Nick Gonzales keeps hitting.
The middle infielder, playing second base on Tuesday night for Indianapolis, went 2-for-4 with a walk. That extends his hitting streak...
The Pirates have Gold Glove third basemen in Ke'Bryan Hayes and Jared Triolo. They've got another candidate in the system in power hitter Jack Brannigan.
Valentin Linarez had one of the biggest recorded velocity jumps in minor league baseball last year.
Baseball America tracked the year-over-year four-seam velocity gainers from...
At the start of the 2023 international signing period, the Pittsburgh Pirates added David Matoma as their first signing out of Uganda. The right-handed...
Friday night game action in the Pirates' lower minor leagues:
The West Virginia Power were rained out in Kannapolis tonight. The Power and the Intimidators will play two on Saturday beginning at 6:05 pm. The Power are expecting the Pirates' first round pick from the 2010 draft, Jameson Taillon, to be joining the team this weekend. He should be making his pro debut for the Power sometime early next week.
The Curve broke a 5.5-inning-long 5-5 tie in the top of the 15th, to win this game in dramatic fashion. They must have all been tired and ready to end it by then. With one out, 1B Miles Durham singled and moved to second base on a balk. LF Quincy Latimore also singled, and Durham scored the go-ahead run from second base. But the Curve were not satisfied yet -- 3B Jeremy Farrell singled, and DH Eric Fryer doubled, driving in Latimore. After a strikeout, 1B Brock Holt walked to load the bases, and CF Starling Marte blasted a triple into right field, clearing the bases for 3 more runs. The Richmond right fielder made a wild throw in, allowing Marte to score too, and the Curve had a 6-run inning. All that remained was for Noah Krol to take the mound in the bottom of the inning and finish off the Squirrels with a ground out, a walk, and a double play.
Richmond had the early lead in the game. Curve starter Jared Hughes retired the first 6 batters he faced, but began the 3rd by giving up 4 singles with only one out, scoring one run. A walk forced in the second run of the inning, and another single added two more, for a 4-0 lead. A double and a single gave the Squirrels one more run in the 5th, and that was all for Hughes.
The Curve had only one hit over the first 5 innings, and that was a double by Fryer to lead off the 3rd. They also had two walks (Holt and Latimore) and C Tony Sanchez was hit by a pitch in those innings, though none of them came around to score. They got two runs back in the top of the 6th. Marte led off with a walk, and after two outs, Durham's single brought in Marte. Latimore doubled, plating Durham, and the Curve had cut the lead to 5-2.
Following up on the waiver claim of Brandon Wood, the Pittsburgh Pirates have designated Josh Rodriguez for assignment, and have recalled Pedro Ciriaco, the...
Kevin Creagh will be on 93.7 The Fan on Saturday morning at 9:40 for Vinnie Richichi's "Bucco Talk" show. He will be discussing Rudy Owens, the potential draft pick Anthony Rendon, and the season's early breakout players.
The Pirates have claimed Wood.
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Pittsburgh Pirates have claimed Brandon Wood. The move is not unexpected, as earlier this morning...
Toledo Mud Hens 6, Indianapolis Indians 0 (Game 1) (box)
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.
The Curve had a good start to their game, but lost their early lead in the 6th inning. LF Quincy Latimore drove in 2 runs in the top of the 1st. 2B Brock Holt and C Tony Sanchez had both walked, and with 2 outs, Latimore grounded to shortstop, where a throwing error let both runs score. Sanchez and Latimore both singled in the 3rd, with Latimore driving in Sanchez, who had moved up to second base on a ground out.
Curve starter Aaron Thompson allowed just 2 singles over the first 5 innings of the game. Things changed in the 6th inning, though. A single, a bunt, and another single gave the Squirrels runners on the corners. Thompson balked, allowing the runner from third to score. A stolen base and a walk put Squirrels on the corners again. This time, Thompson threw a wild pitch to let the runner from third score. Another walk and a single loaded the bases, and sent Thompson to the showers. Anthony Claggett came in from the bullpen to relieve Thompson. The first batter Claggett faced grounded to second, forcing out the runner coming from first base, as the runner from third scored. A walk loaded the bases again, and a fielding error by 1B Miles Durham let the fourth run of the inning score. Thompson was responsible for all 4 runs, 3 of which were earned.
Mike Colla took over for the 7th inning, when he gave up a lone single. Then in the bottom of the 8th, Colla gave up a walk and a single, and the lead runner scored when Sanchez made a throwing error on a steal attempt. Another walk and two singles drove in two more runs.
After the 3rd inning, the Curve could not push another run across the plate. They hurt themselves on base running plays, when Holt singled and was caught stealing in the 4th, and Sanchez walked and was caught stealing in the 5th. SS Jordy Mercer doubled in the 5th, and Durham singled in the 8th, but were left on base. Pinch hitter Kris Watts singled in the Curve's last chance in the 9th, but he was left stranded when a ground out ended the game.