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Erik Kratz is a good sport.

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Indianapolis Indians� 4,� Syracuse Chiefs� 3 (box)

2B Brian Friday (photo) and CF Alex Presley were the big heroes in the bottom of the 9th inning, giving the Indianapolis Indians a walk-off win over the Syracuse Chiefs at Victory Field tonight.� Friday, Presley, and SS Pedro Ciriaco all had 2 hits in the game and all had a hit in the 9th, and reliever Justin Thomas earned the win.

The Indians were clinging to a 2-1 lead going into the 9th inning.� Justin Thomas had come on in relief in the top of the 8th, striking out RF Pete Orr to end that inning.� He began the 9th by getting CF Michael Martinez to ground out to second.� Former Indy Indian, pinch-hitter Carlos Maldonado made the Victory Field crowd gasp as he drove the first pitch he saw on a high line drive into center field.� Tribe CF Alex Presley went back and back, but was able to catch up to the ball just in time, for the second out of the inning.

Thomas walked LF Boomer Whiting, and that was worrisome, because Whiting is a big base-stealing threat� -- he had already stolen 30 bases this season.� Before he threw even one pitch to the plate, where SS Danny Espinosa was waiting, Thomas threw to first base three times, trying to keep Whiting on first base.� Then, with the southpaw Thomas looking right at him, Whiting ventured a little too far off first.� Thomas' 4th pick-off throw clearly had Whiting, who then turned and raced for second base.� 1B John Bowker took that throw from Thomas and threw to second base, where Pedro Ciriaco was waiting to tag out Whiting by several steps -- but Bowker's throw hit Whiting in the back and bounced into short left field.� It was ruled a stolen base and a throwing error on Bowker, and by the time the ball was retrieved, Whiting was standing on third base.

Finally, Thomas pitched to Espinosa.� He got Espinosa to a 2-2 count, and Espinosa fouled off two more pitches, but Thomas was one out away of an Indians' win.� Then Espinosa lifted a long high fly to right center field... which CF Alex Presley and RF Brandon Moss quickly realized that it would do no good to chase it� -- a 2-out 2-run homer, to give the Chiefs the lead, 3-2.� A tapper back to the mound ended the inning, and sent the game to the bottom of the 9th.

Saturday's action with the Pirates' lower minor league affiliates...� The West Virginia Power and Lexington Legends were rained out tonight.� They will go for two tomorrow.

State College� 1,� Aberdeen IronBirds� 0 (box)

Pitchers Tyler Waldron, Ryan Beckman, and Brooks Pounders combined to one-hit the IronBirds tonight.� Waldron made the start with 5 nearly-perfect innings.� The first IronBirds batter of the game was the only one to reach base against Waldron, and he got on when C Matthew Skirving dropped strike three, then made a throwing error when he fired the ball down to first base.� Waldron immediately erased that base runner in a double play, then retired all the rest of the batters he faced, including one more strikeout.

Beckman took the 6th inning, and he also retired the side in order.� Pounders pitched the final three innings.� He gave up back to back walks with one out in the 7th, but left both runners stranded.� Pounders also retired the side in order in the 8th.� The no-hitter was lost in the 9th, when the first batter of the inning doubled into right field.� Pounders retired the next three batters in order, leaving the runner on second base.� Waldron earned his 3rd win of the season, and Pounders earned his first save.

The Spikes batters collected 6 hits and 4 walks, but fell victim to double plays and outfield assists, so they scored only one run.� In the 2nd inning, 1B Matt Curry walked, but was erased in a double play, and LF Pat Irvine singled, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.� Curry walked again in the 4th, but was caught stealing.� SS Gift Ngoepe singled in the 9th, but was thrown out trying for two bases. The lone Spikes' run came in the 6th inning.� With one out, CF Mel Rojas worked a walk, then DH Gerlis Rodriguez drove a triple into center field, scoring Rojas.� Curry walked for the third time in the game in the 9th, and RF Cole White singled, but both were left on base.� White was the only Spikes' batter to have two hits.� 2B Kelson Brown also singled.

The Astros were unable to do much of anything against Ross Ohlendorf. But Evan Meek seemed to get rattled by an 8th inning bunt and later surrendered the game winning dinger to Carlos Lee. The Pirates have lost five in a row and Ohlendorf has had some rough luck.

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Manager Frank Kremblas congratulates Pedro Ciriaco on his triple

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Indianapolis Indians� 5,� Syracuse Chiefs� 2 (box)

C Jason Jaramillo's booming home run in the bottom of the 8th inning capped off the win for the Indianapolis Indians over the Syracuse Chiefs in the opening game of a 4-game series at Victory Field tonight.� Tribe starter Charlie Morton pitched 6 solid innings and earned his 4th win with the team, while reliever Jean Machi earned his 17th save of the season.

The Indians started with their first four batters reaching base safely in the bottom of the 1st.� SS Pedro Ciriaco (photo) led off with a tremendous standing triple into the deepest part of the ballpark in left-center field.� 3B Doug Bernier reached base on a fielder's choice that was really a fielder's confusion.� He grounded right to former Indy Indian Brian Bixler, who seemed to be expecting Ciriaco to be heading for home.� But Ciriaco made a feint, danced a bit, then headed back to the bag, as Bixler's arm was cocked to make the throw.� With Ciriaco back at the bag, Bixler turned for the throw to first, but by then, Bernier was only a few steps from first base, and Bixler didn't have a play their either.� (photos below)

CF Alex Presley did bring in Ciriaco, when he grounded through the hole and into right field.� RF Brandon Moss looped a single over the head of the Chiefs' second baseman, loading the bases.� Bernier briefly considered heading for home, but manager Frank Kremblas held him at third, since the ball was not deep into right field and there were still no outs.� It was a good decision, since moments later, Syracuse starter Matt Chico bounced a ball into the dirt, which squirted back to the backstop, allowing Bernier to score easily.� Presley moved up to third base and Moss moved to second on the wild pitch.� 1B Mitch Jones lifted a fly ball to right field, for the first out of the inning, but it sacrificed home Presley from third base with the third run of the inning.� A strikeout and a ground out ended the inning, and the Indians had a 3-0 lead.

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Photos:� Bixler can't decide where to throw it.

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Friday's action with the Pirates' lower minor leaguers... The GCL Pirates and the GCL Tigers barely got started this afternoon before their game had to be suspended.� Starter Bryton Trepagnier pitched 2 innings and allowed a run on one hit in the 1st.� The Pirates had had 6 batters go down in order when play was halted.

Only a few more days left until the deadline for signing draftees... take a look HERE to see which draft picks the Pirates have signed.� The newest signee is OF Dan Grovatt, the 11th round pick, from University of Virginia.

Reliever Daniel Moskos has been returned to Altoona from the Indy Indians.� He'd been struggling with the Indians, with a 0-5 record, one save, and a 10.38 ERA in 19 appearances.� In his last appearance, on Monday, Moskos walked the bases loaded in his one inning of work, though a line drive out got him out of trouble.

Pitcher Travis Chick, who had been assigned to Altoona last week, was traded to the Texas Rangers;� they assigned him to AA Frisco.

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Altoona Curve� 4,� New Hampshire Fisher Cats� 3�� (19 innings -- yes, 19) (box)

The Curve and the Fisher Cats played for 19 innings, and 5 hours and 49 minutes, finally finishing up at 12:50 am, when RF Miles Durham blasted a home run to break a 13.5 inning tie.

It all started innocently.� New Hampshire scored first on a single, an RBI double, and a controversial 2-run homer in the 3rd.� The ball sailed over the left field wall... or did it?� It was ruled a homer, and the Curve protested, but the ruling stood.� Much later in the game, the word came in from some fans who were out there -- the ball had indeed cleared the left field wall by about 8 inches, then hit a secondary wall behind the first one.

The Curve got two runs back in the 4th.� 2B Jordy Mercer led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, then on to third when� Miles Durham singled.� A fielder's choice by SS Yung Chi Chen brought in Mercer, and a single by DH Jim Negrych brought in Durham.� Mercer picked up the RBI in the 5th to tie the score.� LF Andrew Lambo walked, 1B Matt Hague singled, and they advanced to second and third bases on a missed catch error.� Mercer's ground out brought Lambo in from third.

That 3-3 tie lasted.... until Saturday.� Bryan Morris pitched the first 4 innings and allowed the 3 runs in the 3rd, on a total of 4 hits, no walks, with 3 strikeouts.� Mike Colla pitched 2 scoreless innings, with 3 hits.� Derek Hankins threw 3 innings, allowing only a walk.� Mike Dubee contributed 3 more scoreless innings, with one hit.� Anthony Claggett also took 3 innings, and gave up 2 walks.� Tom Boleska pitched 4 innings, because by then, only Daniel Moskos was left, and someone had to be saved for Saturday's (evening) game.� Boleska managed to keep going, even when he was smacked with a come-backer.� He gave up 2 hits, but struck out 3 batters, and still didn't allow a run.� Boleska got the win, since he was the pitcher of record when Durham homered.

The Curve batters had more hits in all those innings, but they still were putting up donuts.� The Curve had two runners on base in the 14th -- single by 3B Josh Harrison and an intentional walk to Hague.� They loaded the bases in the 16th, when Harrison walked, Lambo singled, and Hague was intentionally walked again, but Mercer struck out, and it kept going.� Harrison singled in the 18th, and stole second base, then Lambo walked again, but they still couldn't get a run across.� Finally in the top of the 19th, after C Hector Gimenez flied out, Durham sent everyone home with his homer over the left-center field wall.� The Curve had to cancel the schedule fireworks show, because county regulations forbid fireworks after midnight.� They did not cancel the opportunity for the kids to run the bases ... at 1 am, there were kids, up way beyond their bedtime, running the bases at Blair County Ballpark.

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Ronny Cedeno will likely miss this weekend's series in Houston with a left shoulder inpingement.

VSL Season Wrap-up Part One: The Position Players Continuing with the VSL season wrap-up, on the pitching side of things the Pirates finished 2nd in...

Probable Starters RHP Ross Ohlendorf vs. RHP Brett Myers LHP Paul Maholm vs. RHP Nelson Figueroa RHP Jeff Karstens vs. RHP Bud Norris

Jen Langosch reports that Triple-A reliever Daniel Moskos has been demoted to Double-A Altoona.

The Pirates have signed 11th round draft pick Dan Grovatt.

Jon Garland allowed just one hit in six innings and Ryan Ludwick came through with a two run homer in the sixth to help San Diego to a 3-0 victory and a series sweep.

Norfolk Tides� 2,� Indianapolis Indians� 1 (box)

A run scored on a wild pitch in the top of the 11th inning made the difference tonight at Victory Field, as the Norfolk Tides slipped by the Indians by a score of 2-1.� The win gives the Norfolk a 3-5 win of the 8-game� season series.

Pitchers were the big story of the game.� Tides' starter Rick VandenHurk pitched 8 innings and allowed only one run on 3 hits and a walk, and all three of those hits came in the 3rd inning.� VandenHurk retired the first 7 Tribe batters of the game.� Then with one out in the 3rd, SS Pedro Ciriaco (photo) sliced a single off the tip of his counterpart's glove and into left field for a single.� 2B Brian Friday followed with another single.� Ciriaco took off for second base with the pitch, and when SS Robert Andino moved to cover second base, Friday slipped a grounder right through the spot where Andino had been.� Ciriaco's aggressive running put him on third base.� LF Kevin Melillo came through with the third consecutive single, a short fly into left field.� Melillo's counterpart, Nolan Reimold made the running dive, but the ball fell in just a quarter of a step in front of him, allowing Ciriaco to score from third base.

The Indians ran themselves out of further run scoring chances in that inning.� 3B Akinori Iwamura flied out to short left field for the second out.� Brian Friday, who had advanced to third on Melillo's hit, tried to take the Tides by surprise with a tag-up even though the fly out was short.� Unfortunately, the Tides were not as surprised as Friday had hoped they'd be.� The throw in from Reimold, to 3B Scott Moore, and on to C Adam Donachie, reached the plate when Friday was still three steps away, and he was easily tagged out.

That was all the scoring for the Indians.� VandenHurk, a Dutch native, retired the Indians in order in the 4th and 5th innings.� He walked Brian Friday to begin the 6th, then retired the next 9 Indians in order.