The schedule for today has some solid pitching prospects, starting in Indianapolis with Cody Bolton, who will be making his fifth start. He has 26 strikeouts in 21 innings. Altoona’s Kyle Nicolas has 35 strikeouts in 28.2 innings. He has allowed 11 runs this season and six came in one inning. Jared Jones is pitching for the second time this week, so don’t be surprised if his pitch count is lower than usual. The Pirates have been doing that for starters when they pitch twice in the same week.
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Game Time: 1:35 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Cody Bolton (1-1, 3.86)
- Final Line: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO
Notable Performances:
Oneil Cruz 2-for-4, HR, RBI
Travis Swaggerty 2-for-4, RBI, SB
Cal Mitchell 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
Mason Martin 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB
Canaan Smith-Njigba 0-for-3, BB
Jared Oliva 1-for-3, HR, RBI, BB
Cole Tucker 0-for-4
Carter Bins 0-for-4
Hoy Park 0-for-2, 2 BB
Game Recap:
Cody Bolton had his best start of the season, going 3.1 scoreless innings on one hit, one walk and six strikeouts. He threw 56 pitches, with 36 going for strikes. He now has a 3.33 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 24.1 innings. Bolton was replaced by Cam Vieaux, who recorded the final two outs of the fourth before giving way to Eric Hanhold, who allowed one run in two innings. Aaron Fletcher, Austin Brice and Cristofer Melendez tossed scoreless ball the rest of the way for the 7-1 win. Melendez has 23 strikeouts in 16.1 innings. Mason Martin homered for the eighth time, a two-run shot. He also stole his seventh base, though he was thrown out stealing right after trying to swipe third. Jared Oliva and Oneil Cruz each homered as well, the fourth for Cruz. Travis Swaggerty had two hits and a stolen base. He is up to a .247 average and a .686 OPS. Cal Mitchell drove in a run with his ninth double.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE
Game Time: 1:00 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Kyle Nicolas (0-1, 3.45)
- Final Line: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
Notable Performances:
Jared Triolo 0-for-2, BB
Nick Gonzales 2-for-5
Liover Peguero 1-for-5, 2 RBI, HBP
Blake Sabol 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Matt Fraizer 2-for-5, BB
Tucupita Marcano 3-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI, BB
Lolo Sanchez 3-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Connor Scott 2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI
Game Recap:
Altoona won a slugfest with Richmond, in which seven homers were hit and the teams combined for 44 base runners, in a 19-8 Curve victory. Aaron Shackelford, Andres Alvarez, Lolo Sanchez and Blake Sabol all homered. Shackelford drove in four runs. Sanchez drove in three runs, as did Tucupita Marcano and Connor Scott. The only starters without an RBI were Nick Gonzales and Matt Fraizer, but each of them reached base three times, and Fraizer scored three runs. Marcano and Sanchez also scored three runs apiece. Scott hit his seventh double, Alvarez has eight homers in 74 at-bats this year. He also stole his sixth base. He has a 1.134 OPS.
Kyle Nicolas came into today’s game with one bad inning all season. He did not leave the game the same way. He lasted just 2.2 innings on Sunday, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks, with five strikeouts. He threw 68 pitches, with 39 going for strikes. He now has a 4.31 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 31.1 innings. Brad Case stranded an inherited runner for the final out in the third. Austin Roberts got roughed up, allowing three runs on four hits in one inning. Travis MacGregor gave up one run over three innings. JC Flower and Zach Matson each tossed scoreless frames.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
Game Time: 2:00 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Jared Jones (2-2, 5.97)
- Final Line: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
Notable Performances:
Matt Gorski 3-for-4, 3 HR, 4 RBI
Hudson Head 1-for-3, BB
Dariel Lopez 1-for-4
Abrahan Gutierrez 0-for-3
Sammy Siani 0-for-3
Jack Herman 0-for-3
Maikol Escotto 0-for-3
Game Recap:
Matt Gorski came into Sunday with 14 homers already, giving him a huge lead during the early part of the season among Pirates players. He extended that lead in a big way on Sunday, smacking three homers, including a walk-off winner in the ninth, driving in all four runs in a 4-3 Greensboro victory. He hit eight homers this week alone, nearly matching the nine he had to start the week, which already gave him the lead among all hitters in the system. Greensboro only had two other hits in this game, Hudson Head’s eighth double, and a single by Dariel Lopez.
The Pirates have been limiting pitchers in their second starts of the week, but they let Jared Jones go today, even after a rough start to Sunday’s game. He gave up three runs in the first inning, then got through five frames on 79 pitches without allowing another run. The only batters to reach base in the final four innings were on a double and a hit-by-pitch. He now has a 5.88 ERA in 33.2 innings, with 44 strikeouts. Santiago Florez tossed a scoreless sixth and Eddy Yean took over in the seventh and threw shutout ball. Michell Miliano and Cameron Junker followed with scoreless ball, with Junker picking up the win.
LOW-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Game Time: 1:00 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Joelvis Del Rosario (1-1, 4.01)
- Final Line: 5 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Notable Performances:
Sergio Campana 2-for-4
Jase Bowen 2-for-4, BB, RBI, SB
Alexander Mojica 0-for-3, 2 BB
Game Recap:
If his own fielding was a little better, Joelvis Del Rosario would have had an outstanding performance on Sunday. He went five innings, allowing two runs on six hits, no walks and three strikeouts. Both of the runs he allowed were on his own errors in the fourth and fifth innings. He now has a 3.34 ERA in 29.2 innings, with 29 strikeouts. Dante Mendoza tossed a scoreless sixth, while Johan Montero allowed an unearned run in the seventh. Cristian Charle faced three batters in the eighth and all three reached base, with two of them coming around to score. Denny Roman and Jack Hartman are credited with scoreless frames to close out the game and a 6-5 win.
Bradenton got a run in the third on a Jase Bowen single. Jakob Goldfarb started a five-run rally in the fifth with an RBI single. A wild pitched brought in a run, then a Brenden Dixon single scored a pair. The final run scored on a double steal, with Bowen stealing second and Dixon stealing home. Bowen’s stolen base was his seventh of the season. Mike Jarvis also stole his seventh base.
