PIRATES PROSPECTSPITTSBURGH PIRATES MINOR LEAGUE NEWS, TRANSACTIONS, AND ARTICLES

Eight runs in the middle innings gave the Braves a lead that the Indianapolis Indians could not catch up to, as Gwinnett took a 2-1 lead in the series at Gwinnett Braves' Stadium in Lawrenceville, GA. �

CF Andrew McCutchen (photo)�provided the Indians with the firepower in the early innings. �He began the game with a double lined into left field, and moved on to third base when 2B Brian Bixler flied out. �When LF Jeff Salazar grounded out to first base, McCutchen scored. �When the second inning came around, SS Luis Cruz led off with a single, and he scored on McCutchen's home run -- a blast over the left field wall.

Ty Taubenheim's last two starts went very well. �He gave up only one run in 7 innings on May 16th, and one run in 6 innings on May 22nd, both times earning the win. �Tonight was a different story. �He gave up an unearned run in the 1st inning, when 2B JC Holt reached base on a throwing error by Brian Bixler, stole second base, and scored on 1B Barbaro Canizares' single into center field. �That tied the score at 1-1. �

Taubenheim (photo) worked around a lead-off double in the 2nd inning, and then a 2-out single in the 3rd inning, both times keeping the Braves from crossing the plate. �The 4th inning began with the Indians ahead 3-1, but that was when they got to Taubenheim. �SS Brooks Conrad walked to lead off the inning, and he stole second base. �Taubenheim got a fly out and a pop out, then intentionally walked RF Brian Barton. �Then he unintentionally walked pinch-hitter Reid Gorecki to load the bases. �A single lined into center field by CF Gregor Blanco brought in Conrad and Barton to tie the score. �JC Holt also lined a single into center field, and Andrew McCutchen came up throwing. �Gorecki scored the go-ahead run, but Blanco, coming all the way from first base, ran right through his manager's stop sign at third base. �McCutchen's throw went to the cut-off man SS Luis Cruz, and Cruz made a perfect relay throw to C Adam Melhuse. �The throw was well ahead of Blanco, and Melhuse tagged him out at the plate to end the inning. �Braves 4, Indians 3.

Brooks Conrad added one more run off Ty Taubenheim in the 5th inning, with his 7th home run of the season. �Taubenheim exited after the 5th, having thrown 85 pitches (48 strikes). �He was responsible for 5 runs (4 earned), on 6 hits and 3 walks. �He struck out 2 batters.

Steven Jackson relieved Taubenheim as the 6th inning began, but he did not fare much better. �3B Van Pope greeted Taubenheim with a single, and a sacrifice bunt moved Pope to second base. �Jackson walked pinch-hitter Wes Timmons. �Gregor Blanco grounded to second base, and 2B Brian Bixler was charged with his second throwing error when there was a problem with fielding coverage at first base. �That scored Van Pope. �With runners on second and third bases after the error, JC Holt's little infield dribbler went right to 1B Steve Pearce. �Pearce had the ball and was ready to throw to the plate, where he would have had plenty of time to get Timmons out, but Steven Jackson cut in front of Pearce, and Pearce had to hold his throw. �Jackson dropped down into a slide to get out of Pearce's way, but by the time he was out of the way, Pearce's throw was not in time, and Timmons scored. �Two more runs came in when Barbaro Canizares' double off the wall in straight-away center field was just over Andrew McCutchen's leaping reach. �Those 4 runs gave the Braves a 9-3 lead.�

Jason Davis pitched the final two innings for the Indians, and allowed only a single in the 8th, which was easily negated by a double play.

Braves' pitchers James Parr and Boone Logan spent the middle innings keeping the Tribe batters under control. �They faced the minimum over the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings. �The only Indian to reach base was Adam Melhuse, who walked in the 5th inning, but then was erased when Luis Cruz bounced into a double play.

The Indians added a run in the 7th inning. �Steve Pearce converted an 0-2 count to a walk, fouling off a few pitches in the process. �He advanced to second base on a ground out by Garrett Jones and a line drive single by 3B Neil Walker (photo)�put runners on the corners. �Adam Melhuse registered his second RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to score Pearce. �

Andrew McCutchen collected his third hit of the game in the 8th inning, with a one-out single. he stole second base, for his 10th steal of the season. �Jeff Salazar walked, but the Braves ended the minor threat when Steve Pearce struck out. �Three quick outs in the top of the 9th inning ended the game. �

Taubenheim took the loss, which was his fifth of the season. �McCutchen accounted for half of the Indians' hits. �Pearce, Walker, and Cruz had the other three hits, all singles.

Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �Andrew McCutchen's 2-run home run in the 3rd inning. �It was his third homer of the season, and his 17th and 18th RBI. �This was also McCutchen's second 3-hit game in three days. �It boosted his batting average to .293.

Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �The combined efforts of Andrew McCutchen in center field, shortstop Luis Cruz, and catcher Adam Melhuse in the bottom of the 4th inning. �Braves' JC Holt hit an RBI single into center field, scoring the base runner who had been on third base. �When Gregor Blanco, who had been on fir st base, came racing around third base (and through a stop sign) and headed for the plate, McCutchen's throw in to the infield was relayed by Cruz to Melhuse -- an on-target throw and an on-target tag out to end the inning. �

NOTES:

Roster Move:

Chris Barnwell's sore wrist is better, and he was activated from the Disabled List. �

C Miguel Perez�was returned to Altoona, making room for Barnwell on the roster.�

Andrew McCutchen's double and home run kept alive the Tribe's streak of at least one extra-base hit in each game this season. �

Go Tribe!

[Photos by Nancy Zinni -- MVN]