Your daily Pittsburgh Pirates Prospect Watch article for recaps of all of today’s games. Be sure to pick up your copy of the latest Prospect Guide in our store, available as an ebook or a limited edition paperback.
Several injured players returned to action: Michael Burrows for Greensboro, Sammy Siani for Bradenton and Dylan Busby in a rehab assignment to the FCL. Roansy made his second start since returning. And my theory that some class A teams are out of pitching is looking good.
INDIANAPOLIS
(6:30pm)
Starting Pitcher: Max Kranick 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Notable Performances:
Tucupita Marcano 2-4, BB
Diego Castillo 2-5, HR (2)
Jared Oliva 3-5, 2 2B, SB
Game Recap:
Indianapolis (52-56) jumped on Hunter Greene for six runs in the fourth inning and went on to beat Louisville, 11-4. Max Kranick started and didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning. He eventually went six, giving up one run. The game was scoreless until the fourth, when the Indians started the inning with four straight hits and eventually got a two-run home run from Diego Castillo. It was his second in AAA, where he’s now 8-for-20 with four extra base hits. Indy later got another two-run bomb from Taylor Davis, who had replaced Christian Bethancourt behind the plate. It was Davis’ second of the year. Bethancourt, Castillo, Tucupita Marcano and Bligh Madris each had two hits, while Jared Oliva had three. Oliva had a pair of doubles, and Bethancourt and John Nogowski each had one.
ALTOONA
(6:00pm)
Starting Pitcher: Roansy Contreras 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Notable Performances:
Oneil Cruz 1-3, BB, SB
Ji-Hwan Bae 0-3, BB
Rodolfo Castro 2-4, 2B
Mason Martin 1-3, 2B, SF
Matt Fraizer 0-4 (1-for-17 in September)
Jack Suwinski 0-3
Game Recap:
Altoona (53-53) got two runs in the first, but couldn’t score again and lost to Erie, 4-2. Rodolfo Castro drove in the first run with a single, ending an 0-for-33 nightmare. He later added a double. Roansy Contreras threw the first three innings, giving up just one hit and one unearned run. He walked nobody and fanned four. Osvaldo Bido followed and allowed two runs over five innings. The Curve had only five hits, one a double by Mason Martin.
GREENSBORO
(7:05pm)
Starting Pitcher: Michael Burrows 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Notable Performances:
Andres Alvarez 3-6, 2B, HR (6), BB
Nick Gonzales 1-3, 2 BB
Jared Triolo 3-7, 2 2B
Lolo Sanchez 2-5, BB
Will Matthiessen 3-6, 2B
Blake Sabol 3-5, HR (9), BB
Matt Gorski 5-6, HR (16)
Aaron Shackelford 4-6, 2B, 3B, HR (21)
Santiago Florez 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Game Recap:
Greensboro (70-39) broke open a 2-1 game with 11 runs in the sixth inning, then went on to beat Jersey Shore 21-4. The Grasshoppers pounded out 26 hits and Aaron Shackelford hit for the cycle. Shackelford’s home run was his 21st and he drove in seven. Matt Gorski also had a big day, getting five hits, including his 16th home run. Andres Alvarez, Jared Triolo, Will Matthiessen and Blake Sabol all had three hits each. Alvarez had a double and his sixth home run, Sabol hit his ninth longball, Triolo had two doubles and Matthiessen had one double. The third through eighth hitters in the order each scored three runs. Michael Burrows made his return, having been out since July 13. He threw two scoreless innings, then Santiago Florez followed with two more in his second relief appearance of the year. Domingo Gonzalez fanned six over four innings, but allowed four runs.
BRADENTON
(7:00pm)
Starting Pitcher: Nick Garcia 3.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Notable Performances:
Jackson Glenn 2-4, 2B, 3 BB
Endy Rodriguez 2-7, 2B
Dariel Lopez 2-6, 2B, HR (9), BB
Jack Herman 2-4, 2 2B, 3 BB
Hudson Head 2-7, 2 2B
Sammy Siani 0-3, BB
Jase Bowen 1-1, BB
Game Recap:
Bradenton (66-41) scored in every inning except the first and ninth, and beat Clearwater, 19-8. The Marauders had hordes of baserunners thanks to 14 hits, 15 walks and three hit batsmen. Jackson Glenn and Jack Herman each had two hits and three walks. Herman had two doubles and scored four runs, and Glenn one double. Dariel Lopez had a double and his ninth home run. Hudson Head had two doubles and three RBIs, and Endy Rodriguez had a double and four RBIs. Francisco Acuna drew four walks and got hit with a pitch. Nick Garcia started but lasted only three and two-thirds innings. Carlos Campos and Sergio Umana combined to give up four runs. Sammy Siani made his return and went 0-for-3 with a walk.
FCL PIRATES BLACK
(Noon)
Starting Pitcher: Christopher Cruz 0.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Notable Performances:
Braylon Bishop 0-4
Juan Jerez 0-3, BB
Wyatt Hendrie 0-3, BB
Bubba Chandler, 0-4, 4 K
A.J. Graham 1-3, HBP
Game Recap:
The Black team (17-22) had a bit of trouble in the first, giving up nine runs and going on to lose to the Orioles Black, 14-9. The game only looked semi-presentable because the Pirates scored six times in the bottom of the seventh. Christopher Cruz recorded only one out and allowed six runs, five earned. Wander Romero allowed two inherited runners to score and then three of his own before getting out of the inning, although the latter were all unearned. He later gave up three more unearned runs. Despite getting the nine runs, the Pirates had only five hits. Franrielis Bastardo hit a two-run home run, his third longball of the season. Dylan Busby, who’s been out since May, homered in his first rehab game. A.J. Graham got his first pro hit and scored twice, but he also committed three errors at short. Bubba Chandler had a rough day, picking up a golden sombrero.
FCL PIRATES GOLD
(Noon)
Starting Pitcher: Andy Maldonado 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K
Notable Performances:
Mike Jarvis 3-4, HR (2)
Tsung-Che Cheng 1-2, 2 BB, SB
Rodolfo Nolasco 1-4, HR (7)
Luke Brown 0-2, 2 BB
Game Recap:
Andy Maldonado threw a complete-game, five-inning shutout as the Gold team (28-13) trounced the Orioles Orange, 13-0. The Pirates got all their runs in the first three innings; nine came in the third, requiring Maldonado to head to the bullpen to throw a little. Maldonado fanned ten, giving him 40 in 26.1 IP on the year and 17 in his last nine innings. The Pirates continued to get a lot of offense from the top of the order. Of the first four, Randy Romero had two singles, a double and three runs scored. Mike Jarvis had two singles and his second home run, and drove in four. Tsung-Che Cheng had a single and two walks. Rodolfo Nolasco had only one hit, but it was a grand slam, his seventh home run of the season. Sergio Campana had a single and a triple, and Darwin Baez had two singles.
DSL PIRATES BLACK
(10:30am)
Starting Pitcher: Antwone Kelly 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Notable Performances:
Enmanuel Terrero 2-4, BB
Shalin Polanco 1-4
Omar Alfonzo 2-4, 2B
Ewry Espinal 1-3, BB
Jesus Castillo 3-4, 2B
Game Recap:
The Black team (25-14) beat the Dodgers Shoemaker, 6-2. (Or at least I think they did. The box score is pretty screwed up as I write this.) Antwone Kelly pitched well for the seventh time in his last eight starts, giving up just an unearned run while fanning five over three innings. Miguel Diaz threw three scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and a walk. Jesus Castillo had a double and two singles, and drove in three runs. Enmanuel Terrero had two singles, a walk and two RBIs. Catcher Omar Alfonzo had a single, double and two runs scored.
DSL PIRATES GOLD
(10:30am)
Starting Pitcher: Andres Silvera 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Notable Performances:
Jauri Custodio 2-4
Gustavo Armas 2-4
Game Recap:
The Gold team (11-28) lost to Colorado, 4-3, on a walkoff, bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth. The Pirates had come from behind in the top of the seventh with two runs to take a 3-2 lead. Colorado tied the game on an error in the bottom half and went on to win in the eighth. Andres Silva had a good start, giving up one run in four innings while striking out five. Jauri Custodio and Gustavo Armas each had two hits.
