Pirates MiLB recap: 4/23/14

-- Indianapolis got blanked by Toledo, 2-0.  The Indians managed just four singles and got two of those runners thrown out stealing.  Polanco went 0-3.  Jay Jackson, who'd been struggling, pitched well in a spot start in place of Brandon Cumpton.  Jackson allowed just one hit, a solo HR, and two walks in five innings, while fanning five.  Andy Oliver gave up the other run in three innings.  He gave up two hits and walked only one while fanning five.  Oliver threw 25 of 38 pitches for strikes.

-- Allie (pictured) drove in five runs with a solo HR and a grand slam, but Altoona had to rally for four in the bottom of the 9th to beat Harrisburg, 10-9.  Allie finished 3-3, adding a double and two walks to his fourth and fifth HRs.  He's now hitting 291/400/655.  Maybe more importantly, he's struck out in fewer than a quarter of his ABs.  Allie's long balls gave Nick Kingham a 5-0 lead, but after four strong innings Kingham struggled in the 5th and got knocked out in the 6th.  Kingham allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits and a walk in five and a third innings.  He fanned six and also had a double in two ABs.  The Curve's bullpen gave up another five runs, although five errors didn't help.  Alen Hanson went 2-5 and Mel Rojas 2-4.  Justin Howard went 2-2 and started Altoona's four-run, 9th inning rally with his first HR.  The other three runs resulted from two throwing errors by the opposing pitcher.  Elias Diaz ended the game with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly.

-- Bradenton lost to Charlotte in 14 innings, 3-2.  Starter Orlando Castro gave up two runs in six innings on five hits and two walks.  He fanned two.  Josh Smith and Bryton Trepagnier combined for seven scoreless innings.  Trepagnier allowed no hits and fanned four in his three innings.  The Marauders effectively conceded the game by putting Walker Gourley in to pitch the bottom of the 14th.  He promptly gave up a run.  I have to think Bradenton was short on pitchers after having their starter fail to get out of the 2nd the previous day, when they also ended up using Gourley.  Jose Osuna went 2-6 with a double and a triple.  Jeff Roy and Eric Wood each went 2-5.  Josh Bell and Jin-De Jhang continued to struggle.  Bell went 1-6 with three strikeouts, Jhang 0-6 with two strikeouts.

-- West Virginia lost to Kannapolis, 2-1.  Buddy Borden gave up just one hit and struck out five in four shutout innings, but walked four, which probably accounted for his exit.  Felipe Gonzalez gave up two runs to blow a 1-0 lead.  Reese McGuire went 0-4, JaCoby Jones 1-3 with a walk, Erich Weiss 1-2 with two walks.