Alvarez bumps batting average up to .365; Lincoln, Owens & Ohlendorf tidbits

Third baseman Pedro Alvarez bumped his batting average up to .365 this afternoon for Triple-A Indianapolis.

Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a triple and run scored in the Indians 3-0 win over Rochester.

Alvarez is batting .472 with 3 home runs and 8 RBI's in his last 10 games.

A positive for Alvarez has been patience at the plate and he has 4 walks to 3 strikeouts in his last four games, a span of 13 at-bats.

GM Neal Huntington gave mixed signals on Alvarez today. Huntington called Alvarez's .350 batting average at the time, "misleading", while also indicating he is making progress but that there's some things that need to be worked out.

One area of emphasis from the Pirates has been on Alvarez hitting to left center.

"Pedro's biggest challenge is himself, and just trusting that when he hits the ball to left center field, that his best swing, " Huntington said. "Even in this ballpark {PNC PARK}, he's one of the few left handers that can leave the ballpark to left center..... That he doesn't need to hook and pull. When he's a good hitter, he's a a dangerous hitter. When he's trying to hook and pull and launch, he's an out. Unfoutunately, too often this year, he was trying to hook and pull."