The schedule is lining up for a big day of pitching prospects. Jared Jones is scheduled for Altoona. Bubba Chandler is scheduled for Greensboro. Thomas Harrington is slated for Bradenton. Indianapolis is still to be determined. Boxscore links will be added once they become available.
YESTERDAY’S RESULTS
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Game Time: 7:05 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Kent Emanuel (NR)
- Final Line: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO
Notable Performances:
- Nick Gonzales 2-for-5
- Tucupita Marcano 3-for-5
- Endy Rodriguez 1-for-4, 3B, RBI, BB
- Cal Mitchell 0-for-4
- Malcom Nunez 2-for-4
Game Recap:
Kent Emanuel got the start on Friday night for Indianapolis. Working on a limited pitch count due to missing some Spring Training time, he tossed three shutout innings. JC Flowers followed with 2.2 scoreless, though he gave up two hits and four walks.
Colin Selby finished the sixth off by stranding two inherited runners, then tossed a shutout frame in the seventh. Angel Perdomo had a rough night that could have been worse. He faced five batters, allowing two hits, two walks and he hit a batter. Yohan Ramirez stranded two inherited runners by getting all three outs in the eighth. He was rewarded with an unearned run in the ninth.
Indianapolis had plenty of chances here, but they didn’t score until the bottom of the ninth. They went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, while stranding 11 runners. Their two runs scored on a Tucupita Marcano single, followed by an Endy Rodriguez triple. He would score on a wild pitch. Marcano had three hits. Nick Gonzales, Malcom Nunez and Miguel Andujar each had two hits.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE
Game Time: 6:05 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Jared Jones (0-1, 3.86)
- Final Line: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO
Notable Performances:
- Henry Davis 0-for-5, SB
- Matt Gorski 1-for-5, SB
- Matt Fraizer 1-for-5
Game Recap:
Altoona won 4-2 over Erie. Starter Jared Jones kept the damage to the minimum, but he had a rough start due to early wildness. He allowed one run over four innings, with four hits, four walks and three strikeouts. He needed 75 pitches to get through that time, with 40 going for strikes. Nick Dombkowski was out next. He went 2.2 innings, allowing one run. Oliver Garcia got the win with 1.1 scoreless. Tahnaj Thomas got the save with shutout ball in the ninth.
Drew Maggi had the big game on offense, going 3-for-4 with a double, run and two RBIs. Andres Alvarez had a single, walk and two runs scored. Domingo Leyba had three walks and a run scored. Lolo Sanchez had a single and two walks.
Matt Gorski was back in the lineup after leaving early on Tuesday. He then missed the next two days. He singled in his first at-bat and stole a base. That was his only time on base.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
Game Time: 6:35 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Bubba Chandler (0-0, 5.40)
- Final Line: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO
Notable Performances:
- Tsung-Che Cheng 1-for-3, 2 BB, 3B
- Abrahan Gutierrez 2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB
- Hudson Head 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
- Sammy Siani 0-for-4, SB
- Maikol Escotto 0-for-4, BB
Game Recap:
Bubba Chandler was a bit wild in his second start of the season, which led to a shortened outing. He went 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out two batters. He threw 35 of 66 pitches for strikes. Will Kobos finished off the fourth by stranding an inherited runner, then finished with 2.1 scoreless innings.
Dante Mendoza allowed two earned runs in 1.2 innings. Eddy Yean stranded two inherited runners to finish out the eighth, then he stayed on for the ninth to finish off a 9-5 victory.
Hudson Head had the big hit of the game, smacking a three-run homer in the seventh inning.
Greensboro trailed 3-0 into the fifth inning. They scored their first run on a passed ball. Abrahan Gutierrez then walked in a run, before a third run scored on a passed ball. Mike Jarvis doubled in two runs in the seventh ahead of Head’s homer. A single by Gutierrez in the ninth scored the ninth run.
LOW-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Game Time: 6:30 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Thomas Harrington (1-0, 0.00)
- Final Line: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
Notable Performances:
- Jesus Castillo 1-for-3, 3 BB, SB
- Shalin Polanco 1-for-4, BB
- Javier Rivas 0-for-6, 5 K
- Enmanuel Terrero 4-for-5, 3B, HR, 6 RBI
Game Recap:
Thomas Harrington had an outstanding pro debut last week. He almost didn’t get out of the first inning in his second start. He gave up four runs in the first, then another two in the second, before being removed mid-third with 68 pitches in his brief time. He allowed six earned runs on six hits and two walks, leaving him with a 7.04 ERA in two games.
Joshua Loeschorn followed with 1.1 scoreless. Luigi Hernandez allowed two runs over 2.2 innings, while striking out six batters. Elijah Birdsong and Mike Walsh finished off the game for Bradenton with scoreless ball, as they won 11-8.
Despite the offense going crazy, these two teams could have powered the lights at the Lakeland ballpark with the wind they were producing. The combined for 32 strikeouts, including 17 from the Bradenton hitters.
Enmanuel Terrero had a career day, collecting four hits, while driving in six runs. He missed the cycle by the double. He picked up his first triple and first homer of the season, which were the only extra-base hits for the Marauders.
As great as the night went for Terrero, it was completely forgettable for Javier Rivas. He had perhaps the worst night we will see this year, going 0-for-6 with five strikeouts. He had one game with four strikeouts during his first two seasons combined.
Jesus Castillo continues to get on base early. He had a single and three walks, giving him a .625 OBP. Jauri Custodio had a single, two runs, two RBIs and two walks. Wyatt Hendrie had two hits, two walks, an RBI and three runs scored. Shalin Polanco had a single, walk and two runs scored in his second game of the season.
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball.
When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.
Happy Ferrari broke out. Disappointed by Rivas and Chandler struggles.🤔
Some of the higher placed pitching prospects should be able to make adjustments on the fly as far as release point and basic pitching mechanics. Most of the none movement problems can be fix by the pitcher.
Yikes, our farm is looking pretty weak. Davis and Nick no stick looking like great draft picks. Can we hit on 1 damn pick please
Rivas with the platinum sombrero. Maybe needs a day off.
I thought platinum was 4, May have to bump it up to the Palladium Sombrero!
Haven’t seen Jim Bob talking about this highly rated farm system in awhile…
These pitchers are coming fast. As noted elsewhere on this site, other promising pitchers are having difficulties with command … what a surprise. I wonder whether there’s enough time for the Pirates to profit from them at the major league level. Things have changed. Since MLB reduced the number of minor league teams (allowed?), players seem to be rising minor league levels more quickly, ergo less minor league development time. At present, once a player reaches the majors, the Pirates have six or six+ years in which to ‘reap’ a benefit from their investment before free-agency eliminates additional profit. This applies to most Pirate prospects (a few will sign long-term deals). It’s obvious that nearly every player requires additional development to gain comfort at the ML level so those 6 or so years is usually reduced. Example: Mitch Keller reached a ML level of production in the middle of 2022. He is a free agent in 2026. So, if he continues as he’s now pitching, is not traded or signs a long-term deal, he will be a useful starter for 3 ½ years as a Pirate before becoming a free agent. A better but more frightening case is Roberto Clemente. Look-up his first five seasons. He hit 300, once. He didn’t become “the great one” until 1960. The point is the Pirates and all small market teams have been further squeezed by the reduced minor leagues. New tactics will be required to extend the useful life of their investments.
…
What if we had pitchers focus on command at the lowest levels as the building block of future success and had them lean on 2seamers when their fastball doesn’t miss bats?
The Ray Searage Redemption Tour continues.
There is absolutely nothing forcing teams to advance premium prospects any faster than their individual development requires.
This is entirely an unforced error.
Is there a survey I can join to vote for emphasizing command? If not, let’s start a referendum. While we’re at it how about emphasizing patience, contact, and opposite field hitting?
No argument about advancing premium prospects that perform. I was remarking that streamlined minor’s forces decisions. Players who are not ready are moved up, so they don’t block players behind them. “late bloomers’ are difficult if not impossible to identify. Obviously, development is very important to small markets as they can’t often afford high priced free agents. It’s where their better players come from, and the new minor league arrangement is stifling some of these developments.
Bring back the fastball academy!!!,!, at least up to the A level.
See that white block? Throw this ball over it. Then good things will happen!
Ask me for more pitching pointers!
We seem to have a lot of pitching prospects who aren’t pitching well so far this year. Like, nearly all of them.
It’s taken me awhile but i finally have Brannigan, Kennedy, Kellington and Harrington straight
Sounds like a Dublin law firm!
is Bob Walk the best player comp for Bubba?
I get more of a Drabek vibe.
that bob walk was a hell of a pitcher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sncqrEqX7dk
that game has to be the best one of his career
Don Robinson!
You misspelled Nolan Ryan.