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Prospect Watch: Altoona, Greensboro Break Out the Bats

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Altoona got a strong start from Aaron Shortridge and a big day from Matt Fraizer, but may have lost Matt Gorski.  Greensboro had a big day on offense while their pitchers walked the planet.

YESTERDAY’S RESULTS

Prospect Watch: Braxton Ashcraft Looks Strong in His Return; Quinn Priester Rebounds

TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

Season Preview

Box Score: LINK

Starting Pitcher: Osvaldo Bido

  • Final Line: 4 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 K

Notable Performances:

  • Travis Swaggerty 1-5, BB, SB
  • Endy Rodriguez 0-5, SF
  • Tucupita Marcano 1-5, BB, SB
  • Malcom Nunez 2-5
  • Nick Gonzales 0-4, BB, 3 K
  • Miguel Andujar 2-4, 2B, BB
  • Cal Mitchell 3-5, 3 RBI

Game Recap:

Indianapolis (5-5) lost to St. Paul, 10-6, in 12 innings.  The Indians came back to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, tenth and 11th, but finally couldn’t catch up.

Osvaldo Bido had another good start, allowing one run over four innings.  Indy trailed, though, 3-1, in the ninth, but Cal Mitchell tied it with a bases-loaded single.  After St. Paul got the free runner home in the tenth, but a sacrifice fly by Endy Rodriguez tied it.

John O’Reilly came on for the 11th for Indy and got hit around a lot over the last two innings.  He gave up the free run and one other in the tenth, but Indy tied it again.  Miguel Andujar doubled in the free runner and Mitchell singled in Andujar.  In the 12th, though, O’Reilly let four runs score and Indy couldn’t get any back.

Mitchell finished with three hits and three RBIs.  Malcom Nunez and Andujar each had two hits.  Nick Gonzales fanned three times and has now struck out 16 times in 33 ABs.  Chris Owings fanned four times.  Indy had nine hits, eight of them singles.

DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE

Season Preview

Box Score: LINK

Starting Pitcher: Aaron Shortridge

  • Final Line: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 6 K

Notable Performances:

  • Henry Davis 0-2, 2 BB
  • Liover Peguero 0-4
  • Matt Gorski 1-1, 2B
  • Jacob Gonzalez 1-3, HR (1)
  • Domingo Leyba 2-4, HR (1)
  • Matt Fraizer 3-4, 2B, HR (1)

Game Recap:

Altoona (1-3) finally got some offense going and picked up its first win, 9-1, over Erie.  Aaron Shortridge rebounded well from his first outing, a dismal relief appearance.  He went five, allowing one run on three hits and no walks, fanning six.  Four relievers threw a scoreless inning each to finish it.  Cam Junker and Juan Minaya each fanned three, as Altoona totaled 14 strikeouts for the day.

The bottom of the order keyed the offense.  Batting eighth and ninth, Domingo Leyba and Matt Fraizer hit back-to-back home runs in the second.  Leyba finished with two hits and two RBIs, Fraizer with three hits, including a double, and three runs.  He now has an OPS of 1.091, so maybe he’s getting some of the 2021 magic back.

The other big offensive game came from Jacob Gonzalez, who didn’t start.  Matt Gorski led off the second with a double, then signaled the bench and walked off.  He didn’t seem in distress, so hopefully he just tweaked something.  Gonzalez ran for Gorski, then later connected for a three-run bomb.

The Curve got the nine runs on just eight hits and two walks, but stranded only two runners.

HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS

Season Preview

Box Score: LINK

Starting Pitcher: Valentin Linarez

  • Final Line: 4 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K

Notable Performances:

  • Tsung-Che Cheng 3-6, 3B, HR (1)
  • Abrahan Gutierrez 2-4, 2 2B, 2 BB
  • Mike Jarvis 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, 2 HBP
  • Jase Bowen 2-5, 2B, BB, 4 RBI
  • Sammy Siani 2-3, 2 BB

Game Recap:

Greensboro (3-1) beat Jersey Shore, 13-9, in a walk-a-thon that must have been painful to watch.

The offense piled up 12 hits and 11 walks, and also got hit with three pitches.  Tsung-Che Cheng, Abrahan Gutierrez, Jase Bowen and Sammy Siani had big days.  Cheng had three hits, including a triple and home run.  Gutierrez and Siani each reached base four times on two hits and two walks.  In Gutierrez’ case, the hits were both doubles.  Bowen drove in four runs.

Mike Jarvis and Luke Brown had big days without doing much hitting.  Jarvis reached five times on a double, two walks and two hit batsmen.  Brown reached four times on three walks and one hit batsman, and scored three runs.

In the midst of all that offense, Hudson Head had a rough day, going 0-for-6 with three strikeouts.  He’s batting .077.

Valentin Linarez made his first start of the season and threw four shutout innings.  He gave up three hits and two walks.

I mentioned in the Hoppers preview that they have a lot of pitchers with good arms who haven’t found the ability to throw strikes.  Well, Greensboro pitchers have now walked 32 in 36 innings so far this year.  The Hoppers on this day only allowed five hits, but walked 13.

Jersey Shore got its first three runs without a hit when Mitchell Miller opened the fifth by loading the bases with two walks and a hit batsman, followed by a wild pitch and two ground outs.

Things got totally out of hand in the ninth.  Drew Irvine, who allowed two runs and retired just one batter in his first appearance of the year, walked the first three batters.  Oliver Mateo then came on to walk three more and allow a single, while getting just one out.  Cy Nielson followed with the bases loaded and immediately walked in another run before getting two strikeouts to end it.  On the day, the Hoppers’ bullpen threw 133 pitches, only 66 for strikes.

LOW-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS

Season Preview

Box Score: LINK

Starting Pitcher: Dominic Perachi

  • Final Line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Notable Performances:

  • Jesus Castillo 2-4, BB
  • Javier Rivas 0-3, BB
  • Jack Brannigan 2-4, 2 SB

Game Recap:

Bradenton (1-3) lost to Lakeland, 7-4.

Two pitchers drafted in 2022 made their pro debuts, neither terribly good.  Lefty Dominic Perachi, an 11th round pick, started and went three and a third.  He gave up two runs on five hits and two walks.  Twentieth-rounder Josh Loeschorn had a very rough debut, allowing five runs over one inning.

The Marauders had seven hits, all singles, and five walks.  They went 1-for-9 with RISP.  Jesus Castillo reached three times on two hits and a walk.  He’s now batting .455.  Jack Brannigan had two hits and stole two bases, including home.

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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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