A look at how the current top 30 prospects did today. If a player is in the majors for an extended time (Jose Osuna), or loses his prospect eligibility, he will be removed from this list. 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 more active prospects on the list. Rankings are from the 2017 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Austin Meadows, CF, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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2. Mitch Keller, RHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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3. Kevin Newman, SS, Altoona – [insert_php]
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4. Cole Tucker, SS, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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5. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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6. Will Craig, 3B, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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7. Taylor Hearn, LHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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8. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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9. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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10. Steven Brault, LHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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11. Clay Holmes, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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12. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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13. Max Kranick, RHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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14. Elias Diaz, C, Pirates – [insert_php]
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15. Edgar Santana, RHP, Pirates – [insert_php]
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16. Luis Escobar, RHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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17. Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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18. Yeudy Garcia, RHP, Altoona -[insert_php]
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19. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Altoona -[insert_php]
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20. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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21. Stephen Alemais, SS, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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22. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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23. Travis MacGregor, RHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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24. Barrett Barnes, LF, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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25. Max Moroff, 2B, Pirates -[insert_php]
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26. Eric Wood, 3B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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27. J.T. Brubaker, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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28. Chris Bostick, INF/OF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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29. Connor Joe, 3B, Altoona – [insert_php]
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30. Pat Light, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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INDIANAPOLIS — He tempted fate one too many times.
Clay Holmes didn’t make it out of the first inning of his start on Saturday against Columbus, reaching the maximum pitch limit allowed for one inning.
That same scenario nearly played out in his previous start, but he rebounded then to put together a respectable outing.
Holmes wasn’t as fortunate against the second time around, retiring just two batters on Saturday. He allowed four runs on five hits, walking one and striking one out in Columbus’ 8-4 win over Indianapolis.
Nellie Rodriguez singled to center on Holmes’ 35th pitch of the inning. That ended Holmes’ outing after recording just two outs, tying his second shortest start of the season. The organization has a written rule that a pitcher can’t throw more than 35 pitches in an inning, with the exception of finishing a plate appearance.
“It’s a little disappointing that he has a hard time getting it back when it seems to wander on him,” Indianapolis manager Andy Barkett said. “But that’s why he’s in the minor leagues and that’s why they call it development. He’s just going to have to come back out next time and try to improve that.”
In his last start, Holmes nearly had the same fate, needing 32 pitches to get out of the first inning. And he nearly got out of his first inning jam again. Columbus had a 1-0 lead after three of the first four batters had hits. Holmes struck out Mike Papi for the second out of the inning.
Holmes then got ahead of each of the next three hitters with 1-2, 0-2, and 1-2 counts. But those three at-bats resulted in a pair of singles and a walk. If Holmes could have gotten Eric Stamets out with his 1-2 pitch, he would have gotten out of the inning with about 22 pitches.
“I think if I was able to make a couple of better two-strike pitches, I could have gotten out of there and it would have been a better outing,” Holmes said.
While the first-inning struggles were similar, there were differences in this outing, Holmes said.
“It was completely the opposite of my last outing,” Holmes said. “I felt like my stuff was there, whereas the last outing I had to battle without some stuff. But I wasn’t able to make a couple of two-strike pitches in the first and the pitch count got up.”
Antonio Bastardo, pitching as part of his major league rehab, failed to finish an inning for the second consecutive night. Bastardo allowed a solo home run to Erik Kratz in the seventh inning, only recording two outs before being replaced after allowing another hit and walk and throwing 21 pitches.
But Barkett said that was due to hitting a pitch limit as Pittsburgh wanted Bastardo to throw consecutive nights. Bastardo only recorded one out in his appearance on Friday. He didn’t allow a hit in that game, but walked three batters and threw 22 pitches.
Even with a pitch count, Bastardo should be able to get out of an inning in 20 pitches.
Casey Sadler made his second Triple-A appearance since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2015. He allowed two runs on one walk and four hits in two innings.
Brett McKinney had a solid relief appearance after Holmes was pulled, allowing just one hit and striking out five in 3.1 innings, working around three walks.
Jason Rogers went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while Erich Weiss was 3-for-4. Barrett Barnes was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Gift Ngoepe was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles — one on a bloop hit that fell and another on a line drive into the gap. Christopher Bostick and Weiss each had a double.
Barkett was ejected in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes. He was ejected without leaving the dugout and didn’t even leave the dugout steps to argue his parting words.
Indianapolis was just 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Tyler Glasnow was optioned to Indianapolis prior to Saturday’s game, but Barkett said he was not sure what the plan was moving forward with the starting rotation. Glasnow joins a rotation that already includes Holmes, Tyler Eppler, Steven Brault, Nick Kingham and Drew Hutchison. – Brian Peloza
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Altoona lost 6-2 to Richmond in game one of a doubleheader. Austin Coley started and allowed all six runs, with all of them coming in the second inning. He gave up three singles, a triple and two homers in the inning. Coley went five innings and allowed at least one runner in every inning, but he managed to get through five frames and save the bullpen during a long day. Buddy Borden pitched the final two frames and breezed through six batters, which actually gave the Curve a chance late in the game.
Altoona scored one run in the fourth inning on an Edwin Espinal double, which was followed by a wild pitch and a Jordan Luplow RBI ground out. The double was the 17th of the season for Espinal. In the seventh inning, the Curve scored another run on two singles, then a passed ball and another RBI ground out, this one by Chase Simpson. Kevin Kramer was then hit by a pitch and Connor Joe walked to load the bases with two outs. That brought up Espinal as the tying run, but he popped out to end the game.
Kramer left for a pinch-runner after being hit on the right forearm. It was the 12th time he was hit this season. He was not in the lineup for the second game.
Game Two Recap: Altoona lost 3-2 in game two and it had a similar theme as the first game. Sean Keselica allowed three runs in the first inning and then Kevin Newman had a chance to tie (or win) the game in the seventh inning and he bounced out to second base to end the game.
Keselica was making a spot start due to the doubleheader and Brandon Waddell going on the disabled list earlier in the week. Keselica has been one of the best relievers in the system this season, but he had a tough first inning on this night. He allowed three straight singles with one out to bring home one run. After a catcher’s interference loaded the bases, a two-run single brought home two more runs. Keselica ended up going four innings and allowed three more hits, but no more damage. Tate Scioneaux followed Keselica and retired all nine batters he faced.
On offense, the Curve had five singles and two walks in the game. They scored a run in the fourth on a Wyatt Mathisen single, followed by a walk and a throwing error on a grounder. In the seventh, Jerrick Suiter singled, Zane Chavez walked and Jordan Luplow hit a pinch-hit single with two outs to make it 3-2. Newman followed with the ground out, giving him a 1-for-7 day. Mathisen went 1-for-3 in each game, while Suiter had two hits and a walk in five trips to the plate.
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Bradenton lost 3-1 to Dunedin on Saturday night and collected just two hits in the game. Dario Agrazal started and went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk, while picking up six strikeouts. He started the game with a 3.03 ERA and that’s where it remained, as he has now thrown 74.1 innings on the season, which ranks him first in the league in innings pitched. His WHIP went up a tick to 1.05, which is first on the team among qualified pitchers and seventh best in the league. Agrazal has struck out six batters or more in five of his last six starts. That’s a mark he reached just seven times in his first four seasons combined (plus his first six starts this year).
On offense, the first two runners reached base for Bradenton, as Logan Ratledge was hit by a pitch and then Ke’Bryan Hayes singled him to second base. Two ground outs later and Bradenton was done scoring for the night. Dunedin pitchers would retire 27 of the last 29 batters and the only Marauder to reach base after the first two hitters was Will Craig, who reached on a hit-by-pitch in the seventh and a ninth inning single. He now has a .286/.386/.427 slash line on the season.
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Luis Escobar could have used an early game mulligan on Saturday night. In the first two innings, he allowed three runs on a walk, double, triple and a homer. The last 14 batters he faced in the game went down in order, including five strikeouts. That has been typical of Escobar this season. Very rarely has he had a strong start all the way through. Instead he has a tough inning or two and then looks like a dominating pitcher the rest of the game. Despite leading the Pirates with 77 strikeouts and holding batters to a .219 BAA, he has a 4.03 ERA on the season.
Matt Eckelman threw two hitless innings after Escobar left and Matt Frawley continued his impressive season with a scoreless ninth for the save in the 5-3 win. He now has a 1.72 ERA in 31.1 innings. The loss went to a familiar name, Nick Neumann, who signed with the Marlins after being released in Spring Training. He pitched against Bradenton a couple times earlier this season, but he has recently been demoted to Greensboro.
West Virginia had the offense going in this game led by Albert Baur, who drove in three runs. He had two hits, including his seventh double. Clark Eagan had a walk and two hits, including his ninth double. Ty Moore had a walk, single and two runs scored. Hunter Owen had two hits, an RBI and two runs scored.
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The DSL Pirates lost 3-2 in ten innings on Saturday, finishing their first full week with a 4-3 record. Starter Oliver Garcia had a terrific outing, matching his first start of the season with five shutout innings. In ten innings, he has allowed four hits and two walks, while striking out eight batters. Garcia was followed by Saul de la Cruz, who made his return from Tommy John surgery earlier this week, giving up two runs over two innings. This game was much better, as he threw three shutout innings. Hard-throwing Samuel Reyes took the loss, giving up one run in the ninth, then two more in the tenth after the Pirates took a 2-1 lead.
The Pirates had runners on base in each of the first five innings, but couldn’t plate a run. In the sixth, top prospect Jean Eusebio led off with a single, moved to third on a hit-by-pitch and a walk, then scored on a sacrifice fly from Emison Soto. Eusebio reached base earlier in the game on a fielder’s choice and then stole his first career base.
The Pirates scored a run in the tenth with help from the new rules to speed up games. Extra innings now start with a runner on second base. They advanced the runner to second base on a bunt, then he scored on a single from Ruben Gonzalez, who had three hits in the game. In case you were wondering, the Rangers1 also started with the runner on second base and that run was credited to the pitching record of Samuel Reyes.
Shortstop prospect Francisco Acuna went 1-for-5 with a single. Outfield prospect Pedro Castillo was 1-for-4 with his first double. First baseman Ronaldo Paulino went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.
