Steve Pearce's incredibly hot streak with Lynchburg ended yesterday.

"I'm pumped," said Pearce, a first baseman.

Understandable.

Pearce, who over the past two weeks evoked memories of Brad Eldred's August with Altoona three years ago, yesterday was promoted from Class A Lynchburg to Altoona, where he'll make his Class AA debut tonight.

Pearce, 24, a right-handed batter who's one of the Pirates' top power prospects, leads the minor leagues in home runs with 11 -- all hit in the past 13 games.

"Some kind of hot," said Jeff Banister, the Pirates' minor-league field coordinator who watched Pearce the past week. "He's in one of those zones. I can't imagine what it feels like."

"It's like he's hitting the ball off a tee," Lynchburg manager Jeff Branson said. "I don't know how else to explain it. I've never seen anything like this before."

"I've seen it one time before," said Lynchburg hitting instructor Greg Briley, "and that was Eldred."

Eldred, who began the 2004 season with Lynchburg, in August that season hit 14 home runs and had an astounding 50 RBIs in 27 games.

Pearce started this season with only six hits, including one home run, in 30 at-bats. But when the weather warmed, so did Pearce.

In his final 10 games with Lynchburg, he was 18 for 41 with 10 home runs and 22 RBIs.

"We knew he was going to hit a home run every day," Branson said. "It was just a question of how many."

On Sunday, Pearce had his second two-homer game in that stretch. After the game, Branson told him of his promotion.

"I think you know what I'm going to tell you," Branson said.

"In the back of my mind, I did," Pearce said. "The way I'd been going was pretty ridiculous."

It was ridiculous enough that the Pirates a few days ago got serious about Pearce's promotion.

Brian Graham, the team's senior player development director, and general manager Dave Littlefield discussed the move during Lynchburg's recent trip to Kinston and Myrtle Beach.

"He needs to be challenged more," Graham said.

"He can turn around a fastball," Branson said. "I don't care how hard you throw it."

"He believes he can hit just about anybody on the planet," Banister said.

Banister said Pearce reminds him of Jim Leyritz, who played 11 seasons in the major leagues, most of those with the New York Yankees.

"Pearce holds his bat high and when he swings, his feet are moving. His body is moving. But his hands are pretty still. He has a really short, compact swing -- with a lot of leverage going through the ball."

Pearce, 5 feet 11, 209 pounds, was the Pirates' eighth-round pick in the 2005 draft out of the University of South Carolina. He played in 72 games for Williamsport that summer, batting .301 with seven home runs and 52 RBIs.

With Class A Hickory last season, he batted .288 with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs in 41 games. That earned him a promotion to Lynchburg, where he hit .265 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs in 90 games.

Now he has earned another promotion.

"It's a stepping-stone to where I want to be," Pearce said. "I'm excited and ready for the challenge."

Romak also promoted

The Pirates also yesterday promoted outfielder Jamie Romak, acquired from Atlanta in the Adam LaRoche trade, from Hickory to Lynchburg. Romak at Hickory batted .275 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 20 games.

Back in the fold

Catcher Carlos Maldonado will rejoin Class AAA Indianapolis today in Pawtucket. Maldonado was sent to Altoona last week because a visa problem prevented him from accompanying Indianapolis to Ottawa. Catcher Milver Reyes, who had been with Indianapolis, will return to Altoona.