4/15 Baseball Round-Up

The Pirates and their minor league affiliates went 3-2 on Sunday, April 15.  Inside find write-ups for Pirates vs. Giants, Indianapolis Indians vs. Toledo Mud Hens, Altoona Curve vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels, Bradenton Marauders vs. Fort Myers Miracle, and West Virginia Power vs. Greenville Drive.

Pittsburgh Pirates (3-6) won 4-1 over the San Francisco Giants (4-5)
WP: Kevin Correia (1-0)  S: Joel Hanrahan (1)  LP: Ryan Vogelsong (0-1)

The Pirates got off to an early start.  1B Garrett Jones led off the second inning with a homerun.  Pittsburgh then loaded the bases on singles by 2B Neil Walker and SS Clint Barmes and a walk to C Michael McKenry.  The Bucs added two more in the top of the 8th.  Walker attempted a sacrifice bunt, but Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval's throw went off target allowing CF Andrew McCutchen to score.  Josh Harrison pinch hit for 3B Pedro Alvarez, who went 0 for 3 with two more strikeouts.  The coaches called for a suicide squeeze, and Harrison delivered with a good bunt.  1B Casey McGehee came in to score on the play.  The Pirates again got solid starting pitching.  Kevin Correia went 6 innings giving up one run on three hits.  Closer Joel Hanrahan made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth, giving up two walks before recording the final out.

AAA: Indianapolis Indians (4-5) lost 4-3 in 10 innings to the Toledo Mud Hens (5-4)
WP: Jose Ortega (1-1)  LP: Jose Diaz (0-1)

The Indians opened the scoring in the second inning when C Kris Watts doubled in 3B Nick Evans.  However, the Mud Hens led off the following inning with a homerun to tie the game.  Indianapolis regained the lead in the bottom of the third when a sac fly from RF Brandon Boggs allowed SS Brian Friday to cross the plate.  Again, the Mud Hens answered with a homerun, this on by former Pirate farm-hand Brad "Big Country" Eldred.  Toledo got their first lead of the game on a 9th inning solo homerun.  It was the Indians turn to answer.  Pinch Hitter Jeff Clement came through in the clutch with a single that drove in CF Starling Marte and sent the game to extra innings.  In the tenth the Mud Hens scored a run with the help of two walks and two singles.  The Indians were unable to answer in the bottom of the inning.

AA: Altoona Curve (4-5) lost 3-1 the Richmond Flying Squirrels (6-5)
WP: Justin Fitzgerald (1-1)  S: Brett Bochy (1)  LP: Aaron Pribanic (0-2)

The Curve and Flying Squirrels combined for only 11 hits in this game.   The only Curve run in this game occured in the 7th inning.  LF Quincy Lattimore led off with a double and scored when SS Brock Holt grounded out.  As a team, Altoona went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.  RF Andrew Lambo had three runners left on base.

A+: Bradenton Marauders (4-5) won 10-1 over the Fort Myers Miracle (5-6)
WP: Hunter Strickland (2-0)  S: Eliecer Navarro (1)  LP: Anthony Ferrera (0-1)

Everything was working for the Marauders on Sunday evening.  They got good starting pitching from Hunter Strickland who pitched six scoreless innings.  All of their starters had at least a hit as well.  C Carlos Paulino hit a three-run homerun to cap off a five run third inning.  2B Drew Maggi went 2 for 5 and scored two runs.  The team was still only 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position.  That let's you know how out of hand this could have gotten with some timely hits.  Fort Myers did manage 10 hits but went only 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

A: West Virginia Power (5-6) won 9-6 over the Greenville Drive (4-7)

WP: Trent Stevenson (1-0) S: Emmanuel De Leon (2) LP: Miguel Pena (1-1)

The Power won their third straight game today as their bats have come alive.  The game did not start the way West Virginia was hoping.  Greenville CF Cody Koback lead off the game with a homerun.  The Power took the lead in the bottom of the second on a homerun by SS Alen Hanson who had three hits in the game.  Both teams put five runs on the board in the fifth inning with three of West Virginia's runs coming on a CF Gregory Polanco homerun.  The Power took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth when Hanson drove in 3B Kirk Singer with a single and 1B Chris Lashmet scored when 2B Jodaneli Carvajal grounded out.