Tag Archives: Brandon Cumpton
Curve All-Stars Named; Alvarez Homers
Five Curve players have been named to the Eastern League /Western Division All-Star team. RHP Aaron Pribanic, LHP Jeff Locke, 2B Brock Holt, 3B Jeremy Farrell, and OF Starling Marte. Also, because the Curve won the Western Division last year, the Curve coaching staff will be coaching the division’s team : manager PJ Forbes, pitching coach Wally Whitehurst, hitting coach Brandon Moore, and trainer Mike Zaino. The game will be played on Wednesday July 13th at Manchester, NH (home of the Fisher Cats).
Friday’s action for the Pirates’ lower minor league affiliates …. the GCL Pirates’ game was postponed.
Bradenton Marauders 3, Palm Beach Cardinals 2
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Rehabbing 3B Pedro Alvarez provided the firepower, while Brandon Cumpton earned his first win with the Marauders tonight. The plan was for Joe Beimel, also on a rehab assignment, to pitch for one inning to begin the game. Beimel retired the Cardinals in order in the top of the 1st, with two strikeouts and a fly out. He then gave way to Cumpton, who pitched 6 scoreless innings, scattering 4 hits and 2 walks. Cumpton had two runners on base in only one inning, the 3rd, when two singles and a wild pitch put both runners into scoring position. Cumpton struck out the next batter to escape the jam.
The Marauders put two runners on base in the 1st when both RF Robbie Grossman and Alvarez walked, then again put two on in the 2nd, on a single by DH Adalberto Santos and a walk to C Jairo Marquez. 2B Jarek Cunningham also singled in the 3rd, but none of those runners could make it around to score. All of the Marauders’ runs came in the bottom of the 5th. Marquez led off with a double lined into center field. SS Benji Gonzalez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Marquez to third base. Cunningham doubled into left field, and Marquez scored easily from third. Then Alvarez blasted a 2-run homer over the left field wall to give the Marauders a 3-0 lead.
Cumpton came back out to begin the top of the 8th. He faced only two batters, though, giving up a single and a 2-run homer to bring the Cardinals within one run, 3-2. Cumpton was relieved by Duke Welker, who ended the 8th with three ground outs.
The Marauders would have liked an insurance run or two, but had only a walk by Grossman in the 7th, then a single by Cunningham and Santos reaching on catcher interference in the 8th. It turned out to not matter, as Welker pitched a scoreless 9th to seal the win and earn his second save of the season.
Curve Scoreless Again, Marauders Bomb Mets
Some Sunday action in the Pirates’ minor league organization… the GCL Pirates had the day off.
Harrisburg Senators 6, Altoona Curve 0
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The Curve were again held scoreless this afternoon. That means that in the last 5 games (44 innings), the Curve have scored just one run. Today the team was held to 3 hits, and those were the only Curve batters to reach base. The first 10 batters were retired in order. 2B Brock Holt doubled in the 4th inning, then the next 6 batters were retired. Pinch-hitter Brad Chalk singled in the 6th, and was out at second when CF Starling Marte grounded into a force out. The Curve also went down in order in the 7th and 8th innings. Marte doubled with one out in the 9th, but two fly outs left Marte still standing on second base when the game ended.
Phillip Irwin made the start for Altoona. He allowed two singles over the first two innings, but ran into difficulty in the 4th. A single began the inning, then Irwin recorded two outs. That was followed by an RBI single, a double, a 2-RBI single, and a throwing error. One more run scored on a wild pitch, to give the Senators a 4-0 lead. Irwin finished his afternoon with those 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits, no walks, with 6 strikeouts in 5 innings of work.
Bryan Morris relieved Irwin and pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing a walk and a single in the 7th. Tim Alderson pitched the 8th, and gave up a single and a 2-run homer for the Senators’ final two runs.
Heredia’s Debut, SAL All-Star Game; 3 Homers In One Inning For The Marauders
Tuesday’s action:
The Pirates have signed their 4th round draft pick, Colten Brewer. Brewer is a right-handed pitcher who was drafted out of high school in Canton. He will likely report to the GCL Pirates to begin his pro career. All of the Pirates’ draft picks, and the ones who have signed, are listed here.
GCL Pirates 10, GCL Blue Jays 7
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Sixteen-year-old Luis Heredia made his pro debut this afternoon, with a start for the GCL Pirates. Heredia made a good showing. He had a batter reach base on a fielding error by SS Alen Hanson in the 1st, but he retired the other three batters in that inning. He gave up a walk in the 2nd, but again retired the other three batters he faced. Heredia had some trouble in the 3rd, when he allowed 2 runs. He began the inning with two ground outs, then hit a batter with a pitch. That runner stole both second and third bases, then Heredia walked the next two batters to load the bases. A single lined into left field brought in two runs. Heredia was relieved by Robert Kilcrease, who finished the inning with a ground out.
Kilcrease gave up another 2 runs in the 4th. Back-to-back singles with one out and a walk loaded the bases with Jays. A sacrifice fly brought in one run, then an RBI single brought in the second, giving the Blue Jays a 4-0 lead.
The Pirates were relatively quiet over the first 3 innings, but they broke out in the bottom of the 4th. With one out, 3B Yhonathan Barrios beat out a bunt for a hit, then moved to second and on to third on two wild pitches. He scored on LF Jose Osuna’s RBI single. 1B Jared Lakind walked, then DH Jon Schwind doubled in Osuna. C Joey Schoenfeld tapped back to the mound, where the Jays’ pitcher tried for a fielder’s choice — but failed, allowing Lakind to score, and leaving Pirate runners on the corners. Hansen’s 3-run homer brought in Schwind and Schoenfeld, giving the Pirates a 6-4 lead.
The Blue Jays also homered in the top of the 5th, but it was a solo shot off Pirates’ reliever Diomedes Mateo. In the bottom of the 5th, RF Gregory Polanco walked and stole second base, then scored on Barrios’ triple lined into right field. Pirates ahead, 7-5. Mateo also gave up 2 more runs in the top of the 6th. A single, a hit batter, and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third bases. A fielding error by Barrios allowed both runners to cross the plate, tying the score at 7-7.
The Pirates went down in order in the 6th and 7th innings. Mateo gave up a single in the top of the 7th, but erased that runner with a double play. He also allowed a walk in the 7th, and a single in the 8th. Then the Pirates broke the tie in the bottom of the 8th. Osuna walked and was replaced by pinch-runner Junior Sosa. Lakind’s sacrifice bunt put Sosa on second, but Lakind was also safe at first. Schwind also bunted, and was safe at first to load the bases. Schoenfeld’s single brought in Sosa, then Hanson’s double lined into left scored both Lakind and Schwind. That gave the Pirates a 10-7 lead. 2B Jodaneli Carvajal was hit by a pitch, loading the bases again for the Pirates. Schoenfeld tried for the steal of home but didn’t make it, and that was the first out of the inning. A strikeout and a ground out ended the frame, but the Pirates had the lead.
Joe Parsons relieved Mateo on the mound to begin the top of the 9th. He loaded the bases with two outs, on a hit batter, a walk, and a single. Parsons got a pop out to end the game, and the Pirates had the win.
Allie’s Pro Debut; Miller’s 5th Win; GLC Pirates Begin
The Altoona Curve have a scheduled day off today (Monday), and the West Virginia Power are off for the first day of their All-Star Break. The All-Star Game will be played in Delmarva on Tuesday, with Brandon Cumpton, Jameson Taillon, and Dan Grovatt representing the Power.
Auburn Doubledays 7 , State College Spikes 6
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Pirates’ 2nd round draft pick from 2010, Stetson Allie, made his professional debut tonight, as the starting pitcher for the State College Spikes, though he did not factor into the decision. Allie struck out the first batter he faced, then gave up a single, struck out the next batter, and gave up an RBI double. A line out ended the inning. The second inning went better, as Allie retired three Auburn batters in order, including another strikeout.
The third inning was another tough one for Allie. A single and a walk opened the inning. After a fly out, both runners stole the next base, and a walk loaded the bases. Allie also walked the next batter, forcing in a run. That signaled the end of his evening. Cliff Archibald relieved Allie, but Archibald also walked in a run (charged to Allie), before getting the inning-ending double play. Allie was responsible for 3 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks, with 3 strikeouts, in 2.1 innings.
State College got onto the scoreboard with a run in the 3rd. SS Kirk Singer led off with a double, then DH Carlos Mesa singled, moving Singer to third. C Samuel Gonzalez’s RBI single brought in Singer, to cut the Auburn lead to 3-1. The Spikes tied the game in the 4th. 1B Walker Gourley led off with a single and moved to second base on a wild pitch, then to third on a ground out. Singer walked, then CF Taylor Lewis’ sacrifice fly scored Gourley. Singer stole second base, then scored on RF Justin Benscko’s RBI single.
Archibald went on to pitch the 4th and 5th innings, allowing a walk and a single, but keeping Auburn scoreless. Emmanuel De Leon relieved Archibald to begin the 6th inning, and gave up only a double in that inning. With two outs in the 7th, De Leon gave up a double and a 2-run homer. The Spikes got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning, with a single by Benscko, a stolen base and a missed catch error to put Benscko onto third, and a sacrifice fly by Gonzalez.
De Leon started the top of the 8th by giving up a walk and a stolen base. After two outs, a single, a throwing error by Singer, and a double gave Auburn 2 more runs, for a 7-4 lead. Jesus Brito relieved De Leon and ended the 8th inning with a fly out. Singer tried to make up for his error with an RBI double after a single by 3B Brian Sharp, bringing the score to 7-5. Brito pitched a scoreless top of the 9th. The Spikes tried for another rally in the bottom of the 9th. With one out, Benscko singled, then advanced to second on a wild pitch, and to third on a second wild pitch. After a walk to Mesa, Gonzalez brought in Benscko with a sacrifice fly. But a strikeout ended the inning and the game without the Spikes being able to catch up.
Power Shut Out ‘Hoppers; Curve Have A Hit-Fest In 10th Inning Win
The Indianapolis Indians have a scheduled day off today (Wednesday). A few bits of news for an off-day:
P Jose Ascanio and C Wyatt Toregas have cleared waivers and both will be assigned to the Indians. Anthony Claggett was returned to the Altoona Curve.
The Pirates have signed four of their recent draft picks:
SS Brian Sharp (24th round) from California Baptist University
SS Kirk Singer (29th round) from Long Beach State
RHP Matt Benedict (30th round) from Western Carolina University
C Derek Trent (31st round) from East Tennessee State
Here’s the list of all the draft picks, which will be updated with the signings as they occur.
Sharp, Singer, and Trent are listed on the State College roster. The State College Spikes begin their season on Friday.
The Pirates also signed LHP Robbie Kilcrease, an undrafted free agent from Texas Tech. The redshirt junior made 12 starts this year for Texas Tech. He had a total of 63.1 innings, with a 5.97 ERA.
On to Wednesday evening’s action:
West Virginia Power 3, Greensboro Grasshoppers 0
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The Power did all the scoring they needed in their first at-bats, as three Power pitchers combined for a shutout. With one out in the top of the 1st, 2B Andy Vasquez lined a single into center field, then stole second base. He scored on RF Dan Grovatt’s double lined into right field. Grovatt stole third base, and he scored on 1B Justin Howard’s RBI ground out. CF Mel Rojas added one more insurance run for the Power in the 4th inning with a solo home run.
After the homer, the Power lost some of their power. They managed only 3 hits over the rest of the game — a single by Rojas in the 6th, a double by DH Jairo Marquez in the 7th, and a single by 3B Eric Avila in the 9th.
Brandon Cumpton worked around a walk and a single in the bottom of the 1st, then gave up two more singles in the 3rd, but got out of that jam too, partly due to a double play. Cumpton also gave up lone singles in the 4th and 5th, but still did not let the runners come around to score. He began the 6th with a walk and a double play, then loaded the bases with a single, a hit batter, and a walk. Kevin Decker came on in relief of Cumpton, and Decker ended the inning with a fly out, still not letting a run score.
Decker pitched 2 more scoreless innings, though he gave up a walk and two singles in the 7th, and another single in the 8th. Jason Townsend pitched the 9th, also giving up a walk and erasing the runner with a double play. Cumpton earned his 7th win of the season, and Townsend earned his 6th Save.
McPherson’s AA Debut; Power Win Two
Friday evening’s action with the Pirates’ lower minor league affiliates:
West Virginia Power 6, Lakewood BlueClaws 1 (completion of suspended game)
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This game was halted by rain last night in the top of the 5th. The Power had scored one run in the 3rd when C Kawika Emsley-Pai walked, stole second, went to third on an error, and crossed the plate on a ground out. They rallied again in the 5th, beginning with a single by SS Drew Maggi. A throwing error on a pick-off attempt put Maggi on third base, and 2B Andy Vasquez brought in Maggi with an RBI single. Vasquez stole second, and later scored on 1B Justin Howard’s single. DH Chase Lyles walked just before the game was stopped. When play resumed today, CF Mel Rojas reached base on an error at second base, which also allowed Howard to score. That gave the Power a 4-0 lead.
Jameson Taillon’s start was unfortunately cut short by the suspension. He had pitched 4 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and hitting one batter, both in the 2nd inning. Brooks Pounders took the mound on the restart, and he gave up Lakewood’s only run in the 6th. A single, a stolen base, and another single put runners on the corners. The next batter bounced into a double play, but the runner from third scored. Pounders gave up a double in the 7th, but did not let that runner score. He also struck out 3 batters.
The Power added more insurance in the top of the 7th. RF Dan Grovatt led off with a walk, and two wild pitches put him on third base. Lyles’ RBI single brought Grovatt across the plate. Rojas also singled, but was caught in a run-down between first and second bases. Another run scored in the top of the 9th, when Lyles reached on a fielding error, advanced to second on Rojas’ second single, then scored on the second error of the inning.
Victor Black pitched the final two innings for the Power. He gave up a single in the 8th, but erased the runner on a double play, then gave up another single in the 9th, but kept Lakewood from scoring. Pounders earned his 5th win of the season.
Homers For Mercer And Watts; Three Power All-Stars
Tonight it’s the Bradenton Marauders who have a scheduled night off….
Altoona Curve 10, Erie SeaWolves 5
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The Curve posted 13 hits, with CF Starling Marte leading the barrage with 3 of them. The Curve jumped out to a 6-0 lead with 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st and 4 more in the 2nd. 2B Brock Holt opened the bottom of the 1st with a double into center field. Marte’s ground out moved Holt to third base, and he scored on SS Jordy Mercer’s single into left field. Mercer advanced to second base on a ground out by LF Quincy Latimore, and he scored on 1B Matt Curry’s RBI single.
The 2nd inning began with a walk by C Tony Sanchez, followed by a ground-rule double by DH Kris Watts. Both runners held their place on a short fly out and a strike out, then Marte singled, driving in Sanchez. Marte stole second base, and the Erie pitcher threw a wild pitch, allowing Watts to score. A 2-run homer by Mercer brought in Marte and gave the Curve the 6-0 lead.
Erie got two of the runs back in the top of the 3rd off starter Jeff Locke. A single and a hit batter gave the SeaWolves 2 runners on base with 2 outs. The lead runner came in on a fielding error by Mercer, then a single plated the second unearned run of the inning. A double, a fielding error by Latimore, and a sacrifice fly gave Erie a third run in the 4th inning.
The Curve kept adding on. Watts blasted a solo homer in the 3rd. In the 5th, Curry doubled, then scored on Sanchez’s line drive single into center field, and the Curve led 8-3. Sanchez also stole second base and went to third on a throwing error, but was left there when Watts struck out.
Locke pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits, no walks, while striking out 8 batters. Tim Alderson came on in relief to begin the 7th, but he got into trouble right away. With one out, he gave up a single and three consecutive walks, driving in a run. Michael Dubee replaced Alderson, and he got the next batter to ground out, but that brought in another run, also charged to Alderson. Dubee ended the inning with a strikeout. Dubee also pitched a scoreless 8th inning, allowing 2 singles. Noah Krol pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th.
Altoona rallied one more time in the bottom of the 8th. With one out, Watts was hit by a pitch, and RF Brad Chalk ripped a triple into right field, easily scoring Watts. Chalk scored on Holt’s RBI single, and Marte also added a single — his third of the game.
Curve Held To 3 Hits; Marauders Held To 2 Hits
Saturday evening’s action with the Pirates’ lower minor league affiliates.
Don’t forget to vote for the All-Star Teams:
Pirates/MLB: vote here
Indianapolis Indians/International League: vote here
Altoona Curve/Eastern League: vote here
Portland Sea Dogs 4, Altoona Curve 0
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The Curve were held to just 6 base runners — 3 singles and 3 walks, and could not push any of them around to score. SS Jordy Mercer was the only Curve to reach base in the first 5 innings. He walked to lead off the 2nd inning, but was out at second base when 1B Matt Curry flied out.
Starter Mike Colla retired Portland in order in the first two innings, but gave up a solo home run in the 3rd. He gave up another solo blast in the 4th, and struck out the other three batters in that inning. In the 5th, a lead-off double and an RBI single gave the Sea Dogs their third run in the 5th. Portland’s third homer of the game made it 4-0 in the 6th. Colla left after 6 innings, having allowed 7 hits (3 homers and 4 other hits), one walk, and 6 strikeouts. He threw 94 pitches, with 58 strikes.
The Curve threatened in the 6th inning, with a walk by DH Kris Watts and singles by RF Brad Chalk and 2B Brock Holt loading the bases with one out. But CF Starling Marte bounced into a double play to end the inning. Mercer singled in the 7th, and he was also erased with a double play. Chalk walked in the 9th, but was left on base.
Matt McSwain pitched 2 scoreless innings for the Curve in relief of Colla. He gave up two singles, but one was eliminated with a double play, and the other was left stranded. Noah Krol pitched the top of the 9th, allowing a walk and a single.
Colla And Morris Shutout Mets; Power Hold On For The Win
The Bradenton Marauders have a scheduled day off on Memorial Day, while the Altoona Curve and the West Virginia Power have afternoon games.
Altoona Curve 8, Binghamton Mets 0
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Mile Colla pitched 6 scoreless innings for the Curve, to earn his fourth win of the season. Colla was a man on a mission, keeping the game zipping right along — the game was done in less than 2.5 hours. He gave up 4 runs, and no walks, while striking out 2 batters. Colla retired the first 6 batters he faced. He gave up back-to-back singles to open the 3rd inning, then left them in place, as he set down the next three to end the inning. He worked around a lead-off batter in the 4th, putting down the next three batters in that inning, and three in a row in the 5th also. The last hit Colla allowed was a 2-out double in the 6th, which ended with a fly out.
The Curve bats were slow to get going too. They went down in order for the first four innings, then got to the Mets’ starter Bradley Holt in the 5th. SS Jordy Mercer led off the 5th with a walk, and with one out, 3B Jeremy Farrell singled, then C Kris Watts homered, giving the Curve a 3-0 lead. The inning continued with RF Brad Chalk reaching second base on a throwing error by the Mets’ shortstop, then moving to third base on Colla’s sacrifice bunt. A wild pitch allowed Chalk to score, for a 4-1 lead.
The Curve came right back in the 6th inning, scoring 4 more runs off the Binghamton relief pitcher. LF Quincy Latimore began with a solo home run. Mercer followed the homer with a single into left field, then the newest Curve just up from West Virginia, 1B Matt Curry, also singled. Farrell made it three singles in a row, bringing in Mercer. Watts walked to load the bases, and Chalk singled into right field, driving in both Farrell and Watts.
Bryan Morris took over for Colla to begin the 7th inning. Morris pitched 3 scoreless and hitless innings, retiring all 9 batters he faced in order. Morris also contributed a hit in the 8th inning, when he lined a single into right field. He earned his second save of the season.
Curve Have A Hit-Happy Morning; Cumpton Strikes Out 8
The Indianapolis Indians have a scheduled day off on Wednesday, and the Curve played a morning game. The Marauders and the Power play in the evening.
Altoona Curve 7, Bowie Baysox 1
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After allowing a run in the top of the 1st, the Curve pitchers held Bowie scoreless for the rest of this morning’s game. The Curve posted a total of 14 hits, double the number they allowed the Baysox, and every hitter in the Curve lineup but one had at least one hit.
Starter Mike Colla began the game by giving up a double into center field to the Bowie lead-off hitter. A ground out moved the runner to third, and a sacrifice fly brought him in with the first run of the game. The Curve managed only a single by CF Starling Marte in the bottom of the 1st, but they got things going in the bottom of the 2nd. 3B Jeremy Farrell and C Eric Fryer led off with back-to-back singles. DH Kris Watts dropped down a bunt, but a quick move by the Bowie catcher forced out Farrell at third and left Fryer on second and Watts on first. After a pop out by 1B Miles Durham, RF Brad Chalk lined a single into right field, scoring Fryer. Watts advanced to third base and Chalk moved up to second base on the throw. 2B Brock Holt brought in both Watts and Chalk with a triple into right field, giving the Curve a 3-1 lead.
Four consecutive singles began the bottom of the 3rd for the Curve. LF Quincy Latimore, SS Jordy Mercer, Farrell, and Fryer all singled, adding 2 more runs as Latimore and Mercer scored. A ground out by Watts moved both Farrell and Fryer into scoring position, and after another out, Chalk singled to first base, plating Farrell and chasing the Bowie starter to the showers. The Curve had a 6-1 lead.
Colla worked around at least one runner on base in each of his 5 innings. The biggest threat he faced after the 1st inning came in the 4th, when he gave up a ground-rule double and a single, to put runners on the corners with one out. Colla got out of the jam by striking out the next two batters to end the inning. Colla pitched 5 innings, throwing 76 pitches (53 strikes). He gave up the one run on 5 hits and a walk, while striking out 4 batters, to earn his 3rd win of the season. Tim Alderson took over for Colla for the 6th inning. Alderson pitched a scoreless inning, allowing one hit. Bryan Morris came on for the last 3 innings. He earned his first save with 3 scoreless innings, allowing only a walk and a single in the 8th.
The Curve added their final run in the 7th. Marte led off with a double, moved to third on Latimore’s ground out, then scored on Mercer’s sacrifice fly. Marte, Holt, Farrell, and Chalk each had 2 hits in the game, and Fryer went 3-for-4.
The Curve play another morning game on Thursday.
