For a season preview of the Pittsburgh Pirates two Dominican Summer League teams, check out our article here. For a recap of the DSL All-Star game, check out our article here. Throughout the year, we will provide the recaps of both teams, as well as highlight one player each day.
PIRATES1
Result: Pirates 6, Marlins 1
Starting Pitcher: Jandy Vasquez, RHP (3-5, 4.75) – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Rudy Guzman, LF (.286) – 2-for-4, 3B, RBI, BB, SB
Other Notable Performers:
Julio de la Cruz, 3B (.202) – 0-for-3, RBI, BB
Dennis Hurtarte, 1B (.211) – 1-for-4, 2B
Arquimedes Lorenzo, RHP (2.92) – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
Johan De Jesus, SS (.192) – 0-for-2
Game Notes: The Pirates got strong starting pitching from Jandy Vasquez, who allowed just one unearned run in five innings. He had lost each of his last four starts, giving up 18 runs in 15.1 innings. Arquimedes Lorenzo followed Vasquez with four shutout innings to pick up his second save. Dennis Hurtarte hit a double for the fifth straight game. Rudy Guzman had two hits, a walk and stole his 17th base in 22 games. The Pirates also got two steals from Ramses Pena, who has 19 this season and Luis Benitez stole his team-leading 30th base. Sandy Santos had two outfield assists. The Pirates got help from five Marlins errors.
PIRATES2
Result: Pirates 11, Mets1 10
Starting Pitcher: Eduardo Vera, RHP (1.63) 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Jose Salazar, SS (.229) – 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Michael de la Cruz, CF (.303) – 0-for-4, RBI, 2 BB
Alexis Bastardo, RF (.256)- 2-for-4, 3B, 3 RBI
Luylli Miranda, LHP (2.42) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR
Jhoan Herrera, 3B (.246) – 2-for-4, RBI
Game Notes: The Pirates2 won for the ninth time in a row, improving their record to 39-23, with just over a week left in the season. They are 2.5 games back in the wildcard standings and five games back of the Cubs in the division. The Cubs have also been on a streak, winning seven games in a row. Starter Eduardo Vera shutdown the Mets1 for five innings and the Pirates put 11 runs on the board by collecting 12 hits and nine walks. Alexis Bastardo drove in three runs on Thursday, giving him seven RBI’s in his last two games. Bastardo, Michael de la Cruz and Gustavo Barrios all scored two runs each. The Pirates blew a huge lead in the eighth inning, giving up eight runs and at one point, they had an 8-0 lead in the game. They won in the bottom of the ninth on a throwing error. Gustavo Barrios singled with one out, then Jesus Ronco tried to bunt him over. The Mets1 third baseman threw the ball away and Barrios scored from first base on the play.
Players Of The Day
The Pirates have a 19-year-old lefty in their bullpen, who has had a pretty good rookie season. Horelbin Ramos stands 6’1″, 180 pounds and has pitched 18 times. He has thrown 40.2 innings, allowing 36 hits, one homer and 14 walks. Ramos has 30 strikeouts, a 1.14 GO/AO ratio and a .235 BAA. The one home run he gave up came in his last outing. His control has been much better recently, giving up two walks in his last 16.1 innings. His recent appearances have also been longer outings. Ramos threw five shutout innings out of the bullpen on August 5th, then followed that with one hit over four scoreless innings five days later. The young lefty has faced 12 left-handed batters this season, giving up one hit, one walk and he has five strikeouts. With the extended outings and success, plus his age, he may be a player that moves up after one season. Otherwise, he will likely return as a starter because the DSL Pirates have a lot of starters doing well that should move up for next season.
