Cannonballs coming: Barnes, Valerio stay hot

Indianapolis was rained out.

-- Altoona (71-60) lost to Erie, 7-6.  Tyler Eppler got battered for six runs on a dozen hits in five and two-thirds innings.  Barrett Barnes kept hitting, going 3-5 with two doubles, although he grounded out to end the game with the tying run on base.  Elvis Escobar was 3-3.  The Curve hurt themselves by hitting into four double plays and getting a runner thrown out at home.

Erich Weiss:  0-2, BB
Kevin Newman:  1-5
Edwin Espinal:  2-4
Chris Stewart:  0-3, BB
Trey Haley:  2 IP, 2 K

-- Bradenton (67-62) lost to Charlotte, 9-7.  Chase Simpson drove in five runs with a double, a sacrifice fly and his eighth HR.  Simpson tied the game with a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth, but the struggling Luis Heredia gave up three runs in the ninth and the Marauders could come back with only one.  Starter J.T. Brubaker gave up three runs, one earned, in five and two-thirds innings.  He allowed seven hits, walked none and struck out six.

Cole Tucker:  0-5
Tito Polo:  0-4, BB
Kevin Kramer:  2-4, 2B
Connor Joe:  1-4

-- West Virginia (66-64) lost to Lakewood, 4-2.  Logan Sendelbach gave up four runs on eight hits in six innings.  Ryan Nagle and Carlos Munoz each went 2-4.

Mitchell Tolman:  1-4
Logan Hill:  0-4, 3 K
Stephen Alemais:  1-4

-- Cam Vieaux fanned nine in six innings, but Morgantown (31-35) lost to Mahoning Valley, 4-3.  Vieaux gave up one run on six hits and a walk.  Chris Harvey was 3-4 with a double and Hunter Owen 2-3 with a walk.

Will Craig:  2-4
Albert Baur:  2-4

-- Bristol (24-38) lost a seesaw game to Johnson City, 8-7, in ten innings.  Starter Matt Eckelman threw six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and a walk, and striking out three.  Eckelman left with a 3-0 lead, but Pasquale Mazzacoli gave up five runs in the eighth.  The Pirates tied the game on a two-run double by Yoel Gonzalez in the top of the ninth, then took the lead with two unearned runs in the tenth.  In the bottom half, though, Shane Kemp gave up three runs to lose it.  (The box score has Mazzacoli's and Kemp's stats all messed up, but I think I have this right.)  The Pirates got their seven runs despite 14 strikeouts.  Victor Fernandez (pictured) hit his first HR.  It was the team's 20th in 62 games, last in the league (as they are in most offensive categories).  Raul Siri and Adrian Valerio were each 2-5 with a double.  It was Valerio's fifth straight multi-hit game.

-- The GCL Pirates (20-33) got blanked by the Braves, 4-0.  Travis MacGregor had a good start, allowing one run on three hits in four and two-thirds innings.  He walked two and struck out six.  The Pirates had only three hits.  Ke'Bryan Hayes hasn't played in four days, so his rehab from back problems may have hit a bump.

Jeremias Portorreal:  1-4, 2B
Gabriel Brito:  1-4

-- The DSL Pirates (27-42) lost to the Rangers1, 4-1.  Starter Sergio Cubilete threw five perfect innings, striking out four.  The Pirates had only four hits, half of them by Christopher Perez, who was 2-2 with a triple.

Kevin Sanchez:  0-4
Sherten Apostel:  1-4
Larry Alcime:  0-3
Roger Santana:  3.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB