off the 9th inning, and he stole second base. �But two strikeouts and a ground out ended that inning, and the game. �

Chris Barnwell made his first appearance of the season for the Indians. �He played shortstop, giving Brian Bixler his first chance to move over to second base. �Barnwell went 0-for-4 at the plate. �Steve Pearce and Robinzon Diaz got the day off today. �

IMG_8910Bixler.JPG
Indians' Hitting Gems of the Game: �Anderson Machado, with a triple for his first hit of the season, followed by an RBI double by Bixler (photo)-- the only scoring for the Tribe. �

Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �Two perfect innings of relief work by Juan Mateo. �He threw 25 pitches, and 19 of them were strikes. �






NOTES:
Luis Cruz is expected to join the Tribe on Tuesday in Toledo. �

Garrett Jones' hit today gives him an 8-game hitting streak.





Go Tribe!

(Photos by Nancy Zinni --MVN)

Snell Efficient and Monroe Supplies the Boom

Craig Monroe got the start in right today and drove in six runs. He did that by clouting a pair of three run homers....

Curve Still Winless; Power Split a Double Header

Friday night's games:

West Virginia Power 3,

First Inning Errors Sink the Indians

IMG_9040pitchers.JPG
Louisville Bats 4,
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