All early games today, as Bradenton, Greensboro and Altoona wrap up their first full week of the season. I’ll fill in the Bradenton starter once it becomes available.
YESTERDAY’S RESULTS
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Game Time: 1:35 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Hunter Stratton (0-0, 5.06)
- Final Line: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 SO
Notable Performances:
- Nick Gonzales 0-for-0, BB
- Travis Swaggerty 1-for-3, BB, SB
- Cal Mitchell 2-for-3, BB
- Malcom Nunez 1-for-3, HR, 4 RBI, BB
Game Recap:
Osvaldo Bido was originally listed as the starter for today, but he came into the game in the third inning. Hunter Stratton had a very busy two scoreless innings to start the game. He allowed five runners (two hits, two walks, HBP) while also striking out five batters.
Bido took over in the third inning and threw five shutout frames on two hits, four walks and nine strikeouts. He threw 50 of 81 pitches for strikes. Angel Perdomo and Carmen Mlodzinski each tossed a scoreless inning to finish off the 7-0 game.
The victory lost some luster due to Nick Gonzales leaving with an apparent shoulder injury early in the game. Travis Swaggerty returned after a brief illness. He had a single, walk, stolen base and two runs.
Indianapolis scored all seven of their runs on two swings. Tyler Heineman hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Malcom Nunez hit a grand slam in the seventh. It was the first homer for both players. Chavez Young stole his sixth base.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE
Game Time: 1:35 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Aaron Shortridge (1-0, 7.94)
- Final Line: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Notable Performances:
- Matt Fraizer 1-for-4, 2B
- Henry Davis 2-for-4, HR, RBI
- Matt Gorski 0-for-4, SB
Game Recap:
Aaron Shortridge went 3.1 innings on Sunday, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits, with no walks and three strikeouts. He allowed runs in three different innings. He tossed 65 pitches total, with 45 going for strikes. Noe Toribio finished the fourth off by stranding and inherited runner.
Toribio would finish with 2.2 scoreless on one hit and three strikeouts. Tahnaj Thomas allowed three runs (two earned) in his lone inning. Tyler Samaniego threw a scoreless eighth.
Henry Davis had the big hit for the Curve, connecting on his second homer. He played right field in this game, where he committed his second error of the season. Domingo Leyba also homered. The third run scored when Matt Gorski reached on a ground out, stole second base, then scored on a throwing error. Davis, Leyba and Josh Palacios each had two hits. Matt Fraizer hit his third double.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
Game Time: 1:05 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Valentin Linarez (0-0, 0.00)
- Final Line: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO
Notable Performances:
- Tsung-Che Cheng 2-for-5, 2 RBI
- Abrahan Gutierrez 0-for-5
- Maikol Escotto 0-for-3, BB
- Sammy Siani 1-for-4
Game Recap:
Starter Valentin Linarez limited the damage in a rough outing on Sunday. He gave up two runs in 3.2 innings, while allowing seven hits and two walks. He had just one strikeout. He threw a lot of strikes, with 43 of his 61 pitches going for strikes. He was replaced in the fourth by Michell Miliano, who stranded an inherited runner to finish the inning.
The bullpen was outstanding for Greensboro. Miliano ended up with 2.1 scoreless and five strikeouts. Cy Neilsen retired all six batters he faced. Eddy Yean tossed a scoreless ninth to save the 5-2 victory.
Greensboro tied the game 1-1 in the top of the fourth on a Jackson Glenn single. Luke Brown tied the score 2-2 in the sixth on an RBI double. Ernny Ordonez gave them the lead on a single that scored Brown. Tsung-Che Cheng singled home two runs in the ninth to give them insurance on the lead.
Cheng and Glenn had two hits. Mike Jarvis had two walks and two runs scored. He also stole his third base. The Grasshoppers had five hits with runners in scoring position.
LOW-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Game Time: 1:00 PM
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: JP Massey (0-1, 6.00)
- Final Line: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
Notable Performances:
- Jesus Castillo 2-for-4, 2B, RBI
- Enmanuel Terrero 1-for-3, BB, HBP
- Shalin Polanco 1-for-2, SB, 3 BB, RBI
- Javier Rivas 1-for-5, RBI
Game Recap:
JP Massey had a rough first inning on Sunday, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk, with two triples from the opposition. He managed to throw a total of 3.2 innings without allowing anymore runs. Massey threw 69 pitches, with 41 strikes in his first pro start. Ryan Harbin replaced him in the fourth and stranded an inherited runner.
Brad Case took over in the fifth and threw two shutout innings on one hit and two strikeouts. Yunior Thibo managed to throws two scoreless frames while throwing just ten strikes total. Mike Walsh threw a scoreless ninth for the 7-3 victory.
Jauri Custodio started the scoring for Bradenton with a solo homer in the second. Rayber Romero then tripled home a run, before scoring on a Jesus Castillo sacrifice fly. Shalin Polanco drove in the go-ahead run with a seventh inning single. Tres Gonzalez doubled in the next run, then scored on a Javier Rivas single. Gonzalez added an insurance run in the ninth with a single.
Jesus Castillo has a .414 average through the first nine games. He won the FCL batting crown last year.
Javier Rivas is throwing up major red flags this week, striking out four times today, after a five-strikeout game two days ago.
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.
Yeah Rivas has me worried regarding his strike out issues. Maybe it is growing pains and he will make the necessary adjustments.
I read somewhere that the minor league players agreed to a contract with MLB. I didn’t know that minor league players had unionized. Can anyone provide some info on what this agreement is?
If any club thought Braylon Bishop would hit a lick he’d have been a no-doubt first rounder.
Guys like Rivas, Yordany de los Santos, Maikol Escotto, Rodolfo Nolasco are in the same boat. Immensely impressive athletes, the body ideal of a top prospect…but no matter how fast and strong you are this game has that inherent ability to hit as its great equalizer. Some guys just don’t have it, and you’ll never find out until they see bigger competition.
Yet you gotta keep rolling the dice on them because the one time they do hit….
…you end up with Oneil Cruz.
Absofuckinglutely.
I know Ethan is doing the research right now for an upcoming article on Minor League unionization, just has a bunch of work lined up ahead of it. Big, big news though.
I thought I might have gotten this wrong. I will wait for Ethans article. I hope the players made out better than what they had, which was nothing unless they were a high draft choice. Thanks
They did very well for a first cut imo, still will be a tough life but much improved
I assume just a regular day off for Endy? And can someone remind me how long until we see Termarr in games?
Prolly 2024 (ducks). I think John said he would likely make his debut in May.
2024 for hamstring? They can be tough to manage but i doubt its that long
I was kidding. I’m pretty sure May.
Any more detail beyond shoulder (which one?) on Nick’s injury?
Ryan tweeted about it. Left shoulder, hurt it on a swing, stayed in the game to draw the walk, then left the game
Here we go again.
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?date=4/16/2023&gamePk=723602&chartType=pitch&legendType=pitchName&playerType=pitcher&inning=&count=&pitchHand=&batSide=&descFilter=&ptFilter=&resultFilter=&hf=pitchVelocity&sportId=11
Tyler Heineman with a 109.5 EV?
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?date=4/16/2023&gamePk=729754&chartType=pitch&legendType=pitchName&playerType=pitcher&inning=&count=&pitchHand=&batSide=&descFilter=&ptFilter=&resultFilter=&hf=&sportId=14
GorsKKKi.
😞😞😞
I believe we got Miliano in 1 of the trades (Frazier maybe), but is this the first he’s pitched with us since being acquired?
No, but it is the first time he’s throwing strikes, could be something if he continues to throw strikes.
Right on, wasn’t sure if he did or not. Will definitely be paying more attention to him
it seems that Stratton is starting in Indy, opener for Bido I hope.
Maybe Bido is starting for the Pirates tomorrow in Colorado
Leap frogging Ortiz! I guess is possible, Ortiz melt down in his last game might warrant such move. He was dominating and after an errand throw from the catcher that lead to a run he preceded to throw to loose focus and was removed shortly after.
I was joking, but let’s pretend it was Bido for a spot start. I could see it over Ortiz because of their schedule, not because of surpassing him. Ortiz has been going every six days, so he’s lined up for Tuesday. If it really was a late change, he would have been preparing each day now for a Tuesday start. So it would be better to make a non-prospect wait an extra day, compared to a prospect adjusting a day ahead. Rich Hill is on the schedule still and I haven’t heard anything, so there’s probably zero going on with Bido/Pirates
…and Bido is in now, so just some strange change for no reason
They did that with Diamond yesterday, too. Starter coming in mid-game.
Why is Bido so over looked as a prospect? His age ? He seems to have some potential as a backend starter. I can’t find him on any list, not even a pirates top 50 although I may have missed him.
Age and control. He is prone to huge pitch counts. We had him in the late 30s one year for the top 50. He didn’t come back from the 2020 lost season looking as good as before, so he hasn’t regained that spot, and age is a factor.
Thanks for the reply John. I’ll be rooting for him. Looks like he was signed as an older guy. I would love to get a 4/5 starter out of him. He looks good.