The only Pirates affiliate to win tonight was the one who clinched a playoff berth already yesterday. Today's result followed a regular theme, with Jeff Locke's sterling pitching leading the way. Locke shut down Louisville over six innings of scoreless ball. He gave up just four hits, walked only one and struck out six. The gem lowered Locke's ERA to 2.56 on the season. It remains to be seen if Locke will be called up to the Pirates in September or if he'll anchor Indianapolis' rotation for its playoff run first. Bryan Morris pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning with no hits, walks or strikeouts. His ERA is now 2.48. Daniel McCutchen shook off his infinity Major League ERA after Tuesday's debacle in San Diego and pitched a clean ninth with a strikeout for his second save of the season. McEffect favorites produced all around, as Dallas McPherson slammed a two-run home run in the fifth inning to push the Indians' lead to 4-0. The blast was McPherson's 14th of the season and second for Indianapolis. Brock Holt just continues to impress at the AAA level, as he went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases. He's now hitting .400 with a .960 OPS in 65 at-bats for the Indians. He did commit an error at second base however. McPherson finished with two hits on the night, and Anderson Hernandez was a perfect 3-for-3. Brandon Boggs hit his 24th double of the year immediately ahead of McPherson's fifth-inning homer.
AA Altoona| Altoona 1 Richmond 2
Altoona only recorded hits in two innings against Richmond, and the first hit didn't come until a relief pitcher entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. Richmond lefty Michael Kickham didn't allow a hit in six innings of work, but he was removed far before getting a shot at a complete-game no-hitter. Why? Because Kickham walked five Curve hitters and he threw 103 pitches in those six innings. Reliever Chris Wilson entered the game in the seventh and Altoona's Jeremy Farrell hit a double to lead off the frame and the no-hitter evaporated. Jarek Cunningham followed with a bunt single, but Kelson Brown grounded into a double play that scored a run but killed the rally and the Curve couldn't score again. Oscar Tejeda singled in the ninth and was bunted over by Farrell, and pinch-hitter Matt Curry (who didn't start against the lefty Kickham) walked with two outs, but Charlie Cutler lined out sharply to left field to end the threat and the game. Farrell had the best offensive game for Altoona, getting a double in his only official at-bat and walking twice. Farrell's repeat AA season has been heavily disappointing, as he's only hitting .218 with four home runs and a .638 OPS. Brandon Cumpton suffered the loss, pitching six innings and allowing two runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Nate Baker and Jeff Inman were sharp in relief. Baker struck out the side in the seventh and Inman fanned four in two shutout innings.
A West Virginia | West Virginia 0 Hickory 6
The story tonight for the Power was the clear lack of offensive production as evidence by the zero runs scored. But the most agonizing part of the loss was the sub-par defensive performance behind starter Nick Kingham. Kingham, who allowed four runs (only one of them earned) on three hits in five innings, tossed a solid start if it was not for the three defensive miscues by his teammates behind him. Two of them, one from Chris Lashmet and another from Alen Hanson, came in the big fifth inning where the Crawdads plated three runs. Speaking of Hanson, he had himself a night to forget in all facets of the game. At the plate he went 0-for-3 with a walk and was caught stealing once. Defensively, he was responsible for two of the errors on the night, one in the fifth and one in the eighth. Taylor Lewis, Eric Avila, Willy Garcia, and Elias Diaz has the only hits for the Power tonight.
A Bradenton |Bradenton 2 Jupiter 6
Only three Marauders recorded a hit and the bullpen couldn't keep the game close late as Bradenton fell on the road to Jupiter. Mel Rojas led the effort with a 3-for-4 evening and two doubles, putting him at only 12 for the season. Rojas is now hitting .252 and it'll be interesting to see if management believes he's done enough to earn a promotion to Altoona next season. Kirk Singer and Gift Ngoepe had two hits apiece, with Singer adding his sixth double as a Marauder. The rest of the Bradenton lineup outside of Ngoepe, Singer and Rojas went a combined 0-for-21. Miami top prospect Jose Fernandez started for Jupiter and kept the Marauders mostly off balance. Kenn Kasparek received another start and had an okay outing. He didn't walk a batter or strike anyone out over six innings, and gave up two runs on seven hits. Josh Poytress gave up a run in the seventh, and Emmanuel De Leon gave up three runs on four hits in an inning for his high-A debut. De Leon hadn't allowed an earned run in West Virginia in 11 August innings after he was promoted from State College and he was promoted again to Bradenton just a few days ago. But his first outing didn't go so well. Before tonight's game, he had struck out 59 in 51.2 innings between State College and West Virginia, but the downside is that he's walked 33.
A State College | State College 0 Jamestown 1
The prized 17 year old right hander Luis Heredia had the starting nod tonight and did not disappoint like he's done a lot in his first professional season. But the bats of his Spikes teammates were not alive as Jamestown starter Mason Hope dominated in seven innings, striking out nine Spikes hitters. This lack of offensive production by the Spikes has been on display quite a few times this season as the Spikes are towards the bottom of the New York-Penn League in team runs and hits. The only hits tonight came of the bats usual suspects in D.J. Crumlich and Jacob Stallings. Crumlich went 2-for-4 and Stallings 1-for-4 with three strikeouts of his own. The big Mexican Heredia earned his second loss of the season going five fantastic innings allowing one earned run on three hits and no walks while striking out four. Lance Breedlove threw three scoreless innings of relief and Josh Smith one scoreless himself. Back to Heredia, who in his first professional season, has allowed 20 runs in 56.2 innings and now owns a 2.86 ERA with a 33:16 strikeout to walk ratio.