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 – 4-for-5, 3 R, RBI, SB, 2B
4. Josh Bell, 1B, Altoona – DNP
5. Reese McGuire, C, Bradenton – 1-for-5, 2B, RBI
6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
7. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – Disabled List
8. Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – DNP
9. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – 0-for-3
10. Mitch Keller, RHP, Bristol – DNP
11. Harold Ramirez, OF, Bradenton – 1-for-4, RBI
12. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, West Virginia – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
13. JaCoby Jones, SS, Bradenton – 1-for-4, BB
14. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
15. Trey Supak, RHP, Bristol – DNP
16. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Bristol – DNP
17. Barrett Barnes, OF, Bradenton – 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
18. Clay Holmes, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
19. Cody Dickson, LHP, Bradenton – DNP
20. Willy Garcia, OF, Indianapolis – DNP
21. John Holdzkom, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
22. Jordan Luplow, 3B, West Virginia – 0-for-4
23. Connor Joe, 1B, West Virginia – DNP
24. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, Bradenton – 1-for-2, BB, HBP
25. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List
26. Steven Brault, LHP, Altoona – DNP
27. Tito Polo, OF, West Virginia – DNP
28. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Bradenton – 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
29. Luis Heredia, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
30. Taylor Gushue, C, West Virginia – 2-for-3, RBI
DAILY SUMMARY
Top Pitcher: Stephen Tarpley, LHP – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Austin Meadows, CF – 4-for-5, 3 R, RBI, SB, 2B
Home Runs: Brent Morel (8), Barrett Barnes (5), Yoel Gonzalez (1), John Bowker (1)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Indianapolis 4, Syracuse 0
Starting Pitcher: Wilfredo Boscan, RHP – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Brent Morel, 3B – 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R
Other Notable Performers:
Jaff Decker, RF – 1-for-3, 2B, 2 R, BB
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Altoona was postponed due to rain. They will play a doubleheader on Sunday.
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Bradenton 7, Brevard County 4
Starting Pitcher: Tyler Eppler, RHP – 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Austin Meadows, CF – 4-for-5, 3 R, RBI, SB, 2B
Other Notable Performers:
Barrett Barnes, CF – 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Wyatt Mathisen, 3B – 1-for-2, BB, HBP
Game Notes: Tyler Eppler made his third start of the season on Saturday night. In his first game, he threw two shutout innings, then ran into pitch count trouble in the third. In game two, he retired the first ten batters he faced before allowing two runs in the fourth inning. In this game, Eppler’s trouble came in the second inning when he walked the lead-off batter, then gave up three singles than brought home three runs. Miguel Rosario and Henry Hirsch combined for 4.1 shutout innings following Eppler.
On offense, Austin Meadows had a big day, collecting four hits and scoring three runs. He hit his 13th double of the season and stole his tenth base. Even with the big game, Meadows is hitting .222/.282/.306 this month. Everyone in the lineup had at least one hit. Barrett Barnes hit his fifth homer and 13th double. JaCoby Jones had a single and a walk, but also struck out three times, giving him 87 on the year.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: West Virginia 3, Greensboro 1
Starting Pitcher: Stephen Tarpley, LHP – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Taylor Gushue, C – 2-for-3, RBI
Other Notable Performers:
Jerrick Suiter- 1-for-4, R
Michael Suchy, RF – 2-for-4, R, SB
Game Notes: Stephen Tarpley looks like his two poor starts earlier this month were just bumps in the road because he has bounced back nicely since then. He was strong on Saturday night, allowing just one run over six innings, which is his longest outing of the year. Tapley had five strikeouts and nine ground ball outs. In his last game, he gave up two runs over 5.2 innings. Dovydas Neverauskas was activated from the disabled list before the game and he picked up the save with a scoreless ninth. He pitched one rehab game for Morgantown earlier this week.
Michael Suchy and Taylor Gushue each had two hits. Gushue, Chase Simpson and Jeff Roy all drove in one run apiece. For Simpson, it was his 31st RBI of the season. Roy stole his 12th base of the season.
A: WEST VIRGINIA BLACK BEARS
Morgantown was rained out on Saturday. They will play a doubleheader on July 18th
RK: BRISTOL PIRATES
Bristol was rained out on Saturday. They will play a doubleheader on Sunday.
You can view the Bristol season preview here.
RK: GCL PIRATES
Result: Pirates 4, Astros 3
Starting Pitcher: Luis Escobar, RHP – 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Raul Siri, 3B – 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB
Other Notable Performers:
Adrian Valerio, SS – 1-for-5, SB
Michael de la Cruz, CF – 1-for-4, RBI
Yoel Gonzalez, C – 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Game Notes: The Pirates won 4-3 in 11 innings to take both games this week from the Astros and keep them winless(0-6) on the season. The Pirates got great starting pitcher from 19-year-old Luis Escobar, who retired the first 12 batters and 15 of the 16 hitters he faced in the game. He had six strikeouts and six ground ball outs. In his first start this season, he recorded just two outs and allowed three earned runs before being pulled due to his pitch count.
Raul Siri had a big game on offense and he has been the best player early on, at least with the bat. He had two hits, walked twice and scored two runs. He has also played third base a few times early this year after spending his time at second base last year. On Saturday, he committed two errors, giving him three on the season. Siri has a 1.227 OPS.
Yoel Gonzalez hit a solo homer in the fifth inning and drove in a run in the ninth to help send the game to extra innings. Richard Mitchell got the win by throwing a scoreless 11th and Mister Luciano kept the Astros off the board in the tenth inning. After a big game Friday, Wes Freeman had three strikeouts and an error on Saturday.
You can view the GCL season preview here.
RK: DSL PIRATES
Result: Rangers2 8, Pirates 6
Starting Pitcher: Adonis Pichardo, RHP – 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Melvin Jimenez, SS – 2-for-5, R, RBI, BB
Other Notable Performers:
Yondry Contreras, CF – 2-for-4, RBI, BB
Eddy Vizcaino, LF – 1-for-5, 2B, RBI
Jeremias Portorreal, RF – 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB
Game Notes: The DSL Pirates lost 8-6 to the Rangers2 on Saturday, dropping them to 12-13 on the season. Adonis Pichardo had a decent outing, giving up two runs over four innings, while striking out five batters. He lowered his ERA slightly to 4.88 through his first six starts as a pro. Pichardo signed for a six-figure bonus last July, but he was a late-bloomer, turn 19 earlier this year. He was followed by another pitcher that got a six-figure bonus last July, Roger Santana. He gave up five runs on seven hits in two innings and took the loss, raising his ERA to 6.75 in the process.
On offense, the Pirates had 11 hits, five walks and three hit batters. They didn’t do so well with runners in scoring position, going 4-for-16, with most of the damage coming in the ninth inning when they were trailing by five runs. Yondry Contreras broke a 3-for-39 slump, with his first multi-hit game since June 12th. Shortstop Melvin Jimenez began his career with a 12-game hit streak, but he was in a 4-for-30 funk before getting two hits. Catcher Raul Hernandez had a miserable game behind the plate, with his sixth error in nine games and the Rangers2 were 6-for-6 in stolen bases. The strange part about that stat is that he was 11-for-20 in throwing out runners coming into this game.
