Ivan Pineyro tossed seven scoreless innings, the bullpen held the lead, and Adrian Nieto smacked a three-run home run to break up a 0-0 game and lead the P-Nats to a 3-1 Independence Day victory over the Blue Rocks.
It’s been a familiar theme, even with the more-than-occasional bullpen implosion, as the P-Nats have been on ’14 Braves-like run since Memorial Day weekend with a 28-8 record, even as they continue to push up players (Taylor Jordan, Robbie Ray, Jason Martinson) to Harrisburg.
Pineyro and Nieto, of course, are examples of how when things are going well, a minor-league team can absorb the “losses” and continue to thrive. Five seasons ago was the most extreme example, with some 70 players passing through while the 2008 edition won both halves and the Carolina League championship.
Pineyro came into the contest with a 9.64 ERA officially, 7.04 if you count his work in the suspended game last week against Myrtle Beach. But that’s just one (two?) starts and in his third outing, Pineyro showed a deft combination of heat and change of pace to keep the Wilmington batters unsettled.
The 21-year-old let up just three hits and walked one over seven frames, retiring the leadoff man six times and keeping the ball down. The latter is particularly important as that was his undoing in his debut against Carolina, leading to hard contact and multiple walks (just one last night).
Nieto, who’s moved into the cleanup spot vacated by Martinson, has been red-hot since the second half began, clubbing five of his eight HRs over the last 10 games along with slow-pitch softball numbers of .515/.579/.970 with 13RBI.
Colin Bates followed Pineyro out of the ‘pen and set ’em down in order in the 8th. Richie Mirowski got the save, his first since May, but gave up his sixth HR in just 40 innings pitched.
The two teams resume their four-game series tonight with A.J. Cole taking the hill for the P-Nats, opposed by the Blue Rocks’ Kyle Smith (4-4, 2.89).