Oliver battles Bauer in a pitch-count duel

Monday's schedule was light, with Altoona and West Virginia off.

-- Indianapolis won a battle of control-challenged pitching prospects with Columbus, 6-2. Andrew Oliver and Trevor Bauer each took 111 pitches to get through six and five and two-thirds innings, respectively. Bauer managed to allow only one run despite giving up nine hits and three walks. Oliver also gave up one run, along with four hits and six walks. He fanned six. Graham Godfrey got the win in his Pirate debut. He went three, allowing one run on three hits and no walks. He fanned five. Felix Pie went 4-5 with a double, but also got caught stealing twice. Chase d'Arnaud, Josh Harrison, Jared Goedert and Brett Carroll all went 2-5. Lucas May had a three-run HR, his first of the year. John McDonald did not play. I'm increasingly thinking he's not coming back. He was only out of action for 13 days. After such a brief absence, I doubt it's common for a player to rehab more than a game or two, if any. McDonald has played four rehab games spread over eight days. If the Pirates really wanted him back, he'd have played a few games without time off, and then returned. They may be trying to trade him or find him another home in some other manner.

-- Bradenton beat Daytona, 5-3, on Willy Garcia's fifth HR, a three-run shot in the 8th. Adrian Sampson had probably his best game of the season, allowing two runs over seven innings. He gave up five hits, walked none and fanned three. Ryan Beckman made his season debut, allowing one run in one inning, and getting the win. Beckman is a sidearming reliever who had a huge second half in 2011, but appeared in only one game in 2012 before having Tommy John surgery. Gregory Polanco (pictured) went 3-4 with two doubles, Alen Hanson went 1-4 with his second HR, and Dan Gamache went 2-4.

-- The DSL Pirates1 lost to the DSL Rockies, 10-7. As far as I can tell, the only major prospect in the lineup was third baseman Julio de la Cruz, who went 0-3 with a walk.

-- The DSL Pirates2 lost, 4-1, when the Orioles2 scored four in the top of the 9th. The other de la Cruz, center fielder Michael, also went 0-3 with a walk. Yoel Gonzalez, a 16-year-old catcher whose main asset is defense right now, went 0-4. Richard Mitchell, a 17-year-old right hander who's well regarded, threw three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks, and striking out one.