Tag: Starling Marte

Altoona Curve 4, �Richmond Flying Squirrels 1 (box)

The Giants have moved their AA level team from Connecticut, where they were the Defenders, to Richmond, Virginia, where they are now the... Flying Squirrels? �Richmond had been the home of the Atlanta Braves' AAA team for just about forever, until last season when the Braves moved their affiliate to Gwinnett County, just outside Atlanta. �Now Richmond has a team again.

The Curve curtailed the Squirrels' flying by scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st. �With one out, SS Chase d'Arnaud and 3B Jordy Mercer worked back-to-back walks. �A ground out to the right side of the infield moved both runners up one base, and a single by C Hector Gomez on a line drive into center field brought both runs in.

Altoona's starter Justin Wilson zipped through the first two innings. �He gave up a double and a walk in the 3rd, but a fly out kept any runs from scoring. �Another double, a ground out, and an RBI single by the Squirrels cut the Curve lead to one run in the top of the 4th. �The Curve came right back in the bottom of the frame, when RF Miles Durham led off with a double, went to third on Gimenez's sacrifice bunt, and score on 2B Josh Harrison's grounder to short. �They added one more run in the 5th. �Two walks got the Squirrels in trouble again, this time by pinch-hitter Jim Negrych and CF Gorkys Hernandez. Jordy Mercer supplied the RBI single that brought in Negrych with the insurance run. �The Curve had only 4 hits in the game, to 5 by the Squirrels. �1B Matt Hague had the other Curve hit, which was a single in the top of the 9th.

Justin Wilson pitched 5 innings and allowed the one run on 5 hits and a walk, and he struck out 4 batters in his first win of the season. �Tony Watson also struck out 4 batters in his 3 innings of work. �Watson walked 2 batters but did not allow any hits. �Jeff Sues earned his first Save with a perfect 9th inning.

Remember to tune in to ESPNews on Sunday afternoon after 2 pm (Eastern), to see Harrisburg's Stephen Strasburg pitch against the Altoona Curve. �They have said that they will only show the half innings when Strasburg is on the mound, but that means we get to take a look at the Curve batters.

On to Saturday evening's games:

Altoona Curve 1, �Harrisburg Senators 0 (box)

These two teams took a scoreless tie into the bottom of the 10th inning, but the Curve came out on top with their third win of the season. �That was when 2B Josh Harrison led off with a single through the hole into left field. �C Kris Watts dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Harrison to second base, and LF Jim Negrych walked. �LF/RF Jose De Los Santos was the hero of the night, with his RBI double into left field to bring Harrison home with the only run of the game.

Prior to that inning, the Curve had only managed two hits. �RF/1B Miles Durham singled in the bottom of the 1st inning, and 3B Jordy Mercer walked, but both were left on base when the inning ended. �Senators' pitcher Tom Milone retired the next 16 Curve batters in order, has he pitched 6 scoreless innings. �The Curve batters managed two walks off Harrisburg reliever Rafael Martin in the 7th inning, but again they were both left stranded. �Mercer singled in the 9th inning, but was forced out at second on a grounder.

The Curve pitching staff were keeping up with their Harrisburg counterparts. �Tim Alderson made his first start of the season and threw 5 scoreless innings. �He gave up two singles in the top of the 1st, but CF Gorkys Hernandez's throw in to 2B Josh Harrison was in time to force out the lead runner at second base. �Alderson scattered a walk and two more singles over the next three innings, and then retired the side in order in the 5th. �He also struck out two batters. �Reliever Derek Hankins took over for Alderson to begin the 6th inning. �Hankins pitched 2 innings and gave up 2 walks, with one wild pitch, but did not allow a run to score. �Ronald Uviedo took the next two innings, and he walked just one batter then erased him with a double play. �Danny Moskos came on to pitch the top of the 10th inning and retired the side in order. �Moskos was the pitcher of record when De Los Santos hit his walk-off double in the bottom of the inning, so he was credited with the win.

Altoona Curve �6, �Harrisburg Senators 1 (box)

Starter Jared Hughes earned his first win of the season with 5 solid innings of work for the Curve tonight. �Hughes retired the first 11 Senators he faced, before giving up a solo home run to CF Leonard Davis in the 4th inning. �That was the only run he would allow. �Hughes allowed a single after the home run, but left that runner stranded. �In the 5th, the first three Senators reached base on three consecutive singles. �But Hughes calmly struck out the next two batters, then got a force out at second base to end the inning without a run scoring.

The Curve got onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the 3rd inning. �With two outs, CF Gorkys Hernandez and SS Chase d'Arnaud hit back-to-back singles. �3B Jordy Mercer followed with a line drive into left field for a 2-RBI double. �Hernandez and d'Arnaud contributed to the Curve's 3-run 4th inning also. �C Hector Gimenez opened the inning with a single, and advanced to third base when CF Davis misplayed the ball. �A walk to 2B Josh Harrison put runners on the corners for 1B Matt Hague. �Hague's sacrifice fly plated Gimenez. �LF Alex Presley and Hernandez both singled, with Hernandez's bringing in Harrison. �D'Arnaud added a double to bring Presley home with the third run of the inning, giving the Curve a 5-1 lead. �Mercer scored the final Curve run in the 7th, when he led off with a single and stole second base. �He advanced to third base on a ground out, then scored on Harrison's RBI single up the middle.

The Curve bullpen wrapped up the game with four scoreless innings. �Tony Watson pitched the 6th and 7th innings, giving up only one walk, while striking out 2 batters. �Dustin Molleken pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th. �Jeff Sues loaded the bases with two outs on two walks and a single in the 9th inning, but got the necessary grounder to short to end the inning without a run scoring.

Bradenton Marauders 18, �Fort Myers Miracle 3 (box)

The Marauders began their inaugural season in the Florida State League with a hit-a-thon, as they posted 16 hits on their was to 18 runs. �Two 7-run innings took care of most of the scoring and sent the Ft. Myers' pitching staff scrambling. �Each member of the Bradenton lineup except one had at least one hit, and most had two hits. �1B Calvin Anderson did not have a hit, but he walked twice and came around to score. �LF Quincy Latimore went 3-for-3 with a solo home run and two RBI singles. �RF Robbie Grossman had a 3-run homer, and 3B Jeremy Farrell contributed 7 RBI with a 3-run homer in the 7th inning and a grand slam in the 4th. �CF Starling Marte singled and doubled, walked, and scored 4 times. �C Tony Sanchez had two RBI singles.

The scoring started with Latimore's homer in the bottom of the 2nd. �Singles by Latimore and Grossman, plus an error by the Miracle and a passed ball added two more runs in the 3rd. �The 7-run 4th inning followed, as the Marauders sent 11 batters to the plate. �Grossman's homer and Farrell's grand slam, plus a wild pitch with the bases loaded accounted for those 7 runs. �Marte's double and an RBI single from Sanchez tacked on a run in the 5th. �The 7th was the second 7-run inning, as the Marauders sank the Miracle with two walks, four singles, a wild pitch that allowed a run to score, and Farrell's 3-run shot.

Las Vegas 51's 3, �Indianapolis Indians 1

Starter Donnie Veal pitched 3 innings for the Indians, but was charged with the loss when he gave up a solo home run in the top of the 1st inning. �The southpaw allowed 2 hits besides the homer and walked one, while striking out 4 batters. �Las Vegas also scored a run in the 5th inning on an RBI double, and added a third run on a wild pitch in the 6th.

Indians' batters managed to score only one run, which came in the 7th. �1B Brian Myrow led off with a single, then advanced to third base on 2B Shelby Ford's single. �Pinch-hitter Andy Vasquez brought Myrow in with a sacrifice fly.

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Pirates 7, �Braves 6 � (10 innings) � �(box)

Rule 5 pick John Raynor made the difference for the Pirates on Thursday afternoon in Bradenton, when he walked and eventually came around to score the winning run on a wild pitch off Braves' reliever Manny Acosta. �The Braves had the early lead in this game, as Pirates' starter Charlie Morton gave up homers to two former Pirates: �CF�Nate McLouth blasted a solo homer in the top of the 1st, and 1B Eric Hinske smacked a 3-run homer after two singles in the 4th inning. �After Hinske's home run, Morton gave up a double and a bunt single, making it 5 straight hits off him with no outs in the 4th. �After a line out, a sacrifice bunt by Braves' starter Kenshin Kawakami brought the runner in from third, and the Braves had a 5-0 lead.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 3, �Indianapolis Indians 2

The Indians suffered their first loss in their spring training games this afternoon in Bradenton. �The Indians scored their runs in the 4th inning, courtesy of an RBI single by INF Miles Durham and a sacrifice fly by C Tony Sanchez. Tribe starter Donnie Veal pitched 2 scoreless innings and allowed just one hit and one walk, with 2 strikeouts. �The Indians' bullpen held the Yankees to 2 runs, and the game went into the 9th inning with a 2-2 tie. �Reliever Michael Dubee pitched the top of the 9th, and gave up two singles to account for the go-ahead run. �Dubee was charged with the loss.

The Indians announced that their game that had been scheduled for Sunday against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Tampa has already been cancelled, as they are expecting severe thunderstorms most of the day.

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Orioles 5, �Pirates 2 � (box)

The Pirates out-hit the O's 9 to 6, but the Birds still came out on top this afternoon in Sarasota, Florida. �Starter Charlie Morton suffered the loss, as he gave up 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits and 2 walks in 4.2 innings. �Morton worked out of a jam in the 1st inning, with the help of a double play. �He gave up a solo home run to 1B Luke Scott in the 4th inning. �Then in the 5th, Morton began the inning with a walk, then gave up a double to former Indy Indian/Pirate (2004-05) Ty Wigginton. �An RBI ground out followed, and Morton was lifted in favor of reliever Jeremy Powell. Powell�got the next batter to ground to short, but SS Bobby Crosby's throw to first was low and it skipped past 1B Garrett Jones, allowing another run to score, giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead. �DJ Carrasco pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk. �Chris Jakubauskas came on for the top of the 9th, and he gave up a double that plated 2 more runs.