The Pirates won a wild game last night on a walk off homer from Carlos Santana. Now winners of four in a row, the Pirates are showing that they refuse to quit on this season. Johan Oviedo takes on the Brewers, looking to extend the winning streak this afternoon.
Down in the minors, it’s a big day for pitching prospects. Quinn Priester takes the mound for Indianapolis. In his last start, Priester struck out 11 batters in six shutout innings. He’s had issues putting up back-to-back good outings in what has been an inconsistent season.
Anthony Solometo makes his latest start for Altoona. In two starts so far, the lefty has a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings, striking out 13 and walking two.
Thomas Harrington is a guy who has stepped up this year, after being taken with the 36th overall pick last year. Harrington has five starts with Greensboro, posting a 4.35 ERA in 20.2 innings. His 26:5 K/BB ratio stands out, and he’s actually been better at home for Greensboro.
Follow along with all of the action throughout the day in the comments, and check back later for the recaps.
PIRATES (39-42) VS MILWAUKEE
Game Time: 4:05 PM EST
Pirates Starter: Johan Oviedo, RHP (3-8, 4.06)
Brewers Starter: Corbin Burnes, RHP (5-5, 4.10)
Pirates Lineups:
Aloha Game 2
Brewers Lineups:
Time to battle back!
INDIANAPOLIS (35-42) AT LOUISVILLE
Game Time: 7:15 PM EST
Projected Starter: Quinn Priester, RHP (7-3, 4.36)
Latest Features:7/1: Defensive Focus Might Be Driving Bat Down For Endy Rodriguez
6/30: Cam Alldred Continues To Answer Call For Indianapolis
6/21: Changeup Helps Jared Jones In Strong Triple-A DebutALTOONA (34-37) AT HARRISBURG
Game Time: 7:00 PM EST
Projected Starter: Anthony Solometo, LHP (0-1, 1.80)
Latest Features:6/22: Power Continues To Come Through For Liover Peguero
6/9: Jared Jones Continues Incredible Development With Altoona
6/1: Matt Gorski Displays Athleticism And VersatilityGREENSBORO (37-34) AT HICKORY
Game Time: 7:00 PM EST
Projected Starter: Thomas Harrington, RHP (0-1, 4.35)
Latest Features:6/29: Breaking Pitches Allowed JP Massey To Dominate Single-A
6/25: Jase Bowen Turning Into An Offensive Threat
6/15: Anthony Solometo Promotion A Win For 2021 Draft ClassBRADENTON (38-33) VS CLEARWATER
Game Time: 6:30 PM EST
Projected Starter: TBA
Latest Features:6/26:Bradenton Rotation Leading FSL Through First Half
6/22: Young Bradenton Hitters Making Progress
6/20: Termarr Johnson: Patience Brings Career Day At The PlateFCL PIRATES (14-5)
Game Time: 10:00 AM EST
Projected Starter: Cristopher Cruz, RHP (1-0, 0.00)
Latest Features:6/16: Is This The Year For A Solomon Maguire Breakout?
6/12: Pirates 2023 Minor League Preview: FCL Pirates
6/11: Pitching Depth Continues To Grow With Jun-Seok Shim DebutDSL PIRATES BLACK (7-12)
Game Time: 10:30 AM EST
Projected Starter: Janderson Linares, LHP (0-1, 6.75)
Latest Features:**Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Dominican Summer League Pirates
DSL PIRATES GOLD (14-5)
Game Time: 10:30 AM EST
Projected Starter: Victor Cabreja, LHP (0-0, 0.90)
Latest Features:**Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Dominican Summer League Pirates
THE NEW PROSPECT WATCH
With all of our game reports now going into this daily article, the Prospect Watch has been repurposed as a daily look at three prospects throughout the system. Check the site each day at noon for the latest edition. We’ll keep the archives updated here.
6/30: Owen Kellington, Alika Williams, Jackson Grounds
6/28: Lonnie White Jr., Kelvin Diaz, Yojeiry Osoria
6/25: Quinn Priester, Canaan Smith-Njigba, Jhonson Pena
6/24: Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, Adolfo Oviedo
6/23: Michael Kennedy, Po-Yu Chen, Wyatt Hendrie
6/22: Braxton Ashcraft, Jase Bowen, Maikol Escotto
6/21: Termarr Johnson, Connor Scott, Enmanuel TerreroDAILY PIRATES NEWS
Ryan Palencer writes about how defensive focus might be driving the bat down for Endy Rodriguez.
**Defensive Focus Might Be Driving Bat Down For Endy Rodriguez
My column yesterday looked at the grades for the position players on the Pirates’ 40-man roster.
**Williams: Tathata and the Present Day Grades of the Pirates Position Players
Anthony Murphy has the rundown of yesterday’s win, plus a look at a catcher in Bradenton putting up interesting numbers.
**Pirates Prospects Daily: Santana Walks it Off, Small Samples in Bradenton
More Recent Pirates Features
6/30: Williams: Tathata and the Present Day Grades of the Pirates Position Players
6/29: Jared Triolo Has Positive Recovery From Negative Start to the Year
6/29: This May Be Exactly What This Team Needed
6/28: The Key To Success For Nick Gonzales
6/28: Williams: The Pains of Part-Time Players Getting Too Much Playing Time
6/28: Gallery: Pirates Unveil City Connect JerseysPIRATES RECAP
By Jeff Reed
Check back at the end of the night for all of the daily results throughout the system, or, join the discussion in the comments if you’re following Live.
Final Score: Brewers 11, Pirates 8
Player of the Game: Jack Suwinski 2-for-4, HR (17), 4 RBI
Recap:The Pirates entered the day on a four-game winning streak, and early it appeared evident that wouldn’t continue. Johan Oviedo had limited control from the beginning, while Corbin Burnes did not.
Oviedo walked Christian Yelich to start the game, who then came around to score on a sacrifice fly for an early 1-0 lead. It got worse in the second inning when the Brewers put up five more runs for an early 6-0 lead, with three of those runs coming off the bat of Yelich on a three-run home run.
Over the next three innings, Oviedo calmed down and was then looking to find his way through six innings after a tumultuous start. The first two batters singled, and that brought an end to his day with Derek Shelton opting to bring in Roansy Contreras. In similar fashion, Ro walked the first batter he faced. The next batter laced a double — more of a single that Jack Suwinski slipped while fielding — to right center to clear the bases and push the deficit to 9-0. The Brewers scored another in the inning for a 10-0 lead. The book on Oviedo closed with eight earned runs in five innings.
Now for the portion of the game buried until this point. The Pirates didn’t have a base runner for the first five innings of the game. There were a couple hard hit liners, but they were right at fielders, with Henry Davis hitting a 103.8 MPH shot to third base that Brian Anderson was able to snag.3
To start the sixth, Burnes threw seven straight balls to begin, walking Jared Triolo to officially end the perfect game, and then Ji-Hwan Bae eventually on six pitches. After two outs, Andrew McCutchen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Suwinski came up and put an end to the no hitter and shutout by lining a two-run single to right field.
Brewers added a run on a solo home run in top of eighth, and then the Pirates finally started stringing hits together with Burnes out of the game. Jason Delay hit a one out double, that was followed by a Josh Palacios RBI single, and then Suwinski hit a two-run home run off a left handed reliever to make it 11-5. Connor Joe walked, Henry Davis singled, and then the pitcher was pulled for old friend Bryse Wilson. Tucupita Marcano greeted him with a ball that fell just out of Yelich’s grasp, and bounced to the wall for a two-run triple. Triolo was up next, and hit a double off the top of the Clemente Wall to make it 11-8. In came pinch hitter Rodolfo Castro who struck out in a 3-2 count to end the threat.
After the first out in the ninth, there was a quick rain delay, and everything had cooled down by the time the game resumed with the Pirates losing 11-8.
PIRATES PROSPECT WATCH
By Wilbur Miller
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS
Final Score: Indianapolis 14, Louisville 8
Player of the Game: Cal Mitchell 2-for-3, 2B, HR (8), 4 RBI
Recap:Indianapolis scored a dozen runs in the last three innings to erase an 8-2 deficit, and went on to beat Louisville, 14-8.
In AAA, Quinn Priester generally has dominated or struggled. There hasn’t been much in between. This one was on the struggling side. He did get through five innings, but he gave up four runs on five hits and three walks, with five strikeouts. In his seven weakest starts, his ERA is 11.00. In his other nine starts, it’s 1.20.
Priester left with the score 5-2. The two runs scored in the fourth on a double by Alika Williams and a sacrifice fly. Replacing Priester, Rob Zastryzny came on for the sixth and gave up three runs while retiring only two batters. John O’Reilly let two of those runners score, then gave up a solo home run to make it 8-2.
Once the seventh rolled around, Indy went to town. They got five in that inning, one in the eighth and six in the ninth. What seemed to set it off was Cal Mitchell pinch hitting for Aaron Shackelford in the seventh. He doubled in that inning and homered in the ninth, his eighth of the year, and finished with four RBIs.
Canaan Smith-Njigba had a single, double and walk, and drove in three. Williams stayed hot, getting three hits, including the double. He’s batting 288/377/470 for Indy. Ryan Vilade had a double and four walks. Miguel Andujar had two hits and two RBIs.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA
Final Score: Altoona 4, Harrisburg 2
Player of the Game: Anthony Solometo 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Recap:Anthony Solometo continued to master AA, throwing five shutout innings as Altoona beat Harrisburg, 4-2. Solometo gave up just one hit and one walk, and fanned five. He now has a 1.20 ERA and .170 opponents’ batting average since he moved up.
The offense mostly came in the fourth, including two solo home runs. Matt Gorski hit his tenth and Mason Martin his 13th. A third run scored in the inning when Dylan Shockley got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Bear Bellomy and Oliver Garcia each threw a scoreless inning after Solometo left. Tahnaj Thomas, though, couldn’t find the plate. He walked all four hitters he faced in the eighth to force in a run. Tyler Samaniego came on with one out and the bases loaded, and got out of the inning with only one more run scoring, leaving it 3-2.
Shockley singled home an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Samaniego issued a one-out walk in the bottom half, but fanned the next two hitters to end the game.
Gorski was the only Altoona player with two hits.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO
Final Score: Hickory 5, Greensboro 4
Player of the Game: Brenden Dixon 2-for-3, HR (6), BB
Recap:Greensboro lost to Hickory, 5-4, in ten innings on a walkoff sacrifice fly. The Hoppers got their free runner home in the top of the inning, but gave up two in the bottom half.
Thomas Harrington had a solid start, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings. He fanned seven. The Hoppers had taken a 3-1 lead when Brenden Dixon hit his sixth home run of the year in the third, then two more scored in the fourth on a passed ball and a single by Eli Wilson. Harrington, though, gave up a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth.
After Harrington left, Michell Miliano and Cy Nielson threw two scoreless innings apiece to get the game to extras. A Jackson Glenn sacrifice fly brought in the free runner in the tenth, but in the bottom half Yunior Thibo gave up a game-tying single to the first batter he faced, then loaded the bases with a walk and hit batsman. Jake Stevenson replaced Thibo, but gave up a sacrifice fly to end it.
Dixon had a single along with the homer. Mike Jarvis had a single and double.
SINGLE-A: BRADENTON
Final Score: Bradenton 6, Clearwater 3
Player of the Game: Derek Diamond 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Recap:Derek Diamond turned in an outstanding start as Bradenton beat Clearwater, 6-3. Diamond threw six shutout innings, giving up just three hits and a walk. To put this in context, Clearwater is easily the FSL’s dominant team. They lead in runs scored by a wide margin and have the best record, over the Marauders and one other team, by 10 games. After a rough start to the season, Diamond has allowed one run over 17 innings in his last three starts.
The Marauders got three in the third on an RBI single by Jesus Castillo, and RBI double by Shalin Polanco and a ground out. Single runs followed over the next three innings on a single by Francisco Acuna, an error and a single by Polanco.
Once Diamond was out, Ryan Harbin was even more dominant. He retired six straight over two innings, with five strikeouts. Harbin now has an 0.85 ERA and 12.2 K/9.
Julian Bosnic came on for the ninth and nearly gave up the game. He retired only two of eight batters and left with two runs in and the bases loaded. Elijah Birdsong got the last out to pick up the save.
Polanco finished with a single, a double and a walk, and two RBIs. Castillo had a hit and two walks.
ROOKIE: FCL PIRATES
Final Score: Orioles 11, Pirates 6
Player of the Game: Esmerlyn Valdez 3-for-4, 2B, HR (4), 2 runs, 2 RBI
Recap:The Pirates had a late-inning bullpen meltdown and lost to the Orioles, 11-6.
They’d taken a 3-0 lead in the second on RBI hits by Braylon Bishop, Eybert Escalona and Wesley Zapata. Cristopher Cruz made his third appearance of the year and looked good in the first inning, striking out the side. In the second, though, he gave up a three-run home run to tie the game and left after a walk.
Gilberto Alcala followed and allowed just one run over three and two-thirds. That came on a solo home run and ended up costing him the “L.” After Alcala came Andres Silvera, making his first appearance since emerging from the injured list. Silvera wasn’t a prominent signing, but he was probably the Pirates’ best pitcher, performance-wise, in the DSL last year. Despite the fact that this is his third year, he won’t turn 19 for several weeks. He had a quick inning, getting two strikeouts and a popup.
The Pirates, meanwhile, weren’t getting any offense despite hitting a lot of balls hard. In the seventh, Eliecer Romero and Keneth Quintanilla combined to allow seven runs, six charged to Romero. Three were unearned, as errors and other defensive flubbery contributed to a lot of the trouble.
The Bucs managed to get three back in the eighth, but that was all. Javier Rivas led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly. With two out, Axiel Plaz singled and scored when Esmerlyn Valdez launched his fourth home run of the year. Only three players in the league have more homers, and Valdez has played only 12 of the Pirates’ 20 games. One of the players ahead of him is a 24-year-old on rehab and another is 23.
For the day, Valdez had three hits, falling a triple short of a cycle. He’s batting 390/469/780. Rivas also had three hits. Zapata had two. Lonnie White, Jr., went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly, then came out late in the game as part of the team’s practice of putting in several substitutes to try to account for its roster crunch.
ROOKIE: DSL PIRATES BLACK
Final Score: Pirates Black 4, Tigers 2 3
Player of the Game: Joseph Sequera 2-for-3, HR (1), 2 RBI
Recap:The Black team won on a walk-off, bases-loaded walk to Samuel Escudero in the bottom of the seventh.
Janderson Linares had a good start, giving up one run and fanning five over three innings. He gave up two hits and two walks. He was followed by Carlos Mateo, the team’s top pitching signee this year, bonus-wise. Mateo threw a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and one walk, and striking out two, so that’s a good development.
The Pirates took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second when 17-year-old catcher Joseph Sequera led off with his first professional home run, then Yosmar Gimenez singled, stole second and came around on two wild pitches.
The teams traded runs in the fifth. Brandison Polanco gave up an unearned run in the top half, but Sequera put the Pirates back up with a two-out single to score Andres Villafane, who’d singled, stolen second and taken third on a wild pitch.
Polanco gave up another run in the sixth on a walk and a triple to start the inning, but he managed not to allow the runner to score from third. In the bottom of the seventh, two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases and the walk to Escudero ended it. Sequera and Villafane each had two hits. Villafane, another 17-year-old, signed for $150,000 and was making his first appearance after coming off the injured list.
ROOKIE: DSL PIRATES GOLD
Final Score: Red Sox Red 4, Pirates Gold 3
Player of the Game: Carlos Tirado 2-for-4, 2B
Recap:The Gold team got a good start from Victor Cabreja, but the bullpen couldn’t hold up and the team lost to the Red Sox, 4-3.
Cabreja went four. He walked three and didn’t strike out anybody, but he allowed only two hits and one run. He left with a 2-1 lead, but Jesus Clode gave up a run in two innings and Luis C. Gonzalez allowed two in his two innings. The offense was only able to come back with one more.
The Pirates got one in the first when Carlos Tirado singled with two outs and Eduardo Oviedo doubled to drive him in. The second came in the fourth, when Juan Machado walked, stole second, and came around on a fly ball and a wild pitch. The final run came in the seventh when Machado walked again and Tirado doubled him home. Tirado had two of the team’s five hits, although they also drew nine walks.
