The World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 tournament started this weekend, with round-robin group play that has Team USA in action down in Mexico.
Representing Team...
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...
2B Ray Chang was the hero in the Hillcats late morning/early afternoon game today. �With the 'Cats behind 5-4 going into the bottom of the 8th inning, and one out, C Kris Watts started the rally by slipping a single into right field. �After another out CF Marcus Davis walked, and the Keys changed pitchers. �Chang greeted the new reliever witha �single into center field, scoring both Watts and Davis with the tying and go-ahead runs.
That left Hillcats' reliever RJ Rodriguez to hold the Keys off in the top of the 9th, which he did by retiring three batters in order. �Chris Cullen took the win, since he was the pitcher of record during the bottom of the 8th. �Cullen had finished the 7th and then pitched the top of the 8th, allowing only a walk and then promptly erasing that batter with a double play ball. �
The Hillcats had started the scoring in the 2nd inning. �RF Miles Durham walked to lead off the inning. �Watts singled, and both runners advanced on DH Kent Sakamoto's sacrifice bunt. �Davis was hit by a pitch to load the bases, with only one out. �Chang grounded to third base, and it looked like an inning-ending double play ball. �Davis was forced out at second, but the throw by the second baseman went wild, allowing both Durham and Watts to score. �They added two more runs in the bottom of the 7th, on a two-out single by LF Alex Presley, accompanied by a throwing error that let Presley move on to second base. �SS Jordy Mercer walked, and 3B Pedro Alvarez's RBI single into center field, along with another throwing error, brought in both�Presley and Mercer (only one RBI for Alvarez). �
Lynchburg starter Ronald Uviedo pitched 5 scoreless innings, allowing only 2 hits, no walks, and striking out 5 Keys. �His ERA now stands at 1.20.��Harrison Bishop was charged with all 5 of the Keys' runs, though only 3 of them were earned. �He gave up a run in the 6th, on a walk, a stolen base, and a single. �In the 7th, fielding errors by 3B Pedro Alvarez and RF Miles Durham helped out the Keys, who also worked a walk and had four singles, to score 4 more runs. ���
The Curve evened up this series at one game apiece, as they traded the lead back and forth with the R-Phils. �Brad Lincoln got the start for the Curve. �He gave up a run on two doubles in the 3rd inning, but otherwise breezed along until the 5th inning. �Two singles, a throwing error by 3B Pedro Lopez, and a double scored two more runs in the 5th. �Lincoln gave up a total of 7 hits but no walks, and struck out 2 batters. �
The Curve tied it up with 2 runs of their own in the 4th and another in the 5th. �2B Jim Negrych led off with a walk, and CF Jose Tabata doubled. �LF Jason Delaney picked up an RBI with a ground out, and Pedro Lopez also got an RBI with a sacrifice fly. �Jonel Pacheco came in to pinch hit for Lincoln, and his solo homer tied the score. �Score tied 3-3.
Jeff Sues took the mound to begin the 6th, and he gave up an unearned run, without benefit of a hit: a walk, a fielding error by SS Anderson Machado�(who had not gotten much playing time with the Indy Indians and just today reported to Altoona), a wild pitch, and a ground out. �The Curve came right back in the bottom of the inning, as Pedro Lopez singled, and scored on DH Jamie Romak's RBI double, and the score was tied again at 4-4. �One inning later, Anderson Machado worked a two-out walk, stole second base, and scored on Jim Negrych's RBI double, giving the Curve a one-run lead. �
Sues pitched a one-two-three 7th inning, then turned it over to�Lincoln Holdzkom. �Holdzkom retired three batters in order in the 8th, and Jean Machi set them down in order in the 9th. �Sues took the win, and Machi earned a save. �
The Power started off strong, scoring 4 runs on 7 hits in the first three innings of tonight's game. �CF Robbie Grossman led off by reaching base on a fielding error, and then stealing second base. �3B�Bobby Spain homered over right center field, to give the Power a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st inning. �1B�Calvin Anderson also doubled in the first inning, but was left on base. �SS�Greg Picart and 2B�Adenson Chourio both singled in the 2nd inning, though didn't come around to score. �Grossman led off the 3rd inning with a double, and scored on another double by Spain. �DH�Erik Huber's RBI single plated Spain, and the Power were assisted by two errors in the inning. �
Then the power went out. �The Power batters were retired in order for the entire rest of the game. �In fact, in the next three innings, it went like this: �ground out, ground out, strikeout. �The 7th inning saw
three strikeouts. �The 8th and 9th included a
couple of fly outs and a pop out in addition to the ground outs and strikeouts.
Or maybe it was that the power got shifted to the other dugout, because when the Power stopped, the Hot Rods got going. �Power starter Gabriel Alvarado gave up only a walk in the first two innings. �Then the Hot Rods scored in 5 consecutive innings. �One run in the 3rd on a double and a single. �Two runs in the 4th on a homer, a hit batter, and a double. �Another run in the 5th on a double and two ground outs. �Owen Brolsma relieved Alvarado to end the 5th , but then gave up 3 runs in the 6th on a walk, two singles, and a double. �Four runs came across in the 7th inning, courtesy of a double, a fielding error, a balk, a walk, a wild pitch, another walk, and a triple, off Brolsma and Yoffri Martinez. �Finally Eduardo Pena put the Hot Rods down in order in the 8th inning -- but the damage was well beyond done. �
2B Jim Negrych went 3-for-4 at the plate for the Curve, raising his average to .333, but he couldn't keep the Curve scoring, as they lost the series opener to Reading.
Starter Tony Watson got into trouble in the first inning, when two runs scored on a single, a triple, and another single.
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.
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. �
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.
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. �
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.
