The full-season affiliates of the Pirates wrapped up their week with four afternoon games. The four starting pitchers combined threw 10.1 innings, and all are regular starters. The results were very poor for the group, allowing a total of 17 runs in their abbreviated outings. The teams still managed to go 2-2 on the day.
YESTERDAY’S RESULTS
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
INDIANAPOLIS @ TOLEDO
Final Score: Indianapolis 9, Toledo 5
Indianapolis Starter: Kent Emanuel (1-1, 8.03)
Pitching Line: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
Box Score
Top Performers:
- Nick Gonzales 1-for-5, 2B
- Endy Rodriguez 0-for-4, BB
- Cal Mitchell 1-for-5
Game Recap:
There’s a theme with today’s games that you won’t like to see. It starts with Kent Emanuel lasting just 2.1 innings, while throwing 58 pitches. He allowed four runs on six hits and two walks, raising him to a 9.88 ERA. It could have been worse, but reliever Hunter Stratton stranded two inherited runners by recording the final two outs of the third.
Eli Villalobos threw a scoreless fourth. JC Flowers took over in the fifth and gave up one run over two innings, while striking out four batters. Colin Selby had two perfect innings with four strikeouts. Daniel Zamora finished it off with three strikeouts and one hit in the ninth.
Indianapolis won the battle of dueling windmills with a 9-5 victory. The two teams combined for 33 strikeouts.
Chris Owings had the big game with four hits, including a double and a homer. He drove in three runs and scored twice.
Josh Palacios had three hits, a run and an RBI. Aaron Shackelford and Ryan Vilade hit homers. Josh Bissonette drove in two runs.
Nick Gonzales hit his fourth double of the year. Endy Rodriguez went 0-for-4 in his second game since returning to catching.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE
ALTOONA @ RICHMOND
Final Score: Richmond 4, Altoona 1
Altoona Starter: Kyle Nicolas (1-3, 5.32)
Pitching Line: 3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO
Box Score
Top Performers:
- Liover Peguero 0-for-4
- Matt Gorski 1-for-4, SB
- Drew Maggi 1-for-4, RBI, SB
Game Recap:
Sunday was not a good day for starting pitchers in the Pirates system. Kyle Nicolas was knocked out of his start with no outs in the fourth inning. He gave up three runs on four hits and three walks, while striking out five batters. That raised him to a 5.74 ERA through six starts.
Travis MacGregor took over for Nicolas and allowed one of two inherited runners to score. He posted three scoreless innings of his own, picking up four strikeouts. Braeden Ogle allowed a run in his only inning. Juan Minaya lowered his ERA to 0.75 with a scoreless frame.
The offense only pushed one run across the plate, despite collecting two hits with runners in scoring position. Drew Maggi singled in Matt Gorski with the lone run. Both players stole a base as well. Connor Scott is having a very rough year, but he stole his first two bases of the season. He has a .129 average. Fabricio Macias had two hits.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
GREENSBORO @ WINSTON-SALEM
Final Score: Greensboro 8, Winston-Salem 7
Greensboro Starter: Bubba Chandler (2-0, 4.03)
Pitching Line: 2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO
Box Score
Top Performers:
- Tsung-Che Cheng 0-for-3, 2 BB
- Jase Bowen 0-for-4, BB
- Hudson Head 0-for-4
- Sammy Siani 1-for-2, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB
Game Recap:
Things did not go well for Bubba Chandler on Sunday. He was pulled after allowing the first two batters to reach in the third inning. That was after giving up two runs in the second inning. He finished with four runs on three hits and four walks in two frames. He threw 48 pitches, with 22 going for strikes. He now has a 5.18 ERA through 24.1 innings.
Jaycob Deese followed in the third inning and allowed one inherited run to score. He threw two scoreless of his own. Brad Case had a shutout frame in the fifth. Oliver Mateo and Dante Mendoza each allowed a run over the next two innings. Cy Nielson came in for the final out of the seventh, then stayed for the eighth. He threw 1.1 scoreless, stranding two inherited runners.
Jack Carey took the ninth up two runs, and he needed help to finish off the win. He recorded one out, while allowing a run on one hit and two walks. Mitchell Miller got the final two outs.
Greensboro scored all of their runs in the sixth inning, while trailing 4-0 to start the frame. Mike Jarvis brought in two runs with a bases loaded single. Tres Gonzalez followed with a two-run single. Sammy Siani hit a three-run homer, which was followed by an inside-the-park homer by Maikol Escotto, his third homer of the season. Siani’s homer was his second of the year. He also stole his eighth base and walked twice. Jarvis stole his ninth base.
LOW-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
BRADENTON @ TAMPA
Final Score: Tampa 10, Bradenton 7
Bradenton Starter: Derek Diamond (2-2, 5.00)
Pitching Line: 3 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
Box Score
Top Performers:
- Jesus Castillo 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, 2 SB
- Jared Triolo 3-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, BB, 3 Runs
- Enmanuel Terrero 2-for-5, 2 RBI
- Rodolfo Nolasco 2-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 BB
- Shalin Polanco 0-for-5
Game Recap:
Derek Diamond has struggled so far in a starting role with Bradenton, and Sunday’s game was rough as well, though the defense didn’t do him any favors. He gave up six runs (four earned) over three innings, on five hits, one walk and four strikeouts.
Joshua Loeschern followed with 1.2 scoreless on two walks and three strikeouts. Darvin Garcia allowed an unearned run in his lone inning. Yunior Thibo allowed an unearned run in one inning. Yoldin De La Paz gave up two runs in 1.1 innings, as Bradenton lost 10-7.
Rodolfo Nolasco had a big game, with a single, his seventh double and three walks in five trips to the plate. He drove in a pair of runs. Jared Triolo was just as good, with two doubles, a single, three runs, an RBI and a walk.
Enmanuel Terrero had two hits and drove in a pair. Jesus Castillo had a single, two walks and two steals. The rest of the lineup went 2-for-21.
Shalin Polanco had a rough game. Besides going 0-for-5, he left nine runners on base.