Tag: Derek Hankins

Syracuse Chiefs� 8,� Indianapolis Indians� 6 (box)

A 4-run 7th inning put the game into the Chiefs' pocket at Alliance Bank Stadium in Syracuse tonight, as the Indians' pitchers struggled.� The Indians' batters posted 9 hits, with two each for 3B Jim Negrych (photo), 1B Jeff Clement, and LF Jonathan Van Every.

Jim Negrych got the game started with a double into left field.� A sacrifice bunt by 2B Doug Bernier moved Negrych to third.� CF Alex Presley grounded to short, where the Chiefs' SS Seth Bynum made his first fielding error of the game (out of a total of three).� That let Negrych score, and when Presley reached first and headed for second base,� 2B Chase Lambin missed the catch, and Presley was safe there.� Walks to Jeff Clement and Jonathan Van Every loaded the bases, but a fly out ended the inning.

Brad Lincoln made the start for the Indians.� He zipped through the first inning, but trouble found him in the 2nd.� 1B Jason Botts started off with a single, and after a strikeout by Seth Bynum, RF Pete Orr also singled.� The bases were loaded when former Indy Indian 3B Luis Ordaz grounded to second but Jeff Clement missed the catch at first.� Another former Indian, C Carlos Maldonado lined a double into center field, which cleared the bases and gave the Chiefs a 3-1 lead.� The Chiefs added another run in the 3rd inning, when CF Justin Maxwell doubled, moved to third on Chase Lambin's sacrifice bunt, and scored on Jason Botts' sacrifice fly.

The Indians got one of those runs back in the 3rd inning.� Alex Presley singled up the middle, and he raced to third base when Jeff Clement lined into right field for another single.� Jonathan Van Every also singled up the middle, allowing Presley to score.

Seth Bynum's jinx haunted him again in the 4th.� SS Argenis Diaz grounded to Bynum, who made his second fielding error of the game.� Diaz stole second base, then scored when Jim Negrych lined into center field.� That put the Indians just one run behind, 4-3.

Brad Lincoln (photo) started the rally that tied the game in the top of the 6th.� Lincoln doubled into center field, and Jim Negrych followed with a walk.� A wild pitch moved both runners up one base, and Alex Presley was intentionally walked, loading the bases.� That brought up RF Brandon Moss, who has been hitting well lately (6 hits and 9 RBI in his previous four games).� Moss grounded to short, where the unfortunate Seth Bynum made his third fielding error of the game.� Everyone was safe, and Lincoln scored the tying run.

Indianapolis Indians� 7,� Syracuse Chiefs� 5 (box)

The trio of 1B Jeff Clement (photo), CF Alex Presley, and RF Brandon Moss had 7 of the Indians' 8 hits in tonight's game at Alliance Bank Stadium in Syracuse, New York, as the Indians held on to defeat the Chiefs.� Derek Hankins made his AAA debut, and earned his first AAA win with a very short one-third-of-an-inning appearance.

The Indians got the game off on the right foot, with a big blast in the top of the 1st.� 2B Brian Friday led off with a walk, and 3B Aki Iwamura singled back to the mound.� But Iwamura collided with one of the Chiefs, and had to be removed from the game, with Doug Bernier taking his place at third base.� CF Alex Presley loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch, which brought up the hot-hitting Moss.� Moss took a 1-0 pitch over the right-center field wall for a grand slam, and the Indians had an instant 4-0 lead, before an out had been recorded in the game.� Jeff Clement singled after the homer, and he was sacrifice bunted to third base by LF Jim Negrych, but two strikeouts ended the inning.� No further word at this point about Iwamura's condition.��� [UPDATE: Iwamura went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion; he'll be out for at least a few days]

Mike Crotta was the Tribe starter who was the beneficiary of a 4-run cushion before he even took the mound.� Crotta (photo below) breezed through the first two innings, allowing just one hit, a single to 3B Pete Orr in the bottom of the 1st.� He gave up an unearned run in the 3rd inning.� Former Indy Indian C Carlos Maldonado walked, then reached third base when Washington Nationals' rehabbing pitcher Jason Marquis reached base on a throwing error� by C Luke Carlin on his bunt attempt.� CF Boomer Whiting bounced into a double play, and Maldonado scored from third on the play.

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The Chiefs got within one run of the Indians in the 5th inning.� RF Kevin Mench led off with a bloopy hit over the head of Doug Bernier at third, dropping into left field.� LF Leonard Davis took Crotta's 1-0 pitch over the right field wall for a 2-run home run.� Indians 4, Chiefs 3.

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Jason Marquis held the Indians to just one hit over the next 4 innings.� That was a single by Brandon Moss in the 3rd inning.� Moss was immediately erased, though, when Jeff Clement bounced into a double play.� Marquis was relieved by Jason Jones to begin the 6th inning, and the Indians promptly got going.� Alex Presley slipped a single past Orr at third base, who was playing in a little too far.� Presley stole second base, and when Jeff Clement singled through the right side of the infield, Presley raced for the plate.� He slid in just before the throw came in to Maldonado from Kevin Mench in right field.

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Two early games on Wednesday, plus a few more in the evening:

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Altoona Curve� 6,� Erie SeaWolves� 3 (box)

The Curve and the SeaWolves played early and scored early this afternoon.� All the scoring was done by the middle of the 3rd inning.� The Curve began the game with 4 runs in the top of the 1st.� SS Chase d'Arnaud went 3-for-4 in the game, and he opened the game by beating out an infield single to short.� He then stole his 19th and 20th bases of the season, then scored from third on 2B Jordy Mercer's sacrifice fly.�� 1B Matt Hague followed with a solo home run over the left-center field wall.� C Hector Gimenez, who had missed a few games due to illness, walked after the homer, and he scored when RF Miles Durham hit the second home run of the inning over the left field wall.

Erie came right back in the bottom of the inning, scoring 2 runs after 2 outs had been recorded.� After a hit batter and a walk, a grounder to third should have been the end of the inning, but a throwing error by 3B Jose De Los Santos resulted in two runs scoring.

Erie did more 2-out scoring in the 2nd inning, and it was even more costly for the Curve.� OF Gorkys Hernandez is already out for the rest of the season with a broken right ring finger, and now another key player, 2B Jordy Mercer, had to be removed from the game after being injured on a play.� With two outs in the 2nd, a pop up into short left field was "deflected" by Mercer, and fell in for a double as Mercer had to leave the game.� Much defensive shuffling ensued -- De Los Santos moved to second base, Josh Harrison came in to play third base, Brandon Jones moved from DH to right field, Miles Durham moved to center field, Anthony Norman came out of the game, and pitcher Justin Wilson had to move into the batting order with no more DH.� After all the rearranging, Erie got two back-to-back singles, scoring a run.

The Curve were still up by one run, but they added some insurance in the top of the 3rd.� Matt Hague doubled and Hector Gimenez singled then stole second base, giving the Curve two runners in scoring position.� Miles Durham's sacrifice fly plated Hague, then Brandon Jones doubled, bringing in Durham.

That was all the scoring.� The Curve collected only two more hits in the rest of the game -- Chase d'Arnaud singled to begin the 4th and moved to second base on a wild pitch, but was left there; LF Yung Chi Chen singled in the 8th, but was forced out at second.� The 8th inning was the closest the Curve came to scoring again.� After Chen was forced out on Jose De Los Santos' grounder, walks to d'Arnaud and Josh Harrison loaded the bases, but relief pitcher Tom Boleska, in what was probably his first pro at-bat, struck out to end the inning.

Starter Justin Wilson pitched 6 innings and allowed the 3 runs, only one of which was earned.� He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks, with 4 strikeouts.� After the 2nd inning, he gave up only a walk and two hits in the rest of his outing.� Tom Boleska had much better luck on the mound than he did at the plate.� He pitched 3 scoreless and hitless innings, striking out 3 batters.� He allowed only a walk, and immediately erased that runner with a double play to end the game.

Altoona's RHP Derek Hankins has been promoted to AAA Indianapolis today.� He will join the Indians in Syracuse.� Hankins has made 6 starts and 20 relief appearances for the Curve this season and has earned a 5-3 record with 5 saves, and a 1.82 ERA.� Opposing batters have been hitting .215 against Hankins, who has allowed 58 hits in 79 innings of work, with 27 walks and 48 strikeouts.� To make room for Hankins, reliever Brian Bass will be assigned to Altoona, though this might be on paper only.

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Looking in on the Pirates' minor league affiliates on Tuesday... the State College Spikes have a scheduled day off.

Hagerstown Suns� 5,� West Virginia Power� 4 (box)

A single, a double, and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th gave the Suns the extra-inning win over the Power this afternoon.� The Power were held to 6 hits and scored all 4 of their runs in one inning, the 5th.� 3B Jesus Brito led off the inning with a single, and CF Evan Chambers was hit by a pitch.� Both scored on DH Jose Hernandez's line drive double into center field.� 1B Aaron Baker brought in Hernandez with his 16th home run of the season, and the Power had their 4 runs.

Baker was the only Power batter who had more than one run in the game.� Besides the home run, he also singled in the 4th, but was forced out at second base.� SS Benji Gonzalez singled to lead off the 3rd inning, but was left on base. LF Rogelios Noris doubled to lead off the 6th.� Both RF David Rubinstein and� Noris were hit by pitches (back-to-back) in the 2nd inning.� Both C Ramon Cabrera and Chambers reached base two throwing errors in the 9th.� All four of them were left on base.

Jason Erickson pitched into the 7th inning for the Power, but he did not figure into the decision.� He gave up a run in the 3rd inning on a double, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI single.� LF Noris prevented another run from scoring on a single, when he made a perfect throw in from left field to the plate, with Cabrera making the tag at the plate. Erickson gave up lone singles in the 4th and 5th, then gave up a solo home run in the 6th inning.

The Suns tied the score in the 7th inning.� With two outs, Erickson gave up a bunt single, a stolen base, and a walk.� Justin Ennis relieved Erickson, but the first batter he faced doubled into left field, scoring both base runners, to tie the game at 4-4.� Ennis gave up a single and a walk in the 8th, but did not let either runner score.� Zach Foster took over for the 9th, and retired the side in order then, but he suffered the loss when he gave up the run in the 10th.� The Power had two base runners on in the 8th (two errors) but they did not score either.

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Sunday afternoon and evening with the Pirates' minor league affiliates.....as usual, the GCL Pirates are off today.� The West Virginia Power and the Hagerstown Suns apparently did not have any sun, and their game was postponed.� They will try for two on Monday.

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Altoona Curve 6,� Trenton Thunder� 4 (box)

The Thunder thundered early, but the Curve stormed back with 6 runs in the 5th inning for the win.� C Kris Watts and LF/CF Anthony Norman each went 2-for-3, and Norman picked up 2 RBI.�� Starter Tony Watson lasted only 3 innings, and he gave up runs in each of those innings.� A hit batter and an RBI single gave Trenton one run in the 1st inning.� A lead off� home run began the 2nd inning, then a single, a ground-rule double, and a sacrifice fly added 2 more runs in the 2nd.� Another lead-off home run in the 3rd gave the Thunder a 4-0 lead.� Jared Hughes relieved Watson and pitched 5 scoreless innings, scattering 3 hits and 2 walks.� He was credited with the win, since he was the pitcher of record when the Curve took the lead.� Derek Hankins gave up a triple in the 9th, but left that runner stranded to earn his 5th save.

The Curve had posted only 2 hits over the first four innings.� Then came the fireworks in the 5th, when the Curve sent 10 batters to the plate.� DH Brandon Jones opened the inning with a walk, then singles by RF Miles Durham and Watts loaded the bases.� Norman bounced a ground-rule double over the wall in right field, scoring Jones and Durham.� 3B Josh Harrison singled, bringing in Watts.� Norman scored on a throwing error when the Thunder tried to pick-off Harrison.� The Thunder got two outs at that point, 1B Matt Hague singled, plating Harrison.� Hague stole second base, and scored on 2B Jordy Mercer's RBI single.� The Curve had only one hit in the rest of the game, a single by Norman, who was then caught stealing second base.

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Trenton Thunder� 8,� Altoona Curve� 3 (box)

The Curve stretched their losing streak to 5 games tonight while reliever Mike Colla struggled in his AA debut.� Derek Hankins made the start for the Curve, but didn't get out of the 4th inning.� He gave up a run in the 1st on a hit batter, a stolen base, a ground out, and an RBI single.� A fielding error and a double gave Trenton a second run in the 3rd inning, and a single and a double added run #3 in the 4th.� Colla relieved Hankins and got a strikeout to end that inning, but a solo homer, a double, two singles, and a passed ball gave Trenton 3 more runs in the 5th.� Colla came back out to begin the 6th, but that inning went no better.� A single, a walk, and a hit batter loaded the bases, and a single drove in two runs.

The Curve batters were also getting on base, in every inning but the 6th and 7th, but they were not coming around to score as often as the Thunder were.� They got onto the scoreboard in the 4th, when 3B Josh Harrison singled and stole second, then moved to third on a wild pitch.� 2B Jordy Mercer's single brought Harrison in to score, but Mercer was erased on a double play.� They came up with 2 more runs in the bottom of the 8th, when RF Miles Durham led off with a single.� SS Chase d'Arnaud walked, and Harrison plated both of them with a double into center field.

Harrison, Mercer, and Durham had 2 hits each, and C Hector Gimenez and LF Anthony Norman each had one hit.� Hankins was charged with the loss, his 2nd of the season.� Reliever Mike Dubee relieved Colla to finish the 6th with a double play.� Dubee gave up a single to lead off the 7th, but the runner was thrown out by Miles Durham when he tried to stretch it into a double.� Dubee had a batter reach on a fielding error by Mercer in the 8th, and he walked a batter in the 9th, but both of those runners were also erased with double plays.

Monday's action with the Pirates' lower minor league affiliates.� The West Virginia Power have a a scheduled day off.

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GCL Pirates� 11,� GCL Braves� 3 (box)

The Pirates got in on the recent hit-o-rama fun the minor league teams have been having.� This afternoon, the Pirates collected 20 hits on their way to 11 runs.� 2B Kevin Mort went 5-for-5, all singles.� SS Jorge Bishop had 4 hits, including a double, and 2 RBI.� 1B Michaelangel Trinidad had 4 hits, two of which were home runs, and he knocked in 7 of the Pirates' 11 runs.

The fun started with 5 runs in the 2nd inning.� Trinidad's first homer was for 2 runs after Mort's first single, and it was followed by a walk to CF Chih-Wei Hsu and three doubles, by 3B Eric Avila, Bishop, and LF Exicardo Cayonez, for 3 more runs.� Trinidad blasted another 2-run homer in the 3rd inning, following another one of Mort's singles.� Bishop led off the 4th with a single, and he scored on two more singles, by RF Gregory Polanco and Mort.

Polanco, Mort, and Trinidad hit three consecutive singles in the 6th to add another run.� The Pirates' final two runs came in the 7th, on singles by Cayonez, C Elias Diaz, and Mort, with a 2-RBI double by Trinidad.

Vincent Payne pitched 4 innings in his 5th start for the Pirates.� He scattered 3 hits, and only one counted -- a solo home run in the 4th inning.� He did not walk anyone, and he struck out 2 batters.� Bryton Trepagnier made his second pro appearance and earned his first win.� He gave up a single to the first batter he faced, but erased him with a double play, and retired the rest of the batters he faced in two innings.� Joan Montero also gave up a single and erased the runner with a double play in the 7th.� He also gave up two runs (one earned) on a single, a walk, a passed ball,� a wild pitch, and an RBI ground out in the 8th inning.� Dinesh Patel pitched a scoreless 9th inning, allowing only a single.

Saturday with the Pirates' lower minor league teams...

Altoona Curve� 18,� Harrisburg Senators� 15 (box)

The booming you might have heard was thunder, and it came from the ballpark in Harrisburg.� These two teams combined for 34 hits and 33 runs, and 20 of the hits belonged to the Curve.� Every non-pitcher in the starting line-up had at least two hits, except LF Yung Chi Chen, who had only one hit and one RBI and walked once. Five different Curve batters homered in the game.

It was not a good night for ERA's.� Starter Bryan Morris gave up 2 runs in the 1st (walk, walk, 2-RBI double) and 2 more in the 3rd (2-run homer).� He gave up a run on a double and a single in the 5th, then loaded the bases with two walks.� Morris was relieved by Dustin Molleken, who immediately threw a wild pitch to bring in the runner from third base (charged to Morris).� Morris was responsible for 6 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks, in 4.2 innings.

Molleken retired the side in order in the 6th.� Mike Dubee came out to pitch the 7th, and he got into trouble quickly.� A single, a stolen base, a double, a walk, a single, another double -- 4 runs in, and Molleken out.� Anthony Claggett relieved Dubee, but gave up a single, and the 5th run of the inning scored (charged to Dubee).� Claggett began the 8th with two singles and a double, then an RBI ground out, bringing in two more runs.� After a walk, Ramon Aguero replaced Claggett, but a sacrifice fly brought in the runner from third base (charged to Claggett).� That made 14 runs for the Senators,� and a 14 - 8 lead.

The Curve batters had been scoring, just not as prolifically as the Senators.� They threatened in the 2nd inning, loading the baes on a single to C Hector Gimenez and walks to RF Miles Durham and Chen, but Morris struck out to end the inning.� Gimenez doubled in the 4th, and scored on Chen's single, putting the Curve on the scoreboard with a 4-1 score.

In the 5th, the Curve tied the score.� SS Chase d'Arnaud was hit by a pitch, and CF Gorkys Hernandez reached base on a throwing error.� 3B Jordy Mercer brought both d'Arnaud and Hernandez in with a double into right field, and Mercer scored on Gimenez's RBI single.� The 4-4 tie did not last long, as the Senators scored two more runs in the bottom of the 5th.� Then the Curve took the lead in the top of the 7th.� 3B Josh Harrison led off with a single, but was forced out at second when 1B Matt Hague grounded into a force play.� Mercer bounced back to the mound, and the Senators tried to turn a double play, but missed something at second, since Hague was safe but Mercer was out at first.� Gimenez walked, then Durham greeted the new Senators' reliever with a booming 3-run homer, to give the Curve a 7-6 lead.� That lead didn't last any longer than the tie did.� Harrisburg scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 7th, to take an 11-7 lead.

LF Anthony Norman, who had entered the game in a double-switch, homered to lead off the 8th inning, but the Senators scored another 3 runs in the bottom of the frame, to push their lead to 14-8.

Then the top of the 9th, and the Curve exploded.� Fifteen batters came to the plate, as the Curve piled on 10 runs.� Mercer walked, and Gimenez homered (runs #1, 2).� Durham walked and pinch-hitter Brandon Jones homered (3, 4).� Norman reached on a fielding error, and d'Arnaud, Hernandez, and Harrison all singled, plating Norman and d'Arnaud (5,6).� Hague homered for 3 runs (7, 8, 9).� It was a controversial call by the umpires, as Hague's blast down the left field line was ruled fair -- even the Curve radio broadcaster, Dan Zangrilli, said that the ball was foul.� Both the Harrisburg pitcher and manager were ejected arguing the call.� Once things settled down, Mercer singled.� Oh, and did I mention that no outs had been recorded yet?� Gimenez made the first out of the inning at that point, on a strikeout.� Durham doubled in Mercer (10), then Jones also struck out.� Norman walked, and then d'Arnaud flied out to (finally) end the inning.

The Senators did score one more run in the bottom of the 9th, as Derek Hankins gave up a double, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly, but it was way too little, too late.

The Curve set some records -- highest scoring game (33 runs) in Curve history, most runs given up in a game (15), longest 9-inning game (4 hours, 33 minutes), most number of runs in one inning (10).� Their 20 hits in the game was one hit short of the team record.

Friday evening's news....

Altoona Curve� 3,� Harrisburg Senator� 0 (box)

Three Curve pitchers combined for a shutout, as starter Jeff Locke earned the win in his Curve debut.� Locke pitched 5 scoreless innings and struck out 5 batters.� He scattered 4 hits, and did not allow a walk.� Tony Watson relieved Locke to begin the 6th.� Watson allowed only one hit and one walk, both in the 6th inning, then retired the side in the 7th and 8th.� Derek Hankins earned his 4th save with a scoreless 9th, as he worked around a lead-off double.

The pitching trio got their first bit of run support before Locke even took the mound.� SS Chase d'Arnaud began the game with a double into center field.� CF Gorkys Hernandez followed with a single up the middle, driving in d'Arnaud.� Hernandez stole second and reached third on a ground out, but was left stranded.� The Curve scored again in the 3rd.� D'Arnaud walked, and his base running blunder was erased by an error by the Harrisburg first baseman.� D'Arnaud was picked off first base and caught stealing, but when the first baseman missed the catch for an error, d'Arnaud advanced to second safely.� 2B Josh Harrison lined a single into right field, and d'Arnaud scored.

One more run scored in the 7th.� Back-to-back singles by RF Miles Durham and LF Brandon Jones put two runners on base, and Tony Watson's sacrifice bunt moved them both into scoring position.� A wild pitch let Durham race home from third with the Curve's final run.

International League� 2,� Pacific Coast League 1 (box)

The best part of the AAA All-Star Game for Erik Kratz (photo) did not happen between the lines at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania.� Kratz was the starting catcher for the International League.� He caught the first 4 innings, and batting 8th in the lineup, he had one at-bat -- a fly out to center on a 0-1 pitch.� He was removed from the game at the end of the 4th, and was told that it was because he'd been hit in the mask with a foul ball.� Kratz was puzzled by that -- like all catchers, he gets hit in the mask on a fairly regular basis, so what was the big deal?� He wanted to stay in the game for maybe another inning, get another turn at the plate.

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Then Indy Indians' manager Frank Kremblas, who was on the IL coaching staff, talked to Kratz in the dugout. "You only had one more inning anyway.� Would you rather go up to the big leagues, or go back in the game?"

Kratz was stunned, and said that at first, he thought that Kremblas was fooling with him.� Nope.� This was real.�� For the first time in his career, at age 30, Kratz has been called up to the big leagues, to join the Pirates as their back-up catcher.� Kratz was interviewed moments later by the MLB network commentators, Mitch Williams and Matt Province, both of whom the soft-spoken Kratz persisted in calling "sir".� By the time Williams and Province finished congratulating him, Kratz was too choked up to speak at all and nearly in tears of joy.� Williams and Province told him to take off the headset and go call his wife -- who was in the stands with the rest of� his family, since Kratz grew up in eastern Pennsylvania� less than an hour away from� Allentown.

Back to the game..... (hit 'read more')

Thursdays' action in the Pirates lower minor league organization:

Binghamton Mets �4, �Altoona Curve �3 (box)

It only took two innings to get all the scoring done in this game, as Bryan Morris suffered his 4th loss with the Curve in what will be his last start before the All-Star break and his participation in the Futures Game. �Morris didn't get past the 2nd inning, as he gave up all 4 Mets' runs on 6 hits. �Morris got the first batter he faced to ground out, but then immediately got into trouble with a single and a ground-rule double, putting two runners in scoring position. �A ground out allowed the runner from third base to score. �A hit batter put runners on the corners, and two singles followed, with a second run scoring. �Morris struck out the last batter of the 1st inning and the first batter of the 2nd inning. �Then he gave up a solo home run, and the Mets had a 4-0 lead. �A walk, a single, and a wild pitch followed the home run, but Morris was able to leave them on base as the inning ended. �I suspect he had run into problems with his pitch count as well, because Derek Hankins came out to pitch the 3rd inning.

The Curve batters came back with 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the 2nd. �2B Jordy Mercer led off with a line drive double, and he scored when 1B Miles Durham and LF Anthony Norman hit back-to-back singles. �Bryan Morris sacrifice bunted Durham and Norman into scoring position, and both of them scored on SS Chase d'Arnaud's RBI single. �The Curve were behind by just one run, 4-3.

But the Curve couldn't erase that narrow margin. �They put runners on base in all but one of the remaining innings, but none of them could come around to score. �Nine base runners were left stranded. �Two runners were left on base in the 3rd, when 3B Josh Harrison singled and RF Brandon Jones walked. �Mercer doubled again in the 6th, and Norman walked, again leaving two runners on. �In the top of the 9th, the Curve's final effort, CF Gorkys Hernandez singled with two outs, but a fly out ended the game.

Derek Hankins pitched 6 scoreless innings after Morris hit the showers. �He retired the first 6 batters he faced in order, including striking out the side in the 4th. �He hit a batter in the 5th, but immediately erased him with a double play. �Another double play got Hankins out of a walk-and-single jam in the 7th. �Anthony Claggett pitched the final inning. �He gave up a single, but that runner was thrown out trying to steal second base.

Roster moves: �Relief pitcher Duke Welker has been promoted from West Virginia to the Bradenton Marauders. �Welker had made 20 relief appearances for the Power, earning a 1-1 record and 5 saves, with a 3.63 ERA. �In 22.1 in innings, Welker gave up 16 hits, 14 runs (9 earned), with 24 walks and 25 strikeouts. �Opponents hit .198 against him.

The Pirates have signed INF�Yung Chi Chen to a minor league contract and assigned him to Altoona. �Chen had been playing for the AA Midland RockHounds (A's), but was released in early June. �He had been hitting .168 for Midland, with 5 doubles and 9 RBI in 28 games. �The Taiwan native has been a member of the Taiwan National Team, and was signed by the Mariners in 2004. �He played for AAA Tacoma in 2007 for just a few games before being sidelined with a shoulder injury, and in 69 games in 2008, when he hit .249. �Chen was claimed off waivers by the A's in late 2008. �He split the 2009 season between AAA Sacramento (where he hit .283 with one homer and 8 RBI in 27 games), AA Midland (.324 and 10 RBI in 17 games) and the Arizona League A's (.346 with one homer and 8 RBI in 8 games). �Chen appeared in his first game for the Curve on June 30th, when he went 0-for3 with 2 strikeouts.

Thursday's action:

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Altoona Curve �7, �Reading Phillies �1 (box)

Tim Alderson earned his 7th win for the Curve, and he contributed to the offense too, with a 2-run homer. �It was not the first homer of Alderson's career, though. �He hit one last year for the Curve and another, also last season, while pitching for Connecticut, while he was still in the Giants' organization.

Alderson got into some trouble right away in the 1st inning, when he gave up what would turn out to be the R-Phils' only run on a 2-out double and a single. �Then Alderson settled down, scattering a two more hits and two walks over the next 5 innings. �He retired the last 7 batters he faced in order.

After allowing that run in the bottom of the 1st, Alderson took care of the problem himself in the top of the 2nd. �LF Brandon Jones singled, and Alderson gave the Curve a 2-1 lead with his 2-run homer over the left field wall. �The Curve added 4 more runs in the 5th inning. �With one out, 2B Josh Harrison and 1B Matt Hague hit back-to-back singles. �3B Jordy Mercer's grounder to first forced out Hague at second, but the R-Phils could not turn it into a double play to end the inning. �Instead, they gave C Hector Gimenez a chance, and he took it -- a double into center field, scoring both Harrison from third and Mercer all the way from first. �Jones singled, bringing in Gimenez, and a fielding error in center field allowed Jones to advance to second base. �That gave him the opportunity to score on RF Miles Durham's RBI single.

The next 11 Curve batters went down in order, until CF Gorkys Hernandez singled with one out in the 9th. �A passed ball let Hernandez move up to second base, and he scored on Hague's RBI single. �Mercer also singled and Gimenez walked to load the bases, but a ground out ended the inning before the Curve could add to their run tally.

Derek Hankins earned his 3rd save for the Curve with 3 scoreless innings of work. �He gave up a walk and a single over those 3 innings, while striking out 2 batters.