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Prospect Watch: Cal Mitchell Breaks Out of Slump

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Cal Mitchell finally showed signs of life with a big game for Indianapolis.  Kyle Nicolas had a very rough outing despite allowing no earned runs.  Blistering hot Enmanuel Terrero came through late for Bradenton.

SUNDAY’S RESULTS

Prospect Watch: Multi-Homer Day for Henry Davis and Jase Bowen

TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Indianapolis Indians

INDIANAPOLIS VS COLUMBUS

Final Score:  Indianapolis (9-13) 10, Columbus 4
Indianapolis Starter
:  Chase De Jong
Pitching Line
:  IP, BB
Box Score

Top Performers:

  • Ryan Vilade 1-3, BB, HBP, 3 runs
  • Cal Mitchell 5-5, HR (1), 3 runs
  • Miguel Andujar 1-3, 2B, 2 BB
  • Josh Palacios 3-4, HR (1), BB, 5 RBI
  • Kent Emanuel 4 IP, 4 H, BB, 4 K

Game Recap:

Indianapolis got plenty of baserunners in a 10-4 win over Columbus.

Indy got some early offense, much of it from Cal Mitchell and Josh Palacios.  Mitchell’s had a very rough time so far this year, but in the first inning of this game he belted his first home run.  He followed that with four singles, going 5-for-5.  Palacios drove in five with two singles and a three-run bomb, his first home run of the season.

Altogether Indy had a dozen hits and ten walks.  Tyler Heineman reached base four times on a single and three walks.  Aaron Shackelford also walked three times.  Ryan Vilade had a single, a walk and a hit batsman, and Miguel Andujar had a double and two walks.

A rehabbing Chase De Jong threw the first inning, allowing just a walk.  Kent Emanuel followed with four scoreless frames.  Carmen Mlodzinski didn’t have such a good outing, allowing two runs on three hits over an inning and a third.  Angel Perdomo and Eli Villalobos each gave up a solo home run to close out the scoring.

DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE

Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Altoona Curve

ALTOONA @ READING

Final Score:  Reading 11, Altoona (7-8) 5
Altoona Starter
:  Kyle Nicolas
Pitching Line
:  4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 0 ER, 6 K
Box Score

Top Performers:

  • Domingo Leyba 2-4, 2B
  • Mason Martin 2-4, 2B, SB
  • Fabricio Macias 1-3, HR (1), BB

Game Recap:

Reading came into its series with Altoona with the Eastern League’s worst record, but the Curve got blasted, 11-5.

Kyle Nicolas had about as bad a start as you can have without allowing an earned run.  He was sailing along with a 2-0 lead after retiring the first two batters in the fourth, but an Andres Alvarez error extended the inning and, six hits, including two home runs, later, Reading had six runs.  Nicolas gave up another unearned run in the fifth before leaving with two outs.  None of the seven runs was earned, but he gave up nine hits in four and two-thirds.

Reading’s other four runs all came on one swing.  Braeden Ogle gave up only one hit in his one inning, the seventh, but it was a grand slam following two walks and a hit batsman.

On offense, the Curve got two in the first on doubles by Domingo Leyba and Mason Martin, each of whom had two hits in the game.  That was it until Leyba drove in another run in the eighth.  Recently activated Fabricio Macias hit his first home run of the year in the ninth with a man on to finish the scoring.

Henry Davis didn’t play, but he’s not on the injured list.

HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS

Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Greensboro Grasshoppers

GREENSBORO VS ROME

Final Score:  Rome 7, Greensboro (11-5) 2
Greensboro Starter
:  Anthony Solometo
Pitching Line
:  5 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Box Score

Top Performers:

  • Mike Jarvis 1-4, HR (3)

Game Recap:

Greensboro got a solid start from Anthony Solometo but lost to Rome, 7-2.  Solometo had a difficult first inning as he wasn’t throwing strikes, giving up a pair of runs.  He threw four scoreless innings after that, allowing just two hits total.

The game got out of hand after Brad Case came in.  He’s been getting fearsomely bombed since he was activated, and he allowed five runs, four earned, in an inning and two-thirds in this one.  Grant Ford finished with two and a third scoreless innings.

The Hoppers never got much offense going, picking up only four hits and three walks.  Mike Jarvis’ third home run accounted for one run.  The other scored on an error.  Nobody reached base more than once.  Abrahan Gutierrez returned from the injured list and went 0-for-3 with a walk.

LOW-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS

Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Bradenton Marauders

BRADENTON @ DUNEDIN

Final Score:  Bradenton (11-5) 3, Dunedin 1
Bradenton Starter
:  Dominic Perachi
Pitching Line
:  4.1 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 6 K
Box Score

Top Performers:

  • Jesus Castillo 1-4
  • Enmanuel Terrero 2-4, 2B, HR (2), 3 RBI
  • Julian Bosnic 1.2 IP, ER, 2 BB, 2 K
  • Mike Walsh IP, K

Game Recap:

Dunedin so far this year has had the Florida State League’s best pitching and worst hitting.  They played true to form, but some ninth-inning dramatics from Enmanuel Terrero stole the show.

The Marauders had just two hits in the first eight innings, a double by Terrero and a single by Shalin Polanco.  For the game they also managed just one walk while fanning 11 times.  They went into the top of the ninth trailing, 1-0.

With one out in the ninth, Jesus Castillo singled and Deivis Nadal got plunked.  Terrero then launched his second home run of the year to put the Marauders up.  The blast lifted his average to .364 and his OPS to 1.081.

Dominic Perachi turned in a pretty good start, despite shaky control.  He walked four and fanned six over four and a third innings.  The only Dunedin run came when Julian Bosnic walked the leadoff batter in the seventh and he came around on a steal, a sac bunt and a sacrifice fly.

Yunior Thibo held the line for four outs, despite walking two.  Mike Walsh had an easy ninth inning to pick up the save.

Termarr Johnson had a tough night, striking out all three times up.  Rodolfo Nolasco made his first appearance of the year, going 1-for-4.

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Wilbur Miller
Wilbur Miller
Having followed the Pirates fanatically since 1965, Wilbur Miller is one of the fast-dwindling number of fans who’ve actually seen good Pirate teams. He’s even seen Hall-of-Fame Pirates who didn’t get traded mid-career, if you can imagine such a thing. His first in-person game was a 5-4, 11-inning win at Forbes Field over Milwaukee (no, not that one). He’s been writing about the Pirates at various locations online for over 20 years. It has its frustrations, but it’s certainly more cathartic than writing legal stuff. Wilbur is retired and now lives in Bradenton with his wife and three temperamental cats.

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