Action was light on Sunday, as Bradenton and State College were rained out.
-P- Indianapolis lost to Columbus, 5-3. Rick VandenHurk allowed two runs in five innings on five hits and a walk, with five Ks. Bryan Morris continued to provide reasons for the Pirates not to call him up, allowing two runs, one earned, in one inning. Justin Wilson allowed one run on two hits in two innings, although he fanned three and walked none. Chase d'Arnaud, Alex Presley and Matt Hague each went 2-4. D'Arnaud hit his 6th HR, as he continues his long-overdue, late-season surge.
-P- Jameson Taillon's second AA start was even better than the first, leading Altoona to a 7-0 shutout win over Richmond. In six innings, Taillon allowed just an infield hit. He walked none and fanned seven, and threw 48 of 69 pitches for strikes. Hunter Strickland pitched the last three innings of the shutout. Ramon Cabrera, another late season surger, went 3-4 with a double to raise his average to .274. After hitting .228 prior to the Eastern League All-Star break, he's hitting .350 since. Gustavo Nunez went 2-4 with a double, Matt Curry hit his 11th HR and Jarek Cunningham drove in three.
-P- West Virginia got shut out by Hickory, 7-0. Starter Robby Rowland gave up nine hits over 4.2 IP, but somehow allowed only one run. The Power managed only three hits. Gregory Polanco returned to action and went 0-4. Alen Hanson sat out again.
-P- The GCL Pirates won their playoff opener, 1-0, over the Cardinals, giving them the one-game series and putting them in the best-of-three finals with the Red Sox. Colten Brewer started and allowed only one hit and one walk over four innings, fanning four. Jackson Lodge, Bryton Trepagnier and Roberto Espinosa finished the shutout. The only run scored in the 5th when Harold Ramirez singled, went to second on a sacrifice, and scored on a single by Luis Urena. Wyatt Mathisen kept Trepagnier out of trouble in the 8th by throwing out two runners trying to steal. The finals open on Tuesday.