Michael Kennedy threw five shutout innings for the Bradenton Marauders on Wednesday night. This was the second outing in a row where Kennedy threw five innings. His lone run last time out came off a home run from a rehabbing Starling Marte.
The left-handed Kennedy uses a three-pitch mix. His four-seam fastball was sitting 89.4 MPH, touching 91 on Wednesday night. The pitch has good movement and control, leading to four whiffs and six called strikes, for a 27% called and swinging strike rate.
His slider sat 79 MPH, with two whiffs on five swings, and four more called strikes (40% CSW). The changeup sat 82 MPH, with three whiffs on eight swings, and another called strike (29% CSW).
Kennedy was drafted by the Pirates in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. In his first year in full-season ball, he has a 4.05 ERA in 66.2 innings, with a 74:13 K/BB. He missed some time from June 14th until the start of August, but has come back strong. Kennedy has a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings, with a 14:2 K/BB in three starts this month.
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
INDIANAPOLIS won 6-5
- RHP Jared Jones: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
- 2B Alika Williams: 2-for-5, 2B, SB
- DH Henry Davis: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
- RF Nick Yorke: 3-for-5, 2B
- SS Liover Peguero: 2-for-5, RBI
Jared Jones made his second rehab start for Indianapolis, pitching 3.1 innings. He allowed three runs in the first inning and two in the third. Jones pitched 2.2 innings in his first rehab outing. Alika Williams, Henry Davis, and Nick Yorke combined for seven hits and three doubles (one each) in the first three spots of the order. Liover Peguero followed in the number four spot with a two hit game.
STATCAST HEROES
Yorke had a game with a lot of hard hits. He had singles that were 109.8 MPH and 109.2 MPH. His double was hit at 100.8 MPH. He also had a fielders choice at 99.1 and a flyout at 97.7. Davis hit a single at 107.7 MPH and a double at 106.3. The double from Williams was 104.1 MPH. Billy Cook hit a 105.3 MPH single.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE
ALTOONA lost 6-1
- LHP Anthony Solometo: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
- RHP Emmanuel Chapman: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
- DH Carter Bins: 1-for-4, 3B
- SS Tsung-Che Cheng: 1-for-3, BB
- 2B Kervin Pichardo: 1-for-4
Anthony Solometo had control issues on Wednesday, walking four in 3.2 innings, while allowing one hit. The lefty has a 6.57 ERA in Altoona this year, with 27 walks in 38.1 innings. Emmanuel Chapman pitched three no-hit, shutout innings. The 25-year-old international free agent, signed over the offseason from Cuba, has a 3.19 ERA in 42.1 innings, with a 43:19 K/BB.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
GREENSBORO lost 7-2
- RHP Garrett McMillan: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
- SS Mitch Jebb: 2-for-4, BB
- 2B Termarr Johnson: 1-for-4, BB
- C Shawn Ross: 1-for-4, BB, RBI
- CF Lonnie White Jr.: 1-for-3, HBP
Garrett McMillan pitched three perfect innings with six strikeouts to start a bullpen game. The 2023 14th rounder was recently promoted from Bradenton, and hasn’t allowed an earned run in nine innings. He’s struck out 12 and walked two. This comes after a 2.92 ERA in 49.1 innings in Bradenton’s bullpen. Mitch Jebb had two singles and a walk. Termarr Johnson went 1-for-4 with a walk.
SINGLE-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
BRADENTON lost 7-4, despite the five shutout innings from Michael Kennedy.
- DH Jhonny Severino: 2-for-4, HR, 2B, BB
- 3B Javier Rivas: 2-for-4, 2 2B
- 2B Keiner Delgado: 1-for-4, 2B, BB, RBI
- LF Esmerlyn Valdez: 1-for-4
- C Axiel Plaz: 1-for-3, 2B, BB, RBI
Jhonny Severino hit his second homer and second double since being promoted to Single-A. The Pirates acquired the infielder last year at the trade deadline for Carlos Santana. He hit ten homers, 12 doubles, and stole 12 bases this year in the FCL, hitting for a .918 OPS. He has a .916 OPS so far in Bradenton, across 50 plate appearances. Javier Rivas hit two doubles, giving him 18 on the season in Bradenton.
STATCAST HEROES
The home run from Severino had a 104 MPH exit velocity. The double was hit at 105.4 MPH. Keiner Delgado hit a double at 104.2 MPH.
ROOKIE: DSL PIRATES BLACK
DSL PIRATES BLACK won 5-4
- PH-1B Raymond Mola: 1-for-1, HR, 2 RBI
- DH Phillando Williams: 1-for-2, 2B, BB, RBI
- C Javier Acevedo: 1-for-3, BB
Raymond Mola hit a pinch hit, two run homer, tying the score at 3-3 in the seventh inning. It was the second homer from Mola this season, who was signed in January 2023, and has 67 at-bats in his career.
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
- Triple-A: Indianapolis, 7:05 PM – RHP Mike Burrows (0-1, 3.65)
- Double-A: Altoona, 6:00 PM – LHP Nick Dombkowski (3-2, 3.22)
- High-A: Greensboro, 7:35 PM – RHP J.P. Massey (3-5, 5.44)
- Single-A: Bradenton, 6:30 PM – RHP Khristian Curtis (2-3, 4.79)
- Rookie: DSL Pirates Black, 11:00 AM – TBD
- Rookie: DSL Pirates Gold, 11:00 AM – TBD
