Pirates and Prospects

New Pirates

2009-09-01T12:56:00.002-04:00

Yesterday there was two moves, I was pretty happy to see. Daniel McCutchen was called up to the majors, and Brian Bixler was optioned back down to Indianapolis. I was very happy to see this, because I want to see how Daniel can do in the majors. He did very well in AAA, but who knows if he can keep it up in the MLB. He did have a decent 1st start as he took on the Reds yesterday, he went 6 innings, struckout 5, let up 3 runs, and got a No-Decision. Im very happy to see Bixler go, because he is the worst player, him and Salazar could make a run for worst player. Bixler can't hit, field, or do anything. Two more players were called up today, Neil Walker and I'm not to happy to say this, Virgil Vasquez. Virgil Vasquez is awful, thats all I have to say. Im glad to see Neil up, he hasn't had a debut yet and I'd like to see how well he can do. He has been dominating in AAA lately, and I really hope he can be good, cause Andy LaRoche is really strugglin. Hopefully we will see something good from atleast 1 of these 3 new Buccos.

Andrew McClutchen

2009-08-26T12:01:00.002-04:00

There is no other player on the Pirates who is loved more in Pittsburgh then Andrew McCutchen. This rookie sensation has been a clutch, and just an outstanding player this year. Once again Andrew became a hero as he hit a walk-off home run to beat the incredible Phillies. So here is a quick run down, the Pirates had the lead going into the 9th, 3-2, thanks to another solid outing by Ross Ohlendorf. Ohlendorf threw 6.1 innings, allowed 2 runs, and struck out 6. Doumit and Pearce also helped get that lead as they hit home runs. Doumit got a solo shot in the 2nd inning, and Pearce got a 2-run blast in the 6th inning. Well in the top of the 9th someone blew a save, can you guess who? The obvious answer is the Big Bull Rider himself, Matt Capps. Ben Francisco and Shane Victorino knocked in 2 runs off of Capps, as he got his 4th blown save, and it looked like his 8th loss. Then another pitcher blew a save, can you guess who? Another obvious answer, Pat Lidge. After Bixler got home on a Brandon Moss single, and Jayson Werth error, Andrew McCutchen stepped into the box. He took a ball deep to center field, it looked like it might be caught at the warning track, but it carried right into the seats. By the way Capps better have taken him to dinner and gotten him anything he wanted as he gave Capps the win, and he did not deserve it. McCutchen, Rookie of the Year?

August 25th Wrap Up

2009-08-26T11:25:00.002-04:00

Indy won in walk-off fashion vs Columbus, 8-7.

Daniel McCutchen went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs.(ERA: 3.47)
Erik Kratz went 2-3 with a solo blast and a double.(HR: 10)
Jose Tabata went 1-4 with a double, run, and an rbi.
Argenis Diaz went 0-3, he continues to be awful.(avg: .194)

Altoona took down Trenton, 4-3.

Tim Alderson got the W (9-1) as he went 7 innings, and allowed only 1 ER.
Ray Chang went 3-4 and scored a run.
Pedro Alvarez went 1-4 with an rbi double.

Lynchburg lost to Wilmington, 4-2.

Ronald Uviedo went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs.(ERA: 3.53)
Nathan Adcock threw 4 innings of relief, allowed 2 runs, and picked up a loss (3-1).
Chase d'Arnaud went 2-4 with a double, a triple, and 2 runs.
Josh Harrison went 1-4.(avg: .287)

West Virginia beat Bowling Green, 3-1.

Brett Lorin threw 5 shut-out innings and got the Win (1-1).(ERA: 1.93)
Casey Erickson threw 4 innings of relief, allowed 1 run, and got his 5th save.(ERA: 1.81)
Robbie Grossman went 2-5.(avg: .270)
Tony Sanchez went 1-4 and scored a run.(avg: .336)

Spikes crushed the Jammers, 8-1.

Aaron Baker went 2-4 with a triple, 2 rbi's, and 3 runs.

2-Straight

2009-08-19T11:04:00.001-04:00

The Buccos won their second straight game last night as they beat Milwaukee, 5-2. I am shocked, we don't do this anymore, we are lucky to win one game let alone two. Usually if we have a streak going it's a large losing streak, which in my mind is good. Am I crazy? No, because I want the #1 draft pick, I want Bryce Harper. The kids ridiculous I'll do a story on him later, but lets get to this game. Ross Ohlendorf showed once again that he is getting better and better every day. He threw a solid 7 innings, allowed 1 run, only let up 5 hits, struck out 5 batters, and got his 11th win. I really like Ohlendorf, he is the only Pirate pitcher that has been consistently good. Another interesting note, Lastings Milledge hit his 1st home run as he knocked a 2-run jack. Delwyn Young also crushed a home run. I'm happy to see that our guys are progressing, I hope to see more of it, but I still want to get Harper.

August 12th Wrap Up

2009-08-13T10:47:00.005-04:00

Pirates get shut-out 8-0 by the Rockies.

Kevin Hart: 5.1 innings, 5 earned runs, and got the loss (3-2).

Indy beat Columbus 2-1.

Virgil Vasquez went 7 innings, allowed 1 run and got the W (7-2).
Jeff Clement went 1-3 with a solo homerun (6).
Argenis Diaz 0-3.

Altoona got dominated by Portland, 13-4.

Pedro Alvarez went 1-5.
Jason Delaney went 2-4 with a homerun (7), 3 rbi's, and a run.

Lyncburg beat Kinston, 6-5.

Bryan Morris went 6.2 innings, allowed 2 runs, and got the win (3-6).
Chase d'Arnaud: 3-5, 1 double, 2 runs, 1 stolen-base, 1 home run, and 5 rbi's.
Josh Harrison 3-5.
Jose De Los Santos went 3-4 and scored 2 runs.

West Virginia beat Lexington, 9-2.

Robbie Grossman went 1-5 with a double, a run, and an rbi.
Quincy Latimore went 1-5 with a triple, and 2 rbi's.
Tony Sanchez went 2-4 with a double, and 2 rbi's.
Greg Picart went 2-3 with 3 runs, an rbi, and a stolen-base.

August 11th Wrap Up

2009-08-12T11:24:00.003-04:00

MLB: The Buccos broke the streak as they beat the Rockies, 7-3.

Ohlendorf picked up the win (10-8) as he went 6 innings and allowed 3 er.
Doumit, McCutchen, Milledge, and LaRoche hit a double each, and Garrett Jones hit 2 doubles.

AAA: Indy lost to Columbus, 4-2.

Phil Dumatrait got his 1st loss as he threw 6 innings and allowed 1 er.
Jeff Clement went 0-4 and made an error.

AA: Altoona pounded Portland, 10-3.

Pedro Alvarez went 3-4, hit a double, scored a run, and got 2 rbi's.

A: Lynchburg lost to Kinston, 5-2.

Josh Harrison went 2-4.
Chase d'Arnaud went 3-5 with a double and a run

Low-A: Power swept the Crawdads as they won, 6-3.

Starling Marte went 2-5 with 2 runs and an rbi.

A Short Season: Spikes crushed the Tigers, 9-4.

Brock Holt went 2-4 with a hr, 2 runs, and 4 rbi's.

8 Straight

2009-08-10T12:29:00.002-04:00

The Pirates lost to the Cardinals, 5-3 to make it 8 straight losses. The game was definitely in the Pirates favor as Steve Pearce hit a 2-run homer, and Delwyn Young singled in Andrew McCutchen to make it 3-0 going into the 4th. The Cards where then able to score 1 run in the 4th and the 7th, and made it a close 3-2. In the 8th, Matt Capps (I think you see what is going to happen) came in with 1 on and gave up a 2-run shot to Skip Schumaker. Then Capps drilled Pujols in the ribs and was ejected immediatley. Jesse Chavez didn't help either, after Capps was gone he gave up 2 runs. Matt Capps was hit with his 7th loss this year, and just seems to blow it EVERY SINGLE TIME. During this 8 game lossing streak the bullpen lost 4 of the 8. Not to mention Chris Bootcheck let up 4 after a solid outing from Morton that we could have possibly won. The bullpen has struggled immensley not only have they lost 4 but have blown 3 save oppurtunities, plus a very large 7.86 ERA. I'm getting very sick of this, every year we are awful and we rebuild. We have been rebuilding for 17 years, and I'm happy with the talent we have and I understand wins don't matter at this point. Still, who doesn't want to see the Pirates actually win atleast few games? I have a proposed idea, we have a payroll of a little over 25 million, in the offseason we should sign some big names, that are still in their prime. No more Burnitz or Randa's. Huntington won't do it though he will say we have talent in the making, but why not get some already developed talent. Lets talk about a few guys, Steve Pearce will not be a MLB caliber player, he is a 4-A ball player. Paul Maholm, he is not a bad pitcher, but let's face it he isn't an Ace, maybe a #2, but I see him as a #3 starter. Jeff Salazar, garbage. Brandon Moss, backup at best, he isn't an every day player, he is way too inconsistent. Ramon Vasquez, why did we sign him? He is awful, never had a good year. I want a solid pitcher to be signed, someone who is an Ace, and I want a power hitting first-baseman. I have already come to the conclusion it won't happen, but I want to hear some of your thoughts leave a comment.

August 5th Wrap Up

2009-08-06T10:11:00.002-04:00

MLB: Bullpen blows another lead as the Bucs lose to the Dbacks, 4-3.

Ross Ohlendorf went 6 innings and allowed 1 run as he got the no-decision.
Andy LaRoche went 2-3 with a 2-run home run, thats his 5th of the year.
Garrett "FREAKIN" Jones went 1-4 with a solo blast (11) in the 9th.

AA: Altoona was shut-out by Portland, 9-0.

Miles Durham went 2-4 with 2 doubles.

A: Lynchburg losses in walk-off fashion to Kinston, 2-1.

Jared Keel hit a solo shot.

Low-A: West Virginia lost to Kannapolis, 5-3.

Calvin Anderson and Quincy Latimore both his solo home runs.

A Short Season: Spikes lose 7-3 to Aberdeen.

Brock Holt went 1-3 with a double, rbi, and a run.

August 4th Wrap Up

2009-08-05T11:57:00.002-04:00

MLB: Diamondbacks shut-out the Pirates, 6-0.

13th time this year the Bucs were shut-out
Ronny Cedeno broke up Yusmero Petit's no hitter in the 8th inning.

AAA: The Indians blew the lead in the 9th to lose to Durham, 7-6.

Daniel McCutchen: 6.1 innings, 3 earned runs, and 7 k's.
Neil Walker went 1-4 with a double, a run, and 4 ribies.

AA: Altoona's hot bats helped beat Portland, 12-6.

Ray Chang, Brian Friday, Jeff Corsaletti, and Pedro Alvarez hit 2 doubles. Jason Delaney, and Jonel Pacheco hit a double each.
Pedro Alvarez went 3-6 with 2 runs, 2 rbi's, and a home run.

A: Lynchburg got crushed by Kinston, 15-3.

Kinston scored 12 runs in the 6th inning.
Jeff Locke went 5 innings and let up a run.

Low-A: Power lost to Intimidators, 7-5.

Hunter Strickland: 5 innings, 2 earned, and 5 k's.
Starling Marte extended his hit streak to 18 games, and has reached base safely in 29 straight games.
Grossman and Latimore both went 2-4 with a double, and an rbi.

A Short Season: Spikes were shut out by IronBirds, 4-0.

David Rubenstein went 2-4 with a double.

August 3rd Wrap Up

2009-08-04T11:57:00.003-04:00

MLB: Nats win as they have back-to-back 4-run innings against the Bucs, 8-4.

Charlie pitched well until the 6th inning as he let up 4 runs and got the loss (2-4).
Donnie Veal pitched an inning of relief: o earned runs, 2 bb, and 2 k's.
Andrew McCutchen went 2-4 with a solo blast.

AAA: Hot bats helped Indy beat Durham, 6-2.

Indianapolis amassed 14 hits.
Brian Bixler, Chris Barnwell, and Brian Myrow hit a home run.
Jose Tabata went 2-5 with an rbi double.
Jeff Clement went 1-5
Eric Hacker got the win (4-4): 6 innings, 2 earned, 7 k's.

A: Lynchburg shut-out Kinston, 2-0.

Rudy Owens got the no-decision in his 1st start at Lynchburg: 4.1 innings 0 earned, and 4 k's.
Josh Harrison went 3-5 with a double and a run.

Class A Short Season: Spikes crushed the Jammers, 11-2.

Kyle McPherson got the win (2-2): 6 innings, 1 earned, and 4 k's.
Aaron Baker, and Justin Byler hit 2-run bombs.

August 2nd Wrap Up

2009-08-02T22:23:00.002-04:00

MLB: Pirates lose a close one to the Nats, 5-3.

Paul Maholm got the loss (6-6), he threw 6.1 innings and let up 4 runs.
Ronny Cedeno went 1-3 with a 2-run homer, and some spectacular defense.
Delwyn Young went 1-4 with a solo blast.

AAA: Indy barley beat Durham, 5-4.

Brad Lincoln got a no-decision as he threw 4 innings and allowed 2 runs.
Jeff Clement, Brian Bixler, and Brian Myrow all hit a solo shot.
Neil Walker had a great game going 3-4 with 2 doubles and 2 rbi's.

AA: Altoona tops Trenton, 7-5.

Yoslan Herrera won his 8th (8-0), as he threw 6 innings and 3 er's.
Ray Chang went 3-4 with 2 doubles, a hr, 2 runs, and an rbi.
Pedro Alvarez went 0-4 and struck-out twice.

A: Lynchburg beats Frederick, 5-2.

Nathan Adcock won his 1st Lynchburg game as he threw 3 innings of relief and allowed a run.

Class A Short Season: Spikes got shut-out 7-0 by the Jammers.

VSL: Pirates lost a close one to the Phillies, 3-1.

August 1st Wrap Up

2009-08-02T10:25:00.002-04:00

MLB: Buccos beat the Nats, 11-6.

Andrew McCutchen crushed 3 hrs and 6 rbi's, scored 4 runs, and went 4-5.
Lastings Milledge went 1-4 with a 2-run double.
Ronny Cedeno went 2-4 with an rbi and a run.
Virgil Vasquez got the win (2-5) with a shakey start: 5 innings, 3 earned.

AAA: Indy was shut-out, 2-0 by Durham.

Jose Ascanio got the loss in his 1st Indianapolis start: 6.2 innings, 2 er, and 9 k's.
Jose Tabata went 3-3 in his Indy debut.
Jeff Clement went 2-5.
Argenis Diaz went 0-4.

AA: Altoona takes down Trenton, 8-4.

Tim Alderson won his first Altoona start: 5.2 innings, 1er.
Pedro Alvarez hit a solo shot as he went 1-1, and was walked 4 times.
Miles Durham went 1-5 with a 2-run homer.

A: Lynchburg beat Frederick, 6-2.

Frederick commited 5 errors.
Matt McSwain got the win (9-6) as he went 6 innings, and 1 er.
Jose De Los Santos went 2-4 with an rbi, 2 runs, and stole his 45th base.

Low-A: Power wins 2-1 over the Suns.

Brett Lorin got a no-decision as he threw an excellent 6 innings, 1 er.
Tony Sanchez went 2-4 with an rbi and a double.
Starling Marte has a 17 game hitting streak and a 28 game on base streak.

Class A Short Season: State College tops Auburn, 8-5.

Justin Byler went 2-4 with a 3-run homer.

DSL: Pirates lost to the Rangers2, 3-2.

GCL: Braves beat Pirates, 5-2.

July 30th Update

2009-07-31T11:54:00.002-04:00

AAA: Indy crushed Norfolk, 11-3.

Daniel McCutchen won his 10th game as he threw 7 scoreless innings.
Shelby Ford went 5-5 with a 2-run homer.
Neil Walker went 3-5 and crushed 2 home runs and got 4 rbi's.
Argenis Diaz went 0-5.

AA: Binghampton won the 1st game, 5-1, but Altoona took the 2nd game, 2-1.

Daniels Moskos won his 8th game as he threw 5 innings with only 1 earned run.

Low-A: West Virginia beat Hagerstown, 8-3.

Tony Sanchez 1-4 with an rbi.
Robbie Grossman 3-5 with an rbi and a run.

Class A Short Season: Spikes lose to the Jammers, 9-4.

Brock Holt knocked a 3-run homer.

DSL: Pirates lost 9-8 to the Yankees.

Diego Goris went 4-5 with a double, home run, 2 runs, and 3 rbi's

VSL: Mets beat the Pirates, 8-2.

Trades Trades Trades

2009-07-30T18:03:00.003-04:00

The Pirates have been included in another trade, this one with the Cubs. We have shipped out John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny, in exchange for right-handers Kevin Hart, and Jose Ascanio and a middle-infielder, Josh Harrison. Kevin Hart, 26, is a solid pitcher, so far in his 8 MLB starts this year he is 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA. He really knows how to pitch, but isn't an overpowering pitcher. Jose Ascanio, 24, can fill in as a Starter or Reliever, and he can throw some pitches, but his control isn't great. Lastly, Josh Harrison, 21, looks to be a solid hitter, with some speed. Kevin Hart will join the Pirates, Jose Ascanio will go to Indy, and Josh Harrison will go to Lynchburg. I will follow these three as well as some of the other aquired players. All in all this was a good trade, I'm starting to approve of Neal Huntington, but I won't like him till we fiinally become a winning team. Lets Go Bucs!

July 29th Update

2009-07-30T11:26:00.002-04:00

MLB: Giants win in extras with walk-off hit, 1-0.

Zach Duke pitched a great game with 7 scoreless innings.
Matt Cain threw 9 shut-out innings, of course.
Matt Capps lost another game for the Buccos, shocker.

AAA: Indy losses to Norfolk in walk-off fashion, 6-5.

Robinzon Diaz went 2-4 with a solo shot.
Tagg Bozied went 3-5 with a double, and a ribie.

A: Another walk-off? Lynchburg also lost in walk-off fashion to Wilmington, 2-1.

Jeff Locke threw an excellent game, he threw 6 innings with only 1 earned and 7 K's.

Low-A: West Virginia's rally falls short as they lose 8-7 to Charleston.

Starling Marte went 2-5 with a 3-run blast.

DSL: Pirates destroy the Cubs, 19-5.

Diego Goris went 3-5 with a double, 2 runs, and 5 rbi's.

GCL: Pirates top Yankees, 3-1.

Rogelios Noris went 2-4 with a double and a 2-run homer.

VSL: Pirates beat Cards, 5-4.

Another Trade?

2009-07-29T22:10:00.003-04:00

For the second time today, the Buccos made a trade. Freddy Sanchez has been traded to the San Francisco Giants, in exchange for Tim Alderson. Now I would be mad we traded Freddy, but Alderson is a huge prospect. Tim Alderson, 21, is a 6'7" right-handed pitcher, with great command. His command is so good he barely walks batters, not to mention he has a solid curveball that keeps getting better. I am very happy with this, because he will most likely be a starter in the majors in a few years.

Wilson and Snell Get Dealt

2009-07-29T13:22:00.007-04:00

Jack Wilson and Ian Snell where traded to the Mariners for 5 players. The Mariners gave up Ronny Cedeno, Jeff Clement, Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin, and Nathan Adcock. Short stop Ronny Cedeno, 26, is the only one on an MLB roster, but has been nothing spectacular. Cedeno is in an 0-24 drought, and is hitting .167 this year. Jeff Clement is the biggest name that we got out of this, he was a 1st round pick back in 2005. He is killing the ball in AAA, he has 14 Hr's and 68 Rbi's, but you can see all that if you click the link on his name. Clement has struggled in the majors and had surgery on his knee last year, so there are still questions. Jeff can play 1st Base and Catcher, but if he gets called up to the Pirates he'll most likely start at 1st. He will start in AAA, but if Pearce doesn't start amazing management Jeff should get the call. Aaron Pribanic, 22, is a right-handed starting pitcher, who is decent at the moment. He can throw pretty hard, his fastball has reached 94 mph. His Slider, Curveball, and Changeup are nothing to special. Brett Lorin, 22, is also a right-handed starter, who is doing well in A. Brett is a big guy at 6'7", 245 pounds, and can throw with some decent speed. His fastball ranges 88-92 mph, and his Curveball and Changeup are said to be average. Lastly, Nathan Adcock, 21, who is also a right-handed starter, has struggled this year. He might be the best pitcher of the three we got, as he has got some good stuff. He has three pitches, his fastball, which ranges between 89-92 mph, a pretty good Changeup, and a spectacular Curveball. His biggest problem is control, if he can get good command he should be a solid pitcher. I have high hopes for this group and hope they all prosper and do well with the Bucs. Lets Go Bucs!

Trade Deadline Almost Here

2009-07-28T11:09:00.002-04:00

The Pirates are looking to trade some more Veterans for prospects, like we do every year. Freddy and Jack will not have a chance to talk contract extension until after the trade deadline, but by then they will most likely be gone. The Red Sox are looking at Wilson, and the dreaded Cubbies are looking at Freddy and possibly John Grabow. The Pirates have discussed possibilities of trading Matt Capps as well. Snell and Gorzelanny are also drawing alot of notice in AAA, the Yankees have scouted Snell in his past two games. Even Zach Duke is trying to be obtained by the Phillies. Charlie Manuel wants to get Duke, but if that happens I will be furious. Unless they offered J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek then I would be happy to see that trade happen. We have alot of pieces that we may move, I guess we will wait and see. I will write posts about most trades that I find interesting between any teams. Lets Go Bucs!

July 27th Update

2009-07-28T10:15:00.002-04:00

MLB: Pirates were dominated by Tim Lincecum, as the Giants won 4-2.

Tim Lincecum struck-out 15 and threw a complete-game.
Delwyn Young made an incredible catch as Garrett Jones missed a catch, and kicked the ball before it touched the ground, Delwyn dove and caught the ball bare-handed. Problem was the umpire some how thought the ball hit the ground, garbage call.

AAA: Indy beats Buffalo 4-3.

Tom Gorzelanny threw a solid 6.2 innings with 2 Er, 6 K's, and got a no-decision.

AA: Altona takes a tough 10-6 loss to Binghampton.

Pedro Alvarez went 0-4 with a Run and Rbi.

A: Lynchburg was shut-out by Wilmington, 1-0.

Matt McSwain lost his 6th game, even though he pitched a great game with 7 innings with 1 Er.

Low-A: West Virginia no-hits Charleston and wins 4-0.

The no-hitter was contributed by newly aquired pitcher Hunter Strickland, and Diego Moreno.
Strickland threw 6 innings and 5 K's.

Class A Short Season: Spikes win 8-5 against Auburn.

Carlos Silva went 4-4 with 3 Doubles, an Rbi, and a Run.

DSL: Pirates win a close one against the Rays, 8-7

Alberto Valdemora went 1-4 with a 3-run blast.

GCL: Pirates beat the Blue Jays 4-3.

Andrew Walker went 2-3 with 2 Runs, and 2 Doubles.

VSL: Pirates beat by the hot bats of the Mariners, 12-9.

Mariners get 19 hits!
Mariners commit 6 errors, and the Pirates commit 5 errors.

July 24th Update

2009-07-25T08:30:00.002-04:00

MLB: Pirates dominated the D-Backs 10-3.

Garrett Jones crushed his 10th Hr with a 2-run shot. He has hit 10 Hr's in 19 games, this is ridiculous I've never seen anyone do this.
Brandon Moss went 2-4 with 2 Rbi's and a Run.
Duke got the W with a decent start as he went 6.1 innings with 3 Er.

AAA: Indy beat Buffalo 3-1.

Eric Hacker picked up his 3rd W as he threw 7 innings without an Er.

AA: Altoona lost a close one to Akron, 2-1.

Jose Tabata 3-4
Daniel Moskos lost as he threw a solid 6 innings 2 Er.

A: Rain Out

Low-A: Power beat the Sand Gnats 4-1.

Robbie Grossman: 2-3 with an Rbi and a Run.
Casey Erickson gets the win as he throws 5.1 innings with 1 Er.

Class A Short Season: Spikes beat the Scrappers 10-6.

Ed Garcia went 1-4 with a 3-Rbi Triple.
Baker, Holt, and Rubinstein get 2 Hits and 2 Rbi's each.

DSL: Pirates lose to the O's/Brewers 4-2.

Jesus Vasquez went 2-4 with an Rbi Triple.

GCL: Tigers top Pirates, 3-1

VSL: Pirates beat Tigers 6-1.

Francisco Vilchez threw 5 shut-out innings and struck-out 7.
Junior Sosa went 2-3 with 2 Rbi's, 2 Runs, and a Double.

July 23rd Update

2009-07-24T09:22:00.002-04:00

MLB: Pirates pen finally fell apart as they lost to the Diamondbacks, 11-4.

Garrett Jones hit his first Rbi basehit, his other 11 Rbi's were from HR's.
Ryan Doumit hit a 2-run blast.
Charlie Morton struggled going 4.2 innings and allowing 4 runs.
Meek (L) .2 innings 2 earned. Grabow .1 innings 3 earned. Veal 1 inning 1 earned.

AAA: Indy wins on wild pitch vs Durham, 4-3.

Argenis Diaz went 0-2 with a walk.
Erik Kratz went 3-5 with a double, a Run, and 2 Rbi's.
Brad Lincoln had a quality start, going 6 innings with 2 earned and 6 K's.

AA: Altona shuts-out Reading, 8-0.

Pedro Alvarez went 2-4 with 2 Rbi's
Gorkys Hernandez went 2-4 with 3 runs, and an Rbi.

A: Lynchburg lost 8-3 to Potomac.

DSL: Pirates get destroyed 17-3 by the Marlins.

Jimy Hernandez went 1.1 innings with 7 earned.

GCL: Pirates shut-out Tigers, 1-0

VSL: Pirates beat Mets, 5-2.

Kelly Aponte went 1-3 with a HR, an Rbi, and a Run.

Bye Bye LaRoche

2009-07-22T21:02:00.003-04:00

Today, Adam LaRoche was traded to the Boston Red Sox in a 3 player trade. The Red Sox are looking for players as they have been struggling as of late. Boston gave up shortstop Argenis Diaz, and right-handed pitcher Hunter Strickland. They are both minor leaguers, Diaz has been assigned to Indianapolis, and Strickland will join West Virginia in the Rotation. Diaz is a solid glove in the field, but his bat is not the best. Diaz has been a decent batter in 2007 and 2008, but this year his stats are down. I believe Argenis Diaz will get better, and is a future Major Leaguer. As for Hunter Strickland he is a young guy who at this point needs work. He throws a decent fast ball that is averaged at 88-91 mph. He also throws a Changeup and a Slurve, once again nothing special. At this point I can't say if I think he'll be good, but I will follow and show you what both of these players are doing in my minors update.
Argenis Diaz:

year	team	lg	level	org	age	g	ab	r	h	2b	3b	hr	rbi	tb	bb	so	sb	cs	avg	obp	slg	ops
2007	Greenville	SAL	A	Bos	20	99	405	62	113	25	5	2	40	154	36	92	5	9	0.279	0.342	0.380	0.723
2008	Lancaster	Cal	A	Bos	21	71	256	31	72	9	6	0	29	93	20	60	3	2	0.281	0.330	0.363	0.693
2008	Portland	East	AA	Bos	21	39	139	20	40	8	2	2	23	58	10	30	0	1	0.288	0.336	0.417	0.753
2009	Portland	EL	AA	Bos	22	76	277	21	70	14	1	0	24	86	21	60	7	4	0.253	0.309	0.310	0.619

Hunter Strickland:

year	team	lg	level	org	age	w	l	%	era	g	gs	cg	sh	sv	ip	h	r	er	hr	bb	so	k/bb
2008	Lowell	NYPL	A	Bos	19	5	3	0.625	3.18	15	10	0	0	0	70.2	67	32	25	5	17	59	3.47
2009	Greenville	SAL	A	Bos	20	5	4	0.556	3.46	18	12	0	0	1	83.1	85	39	32	11	13	51	3.92

July 21st Round-Up

2009-07-22T11:09:00.002-04:00

MLB: Brewers beat Bucs 2-0.

LaRoche actually got a hit
Vasquez went 6.2 with 2 earned and the Loss.

AAA: Indy wins a thriller in the 9th , 2-1.

With 2 outs, Bixler, Milledge, and Myrow get 3 straight in the 9th to win the game.
Ian Snell threw another great game, 6 innings with 1 earned and 9 K's.
Brian Myrow: 3-4 with 2 Rbi's and 2 Doubles.

AA: Altoona come back to win in OT, 6-5.

Jose Tabata: 4-5 with an Rbi, a Run, and 2 Doubles
Miles Durham: 2-5 with a HR, an Rbi, and a Run.
Jean Machi has thrown 11 consecutive scoreless innings, and got the W last night.

A: Lynchburg gets edged out by the Potomac Nationals.

Jose De Los Santos: 3-4 with an Rbi, a Run, and stole his 38th, and 39th base of the season!

Class A Short Season: State College shuts-out Lowell, 1-0.

DSL: Pirates lose a close one to the Braves, 6-5.

Greg Polanco went 2-3 with 2 Rbi's, 1 Run, and a Double

GCL: Pirates shut-out the Braves, 3-0.

Phil Dumatrait throws 4 scoreless innings in his Rehab start

VSL: Pirates dominate the Rays, 13-3.

Exicardo Cayonez: 4-5 with a Hr, 4 Rbi's, 3 Runs, and a Double.

The Streak Is Finally Over

2009-07-21T09:46:00.004-04:00

It only took 17 straight losses and more than a years time to finally win a game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Buccos broke the streak on July 20th by a score of 8-5. It wasn't even close though, we were up 8-2 before Jesse Chavez let up 3 runs in the 9th. Before this win the last time the Bucs beat the Brew crew was on May 22, 2008. The worst loss of that streak has to be on April 29th of this year, when the Brewers won 1-0. Yovani Gallardo pitched 8 shut-out innings, and hit a solo home run. He basically won the game by himself. On to last night, after a 2 hour rain delay the Pirates started off hot. The Bucs started with a nice 4-run inning, mostly because Delwyn Young knocked a 3-run jack. Speaking of home runs, Garrett FREAKIN Jones hit his 8th home run in his 15th game. He might be my favorite player as he kills the ball. His vision is ridiculous he knows just how to kill it. I only wish someone would get on base for him, he only has 10 Rbi's. Any way this game was great as it also included a bench clearing play. Chris Smith, of the Brewers, drilled Jeff Karstens in the elbow with a pitch. Karstens was obviously mad as Jason Kendall and him started yelling at each other. The benches cleared as it looked like one of them was about to throw a hay-maker. Kendall, Karstens, and even Pitching Coach, Joe Kerrigan, had to be restrained. Let's hope we can win this series....Let's Go Bucs!

July 19th Roundup

2009-07-19T19:28:00.003-04:00

MLB: The Bucs took a tough 4-3 loss to the San Fransisco Giants. Zach Duke was solid through his first 5 innings, but in the 6th he let up back-to-back-to-back-to-back doubles and let up 4 runs. The Bucs tryed to make a comback as they put on 2 runs in the 8th make it a 1 run game. Adam LaRoche killed the momentum of the 8th as he grounded into a inning ending double play.

Winning Pitcher: Matt Cain- 7 innings, 1 ER, and 8 K's
Losing Pitcher: Zach Duke- 7 innings, 4 ER, and 5 K's
Giants hit 6 Doubles
Donnie Veal faced 1 batter and retired the batter
Brandon Moss hit his 4th home run
Ryan Doumit 2-4 with 2 RBI's
Garrett Jones 0-4 with 2 strikeouts

AAA: Indy lost a close 2-3 game to Pawtucket. Indy scored 2 runs in the 9th as they tried to mount a comeback.

Eric Hacker lost his 4th game as he went a solid 7 innings with only 1 ER, and 6 K's
Tagg Bozied hit a 2-run HR in the 9th
Lastings Milledge went 0-4

AA: The Curve crushed the Senators 7-0

Daniel Mokos threw 6 shut-out innings
Jonel Pacheco went 2-4 with a HR, an RBI, and 2 runs
Jose Tabata went 2-3 with 2 RBI's

A: Lynchburg dominated Salem as they won 10-3

Justin Wilson picked up his 4th W as he went 6 innings with 1 ER
Erik Huber went 1-4 with 4 RBI's

Low-A: The Power took a tough 12-6 loss to the Rome Braves.

Quinton Miller lost his 2nd game as he went 4 innings and allowed 7 runs

A Short-Season: The Spikes were shut-out by the Staten Island Yankees, 3-0.

Maurice Bankston lost his 3rd straight start as he went a solid 6 innings and 2 ER

VSL: The VSL Pirates lost to the VSL Phllies 9-7.

Humberto Iriarte lost his 1st game and got a blown-save
Michaelangel Trinidad went 2-5 with a HR and a 3 RBI's
Kelly Aponte went 3-3 with 2 doubles, 1 run, and 2 RBI's

Triple-A All-Star Game

2009-07-16T10:19:00.003-04:00

The International League held on to beat the Pacific Coast League, 6-5 in this 2009 Triple-A All-Star game. The game was close mostly throughout, till the IL jumped out to a 6-3 lead. In the bottom of the 9th, the PCL started a rally. Chad Huffman started the inning with a double off of Jim Miller. Fernando Cabrera entered the game with 1 out and a man on third, and started with an out that wouldn't allow the runner home. Then it got threatening as Esteban German sweet stroked a home run to make it a 1 run game. Cabrera responded and struck out Eric Young to save the game and give the IL the win. The Pirate news from this is, Erik Kratz from our own Triple-A Indianapolis, won the Top Star Award. He had an outstanding game, he went 2-2 with a double and a 2-run home run. He scored 2 runs and knocked in 3, including himself.

My Pirates Minor League All-Stars

2009-07-15T17:09:00.006-04:00

I have decided to take the best of the Pirate's minors, and make an All-Star team from all minor teams in the system.

C: Kris Watts he catches in single A, Lynchburg, and is hitting .320 with 4 HR, 32 RBI, and 41Runs.

1B: Steve Pearce of AAA, it was a toss up between him and Calvin Anderson from Low A, West Virgina, Pearce hit .287 with 12 HR, 52 RBI, and 36 Runs.

2B: Ray Chang is currently in AA, but has been mostly in A this year. He has hit .302 with 32 RBI, 25 Runs, but has not hit a home run.

3B: Pedro Alvarez, I know he's a rookie and he doesn't hit for a good average, but he can kill the ball. He has played in both AA and A, with a combined average of .252. He has crushed 19 HR, 65 RBI, 52 Runs, and an On Base Percentage of .333.

SS: Chase d'Arnaud, started off in Low-A West Virginia, but has been up in A for 19 games. He has a combined average of .288 with 5 HR, 46 RBI, 45 Runs, and is a speed demon. He has hit 20 doubles, 5 triples, and has stolen 20 bases.

LF: Quincy Latimore from Low-A West Virginia has been hitting very well. He is hitting a decent .264 with 7 HR, 42 RBI, 43 Runs, and a exceptional 7 triples.

CF: Robbie Grossman, he is one that i am keeping my eye on. He is 19 and is currently on Low-A, where he is hitting .269 with 4 HR, 33 RBI, 56 Runs, and an outstanding 24 stolen bases.

RF: Miles Durham, currently in AA he was in A for most of this season. He is hitting a combined average of .291 with 8 HR, 49 RBI, 46 Runs, and 25 doubles.

SP: Rudy Owens, this 21 year old is pitching incredibly in Low-A. He is 10-1 through 18 starts, with a 1.75 ERA! That is outstanding numbers, not to mention batters are only hitting .201 against him. He has struck out 87 batters through 97.2 innings, and he has only walked 13 batters. Those are impressing numbers, and he deserves a call up to Lynchburg.

RP: Mike Koplove, he was aquired from the Iron Pigs and has been an outstanding reliever. He has a combined 9 holds and 7 saves. He has a combined record of 3-4 with 1.37 ERA, plus batters are only hitting .188 against him.

CP: R.J. Rodriguez, another toss up as Chris Bootcheck has pitched well in AAA. Rodriguez is in A, Lynchburg, and has 17 saves and only 1 blown save. He has a record of 6-2, with an ERA of 2.62, and 32 K's through 34.1 innings.

Interesting Trade

2009-07-11T20:16:00.008-04:00

On July 10th there was an interesting trade. It is a bit of a head scratcher, the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves swapped outfielders. Jeff Francoeur, 24, swapped teams with the Mets outfielder Ryan Church, 30. Jeff Francoeur was a highly named prospect, who hasn't been as spectacular as predicted. Francoeur had two solid years in 2006, and 2007. He really struggled in 2008 and 2009 hasn't been much better. Ryan Church is just an average player, this is his 6th year in the majors and most likely won't get better. In my mind the Mets got the better part of the deal, Francoeur has had better seasons than Church, and he is still young. I believe Francoeur will progress into a good hitter, he's been off, but I think he'll turn it around.

July 9th Update

2009-07-10T18:37:00.002-04:00

MLB: Pirates did not have a game.

AAA: Indianapolis was crushed 9-0 by the Columbus Clippers.

Ryan Doumit got his first hit of his rehab start as he went 2-4.

Jeremy Powell got lit up as he went 4 innings and let up 12 hits and 7 earned runs.

AA: Altoona dominated Erie by winning 10-4.
Yoslan Herrera picked up his 5th win with a decent start of 5 innings pitched and 3 earned.
Gorkys Hernandez went 2-4 with a solo shot.
Pedro Alvarez went 2-3 with a walk and 3 runs.
Miles Durham went 1-4 with 3 RBI and 1 Run

A: Lynchburg lost a close game, 3-1, to the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
Justin Wilson lost on a decent start as he went 5 innings with 2 earned.
Kris Watts had an excellent day as he went 3-3 with a double and a run.
Chase d'Arnaud went 1-2 with a walk and the only Hillcat.

Low A: West Virginia won 5-3 against Delmarva
Casey Erickson won his 2nd game as he threw a solid 6 innings with 1 earned
Tony Sanchez had a great game as he went 2-3 with 2 doubles, a run, and an Rbi

Who's Hot? Who's Cold?

2009-07-09T17:03:00.003-04:00

Hot: MLB

Garrett Jones- In just 8 games played since he was called up he has hit a solid .290 average, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 Runs, and is 2-2 in stealing bases

Evan Meek- In his last 11 appearances he has pitched 15 innings with only 2 earned runs, and 15 K's. He's been phenomenal as of late and has the best ERA on the team with a 2.76

Cold: MLB

Adam LaRoche- He is 5-35, an average of .143, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 Runs, and has struck out 13 times in his last 9 games

Jason Jaramillo- He's hitting 3-25, an average of .120, 2 HR, 2 RBI, and 2 Runs in his last 8 game

Joel Hanrahan- In this new bucco's last 6 appearances he has pitched 4.2 innings and has gotten crushed with 11 earned runs and 13 hits allowed. For those who don't know how to do ERA then in his last 6 appearances he has an astronomical 21.21ERA

Hot: AAA

Brian Bixler- He has hit 11-33, an average of .333, 3 HR, 8 RBI, and 3 Runs in his last 9 games.

Tom Gorzelanny- In his last 6 starts Tom is 2-2, 33.1 innings pitched, only 4 earned runs, 32 K's, and an ERA of 1.08

Chris Bootcheck- In his last 13 appearances he has thrown 12.2 scoreless innings and 19 K's

Cold: AAA

Chris Snelling- He has struggled all season so far, but his last 10 games he's been awful, he's 2-28, .071 average, 1 RBI, and 1 Run

Eric Hacker- His last 4 starts consist of 18.1 innings, 14 earned runs, and a 6.87 ERA

Jeremy Powell- In his last 3 starts he pitched 13.2 innings, 16 earned runs, and a 10.54 ERA