Every team in the system was in action on Saturday except the two DSL teams, as the entire DSL was rained out. The DSL Pirates2 have finished their season. The Pirates1 are in the playoffs.
-P- Indianapolis blew a five-run lead in the top of the 9th over Columbus, but won, 8-6, on a walkoff homer by Dallas McPherson. It was his second of the game and 16th on the year. He finished the game 3-5 with four RBIs. The Indians had been coasting since scoring five in the first, including a two-run triple by Alex Presley and back-to-back HRs by Brandon Boggs and Yamaico Navarro, the 9th for each. For the second straight day, the Indians got a strong outing from a pitcher for whom there's no room at the inn . . . or IS there? Kyle McPherson threw seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits and two walks, and fanning five. He left with a 6-0 lead. Duke Welker allowed a run in the 8th, then Evan Meek and Doug Slaten combined to give up five in the 9th while recording only one out, before Tim Wood stopped the bleeding. Slaten gave up two HRs, making the acquisition of Hisanori Takahashi look a little better, assuming Takahashi ever reports. (Why is it Adrian Gonzalez can make it from one coast to the other to play within hours of a trade, while players acquired by the Pirates always travel by horse and buggy?) Navarro, Tony Sanchez and Presley each finished with two hits. Brock Holt went 2-4 with a walk, but it there shouldn't be any cause for concern.
-P- Altoona shut out Richmond, 3-0, as Kris Johnson went seven innings. He gave up three hits and two walks, and struck out five. Vic Black pitched the 9th, posting a walk and a strikeout. Oscar Tejeda went 3-4 with a double and the Curve were aided by eight walks.
-P- Bradenton scored four in the 8th to top Jupiter, 4-1. Jhonathan Ramos gave up one run on three hits over six innings. Andy Vasquez went 2-4 with a triple, Kawika Emsley-Pai went 2-3, and Kirk Singer went 2-4.
-P- West Virginia edged Hickory, 4-3. Mike Jefferson allowed three runs, two earned, over six innings, and Robbie and Nate Kilcrease combined to fan five over three scoreless innings to hold the lead. Taylor Lewis went 2-3 with a triple and a walk, Dan Gamache 2-3 with his 37th double and a walk, and Chris Lashmet went 2-4 with a double. Eric Avila had his ten-game hitting streak stopped. Alen Hanson got the day off.
-P- Clay Holmes bounced back from a couple rough starts as State College shut out Jamestown, 5-0. Holmes allowed just two hits and a walk over five innings, although he also fanned only one. John Kuchno, drafted in the 17th round this year out of Ohio State, made his pro debut with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning. D.J. Crumlich went 2-4 with a double.
-P- The GCL Pirates lost the last game of their regular season by a 5-2 count to the Yankees. The Bucs took a 2-1 lead into the 9th, but gave up four to lose it. Luis Urena accounted for their runs with a two-run triple. The Bucs will go into the GCL playoffs as the wild card.