Glasnow fans ten, Pimentel also strong

Lots of action on Saturday:

-- Stolmy Pimentel made his second strong AAA start as Indianapolis dropped Charlotte, 7-1. Pimentel went seven, allowing one run on four hits and three walks. He struck out seven and threw 62 of 92 pitches for strikes. Jose Contreras pitched a scoreless 8th, walking two and fanning two. Indy won the game with a six-run 8th, much of it at the expense of Donnie Veal. He walked all four of the batters he faced and they all scored, which is kinda sad. Josh Harrison went 2-3 with a double and a walk, and Andrew Lambo went 2-4 with a double. Jose Tabata made his second rehab appearance and went hitless in three at-bats.

-- Altoona blew an 8-0 lead and lost to Bowie, 10-9. Jameson Taillon struggled with his control, throwing only 46 of 89 pitches for strikes. The high pitch count limited him to five innings. He was charged with two runs on four hits and four walks, and he fanned three. The second run, though, scored when the infield failed to get an out on an easy grounder. Taillon's fastball ranged from 95-98 and touched 99, but he often missed the strike zone just by a little. I know there have been comments now and then that Taillon has frequently been hurt by his defense and, if you have doubts about that . . . don't. Aside from Gift Ngoepe, Gregory Polanco (who made a spectacular diving catch with the bases loaded), Mel Rojas, Jr. (who didn't play today) and Carlos Paulino, the Curve's defense is really, really bad. Every Altoona fielder other than Ngoepe and Polanco had a misplay today that led to one or more runs. Taillon left with an 8-2 lead, but a combination of awful relief pitching and awful defense led to eight runs in the next two innings. Polanco hit his first AA HR, a three run shot in the 1st, and finished 2-5. Adalberto Santos, who's suddenly red hot after a terrible slump, went 3-4 with his fourth HR, a double and a walk. Jarek Cunningham went 3-5 with a double and Alex Dickerson went 2-4. Ngoepe hit the ball hard in his first four ABs (I didn't see the fifth), but went just 1-5.

-- Orlando Castro had just an OK debut in high A, but Bradenton still won, 5-3, over Charlotte. Castro allowed three runs in five innings on six hits and two walks, while fanning four. Zac Fuesser struck out three in three scoreless innings. Alen Hanson and Jose Osuna each went 2-4 with a double. Stetson Allie went 1-3 with a double.

-- Tyler Glasnow kept missing lots of bats as West Virginia pummeled Lakewood, 8-2. Glasnow fanned ten in five innings, allowing five hits (which is about three normal games' worth for him) and, importantly, walking only one. Lakewood is, however, a weak-hitting team. Ryan Hafner followed with three innings, allowing two unearned runs. Jordan Steranka went 3-5, Josh Bell 2-5, and Max Moroff and Walker Gourley each 2-4. Barrett Barnes and Dilson Herrera each went 1-5 with a double.

-- Jamestown lost to Williamsport, 10-4. Isaac Sanchez struggled with his control, walking four in three innings but allowing only one run on a solo HR, the only hit he gave up. He fanned one. Jovany Lopez and Cesar Lopez combined to give up nine runs in four and two-thirds innings of relief. Danny Collins hit his fourth HR, a three-run shot. Elvis Escobar went 1-5 and Harold Ramirez 1-4 with a double.

-- The GCL Pirates picked up their first win, striking out 16 batters in beating the Yankees1, 3-2. Candon Myles had two hits and a walk and Matt Curry, on a rehab assignment following hamate surgery, went 1-3. Starter Miguel Rosario fanned six in four innings and allowed only two hits, but both were solo HRs. Angel Sanchez, a 6'7" lefty who throws only in the mid-90s, fanned three in two innings. Andy Otamendi, who's sort of a poor man's Orlando Castro, fanned five in two innings.

-- The DSL Pirates1 lost to the Phillies, 3-1. Yomifer Polanco had two hits.

-- The DSL Pirates2 lost to the Cardinals, 5-4. Michael De La Cruz went 1-2 with two walks and Steven De La Mota had two hits.