Donald And Karen Hander

Huntington, Bucs in stretch run for Cole, Bell

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington hopefully got his rest this week. With Monday's midnight deadline to sign 2011 draft picks looming, he's likely going to need it.

The No. 1 draft picks from the past two years — Stephen Strasburg in 2009 and Bryce Harper in 2010 — did not sign deals with the Washington Nationals until moments before the deadline, and there is no reason to expect things will be different with Gerrit Cole and the Pirates.

There's little doubt Cole, a right-hander from UCLA and the No. 1 overall pick, will sign. The question becomes how much of an impact Strasburg's and Harper's record-setting deals will have on negotiations with Cole, who like Strasburg and Harper, is represented by agent Scott Boras.

"I've never seen a reverse button in (Boras)," said Kevin Goldstein, national writer for Baseball Prospectus and ESPN. "I don't think he has that gear. I can't wait to see how it works out, and that's how everyone is. It's going to be a weird negotiation and really, really hard. Nobody's envious of the Pirates for the work they have to do between now and Monday."

The Pirates also are hoping to persuade second-round pick, outfielder Josh Bell, to sign rather than attend the University of Texas. But getting Bell to abandon his college plans — if that is possible — might require a greater financial commitment than the Pirates can make.

Strasburg, a flame-throwing pitcher who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, signed a $15.1 million, four-year contract in 2009, the highest for a drafted player. It included a $7.5 million signing bonus and wasn't finalized until 11:58:43, according to Nationals president Stan Kasten.

Harper, a hard-slugging catcher who got his GED and left high school two years early to hone his game at junior college Southern Nevada, signed a $9.9 million, five-year deal in 2010, the highest for a drafted position player. The sides didn't reach an agreement until 26 seconds before the deadline, and Kasten told reporters that, with a minute to go, they didn't think they were getting the deal done.

Cole wasn't the unquestioned top overall choice like Harper and Strasburg, but that may not matter to Boras, with whom the Pirates had contentious negotiations to sign Pedro Alvarez in 2008.

"Boras is going to try, I'm sure, to say that's what No. 1 picks cost now," Goldstein said.

The Pirates do not reveal details of negotiations, and this year is no different.

Alpine ties playoffs with pinch hit blast : Chaves County Sports Report

One hit was all it took for Alpine to knot up the first round of the Pecos League playoffs at one win apiece Saturday, as the Cowboys edged Roswell 6-5 on a grand slam home run by Nacho Ochoa and a stellar pitching performance by league pitcher of the year Alfredo Caballero.

“Their pitcher just threw a great game,” said Invader manager Chris Paterson. “He kept us off balance and they left him in there a little longer than I thought. I thought he would have been out a little earlier and we could have got to their bullpen, like we usually do, but they kept him in and he just kept throwing a great game.”

“We got a great performance out of Caballero,” dittoed Cowboy manager Ryan Stevens. “He’s our ace and that’s what you want in a big game like that.”

Both starting pitchers — Matt Rossignol went 6.1 innings for the Invaders — had strong performances.

Rossignol used a strikeout and help from his fielders to get out of a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the first, then allowed only one run through the next five innings, an unearned run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by David Valesente.

The Invaders drew first blood, scoring in the first on a single by Trivon Howard that saw him land on third after an error by center fielder Andrew Riddick. Howard then came home on a double by Adrian Martinez.

Alpine tied it in the fourth and it stayed tied through the seventh, when Ochoa hit his game-winning blast.

Valesente singled off Rossignol to open the inning, the Roswell pitcher hit Zach Welch then got Tyler HIcks to fly out to right without the runners advancing.

Paterson then brought in left-hander Seth Marchant, who got Jason Simone to hit into a fielder’s choice, leaving runners at first and third with two outs. But Kyle Wells reached base on an error by shortstop Brycen Bell and Riddick walked on a 3-2 count to load the bases.

The manager came out to the mound to talk to his pitcher, but left Marchant on the mound. That led Stevens to make a change.

“I was kind of baiting Paterson to see if he’d leave a lefty in,” Stevens said. “I had Nacho waiting in the dugout then when he left the lefty in, I pulled Eric (Garcia) out and I brought Nacho in for that hit. I just had a gut instinct.”

That gut instinct proved right as Ochoa hit the first pitch he saw out of the park on a no-doubt-about-it home run, giving Alpine a 6-1 lead they’d never relinquish.

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