LEADING OFF: The Curve were off Monday and begin a six-game road trip tonight at Reading at 7:05. Curve RHP Shairon Martis (3-1, 3.60) will be opposed by R-Phils RHP Julio Rodriguez (3-0, 2.91).
SAFE AT FIRST: With C Tony Sanchez now at Triple-A, Ramon Cabrera will take over as the everyday catcher. Cabrera is hitting .242 with one homer, but his 21 RBIs rank third on the team. He won the batting title at high-A Bradenton last season, hitting .343.
STEALING SECOND: C Miguel Perez also has been added to the active roster. Perez has been with the club for several weeks in a coaching capacity, helping out with Sanchez, but has not played in a game at any level this season. INF Greg Picart also has been added to the active roster with 1B Matt Curry going on the DL.
ROUNDING THIRD: The Pirates have decided to switch 21-year-old prospect Stetson Allie from pitcher to third base. Allie received a $2.25 million signing bonus as a second-round pick in 2010, but the hard-throwing right-hander battled major control problems in the lower levels. Still, he's thrown only 26 2/3 innings in his career - just 2/3 of an inning this season - and the Pirates already have seen enough to abandon the pitching idea. He was a good hitting prospect coming out of high school, so the organization will try him out there, most likely starting him off with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League club.
HEADING HOME: For their $2.2 million, this is what the Pirates got out of Allie: 17 games (eight starts), 26 2/3 innings, 21 hits, 24 runs (23 earned), 37 walks, 29 strikeouts, 10 hit batters and a 7.76 ERA.
- Cory Giger
