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Pirates Notebook: Mientkiewicz will face Big Unit with eye on victory
Sunday, August 03, 2008

CHICAGO -- The Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday announced their pitching rotation for the upcoming series against the Pirates in Phoenix, and Randy Johnson will pitch Wednesday.

Uh-oh.


Minor-league report
Saturday's games

INDIANAPOLIS (53-62) beat Toledo, 11-3. LHP Corey Hamman (2-2, 5.70) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out seven, walked three. RHP Evan Meek (2.63), yesterday named the team's player of the month for July, pitched two scoreless innings of relief and allowed one hit. He struck out one, walked one. SS Brian Bixler (.281) went 3 for 5 with a steal. LF Nyjer Morgan (.270) went 2 for 5 with a triple and three RBIs. CF Andrew McCutchen (.275) went 1 for 2 with two walks.

ALTOONA (51-63) lost to Bowie, 12-2. RHP Christian Castorri (0-1, 7.07) allowed six runs and 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings. 2B Shelby Ford (.270) went 2 for 4 with a double.

LYNCHBURG (46-66) lost at Myrtle Beach, 6-5. RHP Mike Crotta (8-8, 5.12) allowed five runs, three earned, and seven hits in five innings. 3B Danny Bomback (.417), promoted from Class A Hickory earlier in the week, hit his first home run for the Hillcats and went 2 for 4.

HICKORY (44-68) lost to Rome, 7-4. RHP Matt McSwain (4-5, 2.17) allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings. RHP Ronald Uviedo (3.01) pitched two perfect innings of relief and struck out four.

STATE COLLEGE (9-33) lost at Batavia, 6-5, in 10 innings. RHP Wilson Ortiz (0-2, 5.06) allowed four runs and two hits in one-third of an inning. SS Chase D'Arnaud (.283) went 2 for 4 with an RBI.

BRADENTON (22-14) beat the Reds, 5-1. RHP Gabriel Alvarado (3-1, 3.19) pitched five scoreless innings and allowed three hits. He struck out four. RF Edward Garcia (.176) hit his second home run, a three-run shot, and went 1 for 4.


It was not so long ago, June 9 at PNC Park, that utilityman Doug Mientkiewicz and Johnson jawed at each other during a Mientkiewicz at-bat, prompting benches and bullpens to empty in an emotional 5-3 Pirates victory.

Johnson said that day: "It didn't bother me at all. If it would have, he'd probably be in a stretcher, and I'd probably be out of the game."

To which Mientkiewicz shot back the next day: "I've been on a stretcher before. And, technically, he's been out of the game for three years, in my mind," referring to Johnson's largely unsuccessful stint with the Yankees. "That just shows how mentally weak he is: New York beat him down."

Yesterday, Mientkiewicz noticed Johnson's name on the schedule. His thoughts?

"Just win the game," Mientkiewicz said. "It's done and over with. I can't live in the past."

He paused and continued.

"The ball's in his hand. If he feels the need to do something, then that's the way it's going to be. But I'm going in thinking it's just another game, trying to win. A lot's happened since then. It's one of those things where ... is it in the back of my mind? Sure. But you know what? I'm going out there to help my team win."

Offers heard for Snell

The Pirates listened to offers for some of their starting pitchers' names before the trading deadline Thursday, including that of Ian Snell, but only in the anticipation that someone would be desperate enough to overpay, a source said yesterday. No one was shopped, and no deal was close.

No waiver trades are expected before the Aug. 31 deadline.

Josh Wilson traded

The Pirates traded utility infielder Josh Wilson, a Mt. Lebanon native, off the Class AAA Indianapolis roster to the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named.

Wilson, 27, batted .276 with five home runs and never played a game for his hometown team after being claimed off waivers last fall.

Struggling Spikes

State College, the Pirates' short-season Class A affiliate, is off to a 9-33 start, making for the worst winning percentage of any team in professional baseball.

Typically, wins and losses mean little in developmental baseball, but there are two red flags here: One, roughly half the Spikes' roster is comprised of players from the June draft class. Two, the team's overall play, including the defense, recently was described as "embarrassing" by the Centre Daily Times, which reflects on fundamentals.

"There are definitely concerns about the State College team, as no one wants to see a club play like they are right now," Kyle Stark, the Pirates' director of player development, said yesterday by e-mail. "But I think there are a number of factors in play here."

Among the factors he cited was that two June draft picks, third baseman Matt Hague and shortstop Jordy Mercer, were considered advanced enough to be assigned one level up, at Class A Hickory. Also, only 11 of the 27 picks signed so far have been pitchers and most of those are stocked a level down, with rookie-level Bradenton, Fla. Several prominent picks remain unsigned.

The poor pitching at State College stands out, Stark said.

"Our starters are all younger pitchers who have struggled against more advanced college bats," Stark said. "Typically, you win in the minors with a good bullpen, and we have struggled in that area, too."

Bradenton has one of the Gulf Coast League's best records at 22-14.

Buried treasure

• Closer Matt Capps threw 25 pitches in a simulated game in Bradenton and remains on track to pitch in a Gulf Coast League game Tuesday, then join Indianapolis or Class AA Altoona for a three- or four-appearance rehabilitation stint.

• Second baseman Freddy Sanchez, out since last Sunday because of back spasms, took a full batting practice and could see action today.

• Texas hired Jim Colborn as bullpen coach. He was the Pirates' pitching coach in 2006-07, then became the Rangers' director of Pacific Rim operations.

First published on August 3, 2008 at 12:00 am