Sunday’s action is highlighted by the first start of the season for top pitching prospect Roansy Contreras. He was scheduled to start the season in Indianapolis, but an injury to Duane Underwood Jr, and the fact that the Pirates had no healthy options on the 40-man roster, led to him making his season debut in the majors instead. He had a bit of a rough first outing with the Pirates, then he pitched well in the other two games, except for a solo homer. He had ten strikeouts total, going three innings each time.
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Game Time: 1:35 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Roansy Contreras (NR)
- Final Line: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
Notable Performances:
Oneil Cruz, 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, HBP, SB
Hoy Park 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Rodolfo Castro 0-for-3
Ji-hwan Bae 0-for-2
Mason Martin 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Cal Mitchell 0-for-2, 3 BB, SB
Canaan Smith-Njigba 0-for-4, BB
Game Recap:
Roansy Contreras made his first start of the season and went 3.1 innings while working on a limited pitch count. He allowed three hits, one run, two walks and he struck out five batters. He threw 35 of 57 pitches for strikes. This game was won in the 11th inning by the first home run of the season from Oneil Cruz, who was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and an error prior to the walk-off heroics. He started this game in left field. He’s now hitting .204 with a .628 OPS. He stole his sixth base.
Hoy Park had a big first game with Indianapolis, finishing with a walk, single, homer and three RBIs. Mason Martin went 2-for-5, with his seventh double and two RBIs. Cal Mitchell had three walks and a stolen base. Josh Bissonette had three hits, three runs and an RBI. Michael Perez reached base three times and scored two runs.
Nathan Kirby followed Contreras with 1.2 scoreless. Trey McGough threw a shutout frame. Austin Brice allowed two unearned runs in his lone inning. Cristofer Melendez gave up two runs in two innings. John O’Reilly got the win, giving up two runs (one earned) in two innings.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE
Game Time: 1:00 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Travis MacGregor (0-0, 9.00)
- Final Line: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 6 BB, 2 SO
Notable Performances:
Nick Gonzales 0-for-4
Jared Triolo 1-for-4, 2B
Jack Suwinski 1-for-4, 2B
Liover Peguero 2-for-4
Connor Scott 2-for-3, 2B, 2 SB
Lolo Sanchez 0-for-3, BB
Omar Cruz 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 SO
Tahnaj Thomas 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO
Game Recap:
Starter Travis MacGregor had a rough start to the game on Sunday, allowing four runs on two hits and six walks in 2.2 innings. Three relievers followed him with one hit over 6.1 shutout innings for the 5-4 win. Omar Cruz, who had some control issues as well, tossed three no-hit frames, with four walks and six strikeouts. Enmanuel Mejia had two scoreless with three strikeouts. Connor Scott led the offense with two hits, two runs, two stolen base and a walk. He is now hitting .400 with a 1.089 OPS. Blake Sabol had two hits and drove in a pair of runs. He’s hitting .364 with a .936 OPS. Liover Peguero had two hits, including his sixth double. Jack Suwinski collected his eighth double. Jared Triolo hit his third double. Nick Gonzales is down to a .167 average after going 0-for-4.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
Game Time: 2:00 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Nick Garcia (2-0, 1.23)
- Final Line: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO
Notable Performances:
Sammy Siani 1-for-3, BB
Endy Rodriguez 0-for-4
Abrahan Gutierrez 1-for-4, 2B
Hudson Head 0-for-3, RBI, BB
Jack Herman 1-for-3, BB
Dariel Lopez 2-for-4
Game Recap:
Nick Garcia got the Sunday starts for Greensboro and went three innings, allowing an unearned run on one hit, three walks and four strikeouts. He now has an 0.87 ERA in three appearances. Sean Sullivan was originally scheduled to start. He pitched in relief instead, going 3.2 innings, with one run on two hits, one walk and five strikeouts. He has a 2.61 ERA in 10.1 innings, with 12 strikeouts. Eddy Yean tossed 1.1 shutout innings. Ricky DeVito allowed one run in his two innings of work, picking up the 4-3 victory in ten innings. Ernny Ordonez had a single, homer and two RBIs. Hudson Head and Yoyner Fajardo drove in the other two runs. Fajardo and Dariel Lopez each had two hits. Fajardo won the game with a walk-off single in the tenth.
LOW-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Game Time: 5:35 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Joelvis Del Rosario (0-0, 10.50)
- Final Line: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
Notable Performances:
Tsung-Che Cheng 1-for-3, 3B, 3 RBI, BB
Jase Bowen 1-for-4, RBI
Alexander Mojica 1-for-2, 2 BB
Sergio Campana 0-for-3, BB
Juan Jerez 0-for-4
Game Recap:
Bradenton was the only Pirates team to lose on Sunday. They dropped a 7-4 decision to Daytona. Joelvis Del Rosario started and allowed two runs (one earned) in 3.2 innings. Christian Charle allowed three runs while recording just one out. Yunior Thibo gave up two runs while getting two outs. Denny Roman then had an impressive outing, retiring all seven batters he faced, four on strikeouts. Carlos Lomeli recorded the final three outs. Tsung-Che Cheng had the big hit of the game, bring home three runs on a bases loaded triple. Jase Bowen then singled home Cheng for the only other run. Alexander Mojica reached three times on two singles and a walk. In the fifth inning, Daytona scored four runs in a row on a balk and three wild pitches
