Tuesday Pebble Report:

Colorado Springs (3-1): L 2-10

Brandon Hynick allowed eleven baserunners and seven runs in just three and a third innings in his Colorado Springs debut, which probably shouldn't be too surprising nor overly discouraging. There are pitchers, like Franklin Morales or Ubaldo Jimenez, that I ask "What is their stuff doing?" who I expect to be solid from the start against any level of competition, and then those like Hynick, where I ask "What are they doing with their stuff?" where I expect a learning process to be involved at the higher levels. Matt Murton (three hits) and Dan Ortmeier (two hits) continue to hit and may be putting some pressure on Seth Smith to elevate his performance.

Tulsa (2-3): W 8-7

Tulsa cranked out seventeen hits in the process of rallying for a victory over San Diego's San Antonio affiliate. Jeff Kindel had four hits, including a ninth inning double that wound up being the winning run, and Daniel Mayora had three hits, including a ninth inning double that plated that run. Ryan Harvey hit a pinch home run in the eighth to tie the game. Starter Chaz Roe did better at the plate (two hits) than he did on the mound, giving up five walks albeit just one hit and two runs in four innings of work.

Modesto (4-1): W 4-2

A three run seventh inning rally allowed the Nuts to come away with the victory over the Oakland A's Stockton Ports team. I haven't mentioned this yet, but Modesto figures to have some brutal competition this season with two top five farm systems (Oakland and Texas) competing in their division as well as perhaps the minor leagues' most talent laden team this year in the Giants' San Jose affiliate. With a heavily weighted schedule, they'll be seeing these teams over and over again this year.

So far, so good for the Nuts, thanks largely to their nifty bullpen work. Brian VanderBeek has more on the Nuts pen in his recap, but Nuts relievers are working on a twelve inning scoreless streak in which they've given up just five hits and two walks while striking out eight. Brandon Durden deserves credit for a solid start last night as well, working five innings and allowing just a pair of runs in the first before settling down.

Leadoff hitter Michael Mitchell got aboard three out of four times, once with a hit and twice by being hit, and Jason Van Kooten had a pair of hits, a walk, scored once and drove in two with a clutch single in that seventh inning. Brian Rike had the other two RBI with a double and a sac fly.

Asheville: Postponed