Tag: Chris Leroux

Toledo Mud Hens  6,  Indianapolis Indians  0   (Game 1)
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The Indianapolis Indians began this double header on a down note, as they were held to just one hit at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio.  

Mud Hens' starter Charlie Furbush dominated the Indians' batters through all 7 innings of this game.  He struck out 9 Tribe batters and did not walk any.  The only hit he allowed was by C Jason Jaramillo to lead off the top of the 3rd inning.  Jaramillo did not even reach second base -- he was forced out on a grounder by LF Corey Wimberly.  Wimberly was the only other Indian to reach base, when he was safe at first on a fielding error by 3B Danny Worth in the 6th.  

The Mud Hens got to Tribe starter Brad Lincoln early in the game.  In the bottom of the 1st, lead-off batter CF Andy Dirks began the inning with a double down the left field line.  2B Scott Sizemore was hit by a pitch, and LF Timo Perez moved both along one base with a sacrifice bunt.  DH Scott Thorman brought in Dirks with an RBI single, and 1B Ryan Strieby drove in both Sizemore and Thorman with an RBI double into center field.  

Lincoln retired the side in order in the 2nd inning, but the Mud Hens came back at him in the 3rd.  The inning began with back-to-back singles by Sizemore and Perez.  Lincoln struck out the next two batters, but both base runners stole the next base on the second strikeout.  RF Clete Thomas drove both in with a single up the middle.  Lincoln and the Indians had a bit of better luck, when Jaramillo threw out Thomas as he tried to steal second base, ending the inning.  Toledo picked up one more run in the 4th, with singles by 3B Danny Worth and C Max St. Pierre, then a sacrifice fly by Dirks.  

Lincoln also retired the side in the 5th, and that was all for him for the night.  He had allowed the 6 runs on 8 hits, no walks, and 5 strikeouts.  He threw 86 pitches, with 60 strikes.  Cesar Valdez relieved Lincoln to begin the 6th inning.   He gave up a single to former Indy Indian SS Argenis Diaz in the 6th, but left him on base.  


Indians Hitting Gem of the Game: Well, there was only one hit to choose from -- Jason Jaramillo's (photo) single in the third inning.  

Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game:  In the bottom of the 5th, Corey Wimberly made a diving catch of a line drive in left-center field, off the bat of Scott Thorman.  Both Wimberly and Alex Presley, who was in center field tonight, raced for the ball, but Wimberly cut in front of Presley and made the catch.  

Indianapolis Indians  10,  Louisville Bats  4
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During batting practice today, Indians' SS Pedro Ciriaco (photo)  declared that "tonight is the night".  Then he made good on it, leading the Indians in their win over the Bats at Slugger Field in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ciriaco came into the game with a .059 batting average, with just 2 hits in his first 11 games of the season.  Tonight, he posted the first Indians' run of the game with a single in the 3rd inning.  He singled again in the 6th innings, and nearly picked up an RBI, though 1B Matt Hague was out at the plate.  Then Ciriaco capped the Indians' big 8th inning with a 3-run home run, giving the Tribe a defiinive lead that would carry them to the win.

After yesterday's 13-inning marathon, tonight's game began in much the same way:  two perfect innings by both starters, Sean Gallagher for the Indians and Scott Carroll for the Bats.  Ciriaco was the first base runner of the game when he singled up the middle in the 3rd.   He stole second base, but was left stranded.  Gallagher walked RF Brian Barton and hit C Corky Miller with a pitch to begin the bottom of the 3rd, but when Barton strayed too far off second base, the alert Tribe C Jason Jaramillo picked him off.  Gallagher got out of the inning with a strikeout and a fly out.  

(Photo:  Starter Sean Gallagher)

The Indians got the scoring started in the top of the 4th.  2B Chase d'Arnaud led off the inning with a line drive single into center field.  A ground out by LF Alex Presley moved d'Arnaud to second, and a balk by Carroll pushed d'Arnaud to third.  D'Arnaud scored the first run of the game when Bats' SS Zack Cozart bobbled RF Andrew Lambo's grounder.  Lambo reached second base on a passed ball.  3B Andy Marte nearly had an RBI double with a sharply hit ball down the left field line, but it was ruled a foul ball, and Marte went back to try again.  He worked a walk, to put two Indians' runners on base.  Jaramillo drove both of them in with a line drive that just barely got past Bats' CF Dave Sappelt, and the Indians had a 3-0 lead.

Louisville got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning.  Cozart reached base on an error, when his grounder skipped off the glove of Marte at third.  LF Yonder Alonso walked, and a fly ball gave the Bats runners on the corners.  A wild pitch let Cozart come in to score.  Alonso stole second base then moved to third when 3B Chris Valaika reached base on Ciriaco's fielding error.  Gallagher stopped the rally with two strikeouts, and held the score at 3-1.  The bottom of the 5th began with a single by Miller, which hopped past the diving Ciriaco.  Moments later, Sappelt  brought in Miller with his 2-run homer, to tie the score at 3-3.  

Manager Dean Treanor stands with Dusty Brown, one of only two Indians' runners to reach as far as third base.  






Louisville Bats  3,  Indianapolis Indians  0
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Louisville starter and former major league pitcher Dontrelle Willis (photo) held the Indians to 6 scoreless innings, and his relievers did the same for the remaining 3 innings, as the Indians lost to the Bats at Victory Field tonight.  

Willis allowed 5 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 6 batters in his 6 innings of work.  The Indians had only two base runners reach as far as third base.  In the 2nd inning, C Dusty Brown worked a walk with two outs.  He advanced to third base on RF Gorkys Hernandez's line drive single down the right field line.  Brown got no further, as Willis struck out both 2B Brian Friday and starting pitcher Brad Lincoln to end the inning.  

Willis gave up back-to-back singles in the 4th inning, but the Indians could not capitalize on that either.  1B Matt Hague slapped a grounder that took a goofy hop on the mound.  Willis stabbed at the ball, but he stumbled, then took a tumble (but came up laughing), and Hague was safe at first.  Moments later, Bats' catcher Corky Miller picked Hague off first base, and threw him out trying to reach second base.  3B Josh Harrison also lined a single into right field, then stole both second and third bases.  Two strikeouts left him standing there too.

Dusty Brown is congratulated after his home run







Louisville Bats  10,  Indianapolis Indians  4
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The Louisville Bats started their onslaught with 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning, and never looked back at Victory Field tonight.  The Indians out-hit the Bats 12-11, but the Tribe left 10 of their runners on base, while the Bats left only 6.  One high point for the Tribe was that RF Andrew Lambo and 1B Andy Marte, both of whom had been struggling at the plate, both hit well tonight -- Marte singled twice and drove in a run, while Lambo singled twice, doubled, and brought in a run.

With Sean Gallagher (photo, with C Dusty Brown) on the mound, things got crazy right away in the top of the 1st.  CF Dave Sappelt lined a double into left field to lead off.  Gallagher got a strikeout and a grounder to first, which moved Sappelt to third.  Then he walked 3B Todd Frazier and hit RF Jeremy Hermida with a pitch to load the bases.  C Devin Mesoraco singled into right field, bringing in both Sappelt from third and Frazier from second.  When Lambo threw the ball in from right field to the plate, it came in up the line, and C Dusty Brown had no chance of tagging Frazier.  Instead he tried throwing to second base, in hopes of catching Mesoraco, who was trying to advance on the throw.  But Brown's throw bounced in the dirt and away from SS Chase d'Arnaud for a throwing error, and that let Hermida score too.  Mesoraco remained on second base, but only for a few minutes, because 1B Danny Dorn smacked a 2-run homer over the right field wall, giving the Bats a 5-0 lead.  

The Indians answered back with 2 runs in the bottom of the inning.  Corey Wimberly, who had center field duties tonight, was hit by a pitch on the right foot to begin the frame.  He was forced out at second when d'Arnaud grounded to third, though there was not time for a double play.  LF Alex Presley kept right on hitting, with a grounder up the middle for a single, and the Indians had runners on the corners.  Matt Hague, playing third tonight, lifted a fly into left center, but it was caught with a very nice effort by Bats' LF Yonder Alonso.  Andy Marte slipped a single up the middle just past the diving Bats' shortstop, driving in d'Arnaud from third base.  Andrew Lambo lined a single into left center also, bringing in Presley.  SS Pedro Ciriaco struck out to end the inning, but the Indians had made a dent in the Bats' lead.  

Pitching coach Tom Filer, catcher Wyatt Toregas, and pitcher Justin Wilson









Columbus Clippers  8,  Indianapolis Indians  7
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For the third night in a row, the Indians were down by one run in the bottom of the last inning with at least one runner on base -- and couldn't capitalize.  In addition, it was Pedro Ciriaco who was the last man to bat in each game.  That's not to place the blame for the losses on Ciriaco -- other players had also had opportunities to drive in runs and were not able too.  It's just an odd coincidence that Ciriaco ended the three games with a grounder into a double play, a ground out, and tonight a pop out.  

Like in the first two games, the Clippers were first onto the scoreboard.  Indians' starter Justin Wilson (photo) retired the first 8 batters he faced, including 5 strikeouts, with 4 of those in a row.  He struck out the side in the 2nd inning, then struck out the first batter of the 3rd inning.  Like the first two games, this game featured a diving catch of a low line drive by the Indians' shortstop.  In the first two games, that shortstop was Ciriaco; tonight it was Chase d'Arnaud, who recorded the second out in the 3rd inning.  The Clipper's ninth batter, RF Jerad Head, then rocketed Wilson's 2-1 pitch over the wall in right-center field for a solo homer.  Wilson then walked the next batter, CF Ezequiel Carrera, who promptly stole second base on the first pitch to the SS Cord Phelps.  Phelps slipped a grounder up the middle, just out of reach of d'Arnaud, and Carrera came around to score from second.  A walk to 3B Lonnie Chisenhall prompted a visit by pitching coach Tom Filer (photo above).  After catching his breath, Wilson got a fly out to end the inning.
 
Wilson also had to work around base runners in the 4th inning.  After another strikeout, Wilson gave up an infield single to 1B Jordan Brown.  Brown grounded back to the mound, and the ball tipped off Wilson's glove and over towards short.  SS d'Arnaud had to change his direction, but he got to the ball and made a rushed throw to first.  The throw pulled 1B Matt Hague off base, though it appeared that Brown might have beat the ball to the bag anyway.  DH Wes Hodges also tapped back to the mound, where Wilson whirled and threw to second, forcing out Brown.  But 2B Brian Friday's throw on to first went wide, and Hodges was safe.  C Paul Phillip walked, but then Head grounded to short, and the inning ended on the force out at second base.  

Columbus Clippers  3,  Indianapolis Indians  2

For the second night in a row, a late-inning rally by the Indians fell through, as the Tribe lost to the Clippers at Victory Field tonight.  

This time, the Indians went into the bottom of the 9th trailing the Clippers by one run, and Jensen Lewis on the mound for Columbus.  1B Matt Hague (photo) began the action by taking Lewis' first pitch on a line into left field for a single.  3B Brian Friday followed with another line drive into left field.  Clippers' LF Jordan Brown had the ball back to the infield quickly, so Hague was able to advance only to second base.  Hague was replaced by pinch-runner Josh Harrison.  CF Corey Wimberly dropped down a nearly perfect sacrifice bunt, moving both base runners into scoring position.  Pinch-hitter Andrew Lambo came to the plate in place of C Dusty Brown, and was intentionally walked to load the bases.  But Lewis bore down and struck out LF Gorkys Hernandez, then got SS Pedro Ciriaco to ground out to third base, ending the game with all three runners still in place.  

The Tribe had been able to put at least one runner on base in all but one of Columbus starter Jeanmar Gomez's six innings.  Gomez retired the side in order in the 1st.  Hague picked up the first of his three singles in the 2nd inning, with a liner into center field.  Friday walked, but the two were left on base when a pop out ended the inning.  Brown and Hernandez opened the 3rd inning with back-to-back singles, but when Ciriaco tried to put down a sacrifice bunt, the ball landed too close to the plate.  Former Indy Indian and now the Columbus catcher Luke Carlin pounced on the ball and fired to third base, forcing out Brown.  RF Alex Presley popped up for the second out, but the Indians still had a chance, with runners on first and second.   But Hernandez must have been daydreaming as he led off second base, and Gomez was able to catch him standing well off the base, and a quick run-down (1-4-5) had Hernandez picked off.  

2B Chase d'Arnaud (photo) walked with one out in the 4th inning, stole second, and kept going to third when Carlin's wide throw to second skittered into right-center field.  He was left standing just 90 feet from scoring when a pop up and a ground out ended the inning.  Wimberly led off the 5th with a little bloop that fell in amid three Clippers' fielders.  Wimberly raced to first, but he hesitated ever so slightly as he rounded the bag, and despite his speed, he was not able to beat the throw to second base when SS Cord Phelps picked up the ball in short left field.  

The Tribe finally got to Jeanmar Gomez in the 6th inning.  With one out, Presley beat out a infield single on a ball to deep short, and he stole second base.  After a fly out, d'Arnaud crushed a line drive to the wall in right field for a triple.  Presley scored easily with the first Indians' run.  Hague followed with a shorter liner into right field, and d'Arnaud came home, as Gomez headed for the showers.  Former Indy Indian (2010) Joe Martinez came on in relief, and ended the 6th with a strikeout.  Martinez went on to retire the Tribe in order in the 7th.  

Not exactly prospects, but we have a few more Pirates' pitchers to look at:

Brian Burres  --  L/L,  6' 1",  165 lb
Burres, who will turn 30 years old this week, was the Giants' 31st round pick in the 2000 draft.  He pitched for 5 years in their organization, then three years in the Orioles' organization, making his major league debut in Baltimore in September 2006.  He was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays and pitched for them in 2009, then was signed by the Pirates for the 2010 season.  He was initially assigned to AAA Indianapolis to begin the 2010 season, but at the last minute was called back to Pittsburgh, due to injuries.  He made 7 starts and 3 relief appearances for the Pirates over April and May.  In the relief spots, he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits in 6.2 innings.  He had a couple of good starts, going 5.1 and 7 scoreless innings, but also had some tough starts, allowing 6 runs and 5 runs in two 6-inning starts.  He allowed 22 runs on 38 hits in 35 innings, for a 5.66 ERA. Burres was sent to Indianapolis at the beginning of June, and remained there until the end of August, pitching in the starting rotation.  July was his best month, when he earned a 3.96 ERA and two wins, allowing 16 earned runs on 29 hits in 36.1 innings.  Overall, for his time at AAA, Burres had a 5-4 record and a 4.50 ERA, with 41 earned runs on 75 hits in 82 innings.  His walk and strikeout rates were just ok, with 34 walks (3.7 walks/ 9 innings) and 61 strikeouts (6.7 K/ 9 innings).  He did have one start, on June 12th, when he struck out 8 batters in 5.2 innings.  Burres returned to the Pirates at the end of August, and finished the season there, first making 4 generally difficult relief appearances, then 6 starts.  Those 6 starts were his best pitching of the season, as he allowed 12 earned runs on 31 hits in 34.2 innings, for a 3.12 ERA.  He walked batters at about the same rate for the Pirates (3.9 walks/ 9 innings) and struck out fewer than in AAA (5.1 K/ 9 innings).  Burres was non-tendered by the Pirates at the end of 2010, but was soon signed to a minor league contract.  He was invited to spring training, but was reassigned to minor league camp.  He will begin the 2011 season in the Indians' starting rotation.


Anthony Claggett  --  Bats: Both / Throws: Right;  6' 3",  195 lb
Claggett was a waiver claim by the Pirates in September 2009, coming from the Yankees, who obtained him in a trade with the Tigers.  He pitched in only one game for the Pirates at the end of the 2009 season (one run on 2 hits in one inning).  In 2010, Claggett began the season at AAA, where he pitched entirely in relief.  He struggled in April, allowing 9 runs in 13 innings (6.23 ERA), but had his best month in May, when he allowed just 6 runs on 9 hits in 17.2 innings/ 9 appearances (3.06 ERA).  Unfortunately, he had some tough outings in June, as his ERA soared to 6.60 for the month.  In early July, Claggett was sent to AA Altoona, where he made 12 relief appearances over about 7 weeks.  There he gave up 5 runs on 15 hits in 15 innings, for a 3.00 ERA, and those 5 runs came in just two appearances.  In his last 7 games for the Curve, he did not allow a run in 10 innings.  That earned him a trip back to Indianapolis, where he finished the season.  He pitched well in his first three games back in Indy, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings.  Then he allowed 12 runs in 4.2 innings over his next three appearances, until he finished with one scoreless inning in the last game of the season.  His final stats at Indianapolis:  3-1 record and one save, with a 6.26 ERA, 38 runs and 55 hits in 54.2 innings.  Claggett's strikeout rate was decent:  7.2 K/ 9 innings in Indianapolis and 7.8 K/ 9 innings in Altoona; but his walk rate was up:  3.6 walks / 9 innings in Indy and 3.0 walks/ 9 innings in Altoona.  Claggett was removed from the 40-man roster again over the winter, but cleared waivers and signed a minor league contract for 2011, though he was not invited to major league camp.  The 25-year-old might have been back at AAA, but seems to have been squeezed out by all of the other pitchers who did not make the Opening Day roster, so he will begin 2011 at Altoona.

The Pirates announced two roster moves this afternoon:
RHP Mike Crotta had been not-entirely-officially told that he'd make the major league team.  Now it's official:  Crotta and reliever Garrett Olson are on the Pirates' Opening Day roster. 
That means that reliever Chris Leroux will be assigned to Indianapolis.  Olson, a lefty, will be the only lefty in the bullpen, at least until Scott Olsen is healthy again.  Olson also pitched more effectively in last night's pre-season game against the Phillies.  It was not a good night for Leroux to surrender runs.  

Also, the Pirates have traded INF Jim Negrych to the Marlins, in exchange for minor league catcher Carlos Paulino.  Negrych had asked to be traded if he was not going to be assigned to AAA Indianapolis.  
 
Paulino is a 21-year-old Dominican native, who made his US debut with the Marlins' GCL team in 2008.  He moved up to the short-season A Jamestown team in 2009, and hit well there, though without much power:  .291 average, 11 doubles, one triple, one homer, and 14 RBI in 42 games.  In 2010, Paulino caught 60 games for A level Greensboro, but did not hit well, and still showed no power:  .184 with 10 doubles and 10 RBI.  He made 9 errors and 2 passed balls, and he threw out 33 of 81 batters trying to steal.  He was moved up to A+ Jupiter for 3 games, where he hit an RBI double in 8 at-bats.  Paulino's small size makes it easy to see why he doesn't have a lot of power.  He appears to have been the back-up catcher for his team in the past two seasons, and he's likely to do that again for the Pirates.  The Pirates have a lot of catchers already vying for a spot on the West Virginia and Bradenton teams, so it's not clear where Paulino will be assigned.  

Phillies  8,  Pirates  5

The Pirates' regular starters played the entire game on a chilly night in Philadelphia -- a big change from the weather they'd enjoyed in Florida for the past 6 weeks.  2B Neil Walker provided the offensive boost, reaching base in 4 of his 5 at-bats, with a walk, three singles, and one RBI.  Starter Ross Ohlendorf lasted 4 innings, and allowed 6 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits, one walk, and 3 hit batters.

LF Jose Tabata led off the game with a walk, and Walker followed with a single slipped into right field in the top of the 1st.  1B Lyle Overbay brought both runners in with a double, to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.  The Phillies got one run back in the bottom of the frame, on a pair of singles and a throwing error by C Ryan Doumit.  Ohlendorf began the bottom of the 2nd by surrendering a solo homer to Phillies' Ben Francisco, then loaded the bases with a walk and two hit batters.  A fielding error by SS Ronny Cedeno and a sacrifice fly brought in two more runs for Philadelphia.  The Phillies made it 6-2 in the 4th, when Ohlendorf hit his third batter of the game, and allowed 3 more singles.  

Minor leaguer Mike Dubee, whose father Rich Dubee is the Phillies' pitching coach, pitched a perfect 5th inning for the Pirates.  Chris Leroux started the 6th inning and allowed a walk and a single, then an RBI ground out.  He was relieved by Garrett Olson, who finished the inning with a fly out and a ground out.  Jose Veras threw a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th.  Evan Meek took the bottom of the 8th, and began by giving up two singles, including one to former Pirate/Indy Indian C Erik Kratz.  A fielding error by Walker kept the inning going, and Kratz scored an unearned run on an RBI ground out.  

The Pirates scored again in the top of the 5th.  Pinch-hitter Josh Rodriguez and Tabata both walked to open the inning, and Walker lined into right field, where Francisco misplayed the ball.  Both runners scored and Walker ended up on third base, credited with a single.  CF Andrew McCutchen plated Walker with another single.  

The Indy Indians were scheduled to play the Las Vegas 51's in Dunedin this afternoon -- no word on the results. 

Pirates  5,  Rays  4
The Pirates won on a walk-off error in the bottom of the 9th inning this afternoon in Bradenton.  Pittsburgh had been leading 4-3 going into the top of the 9th, but a solo homer by Rays' John Jaso tied the score, and made reliever Chris Leroux the victim of a Blown Save.  In the bottom of the inning, 2B Josh Rodriguez walked with one out.  A ground out moved Rodriguez to second.  CF Pedro Ciriaco grounded to third for what should have been the final out of the game, but Rays 3B Daniel Mayora made a wild throw to first, and the ball got away,  Ciriaco had been off and running, and he rounded third and scored on the error to give the Pirates the win.
The Rays had scored in the 2nd inning on a solo homer, and also began the 5th inning with a solo homer, both off Pirates' starter Paul Maholm.  After the homer in the 5th, Maholm gave up another run on a double an an RBI single.  Joel Hanrahan pitched two hitless and scoreless innings, working around a fielding error by 1B Lyle Overbay in the 7th.  Leroux was credited with the win.

The Pirates tied the score at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the 3rd.  2B Neil Walker tripled to the wall in center field, then scored on CF Andrew McCutchen's ground out.  When the Rays took a 3-1 lead in the top of the 5th,  LF Jose Tabata got the Pirates a run closer with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning.  The Pirates took a 4-3 lead in the 6th, when McCutchen led off with a walk.  RF Matt Diaz grounded into a force out, replacing McCutchen at first.  Diaz moved to third base on 3B Pedro Alvarez's line drive double, and both Diaz and Alvarez both scored on C Ryan Doumit's single lined into center field.  

Steve Pearce was officially informed that he will begin the season on the Pirates' 25-man active roster.  John Bowker, who had a pinch-hit single in the 7th inning today, is still on the bubble, and his fate will probably be decided by what the Pirates do about their catchers -- two or three catchers on the active roster?


The Indianapolis Indians had a day off today.  They have 6 more spring training games, with their last next Saturday.

Other news:  Former Pirate Nyjer Morgan was traded from the Washington Nationals to the Milwaukee Brewers today. 

Orioles  11,  Pirates  7
The Orioles pounded out 15 hits, including 3 homers, to the Pirates' 8 hits (and 4 home runs) this evening, as the Pirates lost in Sarasota, Florida.  2B Neil Walker took care of half of the hits and half of the homers for the Pirates -- he homered in the 1st inning, singled in the 3rd, homered again in the 6th (both solo homers), and singled in the 8th.  
The Pirates got onto the scoreboard in the top of the 1st, with back-to-back homers by 1B Lyle Overbay (2 runs) and Walker.  Starter Ross Ohlendorf worked around a single in the bottom of the 1st, but gave up two solo homers in the bottom of the 2nd, then an unearned run in the 3rd on an error, a single, and a sacrifice fly.  
The 3-3 tie lasted until the bottom of the 5th, when the Orioles got to Ohlendorf with a 2-run homer, a double, and a walk.  Evan Meek relieved Ohlendorf with two outs and runners on first and second.  The first batter Meek faced, former Indy Indian JJ Hardy, singled in a run, to give the Orioles a 6-3 lead.   The Pirates got one run back with Walker's second homer in the top of the 6th, but the Orioles scored 2 more unearned runs off Meek in the bottom of the frame.  Garrett Olson came in to pitch the 7th inning and allowed 3 more Orioles' runs, with a walk, a double, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI single.  
The Pirates rallied for a run in the 8th, on a lead-off walk by Overbay, and singles by Walker and 3B Pedro Alvarez.   They added another 2 runs in the top of the 9th when SS Josh Rodriguez blasted a 2-run homer.  
Chris Leroux pitched a 1-2-3 8th inning for the Pirates.  Pedro Ciriaco got another two innings in at center field, where he made some outs.  Also in the game:  pinch-hitter Steve Pearce, pinch-hitter/LF John Bowker.


The Indy Indians were scheduled to play a game against the Las Vegas 51's in Bradenton this afternoon.  No results available at this point.  
Last season's 2nd round draft pick Stetson Allie pitched in an intrasquad game at Pirate City this afternoon.  In two innings, he allowed 3 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks.   

Other notes:
The Pirates released, then immediately re-signed OF Austin McClune.  Not sure what that was about.  

Former Pirate pitcher Oliver Perez, who was released by the Mets on Monday, signed a minor league contract with the Nationals yesterday.   

Pirates  3,  Astros  1
Starter Charlie Morton continued to show the Pirates' management that he belongs in the starting rotation with a 6-inning shutout performance today in Kissimmee, Florida.  Morton scattered 4 hits over his 6 innings and did not walk a batter.  He struck out 5 Astros.  C Humberto Quintero had two of those hits -- a single in the 3rd, when he reached as far as third base before being stranded, and a two-out single in the 5th.  Astros' starter Jordan Lyles followed that second single with a line drive into left field, and Quintero raced around the bases.  Pirates' LF Josh Fields got the ball back into the infield quickly, and Quintero was caught in a run-down and tagged out by C Ryan Doumit.  Evan Meek and Chris Leroux each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.  Neither gave up a hit, but both worked around base runners who got on due to fielding errors.   SS Benji Gonzalez had a tough afternoon, with a fielding error in the 7th, back-to-back fielding errors in the 8th, then another fielding error in the 9th that lead to an unearned run.  With Mike Crotta on the mound in the 9th, the error, a single, and a walk loaded the bases, and a sacrifice fly drove in the Astros' only run.  Crotta has not allowed an earned run in his previous 6 appearances (8.1 innings).  

SS Ronny Cedeno provided the Pirates with their first 2 runs, on a 2nd-inning home run that followed Josh Fields' double.  Ryan Doumit picked up the RBI in the 3rd inning with a triple into left field, driving in 1B Andy Marte, who had singled.  Steve Pearce, who started at third base today, singled twice in the game.  CF Pedro Ciriaco, 2B Corey Wimberly, RF Cole White, 1B Garrett Atkins, and pinch-hitter Josh Rodriguez also got into the game.  

More roster moves are expected on Monday, as the Pirates head into the final full week of spring training.