Brian Burress pitched 7 shutout innings and struck out 8 in today's start.












Louisville Bats  6,  Indianapolis Indians  4
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A two-run home run by Bats' RF Brian Barton in the bottom of the 13th gave the Bats the win over the Indians, on a long sunny afternoon in Louisville today.  Tony Watson had come on in relief to begin the 13th, and after two quick outs, he was one out away from ending the game, when he gave up a single to 2B Kris Negron.  That was followed by the long blast over the left-center field wall.  

Brian Burres made the start for the Indians, facing off against the Cincinnati Reds' Homer Bailey, who was making a rehab start.  It was a pitching duel, and though Burres looked better than Bailey, neither one of them allowed a run.  Burres gave up two singles to open the bottom of the 1st, then struck out the next three batters to get out of the inning.  He gave up a single in the 2nd, but struck out two of the other three batters he faced.  Then Burres struck out the Bats in order for the next 4 innings -- 14 consecutive batters retired.  With one out in the 7th, Burres gave up the Bats' 4th hit, then set down two more to finish his afternoon's work.  Burres struck out 8 batters and did not walk any.  He threw 81 pitches, with 56 strikes.

Homer Bailey (photo) allowed only 2 hits in his 5 innings, with 2 strikeouts.  He buzzed through the first inning, then with one out in the 2nd, Bailey gave up a double into left field to RF Andrew Lambo.  3B Josh Harrison grounded to third, but a throwing error put him safely on first.  C Dusty Brown's fly out let both runners advance.  2B Brian Friday worked a full count, then took a walk, but with the bases loaded, Burres bounced to third, where  3B Todd Frazier took just a couple steps to force out Harrison and end the threat.  

Sunday's action in the Pirates' lower minor leagues:

West Virginia Power  7,  Augusta Green Jackets  0
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Three Power pitchers powered up to shut out the Green Jackets.  Colton Cain made the start and earned his first win of the season.  He allowed just one hit and one walk in 6 innings.  Cain retired the first 9 Augusta batters in order, then gave up both the hit (a double) and a walk to begin the bottom of the 4th.  A double play and a pop out got Cain out of that little jam, then he retired 6 more batters to end his outing.  Kevin Decker allowed a single in each of his two innings, but maintained the shutout.  Ryan Beckman gave up two singles in the 9th, but left both on base to end the game.  

The Power began their scoring with an unearned run in the top of the 2nd.  C Elias Diaz reached on a fielding error in right field, then advanced to third base on RF Dan Grovatt's single.  2B Kevin Mort brought Diaz in with a sacrifice fly.  Grovatt led off the 5th with a walk.  He was forced out at second on Mort's grounder, though Mort avoided the double play and was safe at first.  LF Andy Vasquez plated Mort with a triple into right field.

The 6th was the big inning for the Power.  CF Mel Rojas and 1B Matt Curry started the frame with back-to-back singles, and after two outs, Diaz walked to load the bases.  Another walk to Grovatt forced in Rojas, then Mort drove in Curry and Diaz with a line drive single into center field.  The Power tacked on another run in the 7th, when SS Gift Ngoepe doubled, Rojas singled (his third hit of the game), and a fielder's choice on Curry's ball let Ngoepe score.  It was Curry's turn to double in the 9th, and he scored on Avila's RBI single.  

Indianapolis Indians  7,  Louisville Bats  1
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It might have been the black jerseys, or the fact that Rudy Owens was making the start, or even that they just needed a change of scenery  -- but whatever it was, it worked for the Tribe.  They beat the Louisville Bats, for just their second win of the season, at Louisville Slugger Park in Louisville, Kentucky.  The Indians' only other win came back on Monday -- also with Rudy Owens (photo) pitching, and also the only game before today in which they wore their black alternate jersey tops.   

Owens faced off against Johnny Cueto, who is with the Bats on a rehab assignment from the Cincinnati Reds.  Cueto, who was tagged for the loss, lasted into the 4th inning, and gave up the first two Indians' runs on 2 hits and 2 walks.  He also struck out 4 Tribe batters.


The Tribe made Cueto work in each inning he pitched, with at least one runner on base in every inning.  LF Alex Presley singled up the middle in the 1st, and 3B Josh Harrison walked and stole second base in the 2nd.   The Indians put runners on the corners in the 3rd inning.  With two outs, CF Gorkys Hernandez reached base when he grounded to short and Bats' SS Zack Cozart's throw to first base pulled 1B Danny Dorn off the bag (Hernandez was credited with an infield single).  Hernandez promptly stole second base, and when he did, Bats' C Devin Mesoraco's off-target throw skittered into right field.  Hernandez advanced to third base when Cueto threw a wild pitch on strike three to SS Pedro Ciriaco, giving the Indians runners on the corners.  Cueto bore down and struck out Presley to end the inning, but the Tribe had not made it easy.

The Tribe struck again in the 4th inning.  With one out, RF Andrew Lambo bounced a double off the concrete part of the center field wall for a double.  Harrison grounded to short, where Cozart made his second throwing error of the game, again giving the Indians runners on the corners.  Harrison stole second base, and Cueto walked C Wyatt Toregas to load the bases.  That was the end of Cueto's afternoon.  He was relieved by Jeremy Horst.  2B Brian Friday (photo) greeted Horst with a single through the hole into left field, which drove in Lambo and Harrison.  Horst struck out the next two batters to end the inning, but the Indians had the early lead for the first time all season.  Both runs were charged to Cueto, though Lambo's run was earned and Harrison's was not.  

At the same time, Rudy Owens was busy mowing down the Louisville batters.  He did not allow a hit until the 6th inning, and then when LF Yonder Alonso did line a single into center field, Owens erased him with a double play.  Owens had to deal with some base runners in the early innings --  a walk and a hit batter in the 2nd, another hit batter in the 4th, a walk and a 2-error play in the 5th.  In that play, with 2B Chris Valaika on first base (walk), Horst grounded to third base, where Harrison scooped up the ball.  Harrison's throw to second base was high, so Valaika was safe at second when Brian had to leap to make the catch.  Friday made an off-balance relay throw on to first base, and the ball sailed into the dugout, which let Horst advance to second base.  But Owens maintained his composure, and he calmly got a pop out and a ground out to end the inning and leave both runners standing in scoring position.