Phoenix Desert Dogs� 12,� Mesa Solar Sox� 6

A 4-run 8th inning and 3 hits by 2B Ryan Flaherty (Cubs) were not nearly enough for the Solar Sox to catch up to the Desert Dogs in Arizona Fall League action this afternoon.

Phoenix hit up Solar Sox' starter Jake Muyco (Cubs) for 4 runs on 7 hits in the first 4 innings.� The Desert Dogs had a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning, and another 2-run blast in the 4th, both off the bat of RF Cory Harrilchak (Braves).� Steven Geltz (Angels) took over for Muyco to begin the 5th inning, but Geltz gave up a 3-run homer to C Kyle Skipworth (Marlins).

Chris Carpenter relieved Geltz, but three more singles, including one by Harrilchak, added the fourth run of the inning.� Skipworth followed Harrilchak's lead, adding another 3-run homer in the 6th inning, off Carpenter.� Carpenter was crazy wild in the 6th, walking three batters and throwing two wild pitches, one of which brought in a run before the homer.

Kyle Smit (Cubs) finished the 6th inning for Carpenter, then pitched a scoreless 7th inning.� Chris Kissock and Justin De Fratus (both Phillies) each pitched a scoreless inning to finish things up.

But the Solar Sox could not get things going.� C Tony Sanchez had the only bright spot for Mesa in the early innings, with his solo home run that led off the 3rd inning.� It was the only hit for the Solar Sox in the first 3 inning.� Flaherty singled to lead off the 4th and stole second base, but got no further.� He singled again in the 6th, following a single by 1B Josh Satin, but both were left on base, and 3B Josh Vitters singled in the 7th, but he was erased in a double play.

Finally in the 8th inning, the Solar Sox heated up a bit.� LF Tim Kennelly (Phillies) led off with a ground-rule double, and Satin followed with a double that glanced off the Phoenix third baseman's glove and into left field.� That plated Kennelly.� Flaherty walked, and with two outs, RF Andrew Lambo lined a double into center field, scoring Satin.� Vitters added a single, driving in Flaherty, and CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis (Mets) singled, bringing Lambo across the plate.� It was 4 runs for the inning, but it got the Solar Sox only as far as 12-5.

Kennelly led off the bottom of the 9th with his second double in two innings.� DH Josh Harrison walked and Flaherty's third hit of the game loaded the bases for the Solar Sox.� SS Jordy Mercer walked to force in a run, but a strikeout and a grounder force out ended the game with the bases still full.

As usual, the Arizona Fall League takes Sunday off, so the Solar Sox will be back on Monday.

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Saturday's winter league action for the Pirates' players and friends.� The Puerto Rican League had their Ponce/Caguas game postponed.

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VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

Bravos de Margarita� 11,� Cardenales de Lara� 1� -- Despite 10 hits, Los Cardenales were able to score just one run, which came in the 3rd inning.� Los Bravos piled up 12 hits and 11 runs, with two big innings.� Margarita began with one run in the 1st, then added another in the 2nd.� With all of the hits Lara was collecting, the Margarita starter, Will Savage, was relieved in the 5th inning, with one on and one out.� Jhonathan Ramos came in for Savage, and ended the inning by getting a double play.� He only pitched to one batter, but with the Bravos' rally in the bottom of the inning, Ramos was awarded his second win of the season.� Margarita scored 4 runs in the 5th.� 3B Andy LaRoche singled and stole second base in the inning, then scored on a later RBI single.� LaRoche also walked in the 7th, and scored on another RBI single, for the first run of what would be a 5-run inning.

Navegantes del Magallanes� 6,� Tigres de Aragua� 3� -- LF Lastings Milledge singled twice and walked once for Aragua, but it wasn't enough for a win.� Milledge led off the bottom of the 4th with a single, and a fielding error, a single, and a grounder force out gave Aragua 2 runs, for a 3-1 lead.� Milledge also singled to lead off the 6th and stole second base, but was left on base when Corey Hamman came on in relief for Magallanes and struck out the only batter he faced.� Another pitcher relieved Hamman and ended the inning with Milledge still on third base.� Milledge also reached third base in the 8th, when he walked, and advanced to third on a single.� Magallanes scored 3 runs in the 6th inning, then two more in the 7th, to take the lead and the win.� Jean Machi earned his 2nd win for Magallanes when he struck out the side (all swinging) in the 9th inning. � LF Mike Ryan went 0-for-4 for Magallanes.� C Hector Gimenez went 0-for-4 for Aragua.

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Scottsdale Scorpions� 9,� Mesa Solar Sox� 1

The Solar Sox could not get heated up in last night's Arizona Fall League game in Scottsdale.� The Sox were held to just 5 hits, and managed only one run, and their own 4 errors only made it worse.

Mesa put one runner on base in three of the first four innings, but could not bring any of them around to score.� Their only run came in the 5th inning, when 1B Ryan Flaherty (Cubs) singled, then advanced to second base on a wild pitch, and on to third on C Kai Gronauer's (Mets) ground out.� He scored on 2B Jordany Valdespin's (Mets) RBI single.� Only two more Solar Sox batters reached base for the rest of the game -- Valdespin singled in the 8th, but was left stranded, and DH Matt Rizzotti (Phillies) walked in the 9th, but was erased in the game-ending double play.� RF Andrew Lambo went 0-for-3 in the game.

Scottsdale scored their first run of the game off starter Bradley Holt (Mets) in the bottom of the 1st, on a walk, a passed ball by Gronauer, and a wild pitch.� Holt worked around a double, a hit batter, and another passed ball in the 2nd inning, but couldn't get out of the 3rd.� A double, and a single gave the Scorpions one run, then a dropped foul pop error and two walks loaded the bases.� Eric Niesen (Mets) relieved Holt, but Scottsdale's 3B Ryan Adams (Orioles) cleared the bases with a double, and the Scorpions had a 5-0 lead.

Niesen pitched a scoreless 4th inning, then Brian Leach came on for the 5th.� Leach gave up a double and a single, then a wild pitch to put two runners into scoring position with no outs.� Lambo made another dropped foul pop error, but Leach made it not matter, with the help of SS Andrew Romine (Angels).� He got Adams to ground to short, and the runners had to hold up.� Another grounder to short resulted in a fielder's choice, as Romine threw to the plate and Gronauer tagged out the runner trying to score from third.� A third easy grounder to short ended the inning without a run scoring.

Nicholas Carr pitched a scoreless 6th for Mesa, then errors got him into trouble in the 7th.� After a lead-off single and a walk, Adams grounded to second, and a throwing error by 2B Valdespin allowed both runners to score, and put Adams on second base.� The next batter also grounded to Valdespin, and this time he made a fielding error, allowing Adams to score.� The inning ended with a double play, which Valdespin started, no problems.� Scottsdale scored one more run, on a homer in the bottom of the 8th, off reliever Eddie McKiernan.

Friday's winter league action for Pirates' players and friends:

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE

Bravos de Margarita� 3,� Cardinales de Lara� 0� -- 3B Andy LaRoche got Los Bravos onto the scoreboard with a solo homer in the 4th inning -- his first home run in the Venezuelan League.� LaRoche also walked in the 5th inning, when Margarita used two singles, two wild pitches, and another walk to score 2 more runs.� LaRoche also walked in the 7th inning, but didn't score.� Lara was held to just 4 hits in the shutout.� Jhonathan Ramos pitched to three batters in the 7th inning -- a double, a fielding error, and a strikeout.� Ronald Belisario pitched a perfect 9th inning to earn his 2nd save.

Tiburones de La Guaira� 7,� Tigres de Aragua� 4� -- Los Tiburones scored 5 runs in the late innings to overcome Los Tigres.� Aragua scored 2 runs in the top of the 1st, when 3B Luis Maza led off with a double (the first of 3 hits for him in the game), 1B Hector Gimenez walked, and LF Lastings Milledge plated the first run with an RBI single.� Another single brought in Gimenez.� La Guaira tied the score with a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning.� A triple and a single gave Aragua the lead in the 4th, and a double, a throwing error and a single added a run in the 7th.� La Guaira scored 3 runs in the 6th and 2 more in the 8th.� Milledge and Gimenez both went 1-for-3 with a walk.� C Raul Chavez was hitless in 4 at-bats.

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MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE

Caneros de Los Mochis� 6,� Venados de Mazatlan� 3� -- Los Caneros also scored 5 runs in the late innings, to overcome Los Venados.� Mazatlan scored their first run in the 2nd inning on a throwing error and a double by 1B Roberto Saucedo.� Saucedo drove in the second run in the 4th inning with a bases-loaded single.� Los Caneros got one run back in the bottom of the 4th, then scored 2 runs in the 6th inning with a home run.� 2B Freddy Sandoval homered for Los Venados in the 8th inning, to tie the score, but Los Caneros responded with another 2-run homer and another insurance run in the bottom of the inning.� LF Rogelios Noris singled in the 6th inning for his hometown Mazatlan, but was left on base.

Peoria Javelinas� 6,� Mesa Solar Sox� 4

Josh Harrison has put his slow start in Arizona well behind him.� He continued his hitting tear with 3 more hits today (a double and two singles) with an RBI.� He now has 13 hits over his last 4 games (.684) and 16 in his last 7 games (.500).� The Solar Sox lost to the Javelinas today, but it wasn't because Harrison wasn't doing his part.

SS Jordy Mercer, who had 2 hits today, was the only Mesa batter to reach base in the first two innings, when he walked.� Justin Wilson, getting the start for the Solar Sox, worked around a single in the top of the 1st and around a fielding error in the 2nd inning, but kept Peoria from scoring in those innings.� Each team scored one run in the 3rd.� Javelina's Cord Phelps (Team USA and Cleveland Indians) singled and stole second base in the top of the 3rd, then scored on Nate Tenbrink's (Mariners) RBI single.� In the bottom of the inning, 3B Josh Vitters (Cubs) led off with a walk and stole second base.� DH Andrew Romine's (Angels) single moved Vitters to third, and he scored on 2B Jordany Valdespin's ground out.� Harrison doubled in the inning, but did not score.

Aaron Pribanic took over for Wilson to begin the 4th. Wilson had allowed just that one run on 3 hits, no walks, with 3 strikeouts.� Pribanic pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing two singles in the 5th, but getting out of that jam with a double play.� Both Romine and Harrison singled in the 5th inning for Mesa, but both were left on base.� Mercer also singled in the 6th, and C Tony Sanchez walked, but both were left stranded.

But big trouble came in the top of the 6th, when BJ Rosenberg (Phillies) relieved Pribanic.� Rosenberg gave up a walk, then a 2-run homer.� Then with two outs, he gave up back-to-back solo homers to 1B Kody Clemens (Astros) and SS Matt Lawson (Mariners), and the Javelinas had a 5-1 lead.� Tyson Brummett (Phillies) pitched the 7th and kept the Javelinas from scoring.� Ryan Brasier (Angels) gave up another run in the 8th, on a double, a walk, and two wild pitches.� Robert Fish (Angels) pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 9th.

The Solar Sox went into the bottom of the 9th with a 6-1 lead, but they hadn't given up.� Romine led off with a ball to short, which was misplayed, allowing him to reach first safely.� Valdespin singled, and Romine made it to third.� Valdespin stole second, and when Harrison singled, Romine scored and Valdespin advanced to third.� CF Jeremy Moore's (Angels) sacrifice fly brought in Valdespin.� Singles by 1B Matt Rizzotti (Phillies) and Mercer drove in Harrison with the third run o fthe inning.� After a strikeout (out #2), Sanchez walked to load the bases.� Andrew Lambo came in to pinch-run for Sanchez, but Vitters grounded to short, and Lambo was forced out to end the game with the Solar Sox coming in a little short.

Sanchez walked twice but had no hits in 3 other at-bats (average .267).� Harrison went 3-for-5 (average at .360) and Mercer went 2-for-4 with a walk (average at .308).� Lambo is hitting .314, though he did not have an at-bat tonight.

Cheering for Pirates' players and friends in the Winter Leagues on Thursday...

DOMINICAN LEAGUE

Tigres del Licey� 6,� Gigantes del Cibao� 3 -- C Robinzon Diaz singled and doubled, and Indy area native 1B Jake Fox went 3-for-3 with 3 RBI as Licey posted 14 hits.� Licey scored one run in the 2nd, and another run in the 3rd (including a single by Fox).� Fox also hit the second of two doubles in the 7th inning, giving Los Tigres another run.� Licey plated 3 runs in the 8th, on four singles, including one by Diaz, a hit batter, and Fox's sacrifice fly.� Diaz's double came in the 9th inning.

Estrellas de Oriente� 6,� Aguilas Cibaenas� 3� -- CF Starling Marte went 0-for-4 as Los Aguilas were held to just 4 hits.� They scored one run in the 7th inning when a bases-loaded walk forced in a run.� That inning ended when Los Estrellas' Franquelis Osoria got pinch-hitter Luke Carlin to ground out.� A double added 2 runs for Los Aguilas in the 8th, but it wasn't enough to catch up the Los Estrellas.

Leones del Escogido� 4,� Toros del Este 3� -- Los Toros scored their runs all in the 5th inning, on an RBI double and a 2-run homer.� Escogido caught up with 2 runs in the 7th and one mor in the 8th to tie the score.� In the bottom of the 9th, two singles and a sacrifice fly by SS Pedro Lopez brought in the winning run.� Lopez had only a walk in his previous 3 plate appearances for Los Leones.� Jason Jaramillo singled in the 6th for Los Toros, but he was out on an unusual double play -- the runner who had been on first base was thrown out at third on the throw in from right field, and when Jaramillo tried to get to second on the throw, he was also thrown out.� Jaramillo also walked in the 9th inning.