Henry Davis had two bombs and a double, and Matt Gorski continued to recover from a bad start, but Altoona lost in extras anyway. Dominic Perachi had a good start and Termarr Johnson showed signs of life, but Bradenton lost in extras anyway. Greensboro won behind a big game from Jase Bowen and Indianapolis got stomped.
SUNDAY’S RESULTS
Prospect Watch: Eight-Run Inning Leads Greensboro to Victory
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
INDIANAPOLIS @ ST. PAUL
Final Score: St. Paul 11, Indianapolis (15-18) 3
Indianapolis Starter: Caleb Smith
Pitching Line: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Box Score
Top Performers:
- Nick Gonzales 1-4, 2B, BB
- Aaron Shackelford 1-3, BB
- Chavez Young 2-3, 3B, BB, SB
Game Recap:
Indianapolis got routed by St. Paul, 11-3.
Caleb Smith is having a strange year. He’s started six games. In three, he allowed a total of four runs over 16.2 IP. In the other three, he’s allowed 22 runs in ten innings. He was mentioned as a possibility to replace Vince Velasquez, but that seems awfully farfetched after his eight-earned-run, three and two-thirds innings outing today.
Following Smith, Hunter Stratton and Eli Villalobos combined for two and a third scoreless innings, but Yerry De Los Santos and John O’Reilly gave up three runs between them.
With Smith having put them in a deep hole early, the Indy hitters needed to put together some good at-bats, but instead they put together Pirates-in-May at-bats. In the second, they loaded the bases with one out and failed to score. In the third, they got runners to second and third with nobody out, only to see Canaan Smith-Njigba, Endy Rodriguez and Ryan Vilade all whiff on pitches far out of the strike zone.
Indy eventually got all its runs on RBIs from Chavez Young. He had a two-run single and an RBI triple. With seven hits and seven walks, they had plenty of chances, but they went 1-for-11 with RISP. Nick Gonzales and Rodriguez each had a double, and Vinny Capra drew three walks. Jared Triolo made his AAA debut, going 1-for-4. Canaan Smith-Njigba went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Since being optioned, he’s fanned 12 times in 27 ABs.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE
ALTOONA VS AKRON
Final Score:Akron 12, Altoona (13-13) 6
Altoona Starter: Justin Meis
Pitching Line: 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Box Score
Top Performers:
- Henry Davis 3-4, 2B, 2 HR (8)
- Matt Gorski 3-5, 2B, HR (4)
- Tyler Samaniego 1.2 IP
Game Recap:
Henry Davis and Matt Gorski had big days, but Altoona couldn’t translate them into many runs. The Curve ended up losing to Akron, 12-6, when Tahnaj Thomas got obliterated for seven runs in the tenth inning.
With Ben Cherington in attendance, Davis went deep twice, giving him eight on the year, and also doubled. And, of course, he got hit by a pitch. He’s now batting 316/464/711. Gorski singled, doubled and homered, the latter his fourth on the year. After a dismal start, Gorski has his OPS up to .713.
But nobody else did much for Altoona, except Andres Alvarez, who singled and walked twice. The Curve went 1-for-14 with RISP.
Justin Meis didn’t have a great start. He went four and left with two on and nobody out in the fifth. Both runners scored on an error by Liover Peguero, leaving Meis responsible for four runs, three earned.
The only other run in regulation came when Oliver Garcia and Cam Junker combined to walk four straight batters in the sixth. Juan Minaya, Tyler Samaniego and Noe Toribio went a total of four scoreless innings.
That all led to a disastrous tenth for Thomas. Altoona was able to get the free runner home in the bottom half, but that was all.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
GREENSBORO VS JERSEY SHORE
Final Score: Greensboro (17-11) 7, Jersey Shore 5
Greensboro Starter: Valentin Linarez
Pitching Line:3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Box Score
Top Performers:
- Tsung-Che Cheng 1-3, 2B, BB
- Jase Bowen 2-4, 2B, HR (6), 4 RBI
- Hudson Head 2-3, BB
- Will Kobos 1.1 IP, 3 K
Game Recap:
Greensboro and Jersey Shore put up a lot of offense early, with the Hoppers leading, 7-5, after three and a half. Then the offense stopped and there was no more scoring, giving the Hoppers a win.
Jase Bowen put up a lot of the offense. He had a two-run double in the first and a two-run home run, his sixth longball of the year, in the third. Those ended up being three-run innings for the Hoppers, enough to get them a win.
Hudson Head was the only other player with two hits and he also reached on a walk. Tsung-Che Cheng had a double and a walk. His batting line now stands at 278/387/544, and he has just two fewer walks than strikeouts. Jackson Glenn also doubled, and Wyatt Hendrie doubled in his first game at the level.
Valentin Linarez had a shaky start, lasting only three innings and allowing three runs. Grant Ford allowed two over the next three innings, but it got him the win. Michell Miliano managed a scoreless inning and two-thirds despite giving up two hits and three walks. Will Kobos bailed Miliano out of a bases-loaded jam and ended up retiring the last four batters, three on strikes, for the save.
LOW-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
BRADENTON VS LAKELAND
Final Score: Lakeland 7, Bradenton (16-12) 6
Bradenton Starter: Dominic Perachi
Pitching Line: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 9 K
Box Score
Top Performers:
- Enmanuel Terrero 2-5, SB
- Termarr Johnson 2-5, 2B
- Rodolfo Nolasco 1-3, 2 BB
- Javier Rivas 2-4
- Elijah Birdsong 2 IP, 4 H, 3 K
- Miguel Fulgencio IP
Game Recap:
Bradenton got a strong start from Dominic Perachi, but a bullpen meltdown cost them a 7-6, 10-inning loss to Lakeland.
Perachi fanned nine over five innings. He gave up just three hits and a walk, and was charged with one run. He left with a 3-1 lead, as the Marauders got a run on a ground out in the first, then Javier Rivas and Geovanny Planchart each singled in a run in the fifth.
Elijah Birdsong and Miguel Fulgencio held the lead, for two innings and one, respectively. Fulgencio has yet to allow a hit in three, one-inning outings. Unfortunately, Mike Walsh gave up three in the top of the ninth to put Lakeland ahead, 4-3. Bradenton came back to tie the game in the bottom half on a two-out, RBI double by Deivis Nadal, which was only fair because a Nadal error let in one of the runs off Walsh.
In the tenth, Ryan Harbin had a shot to put up a zero when the free runner got thrown out at home. Unfortunately, Harbin got knocked around for three runs after that. The Marauders got two in the bottom half and put runners at first and second with one out, but they couldn’t get the tying run in.
Termarr Johnson struck out his first two times up, but finished 2-for-5 with a double.
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.
I wished the Bucs would have taken Veen over Nick G. But I also wanted them to take Kendrick that year too. But that was just due to him being from Pittsburgh.
I wonder if Connor Scott might want to try pitching, don’t think his bat will get him to the majors. I think he was a pretty good pitcher in high school.
Either that or pumping gas.
Send him to extend spring training, maybe to the FCL if he shows anything. I wouldn’t mind seeing Tre Gonzalez up to Altoona in his place.
Definitely more than a little taken back by Termarr’s unwillingness to adjust early on, but my god is this kid a pure ball striker.
Once he grows up he’s gonna be a stud.
The swing is extremely impressive, but I’m repeatedly left wondering how he’s swinging through middle-middle fastballs. Alarmingly similar to Nick G.
big, big red flag. I’m holding my breath on youthful exuberance, but…
So, would there be a rule against just having Hank Davis take BP between innings at PNC?
Can’t imagine Cherington drives back to the Altoona Wingate and thinks that Davis needs another month in AA
One of the few bright spots in an absolutely brutal developmental start to the season.
he wasnt there to see tank
he was there to review left handed relief pitching
I’m sure he didn’t go to the bathroom when Davis was in the ondeck circle
A lot of concern for Nick and his strike-outs, which is understood. The positive flipside is when he makes contract, he is about as good as they get. This year he is 23 for 49 for a .469 average when he makes contact.
Neil Walker 2008 bb/k in Indianapolis was 29/102
2009 was 26 / 60
he spent 2+ years down there
Good example on why not to rush him, but to still have high hopes for Nick’s future.
In 2008, Walker hit .319 with balls he made contact with. In 2010, when he improved on his contact he had an an overall average of .321.
Nick last year had an average of .415 on balls he made contact with and .469 this year so far. If he cuts down on his strike outs the next two years like the way Walker did, watch out.
Tank, Endy, Triolo and Nick for Hedges, Tucu, Bae and Andujar
how many more weeks?
Nick and his 35% SO rate isn’t coming up anytime soon.
Tank looks like he needs a new challenge. Hopefully this will cause something to change with the Catcher positions in Pittsburgh and Indy next month.
Triolo needs more time in Indy.
They can find playing time for both Endy and Davis in Indy. They are going to have to figure it out in Pittsburgh eventually anyway, it’s time for Davis to be in AAA
There’s still no sense of urgency with this team. It’s still, “We’re not looking at the record.”
I think part of what’s been going on all along has been stalling. Once the hyped guys are all up, nobody’s going to want to hear about process. It’ll be put up or shut up time. They don’t want that coming any sooner than they can help.
And to my point, Davis is sitting today…they can easily figure out how to get both Endy and Davis time behind the dish with all these rest days and the DH.