Saturday's action in the Pirates' minor league organization began with a double header sweep in the Gulf Coast League, making up for yesterday's rain out:
GCL Pirates 3, GCL Blue Jays 2 (Game 1)
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Luis Heredia pitched 3 scoreless innings to begin this game, facing only one batter over the minimum. After retiring the side in order in the 1st, Heredia hit a batter in the 2nd inning but promptly erased that runner with a double play. He walked a batter with two outs in the 3rd, but C Ryan Hornback threw that runner out trying to steal second base.
The Pirates scored their first run in the 1st inning. CF Junior Sosa singled and stole second base, then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. 1B Jose Osuna's RBI single plated Sosa. LF Ping-Hung Chi led off the 3rd inning with a walk, and Sosa bunted him to second. A ground out moved Chi to third, and he scored on DH Gregory Polanco's line drive single into right field.
David Jagoditsh relieved Heredia to begin the 4th. He pitched a scoreless 4th, then gave up the Jay's first run in the 5th, on a single, two stolen bases, and an RBI single. The Pirates got the run right back in the bottom of the inning. 3B Francisco Aponte walked, and both Polanco and Osuna singled, to load the bases. Aponte scored on Hornback's ground out to third. RF Gavi Nivar also grounded to third, but the fielder's choice had Polanco out at the plate. The Pirates were up 3-1.
Jagoditsh began the top of the 6th with two outs, and then was relieved by Miguel Mendez. The first batter Mendez faced smacked a home run, to make the score 3-2. Mendez walked the lead-off batter in the 7th, but Hornback threw him out trying to steal second, and Mendez struck out the next two batters to end the game. Jagoditsh earned his first win of the season, and Mendez earned his first Save.
GCL Pirates 1, GCL Blue Jays 0 (Game 2)
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Orlando Castro earned his first win for the Pirates with 6 scoreless innings of work. He allowed 6 hits, no walks, and struck out 2 batters. In both the 2nd and 3rd innings, the first two Jays' batters hit back-to-back singles, but both times, Castro got an out (strikeout, and tag out at third), then induced an inning-ending double play. Castro also gave up singles in the 4th and 6th inning, but left both those runners on base.
The Pirates were also scoreless over their first 6 innings, held to just 3 hits, and falling victim to 7 strikeouts. 2B Jodaneli Carvajal singled in the 1st inning, but was out in a double play. DH Jose Osuna led off the 3rd inning with a single up the middle, and was left on base. Osuna singled again in the 5th, and was again left stranded. The top of the 7th began with 3B Yhonathan Barrios working a walk. He moved to second on a wild pitch, and to third on a sacrifice bunt by C Jon Schwind. RF Gregory Polanco drove Barrios in with a line drive into right field, and that was the only run of the game.
Joseph Parsons replaced Castro on the mound for the 9th inning and pitched a perfect inning to earn his second Save.
Syracuse Chiefs 5, Indianapolis Indians 4
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The Indians were one out away from a win at Alliance Bank Park in Syracuse, NY tonight, but a two-out rally led to a walk-off for the Chiefs.
The Tribe went into the bottom of the 9th with a 4-3 lead, and Justin Thomas (photo) in from the bullpen. Thomas got two quick outs, with a ground out and a strikeout. Then he gave up a soft looper into center field by Syracuse 2B Steve Lombardozzi. 3B Matt Antonelli singled on a grounder up the middle, moving Lombardozzi to second base. Thomas was relieved by Jose Ascanio, so that the righty Ascanio could face the right-handed RF Jesus Valdez. Valdez lifted a fly ball into the right-center gap. Tribe RF Andrew Lambo gave chase, and after a long run he made a desperate dive -- but could not come up with the ball. The ball got past him, and turned into a 2-RBI double, scoring Lombardozzi with the tying run and Antonelli with the winning run.
Rudy Owens made the start for the Tribe. He had missed his last turn for a start, due to a bruise on his hand, suffered when a come-backer hit him while on the mound. Owens worked around a fielding error by SS Pedro Ciriaco and a walk to Jesus Valdez in the 1st inning, escaping the jam with the help of a timely around-the-horn double play, 3B Andy Marte to 2B Brian Friday to 1B Matt Hague. With one out in the 2nd inning, LF Jeff Frazier and Indiana University product SS Seth Bynum hit back-to-back doubles. Frazier scored to put the Chiefs onto the scoreboard. After a fly out, Syracuse starter JD Martin singled through to left field, and Bynum raced around from second base. But LF John Bowker's throw to C Kris Watts was on target, and Watts tagged out Bynum at the plate for the third out of the inning. Syracuse manager Randy Knorr argued the call at the plate, but only got himself ejected by plate umpire Chad Whitson for his efforts.
Five Curve players have been named to the Eastern League /Western Division All-Star team. RHP Aaron Pribanic, LHP Jeff Locke, 2B Brock Holt, 3B Jeremy Farrell, and OF Starling Marte. Also, because the Curve won the Western Division last year, the Curve coaching staff will be coaching the division's team : manager PJ Forbes, pitching coach Wally Whitehurst, hitting coach Brandon Moore, and trainer Mike Zaino. The game will be played on Wednesday July 13th at Manchester, NH (home of the Fisher Cats).
Friday's action for the Pirates' lower minor league affiliates .... the GCL Pirates' game was postponed.
Bradenton Marauders 3, Palm Beach Cardinals 2
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Rehabbing 3B Pedro Alvarez provided the firepower, while Brandon Cumpton earned his first win with the Marauders tonight. The plan was for Joe Beimel, also on a rehab assignment, to pitch for one inning to begin the game. Beimel retired the Cardinals in order in the top of the 1st, with two strikeouts and a fly out. He then gave way to Cumpton, who pitched 6 scoreless innings, scattering 4 hits and 2 walks. Cumpton had two runners on base in only one inning, the 3rd, when two singles and a wild pitch put both runners into scoring position. Cumpton struck out the next batter to escape the jam.
The Marauders put two runners on base in the 1st when both RF Robbie Grossman and Alvarez walked, then again put two on in the 2nd, on a single by DH Adalberto Santos and a walk to C Jairo Marquez. 2B Jarek Cunningham also singled in the 3rd, but none of those runners could make it around to score. All of the Marauders' runs came in the bottom of the 5th. Marquez led off with a double lined into center field. SS Benji Gonzalez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Marquez to third base. Cunningham doubled into left field, and Marquez scored easily from third. Then Alvarez blasted a 2-run homer over the left field wall to give the Marauders a 3-0 lead.
Cumpton came back out to begin the top of the 8th. He faced only two batters, though, giving up a single and a 2-run homer to bring the Cardinals within one run, 3-2. Cumpton was relieved by Duke Welker, who ended the 8th with three ground outs.
The Marauders would have liked an insurance run or two, but had only a walk by Grossman in the 7th, then a single by Cunningham and Santos reaching on catcher interference in the 8th. It turned out to not matter, as Welker pitched a scoreless 9th to seal the win and earn his second save of the season.
Indianapolis Indians 3, Syracuse Chiefs 0
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Thursday was a very good day for Indianapolis Indians' 1B Matt Hague (photo). He was named to the International League's All-Star Team in the morning, then led his team to a victory over the Chiefs at Alliance Bank Park in Syracuse, NY in the evening.
This won't be Hague's first All-Star Game -- he participated in the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game. He is the Indians' only player on this year's IL All-Star Team, though Tribe manager Dean Treanor will be serving the IL as a bench coach. The Louisville Bats have 3 position players in the IL's starting line-up, plus one reserve player. The Durham Bulls have 2 position players among the starters, plus one reserve player. Lehigh Valley and Columbus both have 2 pitchers named to the team. Former Indy Indian C Erik Kratz, now with Lehigh Valley, has been named to the IL All-Star team for the third season in a row. In his first AAA All-Star Game, Kratz was named the most valuable player, and in last season's game, he was notified of his major league call-up in the middle of the game and his astonished response was on national television. There will be a familiar face on the Pacific Coast League's All-Star Team -- LHP Dana Eveland, who pitched for the Indians and the Pirates will be represeting the Albuquerque Isotopes (Dodgers).
Hague continued his day with a 3-for-3 night at the plate, including a double, and he was responsible for driving in 2 of the Indians' 3 runs. C Kris Watts also had a fine night, with a pair of doubles. Pitchers Garrett Olson and Steven Jackson combined for a 2-hit shutout.
The Pirates draft picks for the 2011 draft.....
We'll keep it updated with the signings when they come along....
1. Gerrit Cole -- RHP -- UCLA (jr)
2. Josh Bell -- RF -- Jesuit College Prep, TX
3. Alex Dickerson -- 1B -- Indiana University (jr)
4. Colten Brewer -- RHP - Canton HS, TX SIGNED -- 6/20
5. Tyler Glasnow -- RHP -- Hart HS, CA
6. Daniel Gamache -- 3B -- Auburn Univ (jr) -- SIGNED -- 6/12
7. Jake Burnette -- RHP -- Buford HS, GA
8. Jason Creasy -- RHP -- Clayton HS, NC
9. Clay Holmes -- RHP -- Slocomb HS, AL
10. Taylor Lewis -- CF -- Univ Maine Orono, (jr) -- SIGNED -- 6/13
11. Jo-El Bennett-Lowe CF -- Houston Academy, AL
12. Condon Myles -- CF -- South Grand Prairie HS, TX
13. Brandon Platts -- RHP -- Mason City HS, IA
14. Jordan Dunatov -- OF -- Horizon HS, AZ
15. Kody Watts -- RHP -- Skyview HS, WA
16. Eric Skoglund -- LHP -- Sarasota HS, FL
17. Aaron Brown -- RF -- Chatsworth HS, CA
18. Josh Poytress -- LHP -- Fresno State (jr) SIGNED -- 6/22
19. Mike Nunez -- RHP -- Salmen HS, LA
20. Trea Turner -- SS -- Park Vista Community HS, FL
21. Alex Fuselier -- CF -- Univ Louisiana Layfayette (jr) SIGNED -- 6/17
22. Michael Jefferson -- LHP -- Louisiana Tech (sr) SIGNED -- 6/18
23. Jordan Cooper -- RHP -- Kentucky (so) SIGNED -- 6/22
24. Brian Sharp -- SS -- California Baptist Univ (jr) SIGNED -- 6/15
25. Josh Martin -- RHP -- Samford Univ (jr)
26. Nicholas Flair -- SS -- Belle Chasse HS, LA
27. Ryan Hornback -- C -- San Jacinto College North (J2) SIGNED -- 6/28
28. Jeffrey Zajac -- LHP -- Walker Valley HS, TN
29. Kirk Singer -- SS -- Cal State Long Beach (jr) SIGNED -- 6/ 13
30. Matt Benedict -- RHP -- Western Carolina Univ (sr) SIGNED -- 6/13
31. Derek Trent -- C -- East Tennessee St. Univ. (sr) SIGNED-- 6/13
32. David Jagoditsh -- RHP -- Pima CC (J2) SIGNED -- 6/18
33. Christopher Lashmet -- 3B -- Northwestern U (sr) SIGNED -- 6/21
34. Juan Rosado -- 1B -- Louisiana State Eunice (J1)
35. Reid Mathews -- 2B -- Dobyns Bennett HS TN
36. Isaac Ballou -- CF -- Marshall Univ (so)
37. Rodarrick Jones -- LF -- Southern Univ (jr)
38. Douglas Crumlich -- SS -- Univ of California Irvine (jr)
39. Rand Ravnaas -- LF -- Georgetown Univ (jr)
40. Raphael Rhymes -- 2B -- Louisiana State Univ (so)
41. Jon Schwind-- C -- Marist College (jr) SIGNED -- 6/17
42. Nicholas Hibbing -- RHP -- Lakes Community HS (IL)
43. William Argo -- CF -- University of Illinois (jr)
44. Bobby LeCount -- 3B -- Edmonds Comm Coll (J2)
45. Robert Ingram -- LHP -- Yavapai College (J1)
46. Jeff Schalk -- RF -- Wheaton North HS, IL
47. Jordan Deluca -- CF -- Tussey Mountain HS, PA
48. Zachary Thompson -- RHP -- Grace Prep Academy, TX
49. Austin White -- 3B -- Arkansas HS, AR
50. Zechariah Lemond -- RHP -- Waltrip HS, TX
