Altoona Curve �7, �Reading Phillies �1 (box)

Justin Wilson pitched 5 scoreless innings to earn his third win, and CF Gorkys Hernandez had 3 hits to lead the Curve over the R-Phils on Friday evening.

The Curve jumped out to an early lead with 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning. �SS Chase d'Arnaud led off with his second triple of the season. �He scored on Hernandez's double. �2B Josh Harrison was hit by a pitch and 1B Matt Hague walked to load the bases. �3B Jordy Mercer was also hit by a pitch, forcing in another run. �LF Alex Presley bounced into a double play, erasing Mercer, but Harrison scored (no RBI). �A passed ball allowed Hague to score, and the Curve were ahead 4-0. �The Curve added another run in the 2nd inning, when d'Arnaud beat out an infield single to third base, stole second, then came around to score on Hernandez's second double of the game.

Hernandez did not get a hit in the 5th, but instead he led off the inning with a walk. �Back-to-back singles by Harrison and Hague loaded the bases with no outs. �Mercer grounded to third, where former Indy Indian Tagg Bozied made the play to force out Hernandez at the plate, leaving the bases still loaded. �Another pair of back-to-back singles, by Presley and RF Miles Durham brought in a run each.

Hernandez picked up his third hit, a single, in the 8th inning, but was out in a force play. �Presley also doubled in the 7th inning.

Justin Wilson gave up just 2 hits and a walk in his 5 innings. �Tagg Bozied singled to open the 2nd inning, but was erased in a double play. �Wilson gave up the other single and the walk in the 3rd inning, but two strikeouts left those runners stranded. �Wilson retired the last 8 batters he faced.

Dustin Molleken relieved Wilson to begin the 6th inning. �He allowed a double in the 6th but did not let the runner score. �He loaded the bases with three singles (another to Bozied) in the 7th, but two strikeouts and a fly out got Molleken out of the inning without a run scoring. �Ronald Uviedo pitched 2 innings, and allowed the R-Phils' only run in the 8th, on a walk and two singles.

Reliever Diego Moreno, who was recently promoted to Altoona from Bradenton, has been placed on the DL with right rotator cuff strain. � The Pirates are sending reliever Jack Taschner, who has been on the DL with left hamstring issues, is going to be joining the Curve for a rehab assignment.

Indianapolis Indians at Charlotte Knights �0-0 after 5 innings (box)

The Indians and the Knights got through 5 innings of a scoreless pitching duel before lightning in the immediate area and impending rain halted play after 5 complete innings. �The rain began shortly after the game was halted, and it continued for several hours, causing the game to be suspended.

One thing was certain in those five innings, though. �Brad Lincoln (photo) is ready. �He totally dominated the Knights, and�did everything in his power to prove that he is ready for Pittsburgh. �He faced only two batters over the minimum for those 5 innings that preceded the rain/lightning delay. �Lincoln gave up a walk to Tyler Flowers in the 2nd inning. �In the 3rd, Buck Coats squeaked a line drive single past SS Argenis Diaz. �After the single, Lincoln retired the next 7 batters in order. �He struck out 5 batters, including two in the 2nd and two in the 5th. �While his mound opponent had thrown 89 pitches, Lincoln needed only 61 pitches to get through 5 innings.

Knights' starter Matt Zaleski was also pitching effectively, though not as efficiently. �He gave up two hits -- a double to 1B Brian Myrow in the 1st inning, and an infield single to deep short to DH�Brandon Moss to lead off the 5th. �Moss made it as far as second base on 2B Brian Friday's sacrifice fly, but neither Myrow nor Moss could get past second base. �The Tribe had two runners on base in the 2nd inning, when C Erik Kratz was hit by a pitch and Friday reached base on a fielding error by SS Brent Lillibridge. �Both of them were left stranded also.

The game will resume on Saturday at 6 pm, picking up where they left off in the top of the 6th. �Unfortunately for the starting pitchers, they will not be returning to the mound, and with the score tied, Zaleski will not be able to figure into the decision. �If the Indians score what turns out to be the winning runs in the top of the 6th, when Lincoln is still the pitcher of record, he could get the win, otherwise, he won't figure into the decision either. �This game will be completed as a 9-inning game (or longer if no one scores). �The game that was scheduled for Saturday will follow, and it appears that it will also be played as a 9-inning game.

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NOTES:

Roster moves: �The Pirates have placed starter Charlie Morton on the Disabled List. �He will be spending some time at Pirate City in Bradenton, working on some rehab. �Jeff Karstens will be moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation, opening up a bullpen spot. �Steven Jackson (photo) has been promoted from the Indians to the Pirates, where he will take that bullpen spot. �Jackson has appeared in 17 games for the Indians, all in relief. �In 26.1 innings, he has allowed 30 hits and 12 runs (10 earned) for a 3.42 ERA. �He has walked 11 and struck out 15.

Jackson pitched in tonight's Pirates-Braves game. �He entered the game in the 6th inning in relief of Zach Duke, with one out, two runs in, and runners on first and second. �Jackson ended the inning with a strikeout of 1B Troy Glaus and a foul pop out by SS Yunel Escobar, preventing any further scoring. �He returned to pitch the 7th, allowing only a single to former Pirate C David Ross, but getting two fly outs (one by former Pirate CF Nate McLouth) and a strikeout.

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Go Tribe!

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(photos by Nancy)

The Florida State League has announced the two All-Star Teams, North Division and South Division, which will play on June 12th. �The South Division team contains a long list of players from our Bradenton Marauders:

RHP Noah Krol

RHP Nate Adcock

RHP Jeff Locke

**RHP Bryan Morris

C Tony Sanchez

INF Brock Holt

INF Jeremy Farrell

OF Quincy Latimore

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** Bryan Morris was named to the team, even though he was promoted to AA.

Indianapolis Indians �9, �Charlotte Knights �7 (box)

3B Pedro Alvarez tallied 4 hits and an RBI, while LF Kevin Melillo and SS Argenis Diaz each contributed 2 hits and 2 RBI, as the Tribe bullpen bailed out starter Hayden Penn for a victory over the Knights in the suburbs of Charlotte, NC.

Penn (photo) got into trouble early, surrendering runs to the Knights in each of the first four innings of the game. �He walked 6 batters and gave up 8 hits for 6 runs over 3.2 innings of work. �Penn began the bottom of the 1st by giving up a triple to Knights' LF Buck Coats and an RBI single by former Pirate farmhand SS Brent Lilibridge. �C Luke Carlin threw out Lillibridge trying to steal second base, which probably saved another run from scoring -- a single by 1B Dayan Viciedo might have scored Lillibridge from second base. �After a walk by DH Josh Kroeger, a strikeout and a pop out ended the inning. �A walk, and singles by Coats and Lillibridge added another run in the 2nd inning.

Penn had needed 20 pitches to get through the first inning, and 22 for the second inning. �He continued to struggle in the 3rd inning, using another 22 pitches. �The 3rd began with a walk to Kroeger, then a strikeout. �RF Stefan Gartrell's 2-run homer to right-center field gave the Knights a total of 4 runs. �Two more batters reached, on a walk and a throwing error by 2B Brian Friday, but 2B CJ Retherford flied out and 3B Luis Rodriguez was doubled up when he tried to tag up and advance on the throw in from center field.

Penn quickly got into more trouble when he came back out to begin the 4th inning. �A walk by Coats and a single by Lillibridge started the inning, and a sacrifice bunt by Viciedo moved the runners up to second and third bases. �Kroeger struck out, but a walk to C Tyler Flowers loaded the bases for Gartrell. �Gartrell licked his chops and drove in two more runs with a line drive double into right field. �That was all for Penn, who finished with 84 pitches (only 42 strikes). �Justin Thomas relieved Penn, and ended the inning without letting in any more runs.

Akron Aeros �5, �Altoona Curve �2 (box)

The Curve turned the second double play in their history today, in an early game in Akron. �In the 6th inning, with reliever Derek Hankins on the mound,�Akron's LF Cristo Arnal led off with a single, and former Curve and Indy Indian C Miguel Perez was hit by a pitch. �CF John Drennen lined right to SS Chase d'Arnaud, who made the catch, quickly stepped on second base, and fired to Matt Hague at�first base for the third out. �(The first triple play by the Curve came on May 3, 2001 at home in Altoona, against the Harrisburg Senators. �It was a 2-6-3 play: �C JR House to SS Shaun Skrehot to 1B Chris Peterson.)

Unfortunately, the triple play could not make up for a lack of offense, as the Curve batters managed only 4 hits and 2 runs in the game, ending their 8-game winning streak. �After going down in order over the first two innings, the Curve scored both of their runs in the 3rd inning, with the help of three Akron errors. �C Kris Watts led off with a double. �DH Miles Durham singled into center field, moving Watts to third, and Durham moved up to second base when the Aeros' first baseman missed the catch on the throw in from the outfield for an error. �The second error occurred on d'Arnaud's ball to second base, and it let both Watts and Durham score, as d'Arnaud was safe on first. �2B Josh Harrison also reached base on an error, advancing d'Arnaud to third base, but they did not advance further before the inning ended.

After two more 1-2-3 innings, the Curve put two runners on base in the 6th, on CF Gorkys Hernandez's single, and Hague being hit by a pitch. �They were also both left on base. �Altoona loaded the bases in the 7th on walks to Watts and Durham, and d'Arnaud being hit by a pitch, but two strikeouts ended that threat. �The last Curve hit was by LF�Jose De Los Santos in the 9th, who was also left stranded.

Jared Hughes made the start for the Curve. �He gave up one run in the bottom of the 1st inning, on a lead-off double, a ground out, and a sacrifice fly. �He gave up singles in both the 2nd and 3rd innings, but erased both runners with a double plays, one started by d'Arnaud (6-4-3) and one started by Hague at first base (3-6-1).

Hughes could not get out of a jam in the 4th inning, though. �A walk, a wild pitch, and two singles led off the inning and brought in one run. �Hughes got two outs, but then gave up back-to-back doubles, bringing in three more runs. �Hughes exited having allowed 5 runs on 8 hits and a walk over 3.2 innings. �Derek Hankins finished the 4th inning, then pitched 4 more scoreless innings, scattering 3 hits, 2 walks, and the hit batter.

["Read more" for the Marauders' and the Power games]

The Indianapolis Indians had a scheduled off day on Wednesday, but the rest of the minor league organization was going strong, beginning with an early game in West Virginia:

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Lexington Legends �5, �West Virginia Power �4 (box)

The Power and the Legends played a late-morning game for the second time in two days. �Today, though, it was the Legends who came out on top, scoring 5 runs on 10 hits, and breaking a 4-4 tie with a run in the top of the 8th. �The Power scored their 4 runs on only 5 hits.

2B Elevys Gonzalez recorded 3 hits in the game, and he put the Power onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the 1st inning, with a 2-run homer following a walk by CF Evan Chambers. Lexington tied the score in the top of the 3rd with two runs on a single and two doubles. �Both Elevys Gonzalez and SS Benji Gonzalez took the lead back again in the bottom of the inning. �Benji walked and advanced to second base on a balk. �Elevys singled, moving Benji to third base. �Both Gonzalezes executed a double steal, with Benji stealing home to break the tie. �Walks to 1B Aaron Baker and C Ramon Cabrera loaded the bases, but the Power could not push another run across.

Power starter Jason Erickson had kept the Legends from scoring in the 4th and 5th innings, but in the 6th, he gave up a solo homer to tie the score. �He walked the next batter after the home run, and was relieved at that point by Gabriel Alvarado. Alvarado gave up back-to-back singles to the first two runners he faced, and the batter Erickson had put on base came around to score, giving the Legends a 4-3 lead.

3B Jesus Brito homered for the second time in two days to lead off the 7th inning and tie the score again, at 4-4. �But in the top of the 8th, with Zach Foster on the mound, two singles and a fielding error by RF David Rubinstein put runners on second and third bases. �An RBI ground out brought the go-ahead run across the plate.

The Power had a chance to tie the score again in the 8th, when Baker walked, then moved to second base on a passed ball. �Cabrera's single brought Baker racing around third base and heading for the plate, but he was thrown out by the Legends' left fielder. �Rubinstein got as far as third base in the 9th inning, on a walk, a stolen base, and a ground out, but that inning ended before he could go any further.

Elevys Gonzalez also singled in the 5th inning, but was erased in a double play. �Foster was charged with the loss, his first of the season.

Altoona Curve �5, �Akron Aeros �3 (box)

Rudy Owens earned his 4th win of the season, as the Curve won their 7th straight game and moved to 4 games ahead of second-place Richmond in the Eastern League's Western Division.SS Chase d'Arnaud belted 3 hits and four Curve batters had 2 hits each, including a homer by C Hector Gimenez.

After two quiet innings by both teams, LF Alex Presley opened the 3rd inning with an infield single, and Gimenez homered to give the Curve a 2-0 lead. �The Aeros got one run back in the bottom of the inning. �LF John Drennen led off with a triple. �The next batter, 2B Criston Arnal, bounced back to the mound, and in the ensuing run-down, Drennen was tagged out, but he stalled long enough for Arnal to reach second base safely. �A passed ball put Arnal on third base, and a ground out brought him across the plate.

Four singles, by 2B Josh Harrison, DH Matt Hague, RF Miles Durham, and Presley brought in two more Curve runs in the top of the 4th inning. �Akron again came back with one run in the bottom of the frame, on a double, a ground out, and a balk by Owens. �The Curve got that run back in the top of the 5th. �D'Arnaud doubled to begin the inning, and scored on Hague's second single, to give the Curve a 5-2 lead.

Owens gave up just those two runs over 7 innings of work, on 2 hits and a walk, plus the balk and the passed ball by Gimenez. �He also struck out 2 batters. �Ronald Uviedo pitched the 8th inning, and gave up one run on two walks and a single plus an RBI grounder. �Danny Moskos earned his 11th save, retiring the side in the 9th.

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Indianapolis Indians �4, �Gwinnett Braves �2 (box)

CF Brandon Moss's (photo left)�double in the 8th inning made all the difference at Victory Field tonight, as the Indians beat the Braves to close this home stand. �Daniel McCutchen (photo above) made the start for the Tribe, pitching 7 strong innings, but he did not factor into the decision. �Reliever Steven Jackson got the win, his first of the season with the Indians.

McCutchen was reactivated from the Disabled List earlier today, where he had missed one start due to a tired arm. �His arm didn't look at all tired today. �Of his 7 innings, he buzzed through four of them, retiring the side in order (1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th). �He gave up a lead-off hit to SS Brandon Hicks in the 7th inning, but erased Hicks on a double play, then got another ground out to end that inning.

The Braves caused McCutchen some problems in the 2nd inning. �1B Freddie Freeman led off with a line drive into left field for a double. �After a sacrifice bunt to move Freeman to third base, McCutchen gave up three consecutive singles. �Hicks singled into left field, scoring Freeman. �Hicks tried to steal second base, but was thrown out on a perfect throw by C Luke Carlin. Braves' C Clint Sammons and 2B Luis Bolivar both singled also, but McCutchen got Braves' starter Chris Resop to bounce to first base, ending the inning with Sammons and Bolivar still on base.

(Photo: �Luke Carlin and Daniel McCutchen discuss strategy)

Resop dominated the Indians' batters over the first two innings. �He struck out four batters and got two fly outs. �He allowed only Luke Carlin to reach base, after working the count full, fouling off another pitch, then finally taking ball four.

But Resop's control started slipping in the 3rd inning. �SS Brian Friday led off with a ball along the left field line, and his aggressive base running put him on second base, just ahead of the throw back into the infield. �Daniel McCutchen dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Friday to third base. �LF Jose Tabata smacked a ball back to the mound, which ricocheted off Resop's glove with a high bounce toward second base. �The bounce was high enough so that by the time 2B Luis Bolivar waited until the ball came down and threw to first, the speedy Tabata had enough time to beat out the throw. �Friday scored easily from third base, and the score was tied at 1-1. �Tabata reached third base on a single into center field by 2B Kevin Melillo, but 1B Brian Myrow bounced into a 3-6-3 (1B Freddie Freeman to SS Brandon Hicks and back to Freeman) to end the inning.