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Prospect Watch: Javier Rivas Goes Deep, Indy and Greensboro Get Shelled

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YESTERDAY’S RESULTS

Prospect Watch: Termarr Johnson Returns; Harrington and Ashcraft Look Strong

TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Indianapolis Indians

INDIANAPOLIS @ MEMPHIS

Final Score:  Memphis 7, Indianapolis 2
Indianapolis Starter
:  Osvaldo Bido
Pitching Line
:  4 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Box Score

Top Performers:

  • Miguel Andujar 2-4, HR (2)
  • Ryan Vilade 2-4
  • Hunter Stratton 2 IP, H, 3 K

Game Recap:

Indianapolis (7-14) lost for the fifth straight time and ninth in 11 games, 7-2, to Memphis.

This Indianapolis team was supposed to be loaded with reinforcements for the Pirates, but so far it looks like they need reinforcements themselves.  Even before today’s shellacking, they were 16th in the 20-team International League in runs and they’d allowed the sixth-most runs.  Very few of the ostensible prospects are playing anywhere near expectations.

In this one, Osvaldo Bido was sailing along until he retired the first two batters in the fourth.  Then he came apart, allowing four runs before ending the inning.  John O’Reilly followed and allowed three more.  Hunter Stratton threw two scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and fanning three.

The offense continued to struggle.  Indy managed only six hits and a walk, and fanned ten times.  Nick Gonzales went 0-for-4 with three more whiffs.  His strikeout rate now stands at a dismal 36%.  The two runs came on Miguel Andujar’s second home run of the season.  He had two hits, as did Ryan Vilade.

DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE

Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Altoona Curve

ALTOONA VS BOWIE

Final Score:  Postponed
Altoona Starter
:
Pitching Line
:
Box Score

Top Performers:

Game Recap:

Altoona’s game with Bowie was rained out.  It’ll be made up on June 21.

HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS

Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Greensboro Grasshoppers

GREENSBORO VS GREENVILLE

Final Score:  Greenville 13, Greensboro (10-4) 5
Greensboro Starter
:  Valentin Linarez
Pitching Line
:  1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 K
Box Score

Top Performers:

  • Tsung-Che Cheng 2-4, BB, SB
  • Ernny Ordonez 1-5, HR (1)
  • Will Matthiessen 1-3, 2 BB
  • Hudson Head 1-3, 2B, 2 BB

Game Recap:

Greensboro didn’t get much pitching and lost to Greenville, 13-5.

Valentin Linarez had a rough start, getting knocked out in the second after allowing four runs.  The bullpen wasn’t any better, as Jaycob Deese and Dante Mendoza each allowed another three, and Drew Irvine gave up another two.  Despite getting thoroughly pummeled, Hoppers pitchers struck out 14.

The Hoppers offense had a few moments, but failed to do nearly what it could have done.  Greensboro drew ten walks, but went 1-for-14 with RISP.

Everybody in the lineup reached base at least twice except Ernny Ordonez, Maikol Escotto and Angel Basabe, who reached once apiece.  Tsung-Che Cheng, Will Matthiessen and Hudson Head each reached three times, Cheng with two hits and a walk, the others with a walk and two hits.  Ordonez had a solo home run, his first longball of the year.

LOW-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS

Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Bradenton Marauders

BRADENTON VS DAYTONA

Final Score:  Daytona 6, Bradenton (9-5) 4
Bradenton Starter
:  Luis Peralta
Pitching Line
:  2 IP, BB, 5 K
Box Score

Top Performers:

  • Jesus Castillo 1-3, 2 BB
  • Tres Gonzalez 2-3, 2 BB
  • Javier Rivas 2-5, HR (1), 4 RBI
  • Derek Diamond 4 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 K
  • Ryan Harbin 2 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Game Recap:

Bradenton’s seven-game win streak came to an end in a 6-4 loss to Daytona.  The visitors came into this week’s series as the highest-scoring team in the Florida State League, but the Marauders mostly shut them down until midway through this game.

Bradenton got an early 3-0 lead, all courtesy of the struggling Javier Rivas.  He drove in one run with a single and two with his first home run of the season.

Starter Luis Peralta came off the seven-day injured list for his first appearance of the season.  Peralta’s downfall has always been control.  He misses bats at remarkable rates, but gets in trouble with walks and extremely high pitch counts.  In this game he got through two innings on 34 pitches, with one walk and no hits allowed.  He also fanned five.

Derek Diamond replaced Peralta and was excellent for four innings.  In the seventh, though, he came apart.  Diamond wasn’t helped by a strikeout on a wild pitch, which let the batter reach first.  He let in three runs to tie the game and left with two on and nobody out.  Ryan Harbin struck out the next two batters, but a single scored one run and an error on the play by Braylon Bishop let in another.

Rivas made it 5-4 with his fourth RBI, on a ground out, in the seventh.  The Marauders had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth, but Shalin Polanco whiffed and Tres Gonzalez was retired on a great play by the first baseman.  Daytona added a run in the ninth and that was it.

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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