Tuesday Pebble Report: Pitching prospects dropping like flies

I'm sorry I've been such a slacker on the Pebble Reports the last couple of days, I'm running into some early deadlines with a big project adapting Shakespeare into opera. It probably didn't help that I took a mini vacation to Detroit over the weekend, either.

Colorado Spings: W 9-3

Mark Bellhorn's grand slam was the big blow against the Dodgers Albuquerque affiliate, with Sal Fasano and Carlos Gonzalez also homering in the win. Jason Hirsh pitched five and two thirds innings and gave up three runs.

Sunday: W 4-0

Greg Smith pitched well but was pulled early from his start due to shoulder stiffness, as Jack Etkin reported. Carlos Gonzalez had two hits in this game as well.

Tulsa: L 2-9

Samuel Deduno only lasted two innings before getting pulled despite pitching fairly decently. It's not a good sign for the oft on the shelf starter. We know from his days as Asheville's pitching coach that Bryan Harvey can get kind of heated at times, the Drillers third base coach was ejected on Monday.

Sunday: W 4-3

Jhoulys Chacin had a nifty six inning, seven K, one run allowed start. Ryan Harvey, who as far as I'm aware is unrelated to Bryan, had two hits includng a homerun and he had two more hits on Monday, so perhaps he's heating things up with his bat. Cole Garner also homered and had two hits in the win.

Modesto: L 5-7

Blackmon and Rike combined to go one for ten last night, but the video is certainly amusing and worth linking. The potent San Jose lineup has been hammering Modesto pitching with 12 extra base hits in the two games so far this series. Six of those hits were given up by Cory Riordan on Monday.

Sunday: L 1-8

Bruce Billings has seen this San Jose lineup a lot this season, and I wondered after he got hammered the second time through their lineup in his last start if it was a sign of concern going forward. Apparently my concern was justified as he gave up three HR's to San Jose on Sunday night.

Asheville: L 1-8

Scott Robinson had three hits and stole his 16th base for the Tourists, which was about the lone highlight on the night.

Sunday: L 2-5

Christian Friedrich was dominant until letting the floodgates open in the sixth, allowing four runs and having to get pulled with the bases still loaded before he could finish the inning. He's now 3-3 on the season, and apparently stagnating. Delta Cleary drove in Asheville's two runs and had two hits, as did Kiel Roling and Jordan Pacheco.