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Prospect Watch: Brault and Garcia Pitch Well, Ramirez Continues to Hit

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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 – 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB

4. Josh Bell, 1B, Altoona – 1-for-4

5. Reese McGuire, C, Bradenton – 1-for-4

6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List

7. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – Disabled List

8. Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – 1-for-4

9. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – DNP

10. Mitch Keller, RHP, Bristol – DNP

11. Harold Ramirez, OF, Bradenton – 3-for-5, 2 RBI

12. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, West Virginia – DNP

13. JaCoby Jones, SS, Bradenton – 1-for-4, SB, HBP

14. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP

15. Trey Supak, RHP, Bristol – DNP

16. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Bristol – DNP

17. Barrett Barnes, OF, Bradenton – DNP

18. Clay Holmes, RHP, Bradenton – DNP

19. Cody Dickson, LHP, Bradenton – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

20. Willy Garcia, OF, Indianapolis – 1-for-4

21. John Holdzkom, RHP, Indianapolis – 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 0 HR

22. Jordan Luplow, 3B, West Virginia – 1-for-4, RBI

23. Connor Joe, 1B, West Virginia – 1-for-4, RBI, 2B

24. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, Bradenton – 2-for-4, 2B

25. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List

26. Steven Brault, LHP, Altoona –  6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

27. Tito Polo, OF, West Virginia – 0-for-2, BB, R

28. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Bradenton – DNP

29Luis Heredia, RHP, Bradenton – DNP

30. Taylor Gushue, C, West Virginia – 0-for-3

 

DAILY SUMMARY

Top Pitcher: Steven Brault, LHP – 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Ty Moore, LF – 4-for-6, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Home Runs: Brent Morel (6)

 

AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS    

Box Score

Result: Indianapolis 4, Gwinnett 3

Starting Pitcher: Angel Sanchez, RHP – 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Brent Morel, 3B – 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Willy Garcia, RF – 1-for-4, R

 Keon Broxton, CF – 1-for-4, 2B, R, SB
Game NotesAngel Sanchez made his second start since being promoted from Altoona. He gave up four runs over five innings in his debut last week and improved on that Thursday night. Sanchez gave up three runs over six innings and had 11 ground ball outs. He threw 63 of his 95 pitches for strikes. John Holdzkom followed him and dominated over two innings, retiring all six batters he faced on 19 pitches, picking up three strikeouts. Blake Wood picked up his 19th save.
 Brent Morel provided the offense with a two-run homer in the first inning and an RBI single two innings later. Tony Sanchez went 0-for-3 and now has a .199 average in 50 games this season. Willy Garcia is 7-for-28 in eight games with Indianapolis, though he has struck out at least once in all eight games.

AA: ALTOONA CURVE

Box Score

Result: Erie 2, Altoona  1

Starting Pitcher: Steven Brault, LHP – 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Mel Rojas Jr., RF – 2-for-4

Other Notable Performers:

Max Moroff, 2B – 1-for-4

Josh Bell, 1B – 1-for-4

Game Notes: Steven Brault went six innings in the Curve’s rain delayed start, only allowing three hits, which were all singles. He walked two and struck out five, doing a complete 180-degree turn from his 4 earned runs in 4.1 innings outing last Saturday. In that last outing, his 2-seamer was flat, and his breaking pitches were hit hard. He kept the ball down and located well inside tonight.

One pitch in particular stuck out in the third inning, where Brault struck out the last batter of the inning swinging. Brault, a left-hander, located a low and inside fastball to a right handed batter and got him swinging. It was a great looking pitch that would’ve been a strike if he didn’t swing or slow dribbler if the batter made contact.

In the ninth inning with two outs and runners on first and second, a slow grounder was hit to first base. Bell was playing about fifteen feet off of the bag, and he went towards the bag to field the ball but couldn’t handle it for the error. It was a slow grounder that should have been an easy out to end the inning. Jhondaniel Medina hit the next batter with the bases loaded to score an Erie run and break up a tie game.

Mel Rojas Jr. collected two hits for a Curve team that was unimpressive from the plate tonight. The Curve team did not collect a single extra base hit on the evening, and they had 17 groundouts as a whole.- Sean McCool

 

A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS   

Box Score

Result: Bradenton 4, St Lucie 3

Starting Pitcher: Cody Dickson, LHP – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Harold Ramirez, RF – 3-for-5, 2 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Austin Meadows, CF – 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB

Wyatt Mathisen, 3B – 2-for-4, 2B

Jin-De Jhang, DH – 2-for-4

Game Notes: Cody Dickson had strong results with two runs over six innings, but he took a long path to get to those results. He walked a career-high six batters and had more fly ball outs than ground outs, so it wasn’t the best performance. Dickson lowered his ERA to 4.11 through 15 starts. Montana DuRapau had two scoreless innings in relief, giving him an 0.98 ERA in 18.1 innings with Bradenton.

Harold Ramirez had three hits and raised his average to .412 through 26 games. He had a caught stealing in this game, leaving him 9-for-18 in stolen bases. While he is running a lot, he obviously isn’t having  enough success. Austin Meadows collected his 12th double and JaCoby Jones stole his 11th base of the season. Wyatt Mathisen and Jin-De Jhang each had two hits. Reese McGuire has nine hits in his last five games. Erich Weiss is 8-for-45 in his last 12 games.

A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER

Box Score

Result: West Virginia 2, Greensboro 1

Starting Pitcher: Colten Brewer, RHP – 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Connor Joe, 1B – 1-for-4, 2B, RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Jordan Luplow, 3B – 1-for-4, RBI

Cole Tucker, SS- 1-for-4

Game Notes: The Power returned from the All-Star break and opened the second half with a 2-1 victory. Jordan Luplow and Connor Joe drove in the team’s two runs, with Luplow bring home Tito Polo with a single, then he scored on a double from Joe. Cole Tucker had a single, extending his hit streak to ten games. Taylor Gushue is 2-for-37 in his last ten games. Elvis Escobar was caught stealing for the 13th time in 20 attempts.

Colten Brewer had a strong night, allowing one run over six innings, while picking up nine strikeouts. In was his second best game, right behind his 11 strikeout, six shutout inning performance on June 1st. Those 20 strikeouts in his top two games nearly matches the 21 he has compiled in his other seven starts this season.

A: WEST VIRGINIA BLACK BEARS

Box Score

Result: Morgantown 12, Auburn 3

Starting Pitcher: Hector Garcia, LHP – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter:  Ty Moore, LF – 4-for-6, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Danny Arribas, 3B – 3-for-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI

Logan Hill, RF – 3-for-6, 2B, 2 RBI

Game Notes:  Morgantown has some of the Pirates’ top draft picks this year, with Kevin Newman, Kevin Kramer and Casey Hughston representing three of the four top picks. They have all had trouble hitting and Morgantown had a .175 team average coming into this game. All three players were out of the lineup on Thursday and the bats woke up. They put 12 runs on the board behind the hitting of Danny Arribas, Ty Moore and Logan Hill. Moore had four hits and he has looked like the best draft pick early on, driving in two runs for the fourth time in five games. Hill and Arribas each had three hits and two RBIs. Arribas missed a cycle by a homer.

Lefty Hector Garcia will play this whole season as a 19-year-old and early on, he’s pitching like a top prospect. In eight innings, he has allowed three hits, one walk, no runs and he has 11 strikeouts. Last year, he was one of the top pitchers for Bristol after skipping over the GCL. Garcia had a 3.38 ERA, with 50 strikeouts and a .222 BAA in 48 innings in 2014.

RK: BRISTOL PIRATES

Box Score

Result: Greeneville 2, Bristol 1

Starting Pitcher: Marek Minarik, RHP – 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: Sandy Santos, CF – 3-for-5, RBI, BB, SB

Other Notable Performers:

Carlos Munoz, 1B – 1-for-4, 2B, 2 BB, SB

Erik Lunde, C – 1-for-3, 3 BB

Game Notes: Bristol lost 2-1 in 12 innings on Thursday night. They got good pitching, but their hitters were shutdown in big spots. Marek Minarik gave up a solo homer in his four innings, the only hit he allowed. Two late round draft picks, Tanner Anderson and Scooter Hightower, made their debuts and threw two scoreless innings apiece.

Bristol had a lot of men on base, but they were terrible in clutch situations, going 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Sandy Santos had three hits, a walk and drove in the only run. Erik Lunde had three walks and a single. Carlos Munoz had a double and two walks. Carlos Ozuna had two singles and scored the only run. Bristol struck out 13 times, led by Nick Buckner’s three strikeouts.

You can view the Bristol season preview here.

RK: GCL PIRATES

Game One Box Score

Result: Phillies 2, Pirates 0

Starting Pitcher: Seth McGarry, RHP – 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Raul Siri, 3B – 1-for-3, 2B

Other Notable Performers:

Adrian Valerio, SS – 1-for-3

Michael de la Cruz, CF – 1-for-3

Yunior Montero, RHP – 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

Game Notes: In game one, the Pirates were shutout on four hits and no walks. The double by Raul Siri was the only extra-base hit. The Pirates were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Eighth round pick Seth McGarry made his pro debut and allowed two runs over three innings. Junior Montero followed him and dominated, retiring all nine batters he faced, five by strikeouts.

 

Game Two Box Score

Result: Phillies 7, Pirates 3

Starting Pitcher: Nestor Oronel, LHP – 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Raul Siri, DH – 1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB

Other Notable Performers:

Sam Kennelly, 3B – 1-for-3, 2B, RBI

Wes Freeman, RF – 1-for-2, BB, R

Adrian Valerio, SS – 1-for-4

Game Notes: In game two, the Phillies bats were hot, putting up seven runs on eight hits, with four of them being extra-base hits. Starter Nestor Oronel allowed three runs(two earned), while relievers Richard Mitchell and Mister Luciano each allowed two runs in their two innings. Sam Kennelly’s double was the only extra-base hit for the Pirates. Raul Siri drove in two runs, giving him six RBIs in his first three games. Wes Freeman had a single and a walk in his second rehab game. Adrian Valerio made two errors at shortstop, though they both came right after a short rain delay.

You can view the GCL season preview here.

RK: DSL PIRATES

Box Score

Result: Red Sox2 9, Pirates 2

Starting Pitcher: Miguel Hernandez, RHP – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Felix Vinicio, LF – 2-for-3, BB

Other Notable Performers:

Melvin Jimenez, 2B – 2-for-4, SB

Brian Sousa, RHP – 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 0 HR

Game Notes: The DSL Pirates lost 9-2 on Thursday and their defense let them down with four errors. Starter Miguel Hernandez pitched well, giving up one earned run over five innings, but the two relievers that followed him couldn’t keep the Pirates in the game. Brian Sousa pitched for the first time since being scratched from his last two starts due to a lat strain. He came in for the sixth inning and allowed three runs, though two were unearned. He ran up a high pitch count, so that brought in Luis Brun, who gave up four runs in the seventh inning.

The offense had a tough time with just five hits, all singles. High-priced shortstop Christopher Perez went 0-for-4, leaving him 2-for-26 this season. Melvin Jimenez had two hits and a stolen base. He is batting .322 in 23 games and he has 13 walks and 12 strikeouts. Felix Vinicio raised his average to .354 with two hits.

John Dreker
John Dreker
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball. When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.

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