Indianapolis is still the only team on the schedule. Altoona starts on Thursday, while Greensboro and Bradenton start on Friday. Sunday’s Indianapolis game is at 1:35 PM with Mike Burrows on the mound.
YESTERDAY’S RESULTS
Prospect Watch: Endy Rodriguez Homers, As Indianapolis Drops Their Season Opener
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Caleb Smith (NR)
- Final Line: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO
Notable Performances:
- Nick Gonzales 0-for-3, HBP
- Travis Swaggerty 1-for-4, 2B
- Cal Mitchell 0-for-3
- Malcom Nunez 0-for-2, HBP
Game Recap:
Caleb Smith made his first start in the Pirates system on Saturday afternoon, and it did not go well. He allowed eight earned runs on eight hits and three walks in 4.2 innings. Despite the walks, he had a nice strike/ball ratio, throwing 52 strikes in 79 pitches. Carmen Mlodzinski in his new bullpen role came out next. He recorded the final out of the fifth, then allowed two runs in the sixth on two hits and a walk. Hunter Stratton took the seventh and ended up with one run allowed over 1.1 innings. Yohan Ramirez gave up one run over the final 1.2 innings for a 12-1 loss.
The offense was quiet all game. Mark Mathias had two hits, after collecting three hits in the season opener. Travis Swaggerty hit his second double of the season and scored the lone run. Miguel Andujar’s single in the seventh brought in Swaggerty. Tyler Heineman had a single and two walks, which were the only two walks for Indianapolis.
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.
Well, I screwed it up this morn, but if Nicky the K had one strikeout in 5 ABS yesterday and two in 3 ABs today, then he is at 37.5%?? K-rect?
You dislike Gonzales almost as much as I dislike Bae!
I don’t DISLIKE Gonzo. I just don’t think tat a guy who can’t hit off speed stuff will ever amount to anything.
What don’t you like about Bae? I think he as the the chance to be the prototypical lead off guy.
Gonzales homer, take that Lee!
😂
And K’d TWICE more! 🙂 🙂
I see very little offensively and even less defensively from Bae, everyone keeps talking about his speed, which is great, but I don’t think he will hit enough and his arm is so weak that it negate any advantage his speed provides.
What will happen first. Bae hits enough or Nicky cuts down his K’s?
My money is on Bae.
I think Nick is a better fielder at 2b, he hits for enough power, I could see a true three outcome guy, Bae, no don’t see him ever hitting enough, even if he had better contact his lock of power will encourage pitcher to just come at him with out much to fear.
Bae is a VERY good fielder. Nick is not. NG doesn’t have a lot of range. Where are you getting that info?
Personally, I hope that BOTH guys reach their potential. It’d be a great dilemma to have to deal with. Sorta like having Stennett, Cash and Randolph back in the day.
Watching games, watch Gonzales field, sure handed and he does have range, and the arm is good, he can actually play 3b and SS in a pinch, just wait and see how many double plays Bae botches because he can’t finish the pivot with that noodle arm.
Too many people equate his speed with defense, what good is it if he can’t finish the play due to his arm. Now I have too ask you, have you watched them play?
Yes. I have MiLB. Beats watching the Bucs. 😂😂😂
We’ll have to agree to disagree and hope that BOTH make it.
Bae did have a nice throw to third to almost nail a runner going first to third. OTOH, Swags probably gets him with his arm.
You’re a math major, and you’re trying to draw conclusions on this small of a sample size?
How about we give him a month or two of AB’s and see if he still has swing and miss issues, especially on breaking pitches.
Said nothing about the small sample size, but so far, it is just more of the same. I sure do hope he turns it around, but he is still having issues with the curve ball.
0 for 2
3 K’s / 9 PAs
I went by MiLB and they only sowed 8 PAs, but 33.3% is still not good.
Not sure of the K rate off top of my head, but that whiff rate against non fastballs is looking pretty ugly. Two game sample size granted, but there has been some struggle again with it.
Are you rooting for him? I’m actually rooting for him. Since he regularly has exit velocities over 100 mph I think his plan is pretty solid. I think he knows he’s gonna strike out 25% of the time but he’ll hit 15-20 HRs and 35 doubles.
OF COURSE, I a, rooting for him. But it isn’t looking good.
Note to self: Don’t write any more derogatory comments about Gonzales or any other prospect because someone will think .I am rooting AGAINST them.
SHEESH!!
Season’s over, I’m done with these bums.
From Baseball Savant
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?date=4/1/2023&gamePk=723604&chartType=pitch&legendType=pitchName&playerType=batter&inning=&count=&pitchHand=&batSide=&descFilter=&ptFilter=&resultFilter=&hf=&sportId=11
They made it so much easier to find this year, so that made me happy
The other teams that employed Chris Owings figured out years ago that he’s not a SS. Cherington . . . not so much.
The least of their problems…
Peguero should be starting over him at Indy. So, it is a problem in my eyes.