With the All-Star break next week, all full season teams with the exception of Greensboro play on Monday, having last Tuesday off instead. So Indianapolis, Altoona, and Bradenton all wrap up their weekly series today.
Altoona clinched the series victory against Harrisburg after shutting them out 2-0. Braxton Ashcraft is expected up next as he looks to continue his really strong start in Double-A.
With their loss on Sunday, Bradenton can at best take two of the six against Clearwater and Indianapolis will go for a series split versus Louisville.
Greensboro has the day off after getting the six game sweep against Hickory. They have a big series at home coming up against Aberdeen and Jackson Holliday.
JOHN DREKER: Jared Jones, RHP, Indianapolis (AAA)
Jared Jones had a start on Sunday that reminded me a lot of him prior to this year. He has shown tremendous improvements this season in his ability to limit walks and attack hitters. I was skeptical of him prior to this season. Not that he wouldn’t make the majors, but that he would be able to make it as a starter. I was as certain as you can be about a pitcher that he would at minimum make a strong power reliever due to his off-speed pitches and velocity, which would play up in shorter outings. With him being only 21 years old for most of this season, there was also no rush to move into a relief role. I’ve changed my mind about him this year, though I still think you need to have patience with him.
Jones has a big league fastball and curveball. The fastball was consistently 96-98 MPH on Sunday. The curve is a true out pitch. The command of those pitches isn’t there yet. That was evident on Sunday when he left some pitches right over the middle that got hit hard, leading to four runs in less than five innings. He wasn’t giving up cheap hits until a slow bouncer in the fifth. Everything was hit hard, including some that didn’t go for hits. He also missed badly on some pitches, which led to him throwing 95 pitches over 4.2 innings. I also feel like he got some help from the opposing hitters, going after pitches that won’t work at a higher level. It’s one start though, and it’s also his worst start of the year, so it’s obviously been better before Sunday. No need to worry about him, but it’s good to have patience.
ANTHONY MURPHY: Derek Diamond, RHP Bradenton (A)
It’s hard sometimes to get a gauge on college pitchers playing in Single-A. Generally speaking they should have a natural advantage over most hitters, as their experience is usually beyond what most have seen to this point in their professional careers.
So, sometimes it’s hard to buy into what Derek Diamond is doing right now with Bradenton, but there’s one thing that plays no matter what level you are at: He throws strikes.
Diamond has been one of the better strike throwers in the system this season, and put that on display Saturday in his latest start. Of his 88 pitches he threw, 16 were called strikes, over half of them being from his breaking pitches.
He hammered back-door breaking pitches against left-handed hitters and seeing that, it isn’t much a surprise he’s putting up better reverse splits this year (.221 vs LH, .317 vs RH).
WILBUR MILLER: Josiah Sightler, 1B, Bradenton (A)
The Pirates drafted Sightler in the 2022 15th round as a college senior out of South Carolina. They’ve traditionally treated first base as a throwaway position in the minors, a way to get playing time for utility guys and backup catchers, which is probably one reason they’ve had so much trouble with the position in the majors. So Sightler isn’t stepping into a common development pattern. And he’s hardly played so far, as he didn’t play in 2022 and opened 2023 on the injured list.
Sightler’s a big guy, listed at 6’3”, 234, but he wasn’t a power hitter in college until his senior year, when he hit 15 home runs and slugged .629. Between a six-game rehab in the FCL and a few games at Bradenton, he hasn’t swung and missed much, as his approach seems advanced. He seems to be a line-drive hitter who often serves the ball into left field (he bats left-handed). Although, as I’m writing this, he just turned on one and hit a long home run to right at LECOM Park — one of two homers for Sightler on Sunday.
We know next to nothing about Sightler right now. He’s 23 and playing against younger competition, and he’s had a long layoff. And he’s been strictly DHing so far. Going forward, it’ll be interesting to see whether he can make something out of a position to which the Pirates normally pay very little attention.
Yesterday’s Top Performers
- Josiah Sightler (A): 2-for-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R
- Wilber Dotel (A): 5 IP, H, 4 BB, 3 K
- Jase Bowen (A+): 3-for-5, BB, 3B
- Wyatt Hendrie (A+): 3-for-6, 3 RBI, 2 R, HR (3)
- Mason Martin (AA): 2-for-4, R, HR (14), 2 RBI
- Aaron Shortridge (AA): 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 9 K
- Check out yesterday’s full minor league results here.
Daily Video Rundown
THAT BALL WAS GONZO
Even though there has been some swing and miss to his game still, Nick Gonzales has done a good job working himself into some hitters count and driving the ball. Here he jumps out on the first pitch he sees and hits another home run over the center field wall.
Some STELLAR defense up the middle from @liover_peguero! pic.twitter.com/DtzBXUMJn7
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) July 3, 2023
This is a good reminder that Liover Peguero has the tools to play the middle infield really well, and he’s probably just a breakthrough away from actually becoming a very reliable defender.
Three games in a row for @masonmartin7 bombs! pic.twitter.com/XxzOe5k13w
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) July 3, 2023
That’s three home runs in as many games for Mason Martin, who has 14 now on the season. When he gets going, not many can hit for the power that he can, and that’s throughout the minors too.
Today’s Minor League Results
By John Dreker
INDIANAPOLIS (36-43) AT Louisville
Game Time: 7:05 pm ET
Indianapolis Starter: Kent Emanuel
–Line: 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 SOFinal Score: Indianapolis 5, Louisville 3
Player of the Game: Cal Mitchell 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI
Recap:An early three-run homer by Cal Mitchell proved to be the difference in the game, as Indianapolis won 5-3 over Louisville. Mitchell had two hits, including his ninth homer.
Ji-Man Choi had two hits and a walk, giving him a .400 average and a 1.433 OPS since joining the Indians on rehab.
Miguel Andujar continued to hit, collecting three singles and a walk.
Endy Rodriguez went 0-for-4 with a walk.
Starter Kent Emanuel allowed one earned run over five innings. He was followed by four relievers who each went one inning. Colin Selby had a scoreless frame. Hunter Stratton allowed the other run, while picking up the save.
ALTOONA (36-37) AT Harrisburg
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET
Altoona Starter: Braxton Ashcraft (0-0, 0.00)
–Line: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SOFinal Score: Harrisburg 9, Altoona 2
Player of the Game: Matt Fraizer 2-for-3, BB, SB
Recap:Starter Braxton Ashcraft has been on a short leash during his return from Tommy John surgery. He went one scoreless inning in this game, which was too bad for Altoona, because four relievers combined to allow nine runs in the 9-2 loss.
Justin Meis, Brad Case, Braeden Ogle and Tahnaj Thomas all allowed runs over their seven innings of work.
The Curve didn’t have much offense in this game, as they put together five hits that were all singles. Matt Fraizer reached base three times on two hits and a walk. He scored a run and stole his 12th base.
Dylan Shockley was the only batter to reach more than once, with a single and a walk to his credit.
Both Curve runs scored on sacrifice flies.
BRADENTON (39-34) VS Clearwater
Game Time: 6:30 pm ET
Bradenton Starter: Alessandro Ercolani (3.99 ERA)
–Line: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 SOFinal Score: Bradenton 5, Clearwater 2
Player of the Game: Alessandro Ercolani 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO
Recap:Bradenton got a solid start from Alessandro Ercolani and timely hitting from Termarr Johnson, as they picked up the 5-2 victory.
Ercolani tossed six strong innings, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk, with six strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 3.88 through 53.1 innings, while totaling 51 strikeouts.
Three relievers tossed one scoreless inning each, including Ryan Harbin, who recorded his third save, while lowering himself to an 0.87 ERA.
Termarr Johnson got the scoring started with a three-run triple, his first triple of the season.
Bradenton scored their other two runs on a wild pitch in the fith and an RBI ground out by Jesus Castillo in the eighth.
Jack Brannigan had three singles, a walk and two runs scored. He also stole his 16th base.
Rodolfo Nolasco collected his 14th double.
FCL PIRATES (14-6)
Game Time: 12 pm ET
FCL Pirates Starter: Jose Garces (1-0, 6.17)
–Line: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 SOFinal Score: Pirates 12, Red Sox 9
Player of the Game: Javier Rivas, 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Recap:The Pirates took a huge lead early, then held on for a 12-9 win.
Yordany De Los Santos started the scoring early with an RBI ground out in the first. They added runs that inning on RBI singles by Axiel Plaz and Esmerlyn Valdez.
The Pirates added two in the second on a homer by Javier Rivas.
Runs scored in the fourth on a triple by Jeral Toledo, a triple by Braylon Bishop, a double by Rivas, a single by Eddy Rodriguez, a bases loaded walk to Plaz, and a single by Valdez. At that point it was an 11-1 game.
Plaz doubled in a run in the sixth, which was actually the final run of the game.
Bishop, Rivas, Plaz and Valdez each had two hits. Toledo had one hit and two walks.
The pitching was rough in the middle, after starter Jose Garces allowed three runs in 3.1 innings. He left with two men on and both scored against Jackson Grounds, who also allowed four runs of his own. Grounds was pitching well this year until this game.
Antwone Kelly allowed two runs, while recording one out. Kevinson Hernandez then came in with 3.2 shutout innings, including eight strikeouts. Jorge Ramos got the save with 1.1 scoreless.
DSL PIRATES BLACK (8-12)
Game Time: 11 am ET
DSL Pirates Black Starter: Dariel Francia (1-0, 4.85)
–Line: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SOFinal Score: Brewers 4, Pirates 1
Player of the Game: Dariel Francia 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
Recap:Pirates pitchers held the Brewers to just four hits, but too many walks and wild pitches led to a 4-1 loss.
Starter Dariel Francia allowed one run over four innings. Jarlen De La Paz tossed 2.1 scoreless, while striking out five batters.
While Brewers hitters drew nine walks, the Pirates had six runners total, getting three hits and three walks, while striking out ten times. No one reached base more than once, while the double by backup infielder Christopher Orelin was the only extra-base hit. He scored the lone run on a wild pitch, one of eight wild pitches in the game.
DSL PIRATES GOLD (14-6)
Game Time: 11 am ET
DSL Pirates Gold Starter: Dermis Ordonez (0-0, 10.00)
–Line: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 SOFinal Score: White Sox 21, Pirates 6
Player of the Game: Fabian Urbina 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB – 0.2 scoreless IP
Recap:Some atrocious pitching led to a 21-6 loss for the Pirates Gold, one of the best teams in the DSL. Their only pitcher who didn’t get hit was Fabina Urbina, the backup catcher, who had a double, RBI, walk and put a band-aid on the pitching staff by getting the last two outs without any damage.
Starter Dermis Ordonez allowed six runs and he didn’t have the worst outing. Reliever Angel Camacho allowed five runs in one inning. Hader Blanco allowed three runs on one out.
The offense added some meaningless runs late. Carlos Tirado had a good game with a homer, two runs, two RBIs and two walks. July Vittini had three walks and two RBIs, but no hits.
The team went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position. The pitchers allowed 16 walks.
Prospect Watch Player Archives
7/2: Endy Rodriguez, Ryan Harbin, Jonathan Rivero
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 TerreroThe Prospect Watch runs every day at noon, featuring three players from the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.
