Tag: Argenis Diaz

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Indianapolis Indians �4, �Gwinnett Braves �3 (box)

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Brad Lincoln (photo) was dominating for his third straight start, as he earned his 5th win of the season over the Braves at Victory Field this evening. �Lincoln pitched 8 innings, and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, no walks, with 3 strikeouts. �Reliever Justin Thomas picked up his second save. �Four of the Tribe's six hits went for extra bases, including 3B Pedro Alvarez's 10th homer of the season.

Former Pirate prospect Todd Redmond made the start for Gwinnett. �Both pitchers are fast workers, and both were on a roll, pitching as if they had a plane to catch. �The entire game was played in three minutes short of two hours. �That's six minutes shorter than yesterday's 7-inning contest.

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Lincoln threw a total of 77 pitches (50 strikes) in his 8 innings. �He did not go deep into counts, and in fact threw three balls to only two of the 29 batters he faced. �He did not have a full count on any batter. �He zipped through the first two innings, retiring the Braves in order on a total of 15 pitches.

Lincoln gave up a double to SS Brandon Hicks to lead off the 3rd inning, on a ball that bounced down the left field line, barely fair, to just beyond the Indians' bullpen, where LF Jose Tabata had a little trouble picking up the ball. �Hicks reached third base a few moments later when Todd Redmond grounded back to the mound, but he got no further as Lincoln retired two more Braves besides Redmond.

The Braves put another batter on base in the 4th inning. �With one out, RF Gregor Blanco dribbled a little grounder along the first base line, and Lincoln charged over from the mound to field it. �His momentum carried Lincoln into foul territory, forcing him to make a turning throw right along where Blanco was running. �The ball got past 1B Brian Myrow, though 2B Brian Friday was right there to back up the play, so Blanco could not take another base.

Lincoln was charged with a throwing error on the play. �No problem for Lincoln -- he made it moot by getting 1B Freddie Freeman to ground to SS Argenis Diaz who took two steps to touch the second base bag, then threw on to first for the inning-ending double play.

There was a brief scare in the 5th inning. � With one out, 2B Joe Thurston rocketed a 1-0 pitch right back at the mound, hitting Brad Lincoln on the left leg near his knee. �The ball hit him so hard that it ricocheted almost all the way back to the plate, putting it in perfect position for C Luke Carlin to pick it up and fire to first to make the out. �Lincoln fell to the ground face down, but quickly rolled and got up. �Manager Frank Kremblas and the training staff rushed out to the mound, but Lincoln shrugged it off (photo above) then threw a test pitch to prove to them that he was ok (photo here and at the top). �Then he further proved that he was ok by retiring the next 7 batters in order. �After the game, Lincoln said that he'd felt it a bit over the next inning, then he put it out of his mind and continued pitching.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees �10, �Indianapolis Indians �7 (box)

This was the completion of the suspended game from last night. �(Take a look here to read more about the first 3.5 innings.)

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The start of the restart was delayed about 40 minutes because of the threat of rain. �The tarp was put down, but when the rain never happened, it was pulled, and play began. �Despite worrisome weather forcasts, it didn't rain for the rest of the evening, and there was even a bit of sunshine.

The Yankees took the field for the restart, holding an 8-5 lead. �Starter Jeremy Powell had made a shaky start, allowing all 8 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks. �The Yankees had batted around in the top of the 4th, as Powell struggled on a wet and slippery mound and his teammates behind him battled soggy grass. �Steven Jackson came on in relief of Powell, but 5 runs came in �to give the Yankees the lead.

On the restart, Anthony Claggett (photo) took the mound for the Indians. �Claggett just didn't have it tonight. �He walked 6 batters in 1.1 innings, though miraculously did not give up any runs. �He walked the first two batters in the top of the 5th, then got a double play, which eliminated one runner but put the lead runner (LF Chad Huffman) on third base. �Two more walks loaded the bases, but a grounder to SS Argenis Diaz gave Claggett a force out at second base, and he had escaped his self-made jam.

The next inning was more of the same, though. �The first batter flied out, with CF Jose Tabata first coming in, then having to reverse, and then make a running over-the-shoulder catch. �Claggett put the next three batters on base, with a walk to DH Jon Weber, a hit by C Jesus Montero, and a walk to Huffman. �That was enough for manager Frank Kremblas to see. �Claggett left having walked 6 of the 10 batters he faced.

Vinnie Chulk (photo) was next out of the bullpen. �He came into the game with one out and the bases loaded -- and proceeded to strike out RF Reid Gorecki and get 3B Matt Cusick to end the inning and leave those three runners right where he found them.

Chulk came back out for the 7th inning. �He gave up a single into right field to CF Greg Golson. �A grounder moved Golson to second base. �Chulk got a gift next. �He tried to pick Golson off second base, but his throw was wide and got into center field, and Golson raced to third base. �But the umpires pointed him back to second base -- home plate ump Mark Lollo had called time out just a split second before Chulk turned and made the throw to second, making the whole thing a "no play". �Then it turned out to be moot. �A single by 1B PJ Pilittere, who had taken over for David Winfree, singled down the right field line, and Golson scored anyway.

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It really didn't help much.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 8, Indianapolis Indians 5 SUSPENDED (box)

The rain was the winner at Victory Field tonight, halting play in the middle of the 4th inning. �The rain started mid-afternoon in central Indiana, and it had come down heavily until about 6 pm. �The Indians' ground crew was able to remove the tarp from the field around that time, and by 7 pm it was still overcast but not raining, so the game started on time. �Rain started falling again in the 2nd inning, and by the end of the 3rd, it was coming down pretty heavily. �The umpires still had the Indians come out and take the field for the top of the 4th, and only after a disastrous half-inning for the Indians was play halted.

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(Photo: �Manager Frank Kremblas was very upset with the umpires' decisions on continuing and then halting play.)

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Jeremy Powell was making the spot start for the Indians, taking the place of�Daniel McCutchen, who is now on the Disabled List. �Powell struggled in three of the four innings he pitched, though by the 4th inning, the rain could have been a factor.

Powell (photo) hit the first batter of the game, CF Greg Golson. �He got two outs, then gave up a double down the left field line, just out of reach of 3B Pedro Alvarez's dive, to 1B David Winfree. �That scored Golson, and the Yankees had a run on the board.

The Tribe got the run back in the bottom of the 1st. �CF Jose Tabata worked a walk to lead off, and he moved to second base on 1B Neil Walker's high bouncing grounder to first base. �A balk by Yankees' starter Ivan Nova put Tabata on third base. �DH Brian Myrow dribbled a little grounder over the mound (might have been tipped by Nova, but not sure) toward 2B Reegie Corona. �Corona came in onto the infield grass for the ball, but he was already thinking about firing the ball home to get Tabata before he actually had the ball in his glove -- and the ball got past him. �Tabata scored easily, and Myrow was safe on first base. �At first it was ruled an error, but this was later changed to an infield hit and an RBI for Myrow. �Pedro Alvarez bounced into a double play to end the inning, but the Indians had tied it up at 1-1.

Yankees' top prospect Jesus Montero led off the 2nd inning with a single up the middle, and a pitch from Powell that sailed all the way to the backstop moved Montero to second base. �Powell walked RF Reid Gorecki, then 3B Matt Cusick sliced a double down the right field line, inside the chalk by inches, and then curving into the Yankees' bullpen. �Both Montero and Gorecki scored by the time RF Brandon Moss could get the ball back to the infield.

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Pedro Alvarez takes a warm-up swing.

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Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre Yankees �7, �Indianapolis Indians �5 (box)

Former Indianapolis Indian/Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher Romulo Sanchez (photo) returned to Victory Field this afternoon, making the start for the Yankees. �It was not such a happy homecoming as far as the Indians were concerned. �Sanchez pitched 6 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit, and striking out 7 batters.

Sanchez was effectively wild, allowing 6 walks over those 6 innings. �He was able to pitch only one 1-2-3 inning, in the 5th. �He walked 1B Brian Myrow and 3B Pedro Alvarez with two outs in the 1st, and LF Kevin Melillo with two outs in the 2nd. �CF Jose Tabata led off the 3rd with a walk, but he was thrown out trying to steal second base. �Tabata also led off the 6th with a walk, and two outs later, Alvarez walked again too. �Other than when Tabata was thrown out in the 3rd, all the other walks resulted only in runners left on base.

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RF Brandon Moss was the only Tribe batter to get a hit off Sanchez. �With two outs in the 4th, Moss squirted a single into right field. �But with C Erik Kratz at the plate, Moss took off a little too early from first base, making it easy for Sanchez to throw him out trying to steal second.

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Tribe starter Mike Crotta sailed through the top of the 1st, needing only 8 pitches to retire three batters. �Then his pitches started rising, and the Yankees starting hitting. �RF David Winfree led off the 2nd inning with a single into left field. �DH Jon Weber slipped a single through the hole into right field, putting Winfree on third base. �C Jesus Montero, a top Yankee prospect, grounded to short, where SS Argenis Diaz (left photo above) started a double play, with 2B Neil Walker (right photo above) making the turn at second base.

It got Crotta two outs, but Winfree was able to score from third base on the play. �1B Chad Huffman kept the inning going with a double over Brandon Moss's head in right field, as Moss first started to come in, then had to turn and try to make the catch as he ran back toward the wall. �CF Reid Gorecki plated Huffman with a single through the hole vacated on the right side by the Indians' defensive shift. �A ground out by 3B Matt Cusick ended the inning, but the Yankees had a 2-0 lead.

Crotta (photo) was still having trouble in the 3rd inning. �LF Kevin Russo led off with a line drive into left field for a double. �After a strikeout, SS Eduardo Nunez singled into right field, and Russo raced around from second base. �Brandon Moss came up throwing from right field and he fired straight in to Erik Kratz. �Kratz blocked the plate and caught the ball just as Russo arrived at the plate. �But with Russo barrelling into him, Kratz never got a good hold on the ball, and when the dust settled, Russo had crossed the plate but the ball was no longer in Kratz's possession. �Yankees 3, Indians 0

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More photos from May 9th, with the Indianapolis Indians wearing pink jerseys for Breast Cancer Awareness.

Left: �Pedro Alvarez takes a practice swing; �Right: Doug Bernier coaches at first

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Left: �Rowdie leaps past Neil Walker; � Right: Alvarez at third base

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Left: Argenis Diaz at shortstop; � �Right: �Brian Friday

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Click on "read more" �or on the title above "In the Pink" -- to see more photos

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Brrrrr!

The heater in the dugout was not helping a lot.

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Buffalo Bison �4, �Indianapolis Indians �3 (box)

Last night the Indians came from behind after the Bison had scored 4 early runs. �They tried the same trick tonight, but fell one run short, losing to the Bison on a cold and windy night at Victory Field.

Starter Mike Crotta made his longest start of the season, and the longest start for any Tribe pitcher this year, going 8 innings. �He threw 90 pitches (58 strikes), and gave up all 4 of the Buffalo runs and all 8 of their hits, while walking one and striking out two. �Crotta began the game by making 2B Neil Walker do all the work -- three straight ground balls to Walker. �The first two were pretty routine, but the third one required a dive to Walker's left, a roll, and a throw from a nearly seated position. �(see photo sequence -- you can see the ball in his glove in the photo on the left)

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It took Crotta (photo) only 9 pitches to get through that 1st inning, but the 2nd was another story.

Buffalo 3B Mike Hessman led off with a sky-high pop up that got caught in the wind. �1B Brian Myrow thought he had it, but at the last second, the wind moved the ball again, and it fell in just behind Myrow in back of first base. �It was ruled a hit. �LF Chris Carter followed with another hit, a single slipped through the hole into right field. �2B Russ Adams helped Crotta out by bouncing to Walker, who turned and fired to SS Doug Bernier to begin a 4-6-3 double play. �That erased Carter, but allowed Hessman to move to third base. �C Josh Thole brought Hessman in with a long double to left field that went over the head of LF Brandon Moss, who was playing in. �SS Ruben Tejada singled to left next, scoring Thole from second base, but when the throw in from Moss was clearly not going to be in time for a play at the plate, cut-off man 3B Pedro Alvarez alertly threw to second base, where Neil Walker easily tagged out Tejada as he tried for a double. �That inning took Crotta 22 pitches, and the Bison were ahead, 2-0.

Another double play helped Crotta zip through the 3rd inning. �After an easy ground out by Buffalo starter Tobi Stoner, CF Jason Pridie lined a single into center field. �RF Jesus Feliciano followed with a liner straight at Doug Bernier at short. �Bernier didn't even need to take a step, just put up his glove to catch it. �He quickly fired over to first base, easily catching Pridie off the base for a double play. �(8 pitches for Crotta.)

Indianapolis Indians �8, �Buffalo Bison �5 � ��(box)

The Indians had to wait out the rain, but it was worth the wait, as they came from behind to beat the Bison at Victory Field on Friday night. �C Luke Carlin's home run, along with 4 RBI from 3B Pedro Alvarez, and 3 hits by RF Brandon Jones gave the Tribe the boost they needed. �Starter Donnie Veal got the win, and Jean Machi earned his third save of the season.

Donnie Veal (photo) was anxious to get going after the 1 hour 28 minute rain delay. �He pitched 5 innings but struggled to get through most of them. �In the top of the 1st, Veal struck out the first batter he faced, but then gave up back-to-back singles to 2B Russ Adams and 1B Mike Jacobs. �Veal's wild pitch got past C Luke Carlin, and the runners moved to second and third bases. �3B Mike Hessman, a long-time foe of the Indians, lifted a sacrifice fly, scoring Adams. �LF Chris Carter followed with a double to bring in Jacobs, and the Bison had a 2-0 lead. �A strikeout ended the inning, but it took Veal 34 pitches to get through the inning.

Veal did better in the 2nd inning, allowing only a walk to SS Ruben Tejada. �He was aided by what might have been a gift from the umpires. �With Tejada on second after a sacrifice bunt, CF Jason Pridie hit a sinking line drive into center field. �CF Jose Tabata came running in to make the catch... or did he? �It was not clear by just looking whether Tabata had actually made the catch, and the replays did not offer much more information. �The umpires were also unsure, because not one of the four of them signaled either a catch or a no-catch. �Manager Frank Kremblas came out to ask what was going on, and the four umps conferenced. �They finally decided that it was a catch, which also meant that when Tejada came racing around from second base, his run did not count.

The Bison came back at Veal in the third. �Once again, Veal struck out the first batter of the inning, but then walked Jacobs, bringing up the dangerous Hessman. �Sure enough, Hessman blasted a 2-run homer over the left field wall, to give Buffalo a 4-0 lead.

Veal had to work out of a jam in the 4th. �SS Ruben Tejada led off with a single, and went to second base on a balk. �After a strikeout, CF Jason Pridie singled, moving Tejada to third base. �But Luke Carlin threw out Pridie trying to steal second base, and a fly out got Veal out of trouble. �Then in the 5th, Veal retired the Bison in order. �He exited after 5, having thrown 95 pitches (53 strikes), and allowed the 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 7 batters. �

Indianapolis Indians 9,

Buffalo Bison 2

(box)

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3B Pedro Alvarez smashed a 3-run homer (photo) to cap off a 7-run inning as the Indians stampeded the Bison in the first game of an 8-game homestand at Victory Field. �The Indians recorded 15 hits in the game, with each position player in the starting line-up picking up at least one hit except for 2B Brian Friday, and Friday contributed a sacrifice bunt in the big inning. �Both C Erik Kratz and LF Brandon Moss had 3 hits in the game, while CF Jose Tabata, 1B Neil Walker, and SS Argenis Diaz each had 2 hits.

The Indians went into the bottom of the 6th with a slim 2-1 lead. �Buffalo starter, Bobby Livingston, who had pitched briefly for the Indians in 2009, had completed 5 innings and reliever Kiko Calero was beginning his work on the mound. �Brandon Moss began the fun with an easy liner into center field, his second hit of the game. �Moss took off for second base, and though he did not get there before the ball did, Bison shortstop Ruben Tejada dropped the ball on the throw, and Moss was safe with a stolen base. �Erik Kratz took a fly ball to the left-center field alley, for his second double of the game, and Moss cruised home with an insurance run (1). �Brian Friday dropped down a neat sacrifice bunt, moving Kratz to third base. �Argenis Diaz lifted a little fly to short right field, which fell in between three Bison chasing after it. �Kratz had been waiting to tag up, so when the ball fell in, he headed for the plate. �The throw came in to Buffalo catcher Josh Thole on the first-base side of the plate and a little in front, as Kratz slid on the outside of the third base side, his right hand skimming the plate as he went by, scoring the second run (2). �Diaz advanced to second base on the throw. �Brian Myrow came on to pinch-hit for starter Brad Lincoln, and he took the first pitch he saw up the middle for another single, scoring Diaz (3). �Jose Tabata (photo) was next, and he was hit on the left hand by a pitch, putting runners on first and second bases. �That brought up Neil Walker, who'd already had a single and an RBI in the previous inning. �Walker smacked a liner into right-center field, which hit the ground just about a foot in front of the glove of the diving outfielder. �The ball got past him and kept rolling, and Walker had an RBI double as Myrow crossed the plate (4). �That was enough to send Calero to the showers.

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Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 3, �Indianapolis Indians 1 (box)

Daniel McCutchen (photo) made his second appearance since returning to the Indianapolis Indians, but the early morning start did not agree with the Tribe. �In a game that started at 10:35 am to accommodate the school-aged crowd at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA, McCutchen did not pitch all that badly, but he did not get much run support, so he did not get the win.

The Indians were held to just 4 hits in the game -- two each by CF Jose Tabata and 3B Pedro Alvarez. The first two hits, one each, came right away in the top of the 1st. �Tabata opened the game with a single into left field. �Two outs later, after Tabata had advanced to second base on a ground out, Alvarez drove him home with an RBI double lined into center field.

And that was all the scoring the Indians would do. �They went down in order in the next two innings. �In the 4th, 1B Brian Myrow walked, but was caught stealing when he started to make a break a little to early in the pitcher's motion. �In the 5th, C Luke Carlin walked, but was erased in an double play. �Tabata was also caught stealing after his single in the 6th, though 2B Neil Walker was left stranded after he walked. �Three more Tribe batters (RF Brandon Jones, pinch-hitter Doug Bernier, and Tabata)�walked during the 7th and 8th innings, but all three were left on base. �The final Indians' hit of the game, a single by Alvarez, led off the 9th inning, but Alvarez was out in a force at second base, and the next two batters went down in order.

McCutchen needed 80 pitches (53 strikes) to go 6 innings in the game. �He gave up 7 hits, no walks, and worked around at least one runner on base in each inning but the 5th. �Two Iron Pigs' runners reached base in the 1st inning, and one in the 2nd, and both times, McCutchen left them stranded. �The third inning began with former Indy Indian CF Rich Thompson grounding sharply to second base. �Neil Walker made a diving stop of the ball, to keep it from getting into the outfield, but Thompson is too fast, and Walker had no chance of getting the ball to first base in time. �2B Luis Maza followed with a single into center field. �McCutchen got two outs, but then he made his big mistake of the game -- to RF Cody Ransom, who blasted a 3-run home run into the Indians' bullpen behind the left field wall. �Iron Pigs 3, Indians 1.

Indianapolis Indians �4, �Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs �1 (box)

At what point is a "spot starter" no longer a "spot starter"? �Indians' pitcher Jeremy Powell (photo) made his 4th start for the Tribe this evening at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA. �That's 4 starts and only one relief appearance for Powell this year. �This start was Powell's longest, by two innings: �he pitched 7 shutout innings, earning his second win.

Powell scattered 5 hits and 3 walks over his 7 innings of work, and he struck out 4 Iron Pig batters. �He gave up a two-out triple to RF Cody Ransom in the 2nd inning, and a walk to C Paul Hoover put runners on the corners, but a pop out ended the inning. �Powell gave up a single in the 3rd and left that runner stranded, and he gave up a lead-off single in the 4th, but got out of that inning with a double play. �Another double play erased a walk to CF John Mayberry in the 6th. �Powell also had to work around two runners in the 5th inning, when Hoover doubled and former Indy Indian (2005 - 06) LF Rich Thompson walked with two outs. � RF Brandon Jones got Powell out of that jam when he made a shoetop catch of a sinking line drive into right field off the bat of 2B Luis Maza. �Powell gave up a double with two outs in his last inning, but finished his night with a fly out to end the inning.

Meanwhile, the�Indians also put runners on base in each of the first four innings, but a combination of poor luck and poor baserunning kept them from scoring. �CF Brandon Moss, in a rare spot as the lead-off batter, began the game with a single up the middle, then moved to second base on a balk. �LF Neil Walker hit a sharp line drive -- but right at LF Rich Thompson. �A walk to 3B Pedro Alvarez put another runner on base, but both were left stranded. �C Erik Kratz led off the 2nd inning with a double into center field, but three straight grounders kept him from scoring.

The Tribe had a good chance of scoring in the 3rd inning, when Alvarez singled with two outs, and 1B Steve Pearce lined a double to left field. �Alvarez rounded third and headed for the plate, waved on by manager Frank Kremblas, as the throw came in from Thompson in left field. �The relay throw was on-target, and Alvarez was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. �Brandon Jones led off the 4th inning with a single, and a fielding error by Iron Pigs' RF Cody Ransom put Jones on second base. �But he was throw out trying to steal third base, and two more ground outs ended the inning.

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Indianapolis Indians 5, � Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 4 (box)

Starter Mike Crotta made his AAA debut with the Indianapolis Indians today in an afternoon game at Coca-Cola park in Allentown, PA, and with some help from his new teammates, it was a successful afternoon. �CF Jose Tabata supported Crotta with 4 hits and 3 stolen bases, and 1B Neil Walker contributed a triple and a home run, accounting for 3 RBI.

Tabata (photo) began the game with a single to second base. �The Iron Pigs' 2B Luis Maza was able to make the stop, but when he popped up to make the throw, Tabata beat the throw to first, then promptly stole second base. �Neil Walker, on first base today as Steve Pearce got a day off, swatted a long fly ball to straight out center field, which flew over the head of former Indy Indian (2005-06) CF Rich Thompson and bounced off the center field wall. �Tabata scored and Walker slid into third easily with a triple. �LF Brian Myrow followed with a grounder to the right side of the infield, bringing Walker home and giving the Indians a 2-0 lead.

Two innings later, things looked rather familiar: �Tabata led off that inning, too, with a single that ended up just behind third base. �Again Tabata stole second base, and again, Neil Walker drove him home. �This time, Walker did it with a long smash that hit a railing just behind the yellow line over the right field wall. �Myrow singled this time, but was left on base again. � Indians up, 4-0.

Iron Pigs' starter Nate Bump had trouble again in the 5th inning. �For the third time in the game, Tabata led off the inning with a single, this one bounced over the mound and into center field. �Walker did not have a hit this time, but he walked. �Tabata and Walker executed a double steal, which caught the Iron Pigs flatfooted. �It was Tabata's 3rd steal of the game, and his 12th of the season, and Walker's 8th stolen base of the season. �A grounder to first base by 3B Pedro Alvarez let Tabata score from third base, and the Indians had a 5-0 lead.

Crotta himself got off to a little bit of a shaky start. �The speedy Rich Thompson opened the bottom of the 1st by beating out an infield hit to third base, and Crotta walked Maza. �Then he struck out LF John Mayberry. �1B Andy Tracy bounced sharply to SS Doug Bernier, who started a 6-4-3 (Bernier to 2B Brian Friday to 1B Walker) to get Crotta out of the inning without a run scoring. �After that, Crotta relaxed and settled in. �He retired the next 7 batters in order, until Mayberry singled with one out in the 4th. �RF Brandon Moss could not get to Mayberry's bloop hit before it hit the ground, but when Moss did scoop it up and fire into second base, Bernier applied the tag and they had Mayberry out trying to stretch the hit into a double. �Crotta finished that inning with a line out, then threw a 1-2-3 5th inning.

Three weeks into the minor league season... knowing that it's a small sample, who's hot -- or not-- at the plate:

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

Team batting average: .274 (4th in International League) , �20 Home runs (3rd in IL), 166 strikeouts (2nd in IL), 30 stolen bases (2nd in IL)

Who's HOT: � (* is the team high)

Steve Pearce - .371 average*, 9 doubles*, 2 homers, 7 RBI, 16 walks ; .488 OBP*, .643 SLG*, and 1.131 OPS*; �Pearce has been spending most of his time at first base, with just 3 games in right field. �This is the Pearce we saw in 2007, when he rocketed through the Pirates' minor league system. �His average has been above .400 this week, and even when he's not hitting, he's still walking and scoring runs. �He and Neil Walker should be the next position players called up.

Neil Walker - .333 average, 8 doubles, 3 homers, 15 RBI*, 10 walks, 7 stolen bases, .407 OBP, .560 SLG, .967 OPS; Walker is right behind his buddy Pearce in most of those numbers. �Pearce is doing it while back at his comfortable position, and Walker is doing it in all his uncomfortable positions. �He's learning to play outfield and second base on the fly, and is looking good. �If you didn't know this was his first month at second base, you probably couldn't tell just by watching. �He made a jump-turn-throw this week that looked like he's been there all his life. �He's also taking more walks than he has before, and has fewer strikeouts. �And, he's stealing bases -- second most steals on the team. �He's had at least one hit in 10 of his past 12 games, and went 4-for-4 last night. �Not so great splits: �he's hitting .434 against right-handed pitching, but only .091 against lefties. �Also in line to go home to Pittsburgh.

Luke Carlin - .342 average, 3 doubles, 4 RBI in 11 games. �Carlin has had more playing time than originally expected, due to some minor injuries to Erik Kratz.

Jose Tabata - .296 average, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 8 RBI, 8 stolen bases*; �Tabata started the season with an 11-game hitting streak, then went 0-for-4 in one game, and has hit in each if his next 6 games -- he's had at least one hit in 17 of the 18 game's he's played. �Looking good in the outfield, mostly center plus a few games in left.

Argenis Diaz - .296 average, 8 RBI; �That taste of The Show last week was good for Diaz. �He's been 7-for-15 since his return, and boosted his batting average 60 points.

Not So Hot:

Brandon Moss - .233 average, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 7 RBI; Doing better in the past week, going 6-for-22 in his last 5 games.

Erik Kratz - .200 average, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 7 RBI; �Invaluable behind the plate, though, and also on the mound.

Brian Myrow - .200 average, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 7 RBI; (yes, that's right, these three all have the same numbers of doubles, homers, and RBI); Got off to a slow start, but he's starting to pick it up.

In the Middle:

Pedro Alvarez - .237 average, 2 doubles, 4 homers*, 12 RBI, 22 strikeouts*, 8 walks; �Those homers all came in the first 8 games of the season -- in fact, three came in the first two games. �But, this is also how Alvarez started off last season with A+ Lynchburg, and he got better. �He had a modest 7-game hitting streak in the past 10 days. �Also worrisome is that he leads the team in errors (4). �Three of those were fielding errors, and the one yesterday was throwing, but he also probably leads the team in the number of times Steve Pearce has saved him at first base. �By my observations, about half of Alvarez's throws to first base make Pearce stretch out as far as he can go to make the catch -- to his left, to his right, in the dirt. �Pearce is a very good first baseman... what's going to happen if Alvarez is throwing to a less experienced first baseman, like Jeff Clement?

Continuing on with the rest of the affiliates... (click on "read more")