Just one day after Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told the press that Justin Wilson would be moving to the bullpen, he started anyway. It was a good thing he did, because he threw a no-hitter in a game that was completed early in eight innings due to rain. This was the second time Wilson didn't allow a hit in a start in 2012. His total numbers for the game were the full eight innings, no hits, a mere one walk (which is important for him) and five strikeouts. His ERA fell to 3.88 with the outstanding night, which will inevitably lead to questions if he should transition to relief, even if that's only for the rest of this season. Yamaico Navarro paced the Indians' offense with a double and a triple in three at bats. Alex Presley had two singles in his first game back in Triple-A. Drew Sutton doubled, and Jeff Clement, Jose Tabata and Tony Sanchez all had hits, which is more than any Charlotte Knight could say. Sanchez also drove in two runs.
AA Altoona | Altoona 9 Bowie 4
Altoona's offense erupted for nine runs although it was only on nine hits, with Matt Curry breaking his mini-slump by smashing his 10th home run of the season. Many other Curve hitters helped out to lead the team to the win. Adalberto Santos went 2-for-4 with a walk, and Ramon Cabrera also had two hits in five at-bats. Drew Maggi tripled, and Oscar Tejeda and Kelson Brown each doubled for the Curve. Juan Cruz had another rehab outing and pitched a scoreless first inning while striking out one. Kris Johnson followed with five innings of three-run ball to pick up the victory. He gave up five hits, walked three and struck out three. Jeff Inman and Victor Black bounced back from some rough outings to have a successful day. Inman gave up a run in two innings but he struck out four. Black fanned two batters and walked one in a scoreless ninth.
A West Virginia | West Virginia 8 Lexington 3
If Justin Wilson was the runaway winner of top pitcher of the day in the Pirates system, then Gregory Polanco earns the same distinction on the hitting side. Polanco continued his season-long breakout with a two-homer night to lead a 12-hit offensive onslaught of Lexington. Polanco now has 15 home runs on the season and is hitting .328 with a .913 OPS. But Polanco merely led the Power's power strike, as the team connected for three additional home runs. Jose Osuna smacked his 15th home run, Dan Gamache hit his fifth and Taylor Lewis blasted his third. Lewis, Osuna and Gamache each had two-hit nights, with Gamache also hitting his 32nd double of the year. Willy Garcia singled twice, and Francisco Aponte doubled. Nick Kingham won his fifth game of the season by giving up two runs on three hits, two walks and four strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Kingham's first five innings were scoreless, but he couldn't get through the sixth unscathed. Robbie Kilcrease allowed the third and final run in the sixth, and Emmanuel de Leon finished the game with two shutout innings.
A Bradenton | Charlotte 3 Bradenton 0 (6 innings)
The Marauders' offense was silent and gave no help at all to Jameson Taillon in another rain-shortened contest. Taillon gave up three runs, although just one of them was earned, in five innings. He gave up five hits (one home run) and two walks with three strikeouts. Taillon also threw three wild pitches on the negative side. Kirk Singer hit his fourth double for Bradenton's only hit of the game. Gift Ngoepe walked and was the only other Marauder player to reach base. Bradenton struck out nine times in six innings.
A State College | Auburn 5 State College 3
The Spikes couldn't hold an early 3-2 lead and didn't score after the top of the second inning. Derek Trent hit a two-run homer, his first, in the top of the second. Chris Diaz went 2-for-2 with two walks, and Jared Lakind had two hits and a double, his third. Walker Gourley singled and stole his fourth base of the year. Joely Rodriguez gave up three runs and seven hits in four innings of work. He walked one and fanned four. Ryan Hafner, just demoted from West Virginia after an atrocious first four months of the season, was hit with the loss after giving up two runs in 2.1 innings.