Tag: Ronny Paulino

MLB's winter meetings begin tomorrow (Monday).  Stay tuned for news of trades, moves, shifts, Rule 5 draft, etc.  
A few of Sunday's winter league games with Pirates' players and friends participating:

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Cardenales de Lara  3,  Bravos de Margarita 1  --  Anthony Claggett pitched 4 innings in his start for Los Bravos, and allowed one unearned run on a hit and a walk in the night-cap of a double-header.  The run came in the bottom of the 1st, when a single and a throwing error at third base put the lead-off runner on second base.  A sacrifice bunt and an RBI ground out brought in the unearned run.  After a walk, Claggett retired 10 of the 11 remaining batters he faced -- he hit one batter with a pitch.  Los Bravos scored their run in the top of the 1st, on a double, a bunt, and a sacrifice fly.  Claggett left the game with the score tied.  He was relieved by Edgar Martinez, who began the bottom of the 5th by allowing a walk, a sacrifice bunt, and a 2-run homer, which gave Lara the win.  

Aguilas de Zulia  6,  Tigres de Aragua  1  --  SS Ronny Cedeno and CF Lastings Milledge each had a single in the 8th inning, and Milledge also walked in the 4th, but neither came around to score in Los Tigres' loss.  Aragua's only run was scored in the top of the 9th, on a triple and an RBI single.  Zulia scored their 6 runs on 13 hits, scattered over 5 of their 8 at-bats.  C Raul Chavez, C Miguel Perez, and pinch-hitter Jorge Cortes were all hitless for Los Tigres.  

Leones del Caracas   8,  Navegantes del Magallanes  4  --  Corey Hamman pitched a scoreless inning for Los  Navegantes in their loss.  Caracas had already scored 2 runs in each of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th innings, and Los Navegantes had scored a pair of runs on a 2-run homer in the 4th and one more run in the 7th on a double, a single, and an RBI ground out.  The first batter in the top of the 8th was hit by a pitch, and Hamman entered the game with that runner on first base.  He gave up a walk but retired three batters to get out of the inning without allowing a run to score.  Los Navegantes scored one more run in the bottom of the 9th on a hit batter and two singles, but it wasn't enough.

Looking in on Pirates' players and friends in Saturday's winter league action:

DOMINICAN LEAGUE
Estrellas de Oriente  6,  Tigres del Licey  3   --  Los Tigres posted only 5 hits, but they also hurt themselves by committing 4 errors.  They scored all of their runs in the 3rd inning on a 3-run homer.  DH Ronny Paulino, C Robinzon Diaz, and 1B Jake Fox were all hitless for Los Tigres.  Los Estrellas took advantage of the errors to score 2 runs in each of the 1st, 5th, and 8th innings.  Half of their runs were unearned.

Gigantes del Cibao  7,  Leones del Escogido  3  --  Mike Dubee earned his third Dominican League win for Los Gigantes.  Dubee entered the game in the top of the 5th inning, with Los Gigantes leading 3-2, two runners on base, and two outs.  The first batter he faced reached base on a fielding error at third base, allowing the tying run to score.  The next batter singled up the middle, but the throw in from center field let C JR House tag the lead runner out at the plate to end the inning.  House was the lead-off batter in Los Gigantes' half of the inning, and he began a rally with a single into center field.  A sacrifice bunt and a single brought in House with the go-ahead run, and another single and an RBI ground out gave Dubee and Los Gigantes an insurance run.  Dubee pitched a scoreless 6th inning, and then was relieved.  Los Gigantes added 2 more runs in the 8th on two singles, a walk, and a fielding error.  




PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
Criollos de Caguas  2,  Leones de Ponce  0  --  The Caguas pitchers allowed only 4 Ponce hitters to reach base, on three singles and a double scattered throughout the game, and two of the base runners were erased with double plays.  Los Criollos scored their first run in the 4th, when 3B Ramon Vazquez led off with a walk, and scored on a single and an RBI double.  A triple and an RBI single gave them another run in the 7th, and that was all they needed.   

When the deadline for offering contracts passed last night, four new free agents were created.  
The Pirates offered contracts to pitcher Jeff Karstens and SS Ronny Cedeno, both as expected.  But they elected not to tender contracts to pitchers Donnie Veal and Brian Burres, SS Argenis Diaz, and OF Lastings Milledge.
Veal is still recovering from elbow surgery, and is expected to sign a minor league deal with the Pirates.  Since he is going to have to spend some time in the minors when he returns anyway, this is not likely to affect his progress much.  The other three are all free agents now.


Other notes:  Former Pirate C Ronny Paulino was also non-tendered by the Marlins, and he also is now a free agent.  Pittsburgh native INF Josh Wilson, who played for the Indy Indians in 2008, was resigned by the Mariners. (NOT Jack Wilson, who is also on the Mariners' roster.)  OF Eric Hinske was signed as a free agent by the Braves.  P Zach Duke signed a contract with the Diamondbacks, avoiding arbitration.  

Cheering for the Pirates' players and friends in Thursday's winter league action:

DOMINICAN LEAGUE
Toros del Este  6,  Tigres del Licey   0  --  Los Tigres were shut-out on 6 hits.  They had 2 runners on base in a few innings, but were never able to bring them around to score.  New Pirate 1B Andy Marte did not start, but came in to play at first in the 5th inning.  He bounced into a double play in the 6th, and was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 9th.  DH Ronny Paulino and LF Jake Fox were both hitless, though Fox walked in the 1st inning.  Denny Bautista pitched the final inning for Los Tigres, and gave up 2 runs on a single, a walk, and a double.  SS Pedro Ciriaco went 0-for-3 for Los Toros.  

Gigantes del Cibao  3,  Estrellas de Oriente  2  --  Mike Dubee earned his second Dominican League win for los Gigantes with 1.1 scoreless innings of work.  Each team started with a run in the 1st inning -- on a homer for Los Estrellas and on a double, a bunt, and a sacrifice fly for Los Gigantes.  After the homer, Los Gigantes' starter Roman Colon retired the next 10 batters in order.  Dubee relieved Colon to begin the 5th inning.  He gave up a double and a walk, but got out of the jam with a strikeout and a ground out.  Dubee started the 6th inning with a fly out and a walk, then he was replaced by Juan Perez.  Perez finished that inning, but gave up a run on a double and an error in the 7th.  Los Gigantes' C JR House singled to lead off the 5th, then scored on a sacrifice bunt and a single.  A solo homer gave Los Gigantes' one more run in the 6th.  House also singled in the 2nd inning.  


PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
Criollos de Caguas  15,  Indios de Mayaguez  2  --  Los Criollos posted 21 hits and scored in all but one of the first 7 innings, including 4 in the 2nd and 5 in the 6th.  SS Luis Figueroa singled and doubled and scored twice.  3B Ramon Vazquez singled twice and drove in 2 runs.  

Leones de Ponce  3,  Senadores de San Juan  0  --   Another shut-out, as Los Senadores were held to just 2 hits.  Starter Ben Snyder (Rangers, and Ball State University) gave up a walk in the 3rd inning, and lone singles in the 4th and 6th innings, as he pitched 7 innings for the win.  RJ Rodriguez earned his 7th Save with a perfect 9th inning.  


VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Cardenales de Lara  6,  Tigres de Aragua  5  --  A single, two walks, and a sacrifice fly gave Los Cardenales the go-ahead run in the top of the 8th, then held on for the win.  Lara put up 13 hits, while Los Tigres had 7 hits, including 2 singles by SS Ronny Cedeno, and 2 doubles by LF Lastings Milledge.  Lara scored 4 runs in the 3rd and one more in the 5th.  Cedeno singled, stole second, and scored in the 1st inning.  He singled again in the 6th to begin a rally.  Two walks (one by C Hector Gimenez), a single, and Milledge's first double, brought in 3 runs for Los Tigres in that inning.  Aragua tied the score in the 7th, on an error, a bunt by Cedeno, and an RBI single.  That rally was cut short when Romulo Sanchez came on in relief for Lara and ended the inning with two strikeouts.  Milledge doubled again in the 8th inning and stole third base, but was out at home on a fielder's choice.  

 
MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
Venados de Mazatlan  4,  Tomateros de Culiacan  2  --  LF Rogelios Noris led off the top of the 6th with his 5th double of the season for Los Venados.  That sparked a 4-run rally, with three singles driving in three runs, and three walks forcing in a fourth run.  Former Pirate SS Luis Cruz drove in Culiacan's runs with a 2-run homer in the 4th.