Tag: Denny Bautista

The Pirates have signed INF Josh Fields to a minor league contract.  Fields is an Oklahoma native who was the White Sox' first round draft pick in 2004.  He progressed quickly through their organization, playing mostly third base, and reached the major leagues in 2006, when he played in 11 games for Chicago after spending most of the season in AAA Charlotte (.305,  19 HR, 70 RBI).  For the next three seasons, Fields bounced between AAA and the majors.  With Charlotte, he totalled 25 homers and 85 RBI with a .262 average in 158 games.  He played in 193 games with the White Sox over those seasons, with a .231 average, 30 homers, and 99 RBI.  Fields was traded to the Royals after the 2009 season, but he got in little playing time during 2010 due to hip surgery.  He played in 13 games for the Royals in September, and his bat showed some promise -- .309 with 3 homers and 6 RBI.  The 28-year-old got in some make up for missed at-bats by playing for Los Senadores de San Juan in the Puerto Rican League during October and November.  In 22 games, he hit .200 with 6 RBI, though in his last week, he went 7-for-27 (.259).  Fields has been invited to the major league camp for spring training, and he will be competing for a utility spot on the major league club.  

Just a little action on Monday in the winter leagues as we cheer for a few Pirates' players and friends:

 DOMINICAN LEAGUE
Tigres de Licey  2,  Aguilas Cibaenas 0  --  Los Aguilas were held to three hits and two walks -- one hit and one walk in both the first and last innings, plus a single in the 8th.  Starling Marte came into the game as a defensive replacement in center field for Los Aguilas, but he did not get an at-bat.  Los Tigres scored one run in the 2nd, on a single, a walk, and a fielding error.  They added an insurance run in the 8th, when DH Ronny Paulino led off with a single and was replaced by a pinch-runner.  A sacrifice bunt and a throwing error put the runner on third base, and 1B Robinzon Diaz brought him in with a fly ball and an error.  A single followed, but two runners were left on base.  Tigres' Denny Bautista pitched to 3 batters in the 8th inning and gave up a single.  

 
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Tiburones de La Guaira  5,  Navegantes del Magallanes  4  --  A solo homer in the bottom of the 10th inning broke a 4-4 tie, for Los Tiburones' win.  Los Navegantes plated 4 runs in the 4th, on a 2-run homer, followed by four singles and a sacrifice fly.  Los Tiburones got onto the scoreboard in the 6th inning, with a run on a double and an RBI single.  Jean Machi took the mound in the bottom of the 9th for Magallanes, but he was done in by three fielding errors (of the 5 errors committed by Los Magallanes).  A single opened the inning, then Machi got a pop out.  The first fielding error put runners on first and second, then Machi struck out the next batter.  Another fielding error loaded the bases, and the third error allowed 2 runs to score.  An RBI single gave Los Tiburones their third run of the inning and tied the score.  Machi was relieved at that point, and a fly out ended the inning.   

Southpaw Donnie Veal will likely be back in Indianapolis in 2011.  He has signed a minor league contract with the Pirates today, and has also been invited to the big league camp for Spring Training.  After struggling through his mandatory year on the Pirates' major league roster as a Rule 5 Draft pick in 2009, Veal was assigned to the AAA Indians to begin 2010.  He made 9 starts for the Indians, with a 3-2 record and a 4.35 ERA over 49.2 innings before being shut down due to elbow issues.  Veal had Tommy John surgery in early June, and is expected to be ready to go for Spring Training.  

The signing of 1B Lyle Overbay is going to make things more difficult for the likes of Steve Pearce and Jeff Clement.  Both are working their way back from knee problems.  Pearce was granted one more option year because of his injuries last season.  

Other news of minor league contracts signed: Former Pirate Denny Bautista has signed with the Mariners.  INF Doug Bernier, who spent 2010 with the Indy Indians, signed with the Yankees.  P Vinnie Chulk signed with the A's.  Former Pirate P Jonah Bayliss signed with the Rays.  INF/OF Jonathan Van Every signed with the Nationals.  

Cheering for Pirates' players and friends in Wednesday's winter league games:

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Caribes de Anzoategui  4,  Bravos de Margarita  0  --  Los Bravos were held to just 3 hits, along with 2 walks.  The first 13 Margarita batters went down in order before the first base runner reached on a walk.  They had 2 runners on base in both the 6th and 8th innings, but could not get them around to score.  Los Caribes scored one run in each of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings, then one more in the 7th.  In the 4th, LF Jose Tabata was hit by a pitch, then scored on an RBI double.  

Tigres del Aragua  3,  Cardenales de Lara  1  --  A 2-run homer in the bottom of the 11th by C Wilson Ramos broke the 1-1 tie for Los Tigres.  The homer came off Lara reliever Romulo Sanchez, who was charged with his second loss of the season.  Each team scored a run in the 2nd inning.  Los Cardenales' rally was started with a single by former Pirate farmhand CF Ray Sadler, then another single and two walks forced in a run.  Ramos doubled to lead off the bottom of the 2nd for Los Tigres.  He scored on a single by 1B Hector Gimenez and a sacrifice fly.  Both teams missed scoring opportunities in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings, but there was only one base runner for either team over the next four innings -- that was DH Lastings Milledge, who doubled in the 9th.  

Cheering for some Pirates' players and friends in Friday's winter league action:

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Leones del Caracas  6,  Tigres de Aragua  4  --  Caracas won this battle of the Big Cats.  Los Leones scored first with a solo homer in the top of the 1st.  Los Tigres tied it up in the 2nd inning.  Two singles, including one by 1B Hector Gimenez, and a throwing error put runners on second and third bases.  LF  Lastings Milledge drove in the run with a ground out to third.  Caracas took the lead again in the top of the 3rd, with a walk, a ground out, and an RBI single.  The batter was out at second as he tried to advance on the throw to the plate:  CF Jorge Cortes to C Raul Chavez to SS Ronny Cedeno, who tagged the runner out.  Aragua took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the 3rd, with a 3-run homer, after Chavez reached on a fielding error, a single, and Cedeno's sacrifice bunt.  But Los Leones came right back with their own homer for 2 runs in the top of the 4th, then took the lead with another run on two singles.  They added an insurance run in the top of the 9th, on two singles and a throwing error.  Los Tigres did not score again, though Milledge singled in the 4th, Cedeno singled in the 5th, and Cortes singled in the 7th.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
Gigantes de Carolina  8,  Criollos de Caguas  3  --  Los Criollos managed only 5 hits, and two of those were by SS Luis Figueroa.  Figueroa singled in the 3rd, and along with two more singles and two walks, Los Criollos scored 2 runs.  Figueroa also reached on an error in the 4th, and that allowed Los Criollos' remaining run to score.  He also singled in the 9th.  3B Ramon Vazquez went 0-for-4 for Caguas.  Los Gigantes scored 2 runs in the 2nd and 4th innings, then added 4 runs in the 7th inning.   



DOMINICAN LEAGUE
Aguilas Cibaenas  10,  Tigres del Licey  3  --  Los Tigres posted 10 hits but left 11 runners on base, scoring only 3 times.  Licey scored a run in the 3rd on two singles and a sacrifice fly.  LF Jake Fox and two others singled in the 7th, and one run scored when C Robinzon Diaz bounced into a double play.  A single and a double gave Los Tigres their last run in the 8th.  Diaz singled for Los Tigres in the 2nd inning, but DH Ronny Paulino (who just signed a contract with the Mets) went 0-for-3 with a walk.  Los Aguilas put up their first run in the 4th, tying the game on two singles, a walk, and a wild pitch.  Then they put the game out of reach with 4 runs in the 6th and 3 runs in the 7th.  Denny Bautista came on to pitch for Licey in the 7th, and he gave up a walk and a 2-RBI double.  Starling Marte scored one of those runs, since he had just come in to pinch-run.  Marte remained in the game to play right field.  He batted again in the 9th, and reached base on a fielding error, though was out on a force play at second.  A walk and a single brought in two more Aguilas' runs in the 9th.  LF Kevin Melillo went 0-for-3 for Los Aguilas.    

Day Three of the Winter Meetings...the Rule 5 Draft will be tomorrow (Thursday)
Today, the Pirates added another player to their 40-man roster.  Matt Diaz is an outfielder who was drafted by the Rays in the 17th round of the 1999 draft.  He reached the major league level for the first time in 2003, but played in only 14 games for the Rays over the 2003 and 2004 seasons, and went 5-for-30 at the plate.  The Oregon native was released by the Rays in February 2005 and a few days later was claimed off waivers by the Orioles, then signed by the Royals the next day.  His 2005 season was shortened by injury, but he did hit .281 in 34 games for the Royals.  The Royals traded Diaz to the Braves after the 2005 season, and he remained in their organization for the next 5 years.  Diaz played full-time in 2006 and 2007, but a left knee injury prevented him from playing for most of the 2008 season.  He was back in full swing in 2009, when he hit .313 with 13 homers and 58 RBI for the Braves.  An infected thumb limited Diaz again in 2010.  He was able to play in 84 games for the Braves, and hit .250, with 7 homers and 31 RBI.  Diaz will turn 33 in early March.  He's expected to play in right field for the Pirates.

Cheering for Pirates' players and friends in Wednesday's winter league action:
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Leones del Caracas  7,  Navegantes del Magallanes  0  --  Corey Hamman had a better outing tonight than he did yesterday.  He pitched 2 innings, taking the mound with a runner on second and no outs in the 7th.  Hamman gave up a single and a sacrifice fly, to bring in one run (charged to the previous pitcher), then another single and a double play.  In the 8th, Hamman worked around a single to keep Los Leones from scoring.  Jose Ascanio pitched his first competitive inning since recovering from injury.  He gave up a double to the first batter he faced, then retired the next three batters.  Caracas's 5-run 5th inning was all the firepower they needed.

Tiburones de La Guaira  4,  Caribes de Anzoategui  3  --  Jose Tabata made his Venezuelan debut, OK'ed by the Pirates, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks.  Los Caribes scored 2 runs in the 4th and another in the 5th, to take a 3-1 lead. Tabata's RBI single drove in the run in the 5th.   But Los Tiburones bit back with a 3-run 8th inning for the win.  


Bravos de Margarita  7,  Cardenales de Lara  3  --  A 5-run rally in the bottom of the 1st inning, including a grand slam, gave Los Bravos a lead they would not give up.  Starter Yusmeiro Petit pitched 7 innings for Los Bravos, allowing one run.  He was relieved to begin the 8th inning, by Bobby Livingston (who pitched in one game for the Indy Indians in 2009.  Livingston gave up 2 runs on two singles and a double, then was relieved by Anthony Claggett.  Claggett ended the inning with a strikeout, then retired the side in the 9th.  

Aguilas de Zulia  2,  Tigres de Aragua  1  --  SS Ronny Cedeno scored Los Tigres' only run in the bottom of the 1st.  After a double, Cedeno reached base on a fielder's choice, then stole second base, and scored on an RBI single.  Back-to-back home runs in the top of the 4th gave Zulia the lead in the 4th inning.  Cedeno was hitless in his other 3 plate appearances.  1B Hector Gimenez singled in the 4th, when Los Tigres loaded the bases, but did not score.  LF Lastings Milledge went 0-for-4, and C Raul Chavez went 0-for-2 for Los Tigres.  

MLB's winter meetings begin tomorrow (Monday).  Stay tuned for news of trades, moves, shifts, Rule 5 draft, etc.  
A few of Sunday's winter league games with Pirates' players and friends participating:

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Cardenales de Lara  3,  Bravos de Margarita 1  --  Anthony Claggett pitched 4 innings in his start for Los Bravos, and allowed one unearned run on a hit and a walk in the night-cap of a double-header.  The run came in the bottom of the 1st, when a single and a throwing error at third base put the lead-off runner on second base.  A sacrifice bunt and an RBI ground out brought in the unearned run.  After a walk, Claggett retired 10 of the 11 remaining batters he faced -- he hit one batter with a pitch.  Los Bravos scored their run in the top of the 1st, on a double, a bunt, and a sacrifice fly.  Claggett left the game with the score tied.  He was relieved by Edgar Martinez, who began the bottom of the 5th by allowing a walk, a sacrifice bunt, and a 2-run homer, which gave Lara the win.  

Aguilas de Zulia  6,  Tigres de Aragua  1  --  SS Ronny Cedeno and CF Lastings Milledge each had a single in the 8th inning, and Milledge also walked in the 4th, but neither came around to score in Los Tigres' loss.  Aragua's only run was scored in the top of the 9th, on a triple and an RBI single.  Zulia scored their 6 runs on 13 hits, scattered over 5 of their 8 at-bats.  C Raul Chavez, C Miguel Perez, and pinch-hitter Jorge Cortes were all hitless for Los Tigres.  

Leones del Caracas   8,  Navegantes del Magallanes  4  --  Corey Hamman pitched a scoreless inning for Los  Navegantes in their loss.  Caracas had already scored 2 runs in each of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th innings, and Los Navegantes had scored a pair of runs on a 2-run homer in the 4th and one more run in the 7th on a double, a single, and an RBI ground out.  The first batter in the top of the 8th was hit by a pitch, and Hamman entered the game with that runner on first base.  He gave up a walk but retired three batters to get out of the inning without allowing a run to score.  Los Navegantes scored one more run in the bottom of the 9th on a hit batter and two singles, but it wasn't enough.

A few signing notes for some former Pirates -- LHP Phil Dumatrait has signed a minor league contract with the Twins, and LHP Neal Cotts has signed a minor league contract with the Yankees.  OF Rajai Davis was traded from the A's to the Blue Jays.  

Sunday's winter league action involving a few Pirates' players and friends:

DOMINICAN LEAGUE
Aguilas Cibaenas  12,  Tigres del Licey  1 --  A 6-run 1st inning put the game into Los Aguilas' pocket right from the start.  Starling Marte came into the game in the 5th inning as a pinch runner (he didn't score), then remained in the game in left field.  He flied out in the 7th, then hit an RBI single in the 8th.  Denny Bautista was one of the few Licey pitchers who held Los Aguilas scoreless, as he threw a perfect top of the 9th for Los Tigres.  Indy area native Jake Fox went 0-for-4 for Los Tigres.


VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Tiburones de La Guaira  6,  Tigres de Aragua  2 --  Los Tiburones scored 5 runs over the first 3 innings, and Los Tigres could only manage 2 runs.  In the top of the 1st, SS Ronny Cedeno followed a lead-off single with a sacrifice bunt, then another single brought in the first Aragua run.  Their second run came in the 6th inning, when Cedeno led off with a double into left field, and a few minutes later, 1B Hector Gimenez doubled into right field, bringing in Cedeno.  C Miguel Perez came in as a defensive replacement behind the plate, but flied out in his only plate appearance.  CF Jorge Cortes went 0-for-3 with a walk.  Former Pirate pitcher Chris Hernandez pitched the top of the 9th for La Guaira.  He gave up a walk, but then got Cortes to bounce into a double play to end the game.  

Cardenales de Lara  7,  Navegantes del Magallanes  2  --  Los Navegantes were also only able to put up 2 runs, one in the 2nd, and one in the 7th.  SS Argenis Diaz contributed one of Los Navegantes' 5 hits, but he did not score.  Corey Hamman pitched the 7th inning for Magallanes, and he gave up a solo home run.

Bravos de Margarita  2,  Aguilas de Zulia  1 --  Anthony Claggett won his second game in two days for Los Bravos, this time with one scoreless inning of work (it was 1.1 innings yesterday).  Los Bravos scored one run in the bottom of the 4th on a double, a single, and a grounder.  Los Aguilas tied the score in the top of the 6th, also with a single and a double.  Claggett took the mound to begin the 7th.  He gave up a lead-off single, then retired the next three batters he faced.  In the bottom of the inning, Los Bravos scored the go-ahead run on a single, a bunt, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly.  That made Claggett the pitcher of record.  Ronald Belisario pitched a perfect 9th inning for Margarita to collect his 10th save of the season.  

Looking in on the Pirates' players and friends in Saturday's winter league action...

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
Criollos de Caguas  2,  Gigantes de Carolina  1  --  A low-hitting game, and Caguas scored their 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th on two singles and some mistakes by Los Gigantes.  With the first two batters on base, SS Luis Figueroa bunted both into scoring position.  That put the runner on third base in position to score on a wild pitch.  Ramon Vazquez reached base on a fielding error at second base, which let the second run score.  Another wild pitch and a walk put two runners on base again, but no more runs scored.  Los Criollos also loaded the bases in the 3rd, on singles by Figueroa and Vazquez and a walk, and a walk and two more singles loaded the bases in the 6th, but both times the bases were left loaded.  Vazquez also walked in the 1st inning.   Los Gigantes' only run came in the 5th, on a single, a double by Luis Matos, and a sacrifice fly.  
 

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Navegantes del Magallanes  4,  Tigres de Aragua  0 -- Los Tigres could not score despite 7 hits and 2 walks.  RF Alex Romero had 3 of those 7 hits, and 1B Hector Gimenez had a single.  SS Ronny Cedeno, CF Jorge Cortes, and C Raul Chavez were all hitless in the game.  Los Navegantes scored all 4 of their runs in the top of the 2nd, on a solo homer, followed by four singles.  Corey Hamman pitched to one batter in the 6th, and gave up a single.  Two more walks loaded the bases for Magallanes, but the runners were left stranded.  Jean Machi pitched the 9th inning for Magallanes and gave up the single to Gimenez, but a double play erased Gimenez and ended the game.

Bravos de Margarita  6,  Aguilas del Zulia  4 --  Anthony Claggett earned his first Venezuelan League win with 1.1 scoreless innings for Margarita.  Los Bravos scored first, with a run in the bottom of the 1st, and Los Aguilas tied the score with one run in the top of the 2nd.  Zulia scored 2 more runs in the top of the 3rd on two walks and three singles, and Claggett was brought into the game with 2 runs in, one out, and the bases loaded.  he faced just one batter, and got the double play to end the inning.  Los Bravos' batters responded with 4 runs in the bottom of the 4th, on 4 singles, a walk, and a bases-clearing 3-RBI double.  That gave Los Bravos the lead, which they would not give up, and Claggett was the pitcher of record.  He began the top of the 4th with two outs, then a throwing error and a single put two runners on for Los Aguilas. Claggett was relieved at that point, but those runners did not score.  Ronald Belisario earned his 9th save for Margarita.