Tag: Brian Bass

Pirates' pitcher Chris Jakubauskas was released from the hospital in Houston this morning. �The diagnosis is a concussion, but's he's ok. �He's probably got an amazing headache, but isn't dizzy....

... You'll be dizzy, though, with all of the roster moves resulting from Jakubauskas going onto the 15-day disabled list.

Pitcher Brian Burres was recalled from Indianapolis. �He could make a start for the Pirates

Pitcher Brian Bass is being called up from Indy and placed onto the Pirates' 40-man roster. �He can also start if needed.

To make room on the 40-man roster, OF Brandon Jones has been Designated For Assignment. �He will have to pass through waivers, and if he does, then the Pirates could sign him to a minor league contract.

Pitcher�Daniel McCutchen was optioned back to Indianapolis. �This time, McCutchen will really report to Indy. � He'll be able to take Jakubauskas's spot in the Indy rotation, which got a bit of a break because of Saturday's rain out.

That still leaves a spot open on the Pirates' roster, but it's likely that Jeff Karstens will be called up to make the start on Tuesday.

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And there's rain and thunderstorms predicted for Louisville this afternoon and evening, so the Indians and the Bats may not get to play today either.

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Columbus Clippers 6, �Indianapolis Indians 1 (box)

Too many runners left on base were the downfall of the Indians this afternoon at Victory Field. �Too many times left in scoring position, too many times when the Tribe ran themselves out of the inning. �The Clippers did not have that problem, and they were able to take advantage of the runners they put on, to take the win and split this short 2-game series with the Indians.

Jeremy Powell (photo) made another spot start for the Indians, since Chris Jakubauskas's start was pushed back to Thursday. �Powell worked around runners on base in the 1st and 2nd innings, giving up two singles and a walk.

In the 3rd inning, the Clippers got an unhappy surprise. �With two outs, their star prospect, C Carlos Santana, fouled a 1-0 pitch off his left knee. �Santana fell to the ground at the plate, and remained on the ground for several minutes, eventually needing help to leave the field. �The Columbus back-up catcher, Damaso Espino, came in to finish Santana's at-bat, and he worked a walk. �The next batter, DH Shelley Duncan, hit a towering fly ball well over the left field wall, for a 2-run homer.

Powell finished off the 3rd inning, and then retired the Clippers in order in the 4th.

The Indians had also started the game quietly, as Columbus starter Jeanmar Gomez struck out 6 batters over the first 3 innings. �2B Neil Walker had the Tribe's first hit, a single into right field, and he proceeded to steal second base, but was stranded there on second.

C Erik Kratz walked to lead off the 3rd inning, but he was forced out when LF Jose Tabata grounded to short. �Tabata beat out the relay throw to first base, avoiding the double play. �He advanced to second base when Gomez's pickoff throw to first went wide and ended up over by the Columbus bullpen. �Tabata stole third base, tying him for the league lead in stolen bases with 8. �But another strikeout ended the inning with Tabata still standing on third base.

The Tribe scored one run in the 4th inning. �DH Brian Myrow led off with a double to deep center field, and when the Columbus CF Jose Constanza dropped the ball while transfering it from his glove to his throwing hand, Myrow kept going and slid into third (photo) as the 3B Brian Buscher had to chase after the wide throw. �3B Pedro Alvarez (photo below) took the first pitch he saw into right field, allowing Myrow to score what would by the Indians' only run. �1B Steve Pearce followed with a sharply hit grounder along the third base line, which Buscher could only knock down and keep from getting into left field.

Toledo Mud Hens 6, �Indianapolis Indians 0 (box)

The Indianapolis Indians dropped the second game of this brief two-game series in Toledo, as they fell victim to four double plays turned by the Mud Hens. �The Indians posted 5 hits, and 4 more batters reached on walks, but could not push a run across the plate.

Brian Bass stepped up to make a spot start for the Indians, because the regularly scheduled starter Kevin Hart was serving the last day of his 3-game suspension for throwing behind a batter on Opening Day. �Bass was knocked around in the 1st inning, as the first three batters in the Toledo line-up smacked consecutive hits to load the bases. �Then Bass caught a bit of luck. �LF Ryan Strieby smashed a line drive right to Tribe SS Brian Friday, who flipped the ball to 2B Argenis Diaz (photo) who was at second base, for a double play. �The next batter, 1B Jeff Larish, lined a single into left field to score the runner who had been left on third base, but at least it was only one run and not two or even three as it could have been without that double play.

Bass worked around runners on base and in scoring position in both the 2nd and 4th innings. �The original plan was for Bass to pitch four innings, but at the end of four, he had thrown only about 55 pitches. �The decision was made to have him continue for one more inning. �That didn't work out so well. �With one out, 2B Will Rhymes singled on a liner into right field. �When Bass tried to pick Rhymes off first, the throw sailed past 1B Steve Pearce and into the Indians' bullpen area (along the right field foul line) and ricocheted off the foot of catcher Luke Carlin, who was minding his own business and warming up reliever Anthony Claggett. Rhymes reached third base on the throwing error. �3B Brent Dlugach brought Rhymes in with a single into left field. �DH Brennan Bosch doubled, scoring Dlugach, to give Toledo a 3-0 lead. �At that point, Claggett came on in relief. �Claggett got a strikeout, then walked Jeff Larish before getting a fly out to end the inning.

Indianapolis Indians 14, �Columbus Clippers 12 (box)

It was another slugfest at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio, but at least tonight it was not one-sided. �The two teams combined for 31 hits and 26 runs, and the Indians held on for the win. �After having posted 4 home runs last night, the Clippers put up 5 more home runs tonight. �The Indians homered only once last night, but added 4 homers tonight including two home runs by 3B Pedro Alvarez.

After a "boring" top of the 1st, in which CF Jose Tabata led off with a double and RF Brian Myrow walked, but were both stranded on base, there was at least one run scored in each of the next 10 half innings.

Columbus got started in the bottom of the 1st with back-to-back doubles by 2B Jason Donald and C Carlos Santana, then a 2-run homer by DH Shelley Duncan. �Santana, who homered twice yesterday, nearly had another homer here, but the ball bounced off the top of the wall in right-center field and fell back onto the playing field. �After Duncan's homer, Brad Lincoln gave up a walk, then an infield single to 3B Brian Buscher that bounced off either Lincoln's glove or the mound itself, and headed over toward second base, where it came to rest in the grass out of everyone's reach. �SS Anderson Hernandez followed with a line drive to left field. �Tribe LF Jon Van Every raced in and made a dive, but the ball hit his glove and popped out, making Van Every chase it down. �It was ruled a single, and the bases were loaded. �At that point, new Indians' batting coach Dean Traynor made a visit to Lincoln on the mound. �After a brief chat, Lincoln got RF Chris Gimenez to chop a high bounce to the first base side of the mound. �Lincoln made the quick hop to his left and the leap to snag the ball, then fired to C Erik Kratz, who turned and made the throw to first for a 1-2-3 double play. �Clippers ahead, 3-0.

It was Kratz who put the Indians right back into it in the top of the 2nd. �DH Neil Walker led off with a single slipped through the right side of the infield, and Kratz launched the first pitch he saw on a rising line drive over the left field wall to make the score 3-2. �Not to be outdone, the Clippers came right back in the bottom of the inning, with a lead-off home run by CF Jose Constanza. �Jason Donald doubled, and when he went to steal third base, Kratz's throw went sailing past 3B Pedro Alvarez, allowing Donald plenty of time to come home. �Clippers up 5-2.

We've looked at a lot of prospects, and now there are a few players left -- mostly veterans, who will likely be playing in Indianapolis in 2010. �Today, a couple of relief pitchers:

Vinnie Chulk is a 31-year old righty, who signed as a minor league free agent with the Pirates during the December Winter Meetings. �The Blue Jays drafted Chulk out of college as their 12th round pick in 2000. �Over the next several years, he pitched in the Toronto organization, including parts of 4 seasons in the majors. �He was traded to the Giants in 2006, and finished that season in their bullpen, then continued to pitch in San Francisco in 2007 and in both San Francisco and AAA Fresno in 2008. �In 2009, Chulk signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Indians. �He was in the Cleveland bullpen by mid-April, and made 8 relief appearances there over the season, going 12 innings and allowing 5 earned runs on 10 hits, with 10 walks and 4 strikeouts. �For most of 2009, Chulk was stationed in the bullpen for the AAA Columbus Clippers, though he missed some time while on the Disabled List with an ankle strain. �He pitched well in Columbus, making 18 relief appearances (21.2 innings) and allowing 5 earned runs on 22 hits for a 1-0 record, 4 saves, and a 2.08 ERA. �He got the walks back down -- just 7 -- and struck out 16 batters.

The Pirates moved six pitchers and one catcher to minor league camp today. �Jeff Karstens, who had been a starter for the Pirates in 2009 but was removed from the 40-man roster after the season, could be either a starter or a long reliever in Indianapolis to begin 2010. �Relievers Brian Bass, Anthony Claggett, Vinnie Chulk, Steven Jackson, and Jeremy Powell were all sent to Indianapolis. �Powell pitched for the Indians in 2009, and signed a minor league contract for 2010. �Bass and Chulk also were signed as free agents over the winter. �Also sent to Indy was another free agent, catcher Luke Carlin, who will likely play a back-up role for the Indians.

That leaves the Pirates with relievers DJ Carrasco and Jack Taschner. Neither of them are on the Pirates' 40-man roster, so two roster moves will have to be made to accommodate them. �There are a few more players and positions who remain in question. �Infielder Ramon Vasquez seems to have lost out to a group of other infielders (Aki Iwamura, Delwyn Young, Bobby Crosby, and Ronny Cedeno) and the Pirates are trying to trade him before they have to just release him. �A decision has to be made between the two prospective back-up catchers Erik Kratz and Jason Jaramillo. The Pirates have to determine whether or not they will keep Rule 5 outfielder John Raynor. �Steve Pearce might also be optioned back to the Indians, since he has an option left and is being squeezed out by Jeff Clement at first and a host of outfielders. �Then, the Pirates just picked up reliever Hayden Penn yesterday and have promised to give him a good look before making a decision.

In today's Grapefruit League action: � �Twins 4, �Pirates 1 �(box)

Apparently the Pirates used up all of their extra bat-power in yesterday's 15-hit attack. �Today at Fort Myers, they managed only 4 hits and one run in the loss to the Twins. �A host of minor leaguers got a chance to have some fun with the big leaguers today, but they were no match for Twins' starter Francisco Liriano, who allowed just 3 hits and 3 walks in 6 scoreless innings. �In fact, the Pirates didn't have a hit until the 5th inning, when LF Robbie Grossman singled. �SS Bobby Crosby and C Jason Jaramillo also singled. �The Pirates' only run came in the 9th inning, when 2B Shelby Ford tripled, then scored on C Erik Kratz's RBI ground out.