It wasn’t a great day in the system for the teams. Bradenton was the only team in the Pirates’ organization that won, with a 9-8 victory over St. Lucie. There were some standout performances on Friday, including the best start of the year in Triple-A for Jared Jones.
Player of the Day
JARED JONES, RHP, INDIANAPOLIS
Jones had his best start at the Triple-A level, giving up two runs in six innings of work. His only damage came in the fourth inning, when he allowed a two out, two run homer. His other three hits allowed were singles, and two of those batters remained on first base. Jones didn’t issue a walk, and struck out seven. Jones had 34 strikeouts in 28.1 innings at Triple-A heading into this start. His walk rate was showing improvements over the last few outings. He’s one of the top pitching prospects remaining in the upper levels, and with more starts like this, Jones could find himself in Pittsburgh by the end of the season.
The fastball is ferocious, the slider is sweet, the changeup is chef's kiss. @jared_jones_17 had it goin' on tonight.
Ten More to Follow
AARON SHACKELFORD, 1B, INDIANAPOLIS
Shackelford got Indianapolis on the board in the 5th inning last night with his 14th homer of the year. Down 2-0, and facing a 1-1 pitch, the first baseman launched a two run shot to center field, tying the score. That was the third home run from Shackelford since July 19th.
You come at the king, you best not miss. pic.twitter.com/kZ6cvfZ6xX
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) July 29, 2023
MATT FRAIZER, RF, ALTOONA
Fraizer was the Breakout Prospect of the Year in 2021, fueled by a strong run in Greensboro and limited success in Altoona. He hasn’t replicated that success over the last two seasons at the level. Lately, Fraizer has been heating up, batting .303/.387/.394 in the month of July. He hasn’t been hitting for a lot of power this year, but he’s at his best when he’s getting on base, which he’s doing at a tremendous rate this month. Last night for Altoona, Fraizer went 2-for-3 with a walk and a triple.
We are on the board in the second inning, thanks to @mattfraizer3! pic.twitter.com/FzDPe0QiJ1
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) July 29, 2023
PO-YU CHEN, RHP, GREENSBORO
Chen pitched four innings for Greensboro, giving up three runs, two earned. Most of the damage came on back-to-back homers in the second inning. Chen has been hurt by the long ball this year, giving up 14 homers. That’s not all the product of Greensboro’s short field, as his homers are split evenly at home and on the road. The right-hander, who signed for $1.25 million at the end of 2020, worked past the home runs, and around a throwing error in the third inning, completing his day after four innings. It was the shortest outing for Chen since May 5th, with the right-hander going at least five innings in his previous 12 starts.
BRENDEN DIXON, 3B, GREENSBORO
Dixon hit his seventh homer of the year for Greensboro, a two run shot in the fourth inning which capped off their scoring for the day. Dixon, who was drafted in the 20th round of the 2021 draft, also added two walks. He is now batting .197/.322/.408 in Greensboro. His OPS at home has been lower (.596) than his results on the road (.772).
Brenden Dixon HOMER
SHAWN ROSS, SS, GREENSBORO
The Pirates added Shawn Ross last year as an undrafted free agent. In his debut for Greensboro, Ross has a .205/.333/.438 line, hitting his eighth home run of the season last night. Ross is also doing better on the road (.893 OPS) than at home (.606) in the hitter friendly park in Greensboro.
SHAWN ROSS HOMER!!!
Hoppers: 2 | Dash: 2 pic.twitter.com/uLzBHi4lpk
— Greensboro Grasshoppers (@GSOHoppers) July 28, 2023
MITCH JEBB, SS, BRADENTON
The Pirates’ second round pick this year made his second start, showing off the ability for contact that got him drafted so high. Jebb went 3-for-5 with a walk, and showed off his aggressiveness on the bases with a stolen base. He was a bit too aggressive, getting caught stealing third on the next play. Jebb is 4-for-8 with a walk in his first two games.
NICK CIMILLO, 1B, BRADENTON
Last year’s 16th round pick out of Rutgers, Cimillo has shown some power in the lower levels. He added his seventh home run last night in 155 at-bats for Bradenton, and is now batting .284/.401/.529. Cimillo has a .910 OPS this month after seeing a boost to his on-base skills. In addition to the home run, he reached base four times last night, with two walks.
JESUS CASTILLO, 3B, BRADENTON
Castillo is a speedy infielder who can play all around the diamond. What has stood out the most this year in Bradenton has been his speed on the bases. In addition to picking up two hits and a walk last night, Castillo swiped his 24th base in 30 attempts. He’s now tied with Deivis Nadal in Bradenton for the second most stolen bases. They both trail Mike Jarvis, who has 25 steals in 26 attempts for Greensboro and Altoona. Castillo stands out among this trio for his ability to generate more walks than strikeouts (72:63).
OWEN KELLINGTON, RHP, BRADENTON
The Pirates added several over-slot prep players in 2021 after saving money on Henry Davis with the first overall pick. Owen Kellington was added in the fourth round for a $600,000 bonus. He didn’t have the best start in Bradenton last night, going three innings with four runs, two earned. He did strike out four and walked one. Kellington is young, so he’s been limited to 3-4 inning appearances. This month he’s shown his best K/BB ratio of the season, with 15 strikeouts and 4 walks in 11.2 inning.
CARLOS JIMENEZ, RHP, FCL PIRATES
One of the more promising arms in the lower levels, Jimenez has yet to pitch in a game this year. Officially, that hasn’t changed, as yesterday’s FCL contest was suspended in the fifth inning. At the start of that game, Jimenez made his first rehab start, pitching 1.2 innings. He had control issues, with four walks, but struck out four. Jimenez had a 4.13 ERA in 69.2 innings for Bradenton last year, striking out 88 and walking 45.
Yesterday’s Minor League Results
INDIANAPOLIS (46-53) VS Louisville
Score: Louisville 5, Indianapolis 3
Indianapolis Starter: Jared Jones, RHP (4.72)
–Line: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1 HR
Player of the Game: Aaron Shackelford, 1B (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI)
Attendance: 11,533Notable Performers
- Miguel Andujar, RF (1-for-3, 2 BB)
- Ryan Vilade, CF (1-for-4, 3B)
- Yohan Ramirez, RHP (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K)
ALTOONA (44-46) AT Harrisburg
Score: Harrisburg 6, Altoona 3
Altoona Starter: Sean Sullivan, RHP (4.57)
–Line: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Player of the Game: Matt Fraizer, RF (2-for-3, BB, 3B)
Attendance: 5,065Notable Performers
- Chavez Young, CF (2-for-4)
- Tsung-Che Cheng, SS (1-for-3, BB, 2B)
- Jackson Glenn, 2B (1-for-3, BB, 2B)
GREENSBORO (47-44) VS Winston-Salem
Score: Winston-Salem 7, Greensboro 4
Greensboro Starter: Po Yu Chen, RHP (4.12)
–Line: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
Player of the Game: Brenden Dixon, 3B (1-for-2, 2 BB, HR)
Attendance: 7,219Notable Performers
- Jase Bowen, RF (2-for-4, BB, SB)
- Josiah Sightler, DH (1-for-3, 2 BB)
- Shawn Ross, SS (1-for-4, HR)
- Wyatt Hendrie, C (2-for-4)
- Jaycob Deese, RHP (3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K)
BRADENTON (54-39) AT St. Lucie
Score: Bradenton 9, St. Lucie 8
Bradenton Starter: Owen Kellington, RHP (4.34)
–Line: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
Player of the Game: Nick Cimillo, 1B (2-for-3, 2 BB, HR)
Attendance: 851Notable Performers
- Mitch Jebb, SS (3-for-5, BB, SB)
- Jesus Castillo, 3B-1B (2-for-4, BB, 2B, SB)
- Lonnie White Jr. (1-for-4, BB, SB)
- Termarr Johnson, 2B (1-for-4, 2 BB, SB)
FCL PIRATES (26-10) VS FCL Orioles
Score: Pirates 7, Orioles 7 (Suspended, 5th inning)
FCL Pirates Starter: Carlos Jimenez, RHP (5.40)
–Line: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Player of the Game: Kelvin Diaz, 3B (2-for-2, SB)
Attendance: N/ANotable Performers
- Esmerlyn Valdez, RF (1-for-2, 2B)
DSL PIRATES BLACK (13-21) VS DSL Tigers 1
Score: Tigers 11, Pirates 0
Pirates Black Starter: Carlos Mateo, RHP (15.19)
–Line: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Player of the Game: Carlos Caro (1-for-4)DSL PIRATES GOLD (25-12) VS DSL Red Sox Red
Score: Red Sox 5, Pirates 3 (Conclusion of Suspended Game)
Pirates Gold Starter: Inmer Lobo, LHP (1.93)
–Line: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 0 HR
Player of the Game: Juan Machado, LF (2-for-5, 2 SB)DSL PIRATES GOLD (25-12) VS DSL Red Sox Red
Score: Red Sox 6, Pirates 5
Pirates Gold Starter: Jonathan Salazar, RHP (0.00)
–Line: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Player of the Game: Eduardo Oviedo, CF (1-for-3, 2B, 4 RBI)
