Let's see: went to bed last night before the game started because I had to get up to drive 3.5 hours to Cleveland for some meetings. Hit the sack thinking that Ross Ohlendorf would be starting and figured that the Pirates would have a fighting chance. My 3.5 hour drive to Cleveland at 4:30 AM was better than this game.

Altoona Curve 4, �Richmond Flying Squirrels 1 (box)

The Giants have moved their AA level team from Connecticut, where they were the Defenders, to Richmond, Virginia, where they are now the... Flying Squirrels? �Richmond had been the home of the Atlanta Braves' AAA team for just about forever, until last season when the Braves moved their affiliate to Gwinnett County, just outside Atlanta. �Now Richmond has a team again.

The Curve curtailed the Squirrels' flying by scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st. �With one out, SS Chase d'Arnaud and 3B Jordy Mercer worked back-to-back walks. �A ground out to the right side of the infield moved both runners up one base, and a single by C Hector Gomez on a line drive into center field brought both runs in.

Altoona's starter Justin Wilson zipped through the first two innings. �He gave up a double and a walk in the 3rd, but a fly out kept any runs from scoring. �Another double, a ground out, and an RBI single by the Squirrels cut the Curve lead to one run in the top of the 4th. �The Curve came right back in the bottom of the frame, when RF Miles Durham led off with a double, went to third on Gimenez's sacrifice bunt, and score on 2B Josh Harrison's grounder to short. �They added one more run in the 5th. �Two walks got the Squirrels in trouble again, this time by pinch-hitter Jim Negrych and CF Gorkys Hernandez. Jordy Mercer supplied the RBI single that brought in Negrych with the insurance run. �The Curve had only 4 hits in the game, to 5 by the Squirrels. �1B Matt Hague had the other Curve hit, which was a single in the top of the 9th.

Justin Wilson pitched 5 innings and allowed the one run on 5 hits and a walk, and he struck out 4 batters in his first win of the season. �Tony Watson also struck out 4 batters in his 3 innings of work. �Watson walked 2 batters but did not allow any hits. �Jeff Sues earned his first Save with a perfect 9th inning.

Toledo Mud Hens 6, �Indianapolis Indians 3 (box)

The Indianapolis Indians had the early lead at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio tonight, but a 5-run inning by the Mud Hens took the victory away.

Compared to the games they played in Columbus, which lasted way over 3 hours, this 2 hour 19 minute game must have seemed lightning-fast to the Tribe. �With a flurry of roster moves made by the Pirates (see below), the Indians' scheduled starter, Brian Burres had already left for San Francisco. �The ever-flexible Jeremy Powell stepped up to made the start for the Tribe. �Powell breezed through the first two innings, needed only 10 pitches for the 1st and 14 pitches for the 2nd.

The Indians scored in the top of the 2nd using the "bloop-and-blast" method. �3B Pedro Alvarez opened the inning with his first non-homer hit of the season, a line drive single into right field. �1B Steve Pearce followed with the blast -- a homer that sailed over the back of the concourse behind the left field wall. �Pearce knew as soon as it left his bat that it was gone, turning to watch it when he still had one foot in the batters' box. �The Indians had a 2-0 lead.

Leads in Toledo are always tenuous for the Indians, though. �Sure enough, Powell ran into trouble in the bottom of the 3rd. �A lead off walk to LF Clete Thomas was followed with a single by former Indy Indian C Robinzon Diaz, which slipped past SS Brian Friday. 3B Danny Worth grounded to his counterpart Pedro Alvarez, and it would have been a double play, but Alvarez bobbled the ball and only had time to get the out at first base, leaving runners on second and third. �RBI singles by 2B Will Rhymes and SS Brent Dlugach brought in Thomas and Diaz to tie the score at 2-2. �Then RF Brennan Boesch took Powell's 0-1 pitch on a line drive over the right field wall for a 3-run homer and a 5-2 lead.

The Pirates designated Hayden Penn for assignment today to make room for Joel Hanrahan. As expected, Daniel McCutchen was also sent to Triple-A...

Columbus Clippers 9, �Indianapolis Indians 4 (box)

Six runs in the 7th inning gave the Clippers the win over the Indianapolis Indians this afternoon at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio, as the two teams split the 4-game series.

Tribe starter Chris Jakubauskas made only one big mistake over his first four innings. �In the bottom of the 1st, he gave up a very long home run to Columbus DH Carlos Santana, who now leads the International League with 4 home runs and 8 RBI. �Jakubauskas gave up a walk and a single in the 2nd inning, but former Indy Indian Brian Bixler bounced into a double play to end the inning. �Neil Walker, who was playing second base for the first time in a regular season game, handled the hopper neatly to start the double play. �Another ground out ended the inning and stranded a runner on third.

The Indians took the lead in the top of the 4th. �With one out, 1B Steve Pearce (photo) just missed a home run when he smashed a ball off the top of the left field wall. �Columbus LF Trevor Crowe picked up the ball on the rebound, but must have assumed that Pearce was going to stop at second base, because he held onto the ball for a few seconds before throwing it in. �Pearce made the turn at second and just kept going, sliding head-first into third base just before the throw. �Neil Walker followed with a single through the right side of the infield to drive in Pearce. �Walker stole second base, and though he did not beat the throw from Columbus catcher Damaso Espino, SS Anderson Hernandez dropped the ball in front of the bag, and Walker was safe. �That put Walker into scoring position, and it made a difference moments later. �C Luke Carlin lined a single in to right field, and Walker was able to score from second base to give the Indians a 2-1 lead.

John Kruk said it best on Baseball Tonight: The Pirates seem to get beat by giving up five runs here and five runs there. Why not just give up a bunch of runs in one inning? And that's exactly what they did.

Harrisburg Senators 6, �Altoona Curve 4 (box)

As the world looked in on the baseball-happy town of Altoona, via ESPNews and MLB, Stephen Strasburg made his pro debut against the Curve. �Some people, maybe those who thought Strasburg didn't need to bother with the minors at all, �may have thought that Strasburg would breeze through this start. �The Curve were not among that group, though. �Yes, Strasburg got his first pro win in his first pro start. �Yes, he did strike out 8 batters. �But the Curve did not make it easy, as they scored 4 runs off Strasburg on 4 hits and 2 walks, and reminded Strasburg and anyone else that those guys with the bats in their hands are dangerous, no matter who's on the mound.

With Curve radio broadcaster Dan Zangrilli and former Pirate pitcher Stan Belinda doing the honors on national tv, Strasburg started off strong. �He got 2B Jim Negrych on a sky-high pop out to short, and got CF Gorkys Hernandez to ground out. �Then LF Alex Presley lined Strasburg's 2-0 pitch to the base of the wall in right field, and sped around to score when RF Miles Durham followed with a line drive into center field. �C Kris Watts worked a walk, even though the 4th ball came in at 98 mph. �3B Josh Harrison struck out to end the inning, but the Curve had scored a run off Strasburg.

Strasburg settled down to retire the Curve in order in the 2nd and 3rd innings, with 2 strikeouts in each. �He began the 4th inning with a fly out off Durham's bat, but then Kris Watts worked another walk. �Josh Harrison bounced a grounder to Harrisburg SS (and former Curve and Indy Indian) Pedro Lopez. �Lopez scooped up the ball as he was moving behind second base, and flipped it to his 2B Michael Martinez. �But Martinez missed the flip, and instead of an inning-ending double play, both runners were safe. �1B Shelby Ford struck out, then SS Jose De Los Santos slipped a single just under his counterpart Lopez's glove and into center field. �Watts scored easily, and when the throw in from CF Leonard Davis came in to the plate way up the line and got past the Harrisburg catcher, Harrison rounded third and slid into the plate just ahead of the tag. �Next up was Altoona pitcher Rudy Owens, who had told the Altoona Mirror's Cory Geiger that he was more concerned about his first professional plate appearance against Strasburg than about pitching against the big prospect. �(Below the AA level, designated hitters are always used and pitchers never hit.) �Owens needn't have worried. �He collected his first pro hit and his first RBI too, with a single up the middle, scoring De Los Santos from third base. �A strikeout ended the inning, with the Curve ahead 4-0.

Indianapolis Indians 4, �Columbus Clippers 3 (box)

Indians' outfielder Brandon Moss admitted that he'd had a "rough Spring Training". �That was followed by 10 days off while he waited to go through waivers. �He was more than ready to come to Indianapolis, where he was much more likely to get some regular playing time. �Moss went 0-for-5 on Opening Day and sat out yesterday's game. �Tonight, though, it was time to get going. �Moss said after the game that he "felt really good coming into the game tonight." �It showed, too, as he singled, doubled, and hit the game-winning home run in the Indians 4-3 win over the Clippers at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio.

Moss said that he made good use of his forced time off. �He went to Loganville, Georgia, where he sought out his high school baseball coaches. �He worked with the coaches, who pitched to him for hours and hours. �They talked about temp and about keeping his hands back. �It put Moss back into his right place, where he could feel confident with his swing, and as we saw tonight, the extra work paid off.

Playing conditions tonight at Huntington Park were very different from those of the past two nights. �For two games, the Clippers and the Indians pounded out the hits and especially the home runs. �After combining for 14 home runs in the first two games of the series, tonight the only home run was Moss's. �The wind had wreaked havoc for the outfielders, particularly the left fielders in the first two games, but it was mostly quiet tonight.

The Indians got the game started with two runs in the top of the 1st. �With one out, RF Brandon Jones and DH Brian Myrow worked back-to-back walks. �They both advanced a base on a wild pitch by Columbus starter Jeanmar Gomez, and 3B Pedro Alvarez filled the void at first with another walk. �Gomez had a full count on the lead-off batter Jose Tabata before he grounded out, then another full count on Jones. �Myrow walked on a 3-1 pitch, and Alvarez walked on four straight balls, including the wild pitch. �Gomez also had a full count on 1B Steve Pearce, when Pearce lined a single into left field, scoring both Jones and Myrow. �The inning finished with a strikeout by Moss (2-2 pitch) and a fly out by C Luke Carlin (mercifully, on the first pitch). �Gomez had thrown 33 pitches. �(If he had been in the Pirates' organization, he would not have been permitted to go back out for the second inning.)

Indianapolis Indians 4, �Columbus Clippers 3 (box)

Indians' outfielder Brandon Moss admitted that he'd had a "rough Spring Training". �That was followed by 10 days off while he waited to go through waivers. �He was more than ready to come to Indianapolis, where he was much more likely to get some regular playing time. �Moss went 0-for-5 on Opening Day and sat out yesterday's game. �Tonight, though, it was time to get going. �Moss said after the game that he "felt really going coming into the game tonight." �It showed, too, as he singled, doubled, and hit the game-winning home run as the Indians took a 2-1 series lead over the Clippers at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio.

Moss said that he made good use of his forced time off. �He went back to Loganville, Georgia, where he sought out his high school baseball coaches. �He worked with the coaches, who pitched to him for hours and hours. �They talked about tempo and about keeping his hands back. �It put Moss back into his right place, where he could feel confident with his swing, and as we saw tonight, the extra work paid off.

Playing conditions tonight at Huntington Park were very different from those of the past two nights. �For two games, the Clippers and the Indians pounded out the hits and especially the home runs. �After combining for 14 home runs in the first two games of the series, tonight the only home run of the game was Moss's. �The wind had wreaked havoc for the outfielders, particularly the left fielders in the first two games, but it was mostly quiet tonight.

The Indians got the game started with two runs in the top of the 1st. �With one out, RF Brandon Jones and DH Brian Myrow worked back-to-back walks. �They both advanced a base on a wild pitch by Columbus starter Jeanmar Gomez, and 3B Pedro Alvarez filled the void at first with another walk. �Gomez had a full count on the lead-off batter Jose Tabata before he grounded out, then another full count on Jones. �Myrow walked on a 3-1 pitch, and Alvarez walked on four straight balls, including the wild pitch. �Gomez also had a full count on 1B Steve Pearce, when Pearce lined a single into left field, scoring both Jones and Myrow. �The inning finished with a strikeout by Moss (2-2 pitch), and a fly out by C Luke Carlin (mercifully, on the first pitch). �Gomez had thrown 33 pitches. �(If he had been in the Pirates' organization, he would not have been permitted to go back out for the second inning.)

Remember to tune in to ESPNews on Sunday afternoon after 2 pm (Eastern), to see Harrisburg's Stephen Strasburg pitch against the Altoona Curve. �They have said that they will only show the half innings when Strasburg is on the mound, but that means we get to take a look at the Curve batters.

On to Saturday evening's games:

Altoona Curve 1, �Harrisburg Senators 0 (box)

These two teams took a scoreless tie into the bottom of the 10th inning, but the Curve came out on top with their third win of the season. �That was when 2B Josh Harrison led off with a single through the hole into left field. �C Kris Watts dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Harrison to second base, and LF Jim Negrych walked. �LF/RF Jose De Los Santos was the hero of the night, with his RBI double into left field to bring Harrison home with the only run of the game.

Prior to that inning, the Curve had only managed two hits. �RF/1B Miles Durham singled in the bottom of the 1st inning, and 3B Jordy Mercer walked, but both were left on base when the inning ended. �Senators' pitcher Tom Milone retired the next 16 Curve batters in order, has he pitched 6 scoreless innings. �The Curve batters managed two walks off Harrisburg reliever Rafael Martin in the 7th inning, but again they were both left stranded. �Mercer singled in the 9th inning, but was forced out at second on a grounder.

The Curve pitching staff were keeping up with their Harrisburg counterparts. �Tim Alderson made his first start of the season and threw 5 scoreless innings. �He gave up two singles in the top of the 1st, but CF Gorkys Hernandez's throw in to 2B Josh Harrison was in time to force out the lead runner at second base. �Alderson scattered a walk and two more singles over the next three innings, and then retired the side in order in the 5th. �He also struck out two batters. �Reliever Derek Hankins took over for Alderson to begin the 6th inning. �Hankins pitched 2 innings and gave up 2 walks, with one wild pitch, but did not allow a run to score. �Ronald Uviedo took the next two innings, and he walked just one batter then erased him with a double play. �Danny Moskos came on to pitch the top of the 10th inning and retired the side in order. �Moskos was the pitcher of record when De Los Santos hit his walk-off double in the bottom of the inning, so he was credited with the win.

Zach Duke is off to another fine start. He won't blow anyone away. But hopefully he is learning how to pitch to the weaknesses of his hitters and keep them off balance. Whatever gets you through the night. Apologies to John Lennon.

That sound you hear? It could be the bubble bursting. I'm not saying that I've lost hope. But the thought entered my mind that the two game winning streak that opened the season might be the longest winning streak of April.