Cannonballs Coming: Brandon Waddell debuts, Josh Bell goes deep

The GCL and DSL Pirates were off.

-- Indianapolis won in bizarre fashion, 5-4, over Norfolk.  The Indians came back from a 4-0 deficit, scoring one in the 7th and three in the top of the 8th.  With one out and a runner on first, they brought in backup catcher Wilkin Castillo to pitch.*  With the team trying to nail down the division.  Naturally, Castillo got a GIDP.  Indy went ahead in the top of the 9th on an Elias Diaz sacrifice fly and Castillo gave up just an infield single in getting through the bottom half.  (I watched most of Castillo's outing.  He was just lobbing the ball.)  A.J. Morris started the game and allowed three runs, one earned, in three innings on three hits and two walks.  He struck out none and exited as a result of taking a line drive off his leg.  Josh Bell went 1-2 with his first AAA HR and two walks.  Keon Broxton was 3-4, and Gustavo Nunez and Gorkys Hernandez each 2-4.  Diaz had a triple in three at-bats and drove in three.

*Indy just lost Adrian Sampson and Yhonathan Barrios in trades, and Wilfredo Boscan to the waiver wire; has six pitchers on the DL, with Angel Sanchez possibly ready to join them; and probably doesn't have Vance Worley yet.  They also have had to use their bullpen a little heavily lately, although Jeff Inman has pitched only once in the last four days, throwing just six pitches last night.  Morris himself pitched in relief just three days ago.

-- Altoona lost to Richmond, 8-6.  Zack Dodson gave up six runs, four earned, on eleven hits in five innings.  Sebastian Valle hit a three-run HR and Max Moroff homered for the second day in a row.  The HRs were Valle's third and Moroff's sixth.  Jose Osuna went 2-5.

-- Bradenton hammered Charlotte, 10-3.  Harold Ramirez and Jin-De Jhang each went 2-4 with a three-run HR.  In fact, Jhang has now gone 2-4 with a HR two games in a row.  The long balls were Jhang's third and Ramirez' fourth.  Austin Meadows was 2-4 with a double.  He's slugging .474 in July and August.  Clay Holmes started and threw four shutout innings.  He allowed two hits, walked none and struck out one.

-- West Virginia beat Asheville, 8-2.  Chase Simpson and Jordan Luplow each hit HR #10.  Simpson was 2-4 overall and Luplow 1-2 with three walks.  Luplow is slugging .600 since the beginning of July.  Pablo Reyes was 3-4.  Stephen Tarpley had another strong start, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks in seven innings, while fanning nine.  He now has 85 Ks in 84.2 IP.

-- Fifth-round draft pick Brandon Waddell made his pro debut as Morgantown scored a run in the top of the 9th to beat Williamsport, 2-1.  Waddell threw three innings, allowing a run on three hits and a walk.  He fanned four.  Two other 2015 draftees, Tate Scioneaux and Sean Keselica followed with three scoreless innings apiece, striking out another seven total.  Logan Hill went 2-3 and drove in both runs, including the decisive run on his sixth HR.  Hill now has 39 RBIs in just 43 games.  Mitchell Tolman also went 2-3; he's hitting .583 in his last seven games.  Despite a lot of hitters getting off to rough starts, the Black Bears now have the league's third highest scoring team.

-- Bristol lost to Greeneville, 8-1.  Starter Logan Sendelbach gave up five runs, four of them unearned, in five innings.  He allowed six hits and no walks, and struck out four.  Henrry Rosario provided the only offense with his second HR.  Carlos Munoz was 2-4 and Enyel Vallejo 2-3.