When you make Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan look like Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax, you know you're in for a long series, especially with CC Sabathia on deck. And the Brew Crew took it to the Pirates again, pounding out an 11-3 win tonight.
Milwaukee smacked around almost every pitcher the Pirates put on the hill - Paul Maholm, Jesse Chavez, Matt Capps; only Tyler Yates escaped unscathed. The 5 through 8 hitters for the Brewers went 10-19, with 8 runs scored, 9 RBI, three doubles and two homers. Thank God they didn't have a DH!
The loss was the ninth in a row for the Pirates, who have dropped 13 of their past 15 games. The Brewers are now 10-1 against the Bucs this season.
Brandon Moss was the only bright spot in an otherwise dark evening. He went 2-3 with a walk, double and his seventh long ball, a two run shot in the sixth.
Let's hope that the September road trip to Cincy, San Fran, and Houston cures what ails the Bucs. The two best teams in the NL have proved their mettle.
In ex-Pirate news, Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors says he wouldn't be surprised to see the Yankees let Damaso Marte go and bolster their bullpen via free agency. Marte is 0-2 with a 7.15 ERA for the Bronx Bombers, his ERA doubling in the transition (it was 3.47 in Pittsburgh, where he was 4-0 with 5 saves).
Todd Redmond, the RHP Pittsburgh traded for Tyler Yates, is 13-5 with a 3.42 ERA for the Brave's AA Mississippi club. The 23-year old has 128 K's in 160-1/3 innings. He may or may not be a MLB arm, but Redmond sure would have looked nice in Altoona.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Back to Baseball
Well, Pedro and Boras gave us something to talk about during the off day. Today, Pittsburgh was back between the white lines. It was another dose of same ol', same ol', as the Bucs went down to the Brewers 3-1.
Gorzo gave up a single, walk, and Ryan Braun homer to start the game. He settled down after the first, giving up just two hits in the following six innings and retiring 21 of 24 batters. But the damage had been done.
The only Pirate response was a solo shot by Nate McLouth. Oh, they outhit the Brew Crew, 8-6, and got a couple of walks and errors to aid the cause, but stranded 11, 6 in scoring position. My kingdom for a two-out knock.
The Pirates are 7-19 for August, have lost eight in a row, and 12 of the last 14. September can't be worse...can it?
The Bucs plan to call up Ross Ohlendorf after Indy's season ends on Monday, and at least start with a six-man rotation, according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com:
In minor league news, Bradenton lost its' one-and-out playoff game to the GCL Phillies, 7-4, yesterday.
3B Jarek Cunningham went 4-4 with a home run and 3 RBI to cap a terrific rookie year. The 18th-round, high school pick hit .318 with 5 homers and 22 RBI. 2B Adenson Chourio hit .335, third in the GCL, and was second in stolen bases, with 30.
LHPs Nelson Pereira and Tyler Cox finished 1-2 in the GCL ERA race at 1.62 and 1.79 respectively. Pereira was 6-2 with 46 K's in 50 innings, while Cox, a 35th round draft pick, was 2-3 with 42 strikeouts in 45 innings.
Gorzo gave up a single, walk, and Ryan Braun homer to start the game. He settled down after the first, giving up just two hits in the following six innings and retiring 21 of 24 batters. But the damage had been done.
The only Pirate response was a solo shot by Nate McLouth. Oh, they outhit the Brew Crew, 8-6, and got a couple of walks and errors to aid the cause, but stranded 11, 6 in scoring position. My kingdom for a two-out knock.
The Pirates are 7-19 for August, have lost eight in a row, and 12 of the last 14. September can't be worse...can it?
The Bucs plan to call up Ross Ohlendorf after Indy's season ends on Monday, and at least start with a six-man rotation, according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com:
"It works out pretty well I think," Russell said of employing a six-man rotation. "We still haven't solidified it, but we've put together a rough draft of how we want it to work. It might be six for two or three times around the rotation and then drop it down depending on where we're at."
After Monday's off-day, the Pirates will play on 20 consecutive days.
In minor league news, Bradenton lost its' one-and-out playoff game to the GCL Phillies, 7-4, yesterday.
3B Jarek Cunningham went 4-4 with a home run and 3 RBI to cap a terrific rookie year. The 18th-round, high school pick hit .318 with 5 homers and 22 RBI. 2B Adenson Chourio hit .335, third in the GCL, and was second in stolen bases, with 30.
LHPs Nelson Pereira and Tyler Cox finished 1-2 in the GCL ERA race at 1.62 and 1.79 respectively. Pereira was 6-2 with 46 K's in 50 innings, while Cox, a 35th round draft pick, was 2-3 with 42 strikeouts in 45 innings.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Morning After...
OK, we know everybody is about up to here with Pedro stuff, deadlines, hearings, options, yada, yada.
And if it's over $200K for a contract already drawn up for a guaranteed $6M, Scott Boras has way more ego than smarts -and he's a very smart man - and Pedro didn't get a very good education at Vanderbilt, to pass up a possible chance to get into free agency a year quicker than he now will and burn his goodwill.
We think something deeper is going on than just an arbitration over a contract for nothing more than bragging rights. And we will be the first to admit, except for the possibility of some unknown physical problem or Boras' first assault on the player draft as it now is, we have no idea what the ultimate game may be.
Now ego is a powerful motivator, for both Boras and Alvarez. The uber-agent has a rep to uphold, and nobody knows how many people have whispered in the kid's ear that he's the best ballplayer drafted and should have gotten the biggest slice of pie. It could be as simple as that.
But it seems to be a high-risk gamble if it's all about saving face. So we'll be watching very closely to see if it's a pure old-fashioned money grab or something more. Your thoughts?
(Here is MLB.com's version Bucs, Boras Battle over Alvarez)
And if it's over $200K for a contract already drawn up for a guaranteed $6M, Scott Boras has way more ego than smarts -and he's a very smart man - and Pedro didn't get a very good education at Vanderbilt, to pass up a possible chance to get into free agency a year quicker than he now will and burn his goodwill.
We think something deeper is going on than just an arbitration over a contract for nothing more than bragging rights. And we will be the first to admit, except for the possibility of some unknown physical problem or Boras' first assault on the player draft as it now is, we have no idea what the ultimate game may be.
Now ego is a powerful motivator, for both Boras and Alvarez. The uber-agent has a rep to uphold, and nobody knows how many people have whispered in the kid's ear that he's the best ballplayer drafted and should have gotten the biggest slice of pie. It could be as simple as that.
But it seems to be a high-risk gamble if it's all about saving face. So we'll be watching very closely to see if it's a pure old-fashioned money grab or something more. Your thoughts?
(Here is MLB.com's version Bucs, Boras Battle over Alvarez)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Bad Day to be a Buc
Imagine GW's surprise when arriving home from PNC to find out not only had the Pirates lost the ballgame but Pedro, too. Let it rain...
First, the ballgame. Nicely pitched by Zach Duke and Jason Marquis. The game was decided in the seventh on two bunts and a well-placed double.
Reed Johnson led off with a bunt single to the left side of the diamond, right after Andy LaRoche had dropped back after playing him tight, we would guess on the bench's command. Mark DeRosa followed by doubling down the line.
With the infield in, Ronny Cedano hit a soft roller to third. LaRoche had an iffy play at plate, and took the sure out at first. We're not sure we agree that was the right choice given the circumstances, but c'est la vie. Then Henry Blanco popped up a safety squeeze, dropping it in a step beyond Duke and stopping fair by a ball's width.
Two manufactured runs, and that was the ballgame. You won't win many with five hits anyway, although early on the Pirates stranded a pair at third with two down. But Raul Chavez' lead-off single in the fifth would be the last hit for Pittsburgh.
We did see enough in person of Andy LaRoche to confirm that he's gonna be a project at third base, after seeing reports all over the board on his fielding. We're not too concerned about his bat. Once he relaxes, it'll come around.
But he doesn't seem to be very instinctive or reactive at the hot corner, he doesn't range far afield, and we were surprised he didn't trip over himself a couple of times with his watusi footwork. He does have a nice arm.
Correctable faults? To a degree, but we don't ever see him as becoming more than an average fielding third baseman at best. His lumber will have to carry him, and that's not at all uncommon on the corner.
The Pirates made a roster move before the game, adding RHP Jesse Chavez to both the 40-man (Phil Dumatrait was placed on the 60-day DL) and active rosters, and sending Craig Hansen to Indy for a few days. He pitched a scoreless ninth, featuring a Chavez-to-Chavez battery.
Now on to the big news, the Boras claim that Pedro's contract is invalid because it was filed after midnight. This may not have much to do with Pittsburgh, but with the draft system as it currently exists.
He's always felt the deadline worked to managements' advantage, and if his goal is to stretch it out or perhaps dismantle the whole thing, his groundwork will be laid out in arbitration, with an eye towards the next contract.
Then again, it could and probably does have everything to do with Boras telling prospective clients that he was going to get the biggest bonus of the draft for his guys. Gotta protect that SBC (Scott Boras Corporation) brand name.
Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com wrote "According to one source familiar with the dissension, Boras is believed to be asking that the Pirates pay another $200,000 in addition to the agreed upon $6 million. Doing so would ensure that Alvarez joined Buster Posey as the highest paid player in the Draft."
The Player's Union is involved, too, and their participation will be on the contractual issue of the midnight deadlines and a wink-wink agreement to process late paperwork in violation of the Basic Agreement. It's not a strong case as we understand, but the MLBPA is the mechanism Boras chose to press his case.
We were always a bit concerned about the whole "e-mail the contract to the League unsigned" scenario legally. The Bucs never claimed that the entire contract was in by midnight, just that its basic agreed-upon structure was presented in a "timely manner." Now we'll find out what an arbitrator thinks of the process.
(Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has a good piece with the history and legalities of the situation at The Alvarez Saga)
A third very-out-there possibility is that there are other forces at work that we're unaware of. What if, for example, Alvarez is hurt in some fashion?
There's nothing to suggest this scenario except Alvarez' reluctance to show up Pittsburgh, but if he is damaged goods, Boras has gained him another month (August 15 - September 10, the earliest arbitration date) to recover and pass his minor league physical, the last step of approving his contract.
In any case, don't look for the Pirates, along with many other teams, to deal with Boras again without a gun held to their heads. If a deal's not a deal, what's the point?
First, the ballgame. Nicely pitched by Zach Duke and Jason Marquis. The game was decided in the seventh on two bunts and a well-placed double.
Reed Johnson led off with a bunt single to the left side of the diamond, right after Andy LaRoche had dropped back after playing him tight, we would guess on the bench's command. Mark DeRosa followed by doubling down the line.
With the infield in, Ronny Cedano hit a soft roller to third. LaRoche had an iffy play at plate, and took the sure out at first. We're not sure we agree that was the right choice given the circumstances, but c'est la vie. Then Henry Blanco popped up a safety squeeze, dropping it in a step beyond Duke and stopping fair by a ball's width.
Two manufactured runs, and that was the ballgame. You won't win many with five hits anyway, although early on the Pirates stranded a pair at third with two down. But Raul Chavez' lead-off single in the fifth would be the last hit for Pittsburgh.
We did see enough in person of Andy LaRoche to confirm that he's gonna be a project at third base, after seeing reports all over the board on his fielding. We're not too concerned about his bat. Once he relaxes, it'll come around.
But he doesn't seem to be very instinctive or reactive at the hot corner, he doesn't range far afield, and we were surprised he didn't trip over himself a couple of times with his watusi footwork. He does have a nice arm.
Correctable faults? To a degree, but we don't ever see him as becoming more than an average fielding third baseman at best. His lumber will have to carry him, and that's not at all uncommon on the corner.
The Pirates made a roster move before the game, adding RHP Jesse Chavez to both the 40-man (Phil Dumatrait was placed on the 60-day DL) and active rosters, and sending Craig Hansen to Indy for a few days. He pitched a scoreless ninth, featuring a Chavez-to-Chavez battery.
Now on to the big news, the Boras claim that Pedro's contract is invalid because it was filed after midnight. This may not have much to do with Pittsburgh, but with the draft system as it currently exists.
He's always felt the deadline worked to managements' advantage, and if his goal is to stretch it out or perhaps dismantle the whole thing, his groundwork will be laid out in arbitration, with an eye towards the next contract.
Then again, it could and probably does have everything to do with Boras telling prospective clients that he was going to get the biggest bonus of the draft for his guys. Gotta protect that SBC (Scott Boras Corporation) brand name.
Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com wrote "According to one source familiar with the dissension, Boras is believed to be asking that the Pirates pay another $200,000 in addition to the agreed upon $6 million. Doing so would ensure that Alvarez joined Buster Posey as the highest paid player in the Draft."
The Player's Union is involved, too, and their participation will be on the contractual issue of the midnight deadlines and a wink-wink agreement to process late paperwork in violation of the Basic Agreement. It's not a strong case as we understand, but the MLBPA is the mechanism Boras chose to press his case.
We were always a bit concerned about the whole "e-mail the contract to the League unsigned" scenario legally. The Bucs never claimed that the entire contract was in by midnight, just that its basic agreed-upon structure was presented in a "timely manner." Now we'll find out what an arbitrator thinks of the process.
(Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has a good piece with the history and legalities of the situation at The Alvarez Saga)
A third very-out-there possibility is that there are other forces at work that we're unaware of. What if, for example, Alvarez is hurt in some fashion?
There's nothing to suggest this scenario except Alvarez' reluctance to show up Pittsburgh, but if he is damaged goods, Boras has gained him another month (August 15 - September 10, the earliest arbitration date) to recover and pass his minor league physical, the last step of approving his contract.
In any case, don't look for the Pirates, along with many other teams, to deal with Boras again without a gun held to their heads. If a deal's not a deal, what's the point?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Cubs Roar
Ouch. The Pirates banged out 15 hits, drew five walks, and were the beneficiary of three Cubbie miscues - and still got spanked, 14-9. The Chicago gang countered with 14 hits and Bucco hurlers gave up 9 walks (5 scored).
Geovany Soto was a one-man wrecking crew, driving home seven runs. He has 19 RBI against Pittsburgh in 17 games.
Ian Snell, Craig Hansen and Sean Burnett combined for five innings and gave up eleven runs on nine hits and seven walks. Seven different Pirate pitchers saw action. Matt Capps was the only one that wasn't scored on, as he threw a clean ninth with two K's.
All in all, Pirate pitchers let the leadoff man reach base seven times, and five of them scored.
Playing Milwaukee and Chicago back-to-back is certainly a reality check. Here's looking at 2009.
On the minor league front: Indy lost 3-2. The Tribe managed just five hits, one being DH Ryan Mulhern's (.239) 12th homer. RHP Marino Salas (4-4, 3.67 ERA) gave up a leadoff long ball in the ninth to take the loss.
> Altoona went down 5-1. 2B Shelby Ford (.287) had three hits and CF Jose Tabata (.270) hit his fifth HR for the Curve.
> Lynchburg lost 7-3. RHP Brad Lincoln (1-5, 4.75 ERA) went 4-2/3 innings, giving up 6 hits, 2 earned runs, and striking out three. He got the loss. The Hillcats threw two balls away, leading to five unearned runs. C Chris Jones (.264) had two hits and a run scored.
> Hickory was off today.
> State College split a pair of 7-inning games, winning, 5-3 after losing 7-6. SS Chase d'Arnaud (.311) had three hits, including his first home run during the twinbill. DH Kyle Morgan (.239) drove in a pair with a double, and CF Ciro Rosero (.251) had three hits, walk, and scored three times.
DH Quincy Latimore (.253) hit his third HR, with an RBI and two runs scored. RF Butch Biela (.257) had a pair of RBI.
RHP Jorge Charry (1-0) went three innings for the win in the nightcap, giving up 4 hits and striking out a pair. He's a recent call-up from Bradenton.
> Bradenton won 6-5. The baby Bucs overcame three errors, worth three unearned runs.
C Jesus Aguilera (.292) went 3-4 with a run and RBI. 1B Alex Vegas (.281) had two hits and 2 RBI. 2B Adenson Churio (.335) and DH Freizer Pedron (.243) both had three hits, two runs, and a stolen base. For Churio, it was swipe #30.
Geovany Soto was a one-man wrecking crew, driving home seven runs. He has 19 RBI against Pittsburgh in 17 games.
Ian Snell, Craig Hansen and Sean Burnett combined for five innings and gave up eleven runs on nine hits and seven walks. Seven different Pirate pitchers saw action. Matt Capps was the only one that wasn't scored on, as he threw a clean ninth with two K's.
All in all, Pirate pitchers let the leadoff man reach base seven times, and five of them scored.
Playing Milwaukee and Chicago back-to-back is certainly a reality check. Here's looking at 2009.
On the minor league front: Indy lost 3-2. The Tribe managed just five hits, one being DH Ryan Mulhern's (.239) 12th homer. RHP Marino Salas (4-4, 3.67 ERA) gave up a leadoff long ball in the ninth to take the loss.
> Altoona went down 5-1. 2B Shelby Ford (.287) had three hits and CF Jose Tabata (.270) hit his fifth HR for the Curve.
> Lynchburg lost 7-3. RHP Brad Lincoln (1-5, 4.75 ERA) went 4-2/3 innings, giving up 6 hits, 2 earned runs, and striking out three. He got the loss. The Hillcats threw two balls away, leading to five unearned runs. C Chris Jones (.264) had two hits and a run scored.
> Hickory was off today.
> State College split a pair of 7-inning games, winning, 5-3 after losing 7-6. SS Chase d'Arnaud (.311) had three hits, including his first home run during the twinbill. DH Kyle Morgan (.239) drove in a pair with a double, and CF Ciro Rosero (.251) had three hits, walk, and scored three times.
DH Quincy Latimore (.253) hit his third HR, with an RBI and two runs scored. RF Butch Biela (.257) had a pair of RBI.
RHP Jorge Charry (1-0) went three innings for the win in the nightcap, giving up 4 hits and striking out a pair. He's a recent call-up from Bradenton.
> Bradenton won 6-5. The baby Bucs overcame three errors, worth three unearned runs.
C Jesus Aguilera (.292) went 3-4 with a run and RBI. 1B Alex Vegas (.281) had two hits and 2 RBI. 2B Adenson Churio (.335) and DH Freizer Pedron (.243) both had three hits, two runs, and a stolen base. For Churio, it was swipe #30.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Bucs Blasted
It's pretty obvious why Chicago has the best record in the league, especially when they play the Bucs. The Cubs are 12-4 against Pittsburgh, and three of those losses were by a run. Throw in some horrid Pirate pitching, and you have formula for a blowout.
Jeff Karstens went 3 innings and gave up 5 runs, and Jason Davis lasted two more, also yielding a five-spot. The final was an ugly 12-3 thumping, to the appreciative cheers of the Cubbie faithful at PNC. That was as embarrassing as the score.
The only bright spot was the bat of Brandon Moss, who homered and doubled. He may finally be settling in to a starting routine, unlike Andy LaRoche, who had another 0-for night.
On the minor league front: Indy lost in the tenth, 9-8. RHP Jesse Chavez (2-6, 3.80 ERA) gave up a lead off double, and after a bunt, walked the next two intentionally. The strategy was foiled when the next batter singled. RHP Jimmy Barthmaier (3.73) got roughed up at the start, giving up 5 runs in 4 innings.
3B Neil Walker (.241) had a pair of hits and his 16th HR, driving in 4 and scoring once. SS Brian Bixler (.285) went 2-4 with his 7th HR and a stolen base, his 20th, scored 3 runs, and had one RBI. SS Luis Cruz (.320) had two hits and a run.
> Altoona was off today.
> Lynchburg mustered one hit and went down 5-0 tonight. SS Brian Friday (.292) had the only knock, a double, and stole a base.
LF Jared Keel has been named the Carolina League’s Player of the Week for August 18-24. The Panama City, Florida-native’s week consisted of three multi-hit efforts and a trio of three-RBI contests.
The 2006 31st-round draftee from Troy U. hit .409 with four home runs and nine RBI during the week. Keel also had eight runs scored, while his OBP of .536 and slugging percentage of 1.045 combined for an astronomical 1.581 OPS.
Hitting only .208 after July, the 24-year old's season average has risen 21 points to .236 in August and his 19 home runs not only lead the Hillcats, but are tied for third in the league. He’s also tied for fifth in the league in RBI with 78.
Former Lynchburg OF Jamie Romak, now with Altoona, won the award in June, while LHP Brian Holliday won Pitcher of the Week in July.
> Hickory was rained out tonight.
> State College lost 8-7. RHP Yoffri Martinez (2-5, 4.58 ERA) dropped another one in relief, giving up 5 runs in two innings of work. He's taken the the last three losses for the Spikes. CF David Rubenstein (.217) doubled and had 3 RBI.
> Bradenton scored twice in the ninth, using two stolen bases to manufacture runs, and won 7-6. LHP Carlos Teller (4-0, 4.37 ERA) and RHP Gary Amato (0.00 ERA) worked the last three innings for the win and save, giving up two hits and striking out four.
Amato has worked 13 scoreless innings in 8 appearances with 19 K's for the baby Bucs since being sent down from State College, where he had a Matty Mo-like ERA of 8.86.
DH Jarek Cunningham (.322) went 3-4 with his fifth home run and a stolen base, 2 runs and 2 RBI. 1B Carlos Silva (.329) had two hits, including his fifth homer, a stolen base, two runs and two RBI. LF Edwin Roman (.221) hit his second home run, a solo shot.
Jeff Karstens went 3 innings and gave up 5 runs, and Jason Davis lasted two more, also yielding a five-spot. The final was an ugly 12-3 thumping, to the appreciative cheers of the Cubbie faithful at PNC. That was as embarrassing as the score.
The only bright spot was the bat of Brandon Moss, who homered and doubled. He may finally be settling in to a starting routine, unlike Andy LaRoche, who had another 0-for night.
On the minor league front: Indy lost in the tenth, 9-8. RHP Jesse Chavez (2-6, 3.80 ERA) gave up a lead off double, and after a bunt, walked the next two intentionally. The strategy was foiled when the next batter singled. RHP Jimmy Barthmaier (3.73) got roughed up at the start, giving up 5 runs in 4 innings.
3B Neil Walker (.241) had a pair of hits and his 16th HR, driving in 4 and scoring once. SS Brian Bixler (.285) went 2-4 with his 7th HR and a stolen base, his 20th, scored 3 runs, and had one RBI. SS Luis Cruz (.320) had two hits and a run.
> Altoona was off today.
> Lynchburg mustered one hit and went down 5-0 tonight. SS Brian Friday (.292) had the only knock, a double, and stole a base.
LF Jared Keel has been named the Carolina League’s Player of the Week for August 18-24. The Panama City, Florida-native’s week consisted of three multi-hit efforts and a trio of three-RBI contests.
The 2006 31st-round draftee from Troy U. hit .409 with four home runs and nine RBI during the week. Keel also had eight runs scored, while his OBP of .536 and slugging percentage of 1.045 combined for an astronomical 1.581 OPS.
Hitting only .208 after July, the 24-year old's season average has risen 21 points to .236 in August and his 19 home runs not only lead the Hillcats, but are tied for third in the league. He’s also tied for fifth in the league in RBI with 78.
Former Lynchburg OF Jamie Romak, now with Altoona, won the award in June, while LHP Brian Holliday won Pitcher of the Week in July.
> Hickory was rained out tonight.
> State College lost 8-7. RHP Yoffri Martinez (2-5, 4.58 ERA) dropped another one in relief, giving up 5 runs in two innings of work. He's taken the the last three losses for the Spikes. CF David Rubenstein (.217) doubled and had 3 RBI.
> Bradenton scored twice in the ninth, using two stolen bases to manufacture runs, and won 7-6. LHP Carlos Teller (4-0, 4.37 ERA) and RHP Gary Amato (0.00 ERA) worked the last three innings for the win and save, giving up two hits and striking out four.
Amato has worked 13 scoreless innings in 8 appearances with 19 K's for the baby Bucs since being sent down from State College, where he had a Matty Mo-like ERA of 8.86.
DH Jarek Cunningham (.322) went 3-4 with his fifth home run and a stolen base, 2 runs and 2 RBI. 1B Carlos Silva (.329) had two hits, including his fifth homer, a stolen base, two runs and two RBI. LF Edwin Roman (.221) hit his second home run, a solo shot.
Here's To You, Mr. Robinzon
The Player To Be Named Later in the Jose Bautista deal with Toronto was named today. He’s catcher Robinzon Diaz.
The 24-year-old RH backstop hit .285 with 11 doubles, four home runs and 26 RBI in 57 minor league games this season. He also appeared in one game with Toronto as the DH and went hitless in four at bats at Tampa Bay.
Diaz began 2008 with AAA Syracuse and has spent most of the season with the Chiefs, where he was hitting .244 with a HR and 13 RBI in 131 at-bats. He was on the DL with a right ankle sprain from May 3 through July 16.
He hit .386 while playing 15 games on rehab with the GCL Blue Jays from June 27 through July 16. He was then assigned to Class A Dunedin, batting .320 in six games while knocking off the rust before re-joining Syracuse on July 24.
In 640 career minor league games, Diaz has batted .304, with 135 doubles, 17 home runs and 327 RBI. The Jays were supposed to be fairly high on him. He was their 18th ranked prospect last season, and Toronto thought well enough of Diaz to carry him on their 40-man roster for the past couple of years.
Baseball Prospectus said of him before the season:
The obvious questions - was it a depth move by the Bucs or part of a master plan to move Ryan Doumit to first base by 2010? And how does Ronny Paulino fit in now?
The 24-year-old RH backstop hit .285 with 11 doubles, four home runs and 26 RBI in 57 minor league games this season. He also appeared in one game with Toronto as the DH and went hitless in four at bats at Tampa Bay.
Diaz began 2008 with AAA Syracuse and has spent most of the season with the Chiefs, where he was hitting .244 with a HR and 13 RBI in 131 at-bats. He was on the DL with a right ankle sprain from May 3 through July 16.
He hit .386 while playing 15 games on rehab with the GCL Blue Jays from June 27 through July 16. He was then assigned to Class A Dunedin, batting .320 in six games while knocking off the rust before re-joining Syracuse on July 24.
In 640 career minor league games, Diaz has batted .304, with 135 doubles, 17 home runs and 327 RBI. The Jays were supposed to be fairly high on him. He was their 18th ranked prospect last season, and Toronto thought well enough of Diaz to carry him on their 40-man roster for the past couple of years.
Baseball Prospectus said of him before the season:
Diaz is a little bit of an anomaly: A catcher who hits like a middle infielder, with good contact-hitting ability, a very low strikeout rate, and above-average speed. His defense is quite good, and repeating the level can't be held against him because the organization gave priority to Curtis Thigpen. Still, the toll of the catching position is going to make it hard for him to keep legging out base hits, so there may not be much development in his bat.Jordan Bastion of MLB.com wrote about him in the spring:
Diaz, who was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2000, has yet to make it to the Majors, but (GM J.P.) Ricciardi said that fact might be a result of circumstances. As is the case for many players who come from Spanish-speaking countries, there are some hurdles that raw talent can't always overcome.He was added to the Pirate's 40-man roster and assigned to Indy. Sounds like a mini-Jason Kendall in the making to GW. Pittsburgh should get so lucky again.
"He's a tough kid. He's physical," Ricciardi said. "But I think like most of the kids who come out of the Dominican, his catching up with the language and all that stuff has been really the only thing that's held him back. He's been around a long time now."
Over the past four seasons, the 24-year-old Diaz has been named to six Minor League All-Star teams, and he suited up for the World team in the Futures Game during All-Star week in San Francisco last year. In 2007, Diaz hit .320 with four home runs and 40 RBIs in 93 games between Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Syracuse.
Besides catching, Diaz has some limited experience at second and third base. Ricciardi said the catcher is sound defensively, and while Diaz tends to be a free swinger at the plate, he's performed well offensively throughout his Minor League career. In 519 games in the Minors, Diaz has hit .305 with a .341 on-base percentage.
"He can hit," Ricciardi said. "He's not the kind of guy you look at and say, 'This is our ideal offensive posterboy,' but he can hit. He barrels balls. He'll barrel a ball off the top of his shoe, a ball over his head.
"He's a lot like a Nomar [Garciaparra] strike zone, or like [an Alfonso] Soriano strike zone. He's hacking when he goes up there, but he could be the exception to the rule. He's done well everywhere he's played."
The obvious questions - was it a depth move by the Bucs or part of a master plan to move Ryan Doumit to first base by 2010? And how does Ronny Paulino fit in now?
Sunday, August 24, 2008
A Long Day At The Ballyard
Both teams squandered opportunity after opportunity, but someone had to win. It's in the rules.
So after four hours, 392 pitches, 31 hits, 6 walks, 23 stranded base runners, each team loading the bases with no one out without scoring, and two ejections, Milwaukee finally ended the drawn-out affair with a 4-3 win over the Pirates in 12 innings this afternoon.
It was entertaining baseball in a macabre way, but in the end, it was the Brew Crew that weaved its old black magic for its eighth win in nine tries against the snakebitten Bucs. If Milwaukee does get to the Series (or Chicago, for that matter), Pittsburgh deserves a share of the pot.
> Those that think John Russell doesn't have any fire should have seen his jaw to jaw throw down with plate ump John Davidson. Russell was thrown out defending Adam LaRoche, ejected moments earlier for bemoaning a bad strikeout call. He felt LaRoche was being baited by Davidson.
Russell may not argue judgment calls - what's the point? - but he does have the player's backs when they need it.
> Nate McLouth had a pinch hit, RBI single today, but isn't quite ready for showtime yet. He's expected to return for the Cubs series, though he's not sure when. The Bucs won't rush him. Nyjer Morgan went 7-13 in the Brewers series with two doubles and three runs scored, lifting his average over eighty points to .226.
> Today's web debate, on the PBC Blog - did the Bucs set up Gorzo for failure by bringing him back against the Brewers at Miller Park? We think not for two reasons - one, he did his time at Indy, and deserved a call back sooner rather than later.
Two - the Bucs play Milwaukee and Chicago until the end of the month, so he would have been on ice until September if they waited for Cincy or San Fran, and missed a start or two here.
They did hold him a day to go against Jeff Suppan, who he should have matched up OK against. After all, it's the bigs; you can't pick and choose your opponent.
The minor league report: Indy won 10-6. RHP Ross Ohlendorf (4-4, 3.52) went 8 innings, giving up a run on 5 hits and a walk, and K'ing 6. He's about ready to join the big club, too.
C Candy Maldonado (.246) had three hits, including a double, and 3 RBI. RF Steve Pearce (.258) went 2-4 with a walk, scored once and drove home two. 1B Jason Delaney (.227) went 2-3 with a walk, 2 runs, and an RBI. CF Andrew McCutchen (.280) had a hit, walk, and scored twice.
> Altoona lost, 5-2. LF Jonel Pocheco (.272) was 2-3 with a walk and RBI. C Miguel Perez (.283) had two hits. 2B Shelby Ford (.281) tripled and scored, and 3B Milver Reyes (.174) hit his first HR, a solo shot.
> Lynchburg won 8-5. LHP Brian Holliday (6-10, 5.34 ERA) went six pedestrian innings. LHP Danny Moskos (6.06 ERA) pitched two frames, giving up two hits, a walk, and striking out three.
LF Jared Keel (.236) hit his 19th home run, drew 2 walks, scored 3 and drove in 3. 2B Matt Cavagnaro (.389) doubled, tripled, and scored twice. C Chris Jones (.235) had 4 hits, and SS Jose De Los Santos (.237) added a pair more with a run and a steal.
> Hickory won, 5-2. RHP Emilis Guerraro (1-3, 5.61 ERA) went seven scoreless innings, giving up 6 hits, a walk, and striking out 2. He made an emergency start, and is the fireman of Pittsburgh farm pitchers - he's pitched at every level from Altoona to Bradenton so far this season, five in all.
Crawdad pitchers now sport a 1.74 ERA in their last seven games, allowing just 12 earned runs in their last 62 innings of work.
1B Erik Huber (.266) had a big night, with 3 hits, including his 12th HR, two RBI and a run. SS Jordy Mercer (.240) had two hits and a run. DH Matt Hague (.316) hit a solo homer, his sixth.
> State College finally had a laugher, winning 10-5. RHP Rudy Owens (2-6, 5.21 ERA) went five innings without giving up a hit. He walked one and struck out two.
SS Andy Vasquez (.254) had 3 hits, including his second HR, with 5 RBI and 2 runs. DH Kyle Morgan (.226) was 3-3 with 2 walks, a double, and his second long ball. He had an RBI and 4 runs tallied. LF David Rubenstein (.216) had 2 hits with a run, and CF Ciro Rosero (.244) hit his 2nd HR, walked, scored, and had 2 RBI.
> Bradenton was off today.
So after four hours, 392 pitches, 31 hits, 6 walks, 23 stranded base runners, each team loading the bases with no one out without scoring, and two ejections, Milwaukee finally ended the drawn-out affair with a 4-3 win over the Pirates in 12 innings this afternoon.
It was entertaining baseball in a macabre way, but in the end, it was the Brew Crew that weaved its old black magic for its eighth win in nine tries against the snakebitten Bucs. If Milwaukee does get to the Series (or Chicago, for that matter), Pittsburgh deserves a share of the pot.
> Those that think John Russell doesn't have any fire should have seen his jaw to jaw throw down with plate ump John Davidson. Russell was thrown out defending Adam LaRoche, ejected moments earlier for bemoaning a bad strikeout call. He felt LaRoche was being baited by Davidson.
Russell may not argue judgment calls - what's the point? - but he does have the player's backs when they need it.
> Nate McLouth had a pinch hit, RBI single today, but isn't quite ready for showtime yet. He's expected to return for the Cubs series, though he's not sure when. The Bucs won't rush him. Nyjer Morgan went 7-13 in the Brewers series with two doubles and three runs scored, lifting his average over eighty points to .226.
> Today's web debate, on the PBC Blog - did the Bucs set up Gorzo for failure by bringing him back against the Brewers at Miller Park? We think not for two reasons - one, he did his time at Indy, and deserved a call back sooner rather than later.
Two - the Bucs play Milwaukee and Chicago until the end of the month, so he would have been on ice until September if they waited for Cincy or San Fran, and missed a start or two here.
They did hold him a day to go against Jeff Suppan, who he should have matched up OK against. After all, it's the bigs; you can't pick and choose your opponent.
The minor league report: Indy won 10-6. RHP Ross Ohlendorf (4-4, 3.52) went 8 innings, giving up a run on 5 hits and a walk, and K'ing 6. He's about ready to join the big club, too.
C Candy Maldonado (.246) had three hits, including a double, and 3 RBI. RF Steve Pearce (.258) went 2-4 with a walk, scored once and drove home two. 1B Jason Delaney (.227) went 2-3 with a walk, 2 runs, and an RBI. CF Andrew McCutchen (.280) had a hit, walk, and scored twice.
> Altoona lost, 5-2. LF Jonel Pocheco (.272) was 2-3 with a walk and RBI. C Miguel Perez (.283) had two hits. 2B Shelby Ford (.281) tripled and scored, and 3B Milver Reyes (.174) hit his first HR, a solo shot.
> Lynchburg won 8-5. LHP Brian Holliday (6-10, 5.34 ERA) went six pedestrian innings. LHP Danny Moskos (6.06 ERA) pitched two frames, giving up two hits, a walk, and striking out three.
LF Jared Keel (.236) hit his 19th home run, drew 2 walks, scored 3 and drove in 3. 2B Matt Cavagnaro (.389) doubled, tripled, and scored twice. C Chris Jones (.235) had 4 hits, and SS Jose De Los Santos (.237) added a pair more with a run and a steal.
> Hickory won, 5-2. RHP Emilis Guerraro (1-3, 5.61 ERA) went seven scoreless innings, giving up 6 hits, a walk, and striking out 2. He made an emergency start, and is the fireman of Pittsburgh farm pitchers - he's pitched at every level from Altoona to Bradenton so far this season, five in all.
Crawdad pitchers now sport a 1.74 ERA in their last seven games, allowing just 12 earned runs in their last 62 innings of work.
1B Erik Huber (.266) had a big night, with 3 hits, including his 12th HR, two RBI and a run. SS Jordy Mercer (.240) had two hits and a run. DH Matt Hague (.316) hit a solo homer, his sixth.
> State College finally had a laugher, winning 10-5. RHP Rudy Owens (2-6, 5.21 ERA) went five innings without giving up a hit. He walked one and struck out two.
SS Andy Vasquez (.254) had 3 hits, including his second HR, with 5 RBI and 2 runs. DH Kyle Morgan (.226) was 3-3 with 2 walks, a double, and his second long ball. He had an RBI and 4 runs tallied. LF David Rubenstein (.216) had 2 hits with a run, and CF Ciro Rosero (.244) hit his 2nd HR, walked, scored, and had 2 RBI.
> Bradenton was off today.
Sunday pre game notes
> How consistent has Paul Maholm become? His last outing marked the 19th consecutive start in which he pitched at least six innings. Eleven of his 20 starts have lasted at least seven innings. Maholm is 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA over his past nine starts.
> Out of the reams of stuff written about Adam LaRoche, the one item that really sticks out is his RISP line. He's batting just .223 with runners in scoring position, which goes a long way towards explaining his disappointing 55 RBI year.
Last year, when he drove in 88 runs, his RISP average was .313. That might have been an anomaly, as he was a .255-.265 RISP hitter in his three seasons with the Braves. It surely suggests that he's better suited to the six hole instead of a prime RBI lineup spot in the middle of the order.
> We're a little surprised over the hubbub concerning Steve Pearce's demotion. He was auditioning with Brandon Moss for next year's RF spot, and was losing. Moss' line in Pittsburgh is .209-3-7 with a .312 OBP and .403 slugging %. (Overall in 2008, he's .255-5-18, .325/.434) Certainly, that's not mashing it.
But Pearce was just .224-0-7 with a .299 OBP and .349 slugging %. Moss runs and fields circles around him. Factor in Nyjer Morgan's showing at Indy and Nate McLouth's virus, and it probably wasn't that hard of a choice for the Pirates.
He'll be back in a week. Our guess is that Pearce will spend September battling Morgan, or maybe even Chris Duffy in the spring, for the fourth OF spot in 2009. He's the favorite, but he'll have to show some pop in his bat to seal the deal.
> Factoid of the day: Chris Duffy (4/20/80 DOB) is just 10 weeks older than Nyjer Morgan (7/2/80 DOB). Time sure flies.
> Mike from Hyzdu Headquarters caught the Curve game against New Hampshire, and saw the Pirate scouts out in force. His take is that they're checking out the Jay's AA position players at NH for the Player To Be Named as the return on the Jose Bautista deal.
> Brian Bixler may be getting groomed for a utility spot on the Bucs next year. He's been spending a little time at second, as 24-year old Luis Cruz, signed as a minor league free agent from the Padre organization, has been playing more and more at shortstop since being brought up from Altoona a month or so ago.
BB first played second base last year, and in 22 games over two years, has yet to make an error there. It's also a good way to get two bats into Indy's lineup, as Bixler is hitting .285 and Cruz .322.
> After winning 15 games last year, LHP Oliver Perez is 9-7 with a 3.93 ERA this season. Jon Heyman, in SI's Daily Scoop, believes the soon-to-be free agent and ex-Pirate will command $12M/year over 4 or 5 seasons when he hits the market.
> Out of the reams of stuff written about Adam LaRoche, the one item that really sticks out is his RISP line. He's batting just .223 with runners in scoring position, which goes a long way towards explaining his disappointing 55 RBI year.
Last year, when he drove in 88 runs, his RISP average was .313. That might have been an anomaly, as he was a .255-.265 RISP hitter in his three seasons with the Braves. It surely suggests that he's better suited to the six hole instead of a prime RBI lineup spot in the middle of the order.
> We're a little surprised over the hubbub concerning Steve Pearce's demotion. He was auditioning with Brandon Moss for next year's RF spot, and was losing. Moss' line in Pittsburgh is .209-3-7 with a .312 OBP and .403 slugging %. (Overall in 2008, he's .255-5-18, .325/.434) Certainly, that's not mashing it.
But Pearce was just .224-0-7 with a .299 OBP and .349 slugging %. Moss runs and fields circles around him. Factor in Nyjer Morgan's showing at Indy and Nate McLouth's virus, and it probably wasn't that hard of a choice for the Pirates.
He'll be back in a week. Our guess is that Pearce will spend September battling Morgan, or maybe even Chris Duffy in the spring, for the fourth OF spot in 2009. He's the favorite, but he'll have to show some pop in his bat to seal the deal.
> Factoid of the day: Chris Duffy (4/20/80 DOB) is just 10 weeks older than Nyjer Morgan (7/2/80 DOB). Time sure flies.
> Mike from Hyzdu Headquarters caught the Curve game against New Hampshire, and saw the Pirate scouts out in force. His take is that they're checking out the Jay's AA position players at NH for the Player To Be Named as the return on the Jose Bautista deal.
> Brian Bixler may be getting groomed for a utility spot on the Bucs next year. He's been spending a little time at second, as 24-year old Luis Cruz, signed as a minor league free agent from the Padre organization, has been playing more and more at shortstop since being brought up from Altoona a month or so ago.
BB first played second base last year, and in 22 games over two years, has yet to make an error there. It's also a good way to get two bats into Indy's lineup, as Bixler is hitting .285 and Cruz .322.
> After winning 15 games last year, LHP Oliver Perez is 9-7 with a 3.93 ERA this season. Jon Heyman, in SI's Daily Scoop, believes the soon-to-be free agent and ex-Pirate will command $12M/year over 4 or 5 seasons when he hits the market.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Same Ol'
And we thought the Cubs owned Pittsburgh. The Brewers have taken 6 out of 7 from the increasingly sad sack Pirates.
The new Gorzo looked a lot like the old Gorzo. He went 4-2/3 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits, walking three and striking out a trio. He threw 94 pitches, just 52 for strikes. It was all the Brew Crew needed, hanging another loss on Pittsburgh, this time 6-3.
Jeff Suppan didn't run into very much resistance from the Bucs, facing a lineup that hasn't produced even when Ryan Doumit and Nate McLouth were in the lineup, which they weren't tonight. Doumit should be back tomorrow, McLouth won't be.
And to add a little salt to the wound, Solly Torres picked up his 25th save against his former teammates. He's 6-3 with a 2.52 ERA. Marino Salas and Kevin Roberts, where are you?
It gets better. The Pirates face CC Sabathia, Ted Lilly, and Carlos Zambrano next.
On the minor league front: Indy beat Durham 6-3 tonight. LHP Corey Hamman (4-3, 5.03 ERA) got the win, going 5-1/3 and giving up six hits, 2 earned runs, walking one and striking out six. RHP Evan Meek (2.61 ERA) pitched the last two frames, striking out three and earning his second save.
Durham starter and hot Tampa Bay prospect David Price went four innings and gave up two runs. He wasn't involved in the decision.
SS Luis Cruz (.322) had three hits, including a double and his first homer, with 2 RBI and runs scored. LF Chris Duffy (.333) had two hits, two stolen bases, and an RBI. 2B Brian Bixler (.285) went 2-4 with a double, stolen sack, and tally. RF Matt Kata (.245) added a pair of hits.
> Altoona won 5-2 behind RHP Yoslan Herrera (6-9, 3.41 ERA). He went 6-2/3 innings, yielding two runs on three hits, with a walk and three K's. RHP Juan Mateo (2.32 ERA) notched his fourth save, going the last 2-1/3 frames giving up a hit and striking out four.
1B Jamie Romak (.229) went 2-3 with a walk and his 7th HR, driving in two and scoring once. RF James Boone (.227) had two hits, including his 9th homer, a solo shot. 3B Jason Bowers (.253) went 2-3 with a double and run. 2B Shelby Ford (.281) had a pair of hits, including a triple, and swiped a sack. CF Jose Tabata (.274) had a hit, walk, and stolen base.
> Lynchburg romped, 13-5. RHP Matt McSwain (1-2, 6.16 ERA) went five innings, giving up three hits, and two runs, with a pair of walks and strike outs.
LF Jared Keel (.235) hit two home runs, his 17th & 18th, drove in three and scored the same. They also walked him twice.
SS Brian Friday (.296) had three hits, a double, scored a run and drove home two. 2B Jose De Los Santos (.233) had two hits, including a triple, and a walk, scoring once and collecting an RBI.
> Hickory gave up the game's only scores in the eighth, losing 2-0. RHP Rafael De Los Santos (5.73 ERA) went five shutout innings, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out eight.
1B Tom Hagan (.273) had three hits and SS Silvio Pena (.264) had a pair, including a double. The Crawdads didn't help their own cause, being thrown out three times trying to steal in three attempts.
> State College ended an 11 game slide with a 2-1 win tonight. It was also its seventh straight one-run game.
RHP Carlos Amaro (1-1, 2.38 ERA) went five scoreless innings, giving up 6 hits with a K. He was sent down from Hickory, where he was in the bullpen, to join the Spike rotation. RHP Alan Knotts (3.62) went 1-2/3 innings for his first save.
DH Kyle Morgan (.198) had three hits and an RBI. 1B Jeremy Farrell (.306) went 2-4 with a run and stolen base, and 3B Matt Payne (.273) had two hits, a run, and stole a base.
> Bradenton won 3-1 in a Fay shortened, six inning game. The baby Bucs only had one hit, but rode four walks and two errors to the win. 1B Carlos Silva (.319) had the sole GCL Pirate knock, a ground ball single that drove home the winning runs.
The new Gorzo looked a lot like the old Gorzo. He went 4-2/3 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits, walking three and striking out a trio. He threw 94 pitches, just 52 for strikes. It was all the Brew Crew needed, hanging another loss on Pittsburgh, this time 6-3.
Jeff Suppan didn't run into very much resistance from the Bucs, facing a lineup that hasn't produced even when Ryan Doumit and Nate McLouth were in the lineup, which they weren't tonight. Doumit should be back tomorrow, McLouth won't be.
And to add a little salt to the wound, Solly Torres picked up his 25th save against his former teammates. He's 6-3 with a 2.52 ERA. Marino Salas and Kevin Roberts, where are you?
It gets better. The Pirates face CC Sabathia, Ted Lilly, and Carlos Zambrano next.
On the minor league front: Indy beat Durham 6-3 tonight. LHP Corey Hamman (4-3, 5.03 ERA) got the win, going 5-1/3 and giving up six hits, 2 earned runs, walking one and striking out six. RHP Evan Meek (2.61 ERA) pitched the last two frames, striking out three and earning his second save.
Durham starter and hot Tampa Bay prospect David Price went four innings and gave up two runs. He wasn't involved in the decision.
SS Luis Cruz (.322) had three hits, including a double and his first homer, with 2 RBI and runs scored. LF Chris Duffy (.333) had two hits, two stolen bases, and an RBI. 2B Brian Bixler (.285) went 2-4 with a double, stolen sack, and tally. RF Matt Kata (.245) added a pair of hits.
> Altoona won 5-2 behind RHP Yoslan Herrera (6-9, 3.41 ERA). He went 6-2/3 innings, yielding two runs on three hits, with a walk and three K's. RHP Juan Mateo (2.32 ERA) notched his fourth save, going the last 2-1/3 frames giving up a hit and striking out four.
1B Jamie Romak (.229) went 2-3 with a walk and his 7th HR, driving in two and scoring once. RF James Boone (.227) had two hits, including his 9th homer, a solo shot. 3B Jason Bowers (.253) went 2-3 with a double and run. 2B Shelby Ford (.281) had a pair of hits, including a triple, and swiped a sack. CF Jose Tabata (.274) had a hit, walk, and stolen base.
> Lynchburg romped, 13-5. RHP Matt McSwain (1-2, 6.16 ERA) went five innings, giving up three hits, and two runs, with a pair of walks and strike outs.
LF Jared Keel (.235) hit two home runs, his 17th & 18th, drove in three and scored the same. They also walked him twice.
SS Brian Friday (.296) had three hits, a double, scored a run and drove home two. 2B Jose De Los Santos (.233) had two hits, including a triple, and a walk, scoring once and collecting an RBI.
> Hickory gave up the game's only scores in the eighth, losing 2-0. RHP Rafael De Los Santos (5.73 ERA) went five shutout innings, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out eight.
1B Tom Hagan (.273) had three hits and SS Silvio Pena (.264) had a pair, including a double. The Crawdads didn't help their own cause, being thrown out three times trying to steal in three attempts.
> State College ended an 11 game slide with a 2-1 win tonight. It was also its seventh straight one-run game.
RHP Carlos Amaro (1-1, 2.38 ERA) went five scoreless innings, giving up 6 hits with a K. He was sent down from Hickory, where he was in the bullpen, to join the Spike rotation. RHP Alan Knotts (3.62) went 1-2/3 innings for his first save.
DH Kyle Morgan (.198) had three hits and an RBI. 1B Jeremy Farrell (.306) went 2-4 with a run and stolen base, and 3B Matt Payne (.273) had two hits, a run, and stole a base.
> Bradenton won 3-1 in a Fay shortened, six inning game. The baby Bucs only had one hit, but rode four walks and two errors to the win. 1B Carlos Silva (.319) had the sole GCL Pirate knock, a ground ball single that drove home the winning runs.
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