A look at how the current top 30 prospects did today. If a player is in the majors for an extended time, 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 Mid-Season Update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Mitch Keller, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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2. Austin Meadows, CF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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3. Shane Baz, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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4. Cole Tucker, SS, Altoona – [insert_php]
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5. Kevin Newman, SS, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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6. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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7. Will Craig, 1B, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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8. Elias Diaz, C, Pirates – [insert_php]
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9. Taylor Hearn, LHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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10. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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11. Calvin Mitchell, OF, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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12. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Bristol – [insert_php]
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13. Edgar Santana, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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14. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Altoona -[insert_php]
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15. Steven Brault, LHP, Pirates– [insert_php]
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16. Clay Holmes, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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17. Jordan Luplow, LF, Pirates – [insert_php]
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18. Luis Escobar, RHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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19. Max Kranick, RHP, Bristol – [insert_php]
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20. Steven Jennings, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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21. Adrian Valerio, SS, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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22. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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23. Conner Uselton, OF, GCL Pirates – Disabled List
24. Max Moroff, INF, Pirates – [insert_php]
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25. Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP, Pirates – [insert_php]
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26. Eric Wood, 3B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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27. Eduardo Vera, RHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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28. Logan Hill, LF, Altoona – [insert_php]
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29. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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30. Lolo Sanchez, CF, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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Indianapolis clinched their division despite a 7-4 loss to Louisville. Clay Holmes started and went five innings, allowing three runs, with all of them scoring in the fifth inning. It could have been a much worse inning for him, but Louisville ran into two outs on the bases. This is just the second time since June 16th that Holmes has allowed more than two earned runs in a game.
Holmes left with a 4-3 lead, then Casey Sadler came on and took the loss when he gave up four runs in his first inning of work. That would be all of the scoring for the game. Indianapolis had a magic number of one coming into the day and a Columbus loss sealed their playoff berth.
The offense was basically provided to the Indians on one throwing error. In the fourth inning with the bases loaded, Holmes reached on an error that scored two runs and put a runner on third, who would score on a Kevin Newman sacrifice fly. They added another run in the fifth on three straight singles, with Gift Ngoepe picking up the RBI. Christopher Bostick had three hits, including his 33rd double. Eric Wood and Ngoepe each had a pair of singles.
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Altoona clinched a playoff spot on Tuesday night with a 3-1 win. Austin Coley started and pitched a terrific game in a big spot. He threw seven shutout innings, giving up four hits and one walk. Coley struck out eight batters and had a 7:3 GO/AO ratio. Yeudy Garcia allowed a run in the ninth on two singles and a sacrifice fly, but struck out the next batter to pick up the save. Altoona still doesn’t know if they will host the first round of the playoffs or not, but they clinched their spot with six games remaining.
The Curve scored a run in three consecutive innings. In the fifth, Elvis Escobar reached on an infield single, then moved to second on a wild pitch. Cole Tucker then singled up the middle for the first run of the game. In the sixth, Anderson Feliz walked, then stole second. He scored on a Wyatt Mathisen single. In the seventh, Justin Maffei singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Tucker, who had two hits on the night and stole his eighth base since joining Altoona. Pablo Reyes picked up his 21st steal.
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Bradenton lost game one of their doubleheader by a 1-0 score and picked up just one hit in the game. Bret Helton started after the club lost four straight days to rain. He took the loss and only faced two batters because (did you guess rain?) a long rain delay in the first ended his day early. Sam Street was on the mound when the game started back up. While he threw five shutout innings, he did allow an inherited run to score and that was the difference in the game.
Despite just one single, the team managed to have 11 hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position. They drew four walks and both Casey Hughston and Alfredo Reyes picked up stolen bases. The single was by Hughston and the ball didn’t even reach the mound. With two outs in the seventh, Logan Ratledge struck out to end the game with runners on second and third base.
Game two was rained out.
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West Virginia was rained out today. They will play a doubleheader tomorrow.
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Morgantown starter Sergio Cubilete allowed three runs in the first inning and needed 35 pitches to end the frame, which also ended his day early. While he had a bad night, that was just the beginning of the scoring in this game. By the eighth inning, both teams had put 11 runs on the board. Morgantown ended up losing 13-11 in ten innings. That dropped them to third place and 4.5 games back of the division lead with nine games remaining. Just six days ago, they were in first place.
The Black Bears had big game from Tristan Gray, who drove in four runs, while collecting his ninth double and sixth triple. Sandy Santos drove in three runs, as he went 2-for-3 with two walks and his third home run of the season. Bligh Madris and Julio de la Cruz each had two hits and a walk.
Hunter Owen made his second start for Morgantown and went 0-for-4 again, though he did walk twice. Jared Oliva had four strikeouts. Dylan Busby went 1-for-6 as he continued to struggle, with a .171 average and 43 strikeouts in 36 games. He has just four multi-hit games all season, topping out at two hits each time.
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Bristol lost again, going down big against Burlington, before mounting a late comeback that fell a run short. Unless he moves up to Morgantown for an extra start, this was not the ending Travis MacGregor wanted for his season. He recorded just one out, while allowing six earned runs on six hits and a walk. That gives him a 7.84 ERA in 41.1 innings over 12 starts. Among the relievers in this game, Ryan Valdes had a night that was almost as bad, allowing five runs while recording two outs. By the end of the game, infielder Melvin Jimenez, who has been the best hitter on the team for the last week or so, was asked to get the final two outs.
The Pirates actually had some offense on this night before their late rally, and they ended up with one of their best games of the season from the hitting side. They got a lot of help with 11 walks, but they also had five hits with runners in scoring position and had the winning run on base when the final out was made. Huascar Fuentes drove in four runs, while Matt Diorio homered and drove in three runs. He also had two walks and scored two runs. Shortstop/pitcher Melvin Jimenez had two hits, three walks, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Ben Bengtson had two hits and two walks, but he was up with runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom of the ninth and flew out to end the game, for the 13-12 loss.
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The GCL Pirates won 8-4 over the Braves on Tuesday, as Mason Martin tied the team single-season record with ten homers. The GCL Pirates first began play in 1968, and only one player before today reached double figures in home runs. Back in 2000, Walter Young broke a 17-year-old team record when he hit ten homers. The former Major Leaguer was tied today by the Pirates 18-year-old, 17th round draft pick, who was 14 months old back when Young was in the GCL. Martin also had a single, two walks and two runs scored in this game.
The offense wasn’t just Martin in this game. All nine players in the lineup had at least one hit. Jeremias Portorreal had a single, triple, walk, two runs scored and two RBIs. His triple was the fifth of his season, putting him one behind the league leader and tying him with Mikell Granberry for the team lead. Portorreal also picked up an outfield assist. Jesse Medrano had four singles and drove in three runs. Calvin Mitchell hit his tenth double and picked up an RBI.
On the pitching side, Roger Santana went six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, with no walks and six strikeouts. Vince Deyzel threw two shutout innings, but his chance to finish off the game was cut short by a brief rain delay. Samuel Reyes tossed a scoreless ninth to close the victory out.
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The DSL Pirates finished with a 36-34 record.
