TOP OF THE SYSTEM
A look at how the current top 30 prospects did today. Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. If a player is out for the season, he will be removed and everyone below him will move up a spot. Removing these guys doesn’t mean they have lost prospect status. It is just an attempt to get 30 active prospects on the list. Rankings are from early season update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Altoona – DNP
2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
3. Austin Meadows, CF, Bradenton – DNP
4. Josh Bell, 1B, Altoona – 0-for-4, BB
5. Reese McGuire, C, Bradenton – 0-for-4, 3 BB, 2 SB
6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
7. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – 1-for-5
8. Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – DNP
9. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – 1-for-4, BB
10. Mitch Keller, RHP, Extended Spring Training
11. Harold Ramirez, OF, Extended Spring Training
12. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Extended Spring Training
13. JaCoby Jones, SS, Bradenton – 2-for-6, BB, SB
14. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
15. Trey Supak, RHP, Extended Spring Training
16. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Extended Spring Training
17. Barrett Barnes, OF, Bradenton – 1-for-5, 2B, BB, SB
18. Clay Holmes, RHP, Bradenton – Disabled List
19. Cody Dickson, LHP, Bradenton – 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
20. Willy Garcia, OF, Altoona – 2-for-4
21. John Holdzkom, RHP, Indianapolis – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 0 HR
22. Jordan Luplow, 3B, West Virginia – DNP
23. Connor Joe, 1B/3B – Extended Spring Training
24. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, Bradenton – DNP
25. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
26. Steven Brault, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
27. Tito Polo, OF, West Virginia – DNP
28. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Extended Spring Training
29. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training
30. Taylor Gushue, C, West Virginia – DNP
DAILY SUMMARY
Top Pitcher: Cody Dickson, LHP – 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Brent Morel, 1B – 1-for-4, HR, BB
Home Runs: Brent Morel (2), Gorkys Hernandez (2)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Rochester 15, Indianapolis 10
Starting Pitcher: Wilfredo Boscan, RHP – 0.1 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Brent Morel, 1B – 1-for-4, HR, BB
Other Notable Performers:
John Holdzkom, RHP – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 0 HR
Steve Lombardozzi, LF – 2-for-5
Gorkys Hernandez, CF – 1-for-3, HR
Game Notes: Wilfredo Boscan got off to a tough start for Indianapolis, as he was only able to retire one hitter before allowing seven runs in the first inning. After tossing 31 pitches, the only out that Boscan recorded was a sacrifice fly, as his fastball was all over the zone and he struggled with command. He also had an issue with hanging a couple of breaking balls that were not missed.
Charlie Leesman had some similar struggles as Boscan, as he pitched to solid contact and allowed six runs of his own in 3.1 innings, while tossing 97 pitches. All six runs were unearned. Josh Wall made his 2015 Triple-A debut, allowing just one hit in 1.1 innings, while striking out a hitter. A.J Morris tossed a pair of innings, striking out three hitter, while allowing a run. John Holdzkom allowed only a hit in a scoreless frame. Bobby LaFromboise tossed a scoreless ninth.
Brent Morel and Gorkys Hernandez each added a home run. Steve Lombardozzi added a pair of knocks and has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games. Indianapolis added four errors on defense. Alen Hanson also had the first violation of the clock for Indianapolis and was punished with a strike. – Ryan Palencer
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Richmond 10, Altoona 7
Starting Pitcher: Chad Kuhl, RHP – 6.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Max Moroff, 2B – 2-for-3, 2B, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Keon Broxton, CF – 1-for-3, 2 BB
Willy Garcia, LF – 2-for-4
Gift Ngoepe, SS – 2-for-4
Game Notes: Even though the box score says that the Curve only committed three errors in the field tonight, there were about four other fielding plays that could have been ruled either way in this game by a myriad of Curve fielders. Gift Ngoepe and Max Moroff were both involved in plays that could have been ruled either way (hard hit balls). The ball hit to Gift is one you would expect him to make on a short hop, yet it skipped up over his glove. On the ball hit to Moroff, it looked like the ball took a strange turn to his right, and he couldn’t recover. In the third, Keon Broxton slipped and fell on what would have been a line out to center. Throughout the game, Josh Bell couldn’t scoop a short hop at first. Overall, Curve fielders just couldn’t pull it together throughout the night.
Chad Kuhl battled through six innings in his start. After a 27 pitch first inning, Kuhl came back with a seven pitch second inning and looked to regain control of the game. When Richmond scored four in the third inning, they really only had two hard hit balls with one of them being the one that Broxton slipped on. Others just seemed to find holes throughout the infield. He only had one ball leave the infield between the fourth and sixth innings, a fly-out to right field.
Kuhl did exactly what the Pirates appear to want – get ground balls. Unfortunately, the ball seemed to either find holes through the infield or take some weird bounces tonight behind him. His four seam fastball reached 96 MPH tonight, and his sinker was sitting between 90-93 MPH.
Offensively, Willy Garcia hit the ball well with a few hard hit singles, and he also hit a long shot to the right field corner where the Richmond right fielder made a beautiful play to track it down and make the out before hitting the wall. Max Moroff continues to stay hot with a deep line drive double to left center field and a deep sacrifice fly to the center fielder. Gift Ngoepe seems to be finding holes with the bat and has a subtle four game hit streak to raise his average to .218. Josh Bell, on the other hand, has not had a good series so far after going 0-8 and not making much solid contact at all.
This Curve team showed a lot of heart being able to come back from 6-0 to tie the game at 7-7 before the eventual loss. Watching the game, it just felt as if they would continue to come back. Sloppy play in the field is essentially what lost the game for them tonight. – Sean McCool
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Fort Myers 6, Bradenton 3
Starting Pitcher: Cody Dickson, LHP – 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: JaCoby Jones, SS – 2-for-6, BB, SB
Other Notable Performers:
Michael Fransoso, CF – 2-for-6, BB
Reese McGuire, C – 0-for-4, 3 BB, 2 SB
Game Notes: Cody Dickson had a good start to the night, but quickly started to lose control in the fourth inning. He only allowed two walks in five innings, but had some high pitch counts, needing 84 pitches to get through five innings. The defense didn’t help tonight, with five errors, including one that led to an unearned run for Dickson.
JaCoby Jones had a mixed night defensively. He had two errors, and couldn’t make a difficult play on a charging ground ball in front of the second base bag. On the flip side, he showed a lot of speed and range tonight, making a lot of charging plays look routine, and showing some nice range to his left, along with the arm strength needed from the shortstop position.
It looks like Barrett Barnes is healthy after returning from his recent hamstring issue. Barnes had a double in his first at-bat, stole third base, and made two diving catches in left field. The fact that he was also able to play 15 innings is a good sign.
Bradenton went down 3-2 in the 11th inning, then tied the game on a wild pitch strike three with two outs and a runner at third base. The score stayed tied until the 15th inning, when relief pitcher Andy Otamendi started the inning with an error, and then gave up a double and a triple to bring in two runs. The error not only put one of those runners on, but it also allowed an extra runner to score later in the inning. The Marauders loaded the bases in the bottom of the 15th, but couldn’t come back.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
West Virginia was off tonight.
