Sunday Pebble Report: Hirsh gets a win, Tulsa and Modesto waste great pitching performances, more

Disclaimer: This Pebble Report reviews games played on Saturday night, even though the games from Sunday have been completed as well. Issues with flying out of Denver caused this one to come up a little late.I was going to combine the results for both days, but I'll let whoever does the Monday Pebble Report handle today's games.

Colorado Springs, W 6-4 (3-0): Jason Hirsh picked up the win in this one with a solid, if not unspectacular, outing where he pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed 4 earned runs on 8 hits, while striking out two and issuing only one walk. The good news is that apparently his control has improved (or at least in this single game, anyway); the bad news is that it looks as if Hirsh is still having trouble missing bats, and the Rockies don't need more soft-tossers who can't get a strikeout when they need one.

The bullpen was good in this one, as Damian Moss, Matt Daley, and the newly-acquired Joel Peralta (who earned the save) combined for 3 1/3 innings of scoreless ball. Daley was particularly solid, striking out four batter in two innings and not allowing a baserunner. That guy is underrated; he is nowhere to be found on any top prospect lists, but the dude just knows how to pitch, and has shown it at every level in the minors thus far.

As for the offense, Matt Miller collected three hits while Dan Ortmeier and Matt Murton contributed two a piece; the latter two each hit a double and drove in a run as well.

Tulsa, L 0-1 (1-2): The Drillers' offense wasted a fantastic pitching performance by Keith Weiser (5 1/3 IP, H, ER, BB, 8 K) by being shutout and only scratching out three hits (all singles). Corpus Christi only had three hits of their own, but one was a home run off the bat of Jhon Florentino in the first inning off of Weiser - the only hit he would allow in the game. Andy Graham and Adam Bright held the Hooks scoreless in 2 2/3 innings of relief, but Tulsa was unable to take advantage of it.

Modesto, L 0-4 (2-1): Two Radames Nazario fielding errors essentially cost the Nuts the game in this one. Bruce Billings pitched 6 innings of two-hit ball, while striking out 7 opposed to only two walks, but Modesto was unable to get the bats going against Bakersfield while the shoddy defense contributed four unearned runs. Austin Chambliss and Edgmer Escalona (a guy I'll be keeping a watchful eye on this season) combined for three scoreless innings out of the pen. Highly regarded catching prospect Wilin Rosario collected two of the Nuts' four hits on the day.

Asheville, L 2-3, L 1-4 (0-3): The Tourists remained winless after dropping both ends of a double header to the Kannapolis Intimidators. Parker Frazier pitched a pseudo-complete game in Game 1, as he threw all six innings, giving up 3 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks, and did not strike anyone out. There wasn't much on the offensive end for the Tourists in that game either, as six different guys contributed a base hit, but there were none of the extra base variety.

Game 2 saw Asheville fall 4-1, also in seven innings. Jonnathon Aristil took the loss in this one, giving up 2 runs (1 earned), 3 hits, and 2 walks in 1 2/3 innings. Alan Deratt and Ethan Hollingsworth threw 3 1/3 innings of scoreless ball before giving way to Kurt Yacko, who allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits in his own inning of work. The Tourists' offense was non-existent in this one, as they managed only one hit - a single off the bat of Carlos Martinez.