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.
INDIANAPOLIS
(7:05pm)
Starting Pitcher: Beau Sulser 3.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Notable Performances:
Tucupita Marcano 0-4, BB
Jared Oliva 1-3, BB
Bligh Madris 1-4, HR (9)
Game Recap:
Indianapolis (54-60) got flattened by St. Paul, 13-4. Beau Sulser was left in to give up eight runs, seven earned, over three and two-thirds innings; such is the life of an organizational innings-eater. John O’Reilly also got battered, giving up four runs in one inning. Indy had six hits. Two runs came from solo home runs, Hunter Owens’ 17th on the year and Bligh Madris’ ninth. Ethan Paul singled in two runs in the ninth.
ALTOONA
(5:35pm)
Starting Pitchers: Roansy Contreras 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K and Osvaldo Bido 4 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Notable Performances:
Oneil Cruz 0-1
Ji-Hwan Bae 3-6, 2B, HR (6), BB
Rodolfo Castro 0-7
Mason Martin 1-6, HR (22)
Canaan Smith-Njigba 0-1, 2 BB
Cal Mitchell 0-6
Jack Suwinski 1-6, HR (4)
Matt Fraizer 0-5, 2 BB
Game Recap:
Roansy Contreras scuffled a bit as Altoona (56-56) lost the first game of its doubleheader to Bowie, 3-2. Contreras started the bottom of the first by giving up a single and then a home run to Patrick Dorrian, whom the Pirates traded for Yefry Ramirez, whose 7.91 ERA affirmed Neal Huntington’s trading prowess. Contreras gave up one other run before and left with one out in the fourth, the run scoring after Brad Case came in. The Curve’s offense consisted of a two-run bomb by Jack Suwinski, his fourth since coming to the Pirates and 19th overall. Altoona had only three hits in all and lost Oneil Cruz to an ejection in the third inning. Rodolfo Castro and Mason Martin continued their slumps by each going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. They each also committed an error.
The Curve also dropped the second game, 6-4. Osvaldo Bido fanned seven over four innings, but not much else went well. He allowed all six runs, five of them earned. Ji-Hwan Bae provided most of the offense with a three-run home run, his sixth longball of the year. He also doubled and walked. The other run scored on Martin’s 22nd bomb. The Curve got the tying runs on base with one out in the seventh, but Matt Fraizer and Castro each struck out for the third time in the game. Castro was 0-for-4 and is now 3-for-55 (.055) since returning from the majors. Altoona had just four hits in the game, leaving them 7-for-51 for the day. Apart from Bae, they were 4-for-45.
GREENSBORO
(7:05pm)
Starting Pitcher: Michael Burrows 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Notable Performances:
Liover Peguero 0-4, 2 BB, SB
Nick Gonzales 2-4, 2B, BB, SB
Jared Triolo 1-5, BB
Lolo Sanchez 2-6, HR (17), SB
Blake Sabol 0-4, BB
Aaron Shackelford 3-3, 2B, 2 BB
Domingo Gonzalez 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 1 K
Jack Carey 1 IP, 3 K
Game Recap:
Greensboro (72-43) hammered Hudson Valley, 10-1. The win broke the Grasshoppers’ four-game losing streak and reduced their magic number for clinching a playoff spot to two. Because Hudson Valley is the team they’re trying to beat out, they just need to win one of their five remaining games. Aaron Shackelford had the biggest day on offense, reaching base five times on a double, two singles and two walks. He scored two runs and drove in three. Nick Gonzales also had three hits, including a double, and two walks, lifting his average to .302 and his OPS to .942. Lolo Sanchez had two hits and connected for his 17th home run of the year. He also stole his 30th base. Liover Peguero walked twice and stole his 25th base. The Hoppers lead the league in steals by 24. Michael Burrows made his second start since returning from the injured list and gave up one run over three innings. Domingo Gonzalez followed with five shutout innings. Jack Carey, drafted in the 11th round this year, made his second appearance for the Hoppers and it went a lot better than the first, as he struck out the side in the ninth.
BRADENTON
(6:30pm)
Starting Pitcher: Nick Garcia 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Notable Performances:
Jackson Glenn 3-5
Endy Rodriguez 0-5
Dariel Lopez 2-3, HBP
Jack Herman 1-4, 2B
Abrahan Gutierrez 1-3, 3B, BB
Hudson Head 2-3, SF
Jase Bowen 0-4
Maikol Escotto 0-4
Eddy Yean 2.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Game Recap:
Bradenton (70-44) lost to Lakeland, 4-2. The Marauders had 11 hits, but couldn’t do much with them. Nick Garcia had a pretty good start, giving up two earned runs and striking out seven over five innings. Eddy Yean allowed a run on four hits in two and two-thirds innings. Abrahan Gutierrez returned to action as the DH and scored one of the runs on a sacrifice fly after hitting a triple. The other run scored on a ground out. Jackson Glenn had three hits, while Dariel Lopez, Hudson Head and Ernny Ordonez each had two.
FCL PIRATES BLACK
(Noon)
Starting Pitcher: Cristopher Cruz 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Notable Performances:
Juan Jerez 2-5, 2B
Lonnie White, Jr., 4-5, 2B, HR (2)
Wyatt Hendrie 2-2, 3B
Game Recap:
The Black team (19-23) lost a tough one to the Red Sox, 10-9. The Bucs trailed, 8-3, after seven, but scored three in the eighth and three more in the top of the ninth to take a 9-8 lead. The Red Sox scored two in the bottom of the inning, though, on two singles, two walks and an error. Cristopher Cruz gave up only three hits and a walk in four innings, but still allowed three runs, two earned. Adrian Mendez, Ryan Troutman and Yoelvis Reyes all struggled in relief, combining to walk seven in four and a third innings. Lonnie White, Jr., had a big day, getting two singles, a double and his second home run. The longball was a two-run shot in the ninth that tied the game. Juan Jerez, Angel Basabe and Francisco Quintero each had a single and a double. Wyatt Hendrie entered the game partway through and hit a single and a triple.
FCL PIRATES GOLD
(10:00am)
Starting Pitcher: Andy Maldonado 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Notable Performances:
Sebastian Rodriguez 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Game Recap:
The Gold team (30-14) won a pitchers’ duel from the Orioles Black, 1-0. Andy Maldonado had another good start, throwing three scoreless innings and striking out four. Sebastian Rodriguez followed with another three shutout innings, also allowing only one hit. Darvin Garcia survived a walk and a hit batsman in the seventh to get the save. Rodolfo Nolasco singled in Tsung-Che Cheng with the only run after Cheng walked and moved up on a wild pickoff throw. The Pirates had only four hits, all singles. According to the box score, veteran utility infielder Claudio Finol caught the game, but that could be an error, which is common in rookie level games. The box also has Jasiah Dixon playing second, but I’d bet that was Brenden Dixon.
DSL PIRATES BLACK
(10:30am)
Starting Pitchers: Kevison Hernandez 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K and Antwone Kelly 4 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Notable Performances:
Enmanuel Terrero 0-4, BB
Shalin Polanco, 0-1, BB, SF
Ewry Espinal 0-5, 2 HBP
Ronny Sanchez 2-4, 2B, HBP
Game Recap:
The Black team (28-17) dropped the first game of their doubleheader with the Rangers1, 9-4. They fell behind 9-0, then scored four in the eighth to make it semi-respectable. This was a continuation of a game that was halted with two outs in the first, which is why the Pirates’ starter, Kevison Hernandez, faced only four batters (it still cost him a loss) and the Rangers’ starter didn’t face anybody. Diego Chiquillo came on for the resumed game and allowed five runs over an inning and two-thirds. Jesus Clode let three of Chiquillo’s runs score and one of his own. Ronny Sanchez had a single and a double, and drove in a run.
The Bucs came back to win the second game, 7-6. Antwone Kelly had a decent start, allowing six hits and two runs over four innings. Chiquillo pitched again and gave up three runs over two-thirds of an inning. Miguel Diaz got the win, giving up just an unearned run over two and a third innings and fanning four. Third baseman Kelvin Diaz had a big day, driving in four runs with a single and his first career home run. He also stole his first two bases, one of them home. Sanchez got hit by a pitch and came out, so he may be hurt.
DSL PIRATES GOLD
(10:30am)
Starting Pitchers: Andres Silvera 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K and Yojeiry Osoria 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Notable Performances:
Jeral Toledo 2-4, 2 2B, 2 BB, SB
Gustavo Armas 2-6, BB
Esmerlyn Valdez 3-5, 2B, HR (4), BB
Eddy Rodriguez 2-4, 2B, HR (3), BB
Game Recap:
The Gold team (14-31) won a wild one in the first game of its doubleheader, beating the Yankees2, 12-11. Jeral Toledo, Esmerlyn Valdez and Eddy Rodriguez had big days on offense. Toledo reached base and scored four times, on two doubles and two walks. He also stole a base. Valdez had a single, double and his fourth home run of the year, and drove in three. Rodriguez had a double and his third longball. Wesley Zapata had a single and two walks. Starter Andres Silvera gave up two unearned runs over two innings. Weslyn Toussaint and Eduardo Zapata had a rough time in relief, giving up nine runs in all. Rafael Mendez got the last four outs for the save.
The second game didn’t go as well, as the Pirates got stomped, 11-0. Starter Yojeiry Osoria lasted just an inning, giving up two earned runs. A string of relievers followed and did themselves in with control problems. It took four relievers, two of them position players, to get through the last four innings, as they walked 11 combined. The Pirates had only two hits, singles by Gustavo Armas and Juan Machado.
