Sunday's game in the Arizona Fall League between the Scottsdale Scorpions and Glendale Desert Dogs was suspended after half an inning. That half inning...
The DSL Pirates teams ended their seasons this week, which brings the rookie-level affiliates to an end.
I've been reviewing the best performing hitting and...
The Curve came from behind with a 5-run 8th inning, to beat the SeaWolves this afternoon. �3B Pedro Alvarez hit his second homer in two days, and contributed 3 RBI to the mix, and CF Gorkys Hernandez went 3-for-4 in the game. �
Altoona got onto the scoreboard first, when Gorkys Hernadez walked and stole second base, and then Pedro Alvarez homered over the center field wall in the 1st inning. �Erie tied the score at 2-2 in the 2nd inning. �Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. �A double play allowed one run to score, and a wild pitch by Curve starter Mike Crotta brought in the second run. �A solo home run in the bottom of the 3rd gave the SeaWolves a 3-2 lead. �They added an insurance run in the 5th with a single, a stolen base, and another single. �Crotta pitched 6 innings, and allowed those 4 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks, with 4 strikeouts. �
Pedro Alvarez got a small rally going for the Curve in the top of the 6th, when he hit a one-out double. �A throwing error on a ball hit by 1B Jason Delaney put runners on the corners, and Alvarez scored on a balk by the SeaWolves pitcher. �(The Erie manager was subsequently ejected from the game.)
Randy Newsom relieved Crotta to pitch the 7th inning, and he allowed 2 runs, on a walk and another Erie home run, to make the score 6-3. �Newsom was the pitcher of record when the Curve exploded for 5 runs in the 8th inning -- giving Newsom the win. �The Curve sent 8 batters to the plate in the inning. �Gorkys Hernandez and RF Jose Tabata�led off with back-to-back singles, and Pedro Alvarez's sacrifice fly brought in the first run of the inning. �Jason Delaney doubled, and Tabata went to third base. �Tabata scored on 2B Jim Negrych's ground out, and Delaney scored on a wild pitch, and the score was tied 6-6. �DH Jamie Romak walked, and went to second base on another wild pitch. �Then LF Jeff Corsaletti hit a 2-run home run to give the Curve the go-ahead run and an insurance run. �Gorkys Hernandez and Jose Tabata also singled in the 9th inning, but were left on base.
Scott Nestor pitched the final 2 innings for the Curve, and earned his 5th save of the season, allowing a walk in each inning, but striking out 2 in each inning. �
The Hillcats were held to just 2 hits in the shutout loss.��C Joel Collins and 3B Ray Chang had the only hits, both singles. �The 'Cats worked 6 walks, and had two batters hit by pitches (RF Eddie Prasch and 1B Matt Hague)�but still could not get any runners around to score. �The closest they came was in the 6th inning, when both DH Jordy Mercer and LF Jared Keel both walked, but were both left on base. �
Jeff Locke made his 4th start for the Hillcats, and it was the longest of the four. �He pitched 7 innings, and allowed 3 runs on 10 hits, no walks, with one strikeout. �The Pelicans had runners on base in 5 of his 7 innings, but scored in only two of the innings. �In the 3rd, a single and two doubles brought in 2 runs, and a double and a triple added another run in the 6th. �ChBristian Castorri relieved Locke to pitch the last 2 innings. �Castorri gave up one run in the 8th when the first batter he faced lifted a solo home run over the right field wall. �He also gave up 2 runs in the 9th with two outs, on a double, a walk, and a double. �
SS Chase D'Arnaud made his A+ debut, batting lead-off. �He went 0-for-3, with a walk and a strikeout. �
West Virginia Power 11, Greensboro Grasshoppers 10
An 8-run 9th inning by the Power overcame a 6-run 7th inning by the Grasshoppers, but the Power still had to hold on to keep Greensboro from coming back in the bottom of the 9th inning. � 3B Bobby Spain had 4 of the Power's 13 hits, and RF Austin McClure and 2B Danny Bomback each had 2 hits. �
DH Calvin Anderson got the scoring started with a solo home run in the 2nd inning. �The Power added two more runs in the 3rd. �Austin McClure led off with a single and advanced to second base on a fielding error. �A wild pitch put him on third base, and CF Robbie Grossman's RBI single brought McClure home. �1B Erik Huber bounced into a force out, went to second when Anderson walked, and he scored on Bobby Spain's RBI single. �
Greensboro got one run back in the 5th inning. �Rafael De Los Santos allowed an unearned run on two walks, a stolen base, a throwing error, and a sacrifice fly. �De Los Santos pitched 5 innings and gave up 2 hits and 4 walks. �Ramon Aguero pitched a scoreless 6th inning, but the Grasshoppers broke out for 6 runs in the 7th to take a 7-3 lead. �Aguero hit a batter with a pitch, walked one, gave up a single, had a batter reach on a fielding error, then gave up another walk. �Noah Krol came on to relieve Aguero and he gave up a walk and two singles, accounting for another run
, then got a strikeout, hit a batter wit
h a pitch, and finally a force out ended the inning. �
The Power showed their power in the top of the 9th, sending 11 batters to the plate. �The first three batters, SS Adenson Chourio, Austin McClure, and Robbie Grossman, all walked. �Erik Huber's bases-loaded double scored Chourio and McClure, and left Grossman on 3rd base. �Grossman scored on a wild pitch. �A walk to Calvin Anderson and a triple by LF Quincy Latimore brought in Huber and Anderson, but Latimore was out at the plate as he tried for home on the throw. �Bobby Spain singled and C Andrew Walker walked. �Two errors on Danny Bomback's ball allowed three more runs to score (Spain, Walker, and Bomback), before two fly outs ended the inning, with the Power owning an 11-7 lead. �
But Greensboro was not done yet. �Yoffri Martinez took the mound in the 9th, and gave up 2 walks, got two outs, and then gave up a 2-RBI double. �Owen Brolsma relieved Martine, but a walk, a fielding error, and a single brought in another run, to bring the Grasshoppers within one run before Brolsma ended the game with a ground out. �The Power held on, to win by just one run.�
The Spikes were held to just 3 hits and one run, and none of them came until the 7th inning. �Auburn starter Joel Carreno faced only two batters over the minimum in his first 6 innings. �In the 2nd inning, RF David Rubinstein reached base when he swung at strike three, but the Auburn catcher could not hold on to the ball, giving Rubinstein time to hustle down to first. �In the 6th, 2B Ty Summerlin was hit by a pitch. �Finally, in the 7th with one out, 1B Kyle Morgan and Rubinstein hit back-to-back singles. �A throwing error by the Auburn catcher on a pick off attempt and another throwing error on the center fielder who had retrieved the ball allowed Murphy to score the Spikes' only run. �The Spikes got runners on base again in the 8th, when CF Kyle Saukko singled and SS Andy Vasquez walked, but they were left on base. �
Quinton Miller got the start for the Spikes and pitched 3 innings, allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits and 3 walks. �Two singles and a walk brought in a run in the 1st inning. �A walk, a passed ball, a throwing error and a ground-rule double added two more runs in the 2nd. �Jason Erickson pitched the three middle innings, and allowed an unearned run on 2 singles, a wild pitch, and a throwing error in the 5th inning. �Patrick Irvine and Edward Fallon each pitched a perfect inning in relief. �
The Phillies' pitchers combined to one-hit the Pirates this afternoon. �SS Benjamin Gonzalez had the hit, a single into center field in the top of the 1st inning, and he was picked off first base moments later. �The next 19 Pirate batters were retired in order, by three different Phillies pitchers. �Finally, in the top of the 8th inning, DH Rogelios Noris and CF Wesley Freeman led off with back-to-back walks. �LF Gemmy Gonzalez dropped down a sacrifice bunt, to move the runners over to 2nd and 3rd bases. �3B Andury Acevedo had the Pirates' only RBI, as his ground out to shortstop allowed Noris to score the only Pirates' run.
Mitchell Fienemann pitched 4 innings in his start for the Pirates. �Fienemann retired the first 7 batters he faced, then in the 3rd inning, gave up a single, a double, an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly, giving the Phillies 2 runs. �He allowed another single in the same inning, and then a single in the 4th inning. �Gerardo Esparza took over for Fienemann in the 5th. �He walked a batter and hit a batter, and made a throwing error on a pick-off attempt, but a timely double play and a ground out kept the Phillies from scoring again. �Esparza hit another batter in the 6th inning, but erased him with a double play. �Esparza pitched a total of 3 innings without allowing a hit. �Harvey Garcia also pitched a hitless and scoreless inning, with 2 strikeouts, in the 8th. �
Two members of the Pirates' organization have been selected to play on the US team for the Futures Game, which will be held in St. Louis on Sunday July 12th.
While Ryan Doumit has missed much of the season due to wrist surgery, Jason Jaramillo has stepped in and provided above average offensive production...
The Curve came from behind to tie the score in the middle innings, and then scored in each of the last 4 innings of the game, to double up the SeaWolves tonight.
Indians' newest member, starting pitcher Brad Lincoln made his AAA debut with a splash, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing one run on only 2 hits, with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. �He also contributed to the Indians' offense, with two hits of his own at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA tonight. �
Lincoln allowed one and only one base runner in each of the first 4 innings. �He walked former Indy Indian (2005 - 06) LF Rich Thompson twice (1st and 3rd). �He worked around a lead-off double by 3B Terry Tiffee in the 2nd inning. �He hit 1B Andy Tracy with a pitch in the 4th, but erased him with a double play. �Lincoln retired the side in order in the 5th and 6th innings. �
In the 7th inning, Lincoln appeared to be tiring. �He walked Andy Tracy to open the inning, then got two fly outs. �C Paul Hoover lined a single into left field, only the second hit Lincoln had allowed. �That was all for Lincoln's night. �He had thrown 99 pitches, 63 for strikes.
Reliever Mike Koplove came on to relieve Lincoln, and the first batter he faced, former Indy Indian (2005 - 06) JJ Furmaniak, singled into left field, to score Tracy. �A fly out ended the inning, but Lincoln's shutout had been lost. �
The Indians posted 11 hits, scoring in the 2nd and 3rd innings. �Every member of the Tribe lineup except LF Chris Barnwell had at least one hit, and Lincoln, RF Garrett Jones, and 3B Pedro Lopez each had two hits. �
The Indians' batters went down in order in the 1st inning, but got to Lehigh Valley starter Gustavo Chacin in the 2nd and 3rd innings. �With one out in the 2nd inning, C Erik Kratz bounced a ground-rule double over the left field wall. �1B Hector Gimenez walked, and both Kratz and Gimenez scored on�Pedro Lopez'sline drive double into center field. �After�Chris Barnwell�grounded out, Brad Lincoln legged out an infield single, moving Lopez to third base, though Lopez was out at the plate when he tried to surprise the Iron Pigs and make it all the way home.�
The Indians added two more runs in the 3rd inning. �2B Brian Bixler led off with a single down the left field line. �He went to third base on SS Luis Cruz's double lined into left field. �CF Jeff Salazar walked to load the bases with no outs for the Tribe. �Garrett Jonesbounced a little grounder back to the mound, where Chacin quickly scooped up the ball and returned it to the plate, and C Paul Hoover fired on to first base for a double play. �The Indians loaded the bases again when Erik Kratz walked. �Hector Gimenez slipped a single into left field, for 2 RBI as both Cruz and Salazar came around to score. �Kratz rounded second and headed for third base, but he was caught in a run-down and eventually tagged out (7-2-4-3-4-5).
Lincoln singled again in the 4th inning, a two-out single on a line drive into center field, but he was left stranded on first. �The Tribe managed only one more hit, a single by Garrett Jones, over the next three innings. �The 8th inning began with back-to-back singles by Jeff Salazar and Garrett Jones. �A force out at second base and a fielding error by Iron Pigs' 3B Terry Tiffee left Salazar on third base and Erik Kratz on first, but a double play ended the inning without the Tribe scoring again. �
Mike Koplove pitched a scoreless 8th inning, working around a fielding error by Brian Bixler at second base on a grounder by Rich Thompson. �Bixler redeemed himself by making the next two plays without any problems, and Koplove ended the inning with a strikeout. �
Reliever Chris Bootcheck earned his 12th save of the season with a perfect 9th inning, including a strikeout. �
Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �Brad Lincoln's 2-hit performance, going into the 7th inning in his AAA debut. �His 99 pitches were the most he's thrown in a game so far this season. �In an interview after the game, Lincoln admitted to having some butterflies, but said that he was able to settle himself down and command his pitches so that he could consistently throw strike one to the Iron Pig batters. �
Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �It was all Lincoln in this game -- celebrating his debut with two hits of his own. �
NOTES:
Several roster moves:
Brad Lincoln was officially added to the Indians' roster today. �
RHP Brian Slocum was removed from the Indians' roster and placed on the Lynchburg Hillcats' roster. �Unsure if this is a physical move or a paper move.
Larry Broadway, who has not been playing due to a gash on his foot from being spiked a week ago, has been placed on the Disabled List, retroactive to Monday.
Virgil Vasquez, who was removed from last night's game after throwing a 12-pitch perfect inning, is indeed not injured. �He is waiting to hear, either tonight or tomorrow, whether or not the Pirates will need him to make a spot start in Pittsburgh on Friday. �If he is not needed in Pittsburgh, then Vasquez is expected to make his regular start for the Indians on Sunday.
The Pirates have acquired 1B/OF�Brian Myrow from the White Sox organization for cash considerations. �Myrow is a 32-year old Texas native who has major league time with the Dodgers and Padres. �He was initially signed out of independent ball by the Yankees in 2001, and progressed to the AAA level with their organization, then was traded to the Dodgers in 2004. �He spent the last two seasons in the Padres' organization, split between AAA and the majors. �Over those two years, he hit .335 at the AAA level, with 54 doubles, 5 triples, 25 homers, and 132 RBI. �In a total of 33 games with the Padres at the major league level, he went only 4-for-31. �Myrow has been with the White Sox' AAA Charlotte Knights this season. �In 48 games, he was hitting .277, with 10 doubles, 7 homers, and 25 RBI. �The Pirates will assigne Myrow to the Indians. �
Former Indian�Andy Phillips has been released by the White Sox. �Phillips started the season with the Indians, and hit .333 here in 7 games. �On April 1
7th, he was traded to the White Sox, and assigned to the AAA Charl
otte Knights. �He was hitting .295 for the Knights, with 5 homers and 27 RBI. �Phillips is reportedly working on a deal to play in Japan for the Hiroshima Carp.
