Your daily Pittsburgh Pirates Prospect Watch article for recaps of all of today’s games. Be sure to pick up your copy of the latest Prospect Guide in our store, available as an ebook or a limited edition paperback.
INDIANAPOLIS
Boxscore
Starting Pitcher: Beau Sulser 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO
Notable Performances:
Hoy Park 0-for-2
Cole Tucker 0-for-3, 2 BB
John Nogowski 1-for-3, BB
Jared Oliva 1-for-4
Ka’ai Tom 0-for-3, HBP
Game Recap: Beau Sulser had some unusual control issues on Friday, which led to him going 4.1 innings. He allowed two runs on five hits and four walks, striking out three batters. He left with the bases loaded and Joe Jacques took over. He walked a batter, but stranded the other two inherited runners. Cody Ponce followed with two shutout innings. Shea Spitzbarth tossed a scoreless eighth. Tyler Bashlor threw shutout ball in the ninth and tenth. In the bottom of the tenth, Bligh Madris hit a walk-off sacrifice fly for the 3-2 victory. Indianapolis had just three hits in the game, all of them singles. They scored the first run of the game on a bases loaded walk to Taylor Davis in the second inning. The second run scored on a throwing error, so none of the three runs came home on a hit. Cole Tucker reached base twice on walks. John Nogowski had a single and a walk.
ALTOONA
Starting Pitcher: Omar Cruz 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO
Notable Performances:
Ji-hwan Bae 2-for-4, BB
Matt Fraizer 0-for-3, RBI, BB
Mason Martin 0-for-5
Jack Suwinski 1-for-4
Cal Mitchell 1-for-4
Game Recap: Omar Cruz may have been overshadowed by the headline today, but he still had a strong outing, going five shutout innings on three hits, two walks and four strikeouts. On the season, including his time in Greensboro, Cruz has a 3.51 ERA in 84.2 innings, with 82 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP. Unfortunately for Altoona, the bullpen was not strong. Nathan Kirby, Shea Murray and Will Gardner combined to allow six runs in four innings for the 6-3 loss. The Curve got on the board first in this game, as Josh Bissonette’s tenth double of the season made it 1-0. Matt Fraizer made it 2-0 on a sacrifice fly. Connor Kaiser made it 3-0 on a sixth inning single. Ji-hwan Bae reached base three times on two hits and a walk. Mason Martin left seven runners on base, while the whole team went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
GREENSBORO
Starting Pitcher: Quinn Priester 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 13 SO
Notable Performances:
Liover Peguero 2-for-5
Nick Gonzales 1-for-5, RBI
Jared Triolo 1-for-5, RBI
Matt Gorski 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Lolo Sanchez 1-for-4, HBP
Game Recap: Quinn Priester had himself quite a night on Friday, going six shutout innings on one hit, no walks and 13 strikeouts. He struck out the side in each of the first three innings, and he retired the first 15 batters of the game. His previous career high was ten strikeouts, which he set just a few starts ago. He now has a 2.86 ERA in 85 innings, with 87 strikeouts. Colin Selby was just as strong to finish out the game, striking out six batter in three no-hit innings for the 8-0 victory.
This game was scoreless through six innings, then Greensboro scored in each of the last three innings. They did it with power too, getting homers from Aaron Shackelford (his 19th), Matt Gorski (15th), Nick Gonzales (11) and Jonah Davis (3). Gorski also added his 16th double of the year. Liover Peguero had two hits and scored a run. Blake Sabol had two hits and scored a run. All 18 batters in this game had at least one strikeout, 32 total for the two teams.
BRADENTON
Starting Pitcher: Luis Ortiz 5 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO
Notable Performances:
Jase Bowen 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Abrahan Gutierrez 0-for-1, BB
Jack Herman 2-for-4, 2 RBI
Endy Rodriguez 1-for-3, RBI, BB
Hudson Head 1-for-4
Alexander Mojica 2-for-4, RBI
Dariel Lopez 0-for-1, BB
Game Recap: Luis Ortiz had a rough first inning, throwing 32 pitches and allowing two runs, but he settled in to retire 13 of the final 14 batters he faced, with a hit-by-pitch being the only blemish. Ortiz gave up just one hit and struck out seven batters. He now has a 3.18 ERA in 73.2 innings, with 94 strikeouts. Alex Roth finished off the 8-2 win in game one by tossing two shutout frames. The Marauders tied the score 2-2 on a fifth inning two-run homer by Jase Bowen, his 13th of the year. In the sixth inning, Alexander Mojica singled in two runs (one RBI, one error) to take the lead. Ernny Ordonez doubled in a run, then Jack Herman singled in two runs. Endy Rodriguez capped the scoring with an RBI single. Bowen also walked and scored a second run. Herman and Mojica each had two hits.
GAME TWO
Pitcher: Jared Jones 2.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
Notables:
Jase Bowen 2-for-4, RBI, SB
Dariel Lopez 1-for-4
Alexander Mojica 0-for-3
Hudson Head 1-for-3
Recap: Jared Jones struck out six batters over 2.2 innings, but it was far from a solid performance. He gave up a total of nine runs (six earned) on seven hits and two walks, while throwing 70 pitches in his abbreviated outing. He now has a 4.39 ERA in 55.1 innings, with 88 strikeouts. Ryan Troutman tossed 1.1 scoreless innings. Nick Garcia, who had his start earlier this week ended before it started (he threw warmups before a long rain delay), came out for the fifth inning. He threw two no-hit/shutout innings on one walk and four strikeouts, as Bradenton dropped the night cap by a 10-2 score. The Marauders got both of their runs in the third inning on a Jase Bowen RBI single and a Daniel Rivero sacrifice fly. Bowen and Jackson Glenn each had two hits. Ernny Ordonez hit his 12th double.
FCL PIRATES BLACK
Starting Pitcher: Jake Sweeney 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO
Notable Performances:
Juan Jerez 1-for-3
Solomon Maguire 0-for-3
Angel Basabe 2-for-2, SB
Deion Walker 0-for-0, BB, HBP, SB
Luis Tejeda 0-for-2
Game Recap: Starter Jake Sweeney was a bit wild in this one, but after three innings, the only run he allowed was unearned. He struck out four batters. The starter for the Gold team was Bladimir Dotel and he also allowed one run over three innings, though his was earned. He gave up two hits, no walks and struck out five batters. Wander Romero followed for the Black team and allowed three runs (two earned) in his only inning of work. Andy Maldonado threw two shutout innings and Yunior Thibo recorded one out in the bottom of the fifth before the game was called due to weather, with the Gold team winning 4-1. Francisco Quintero’s first home run of the season scored the first run of the game. A grounder by Tsung-Che Cheng tied the game in the third. Claudio Finol doubled in a run in the fourth, then Randy Romero capped the scoring with an RBI double that scored a pair. Romero went 3-for-3 with his ninth stolen base.
FCL PIRATES GOLD
Boxscore (see above)
Starting Pitcher: Bladimir Dotel 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO
Notable Performances:
Tsung-Che Cheng 0-for-3, RBI
Rodolfo Nolasco 0-for-2, BB
Sergio Campana 0-for-1, BB
Game Recap: See above
DSL PIRATES BLACK
Starting Pitcher: Kevison Hernandez 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
Notable Performances:
Enmanuel Terrero 1-for-4, RBI
Javier Rivas 0-for-4
Shalin Polanco 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, SB
Omar Alfonzo 1-for-4
Osvaldo Gavilan 0-for-3, SB
Jesus Castillo 2-for-3, SB
Game Recap: Kevison Hernandez had a strong start on Friday morning, going three shutout innings on two hits, no walks and two strikeouts. He has pitched 10.2 innings this season, with a 3.38 ERA and 12 strikeouts. Diego Chiquillo followed with one run on one hit and two walks in two innings. Francis Olantilo, who has thrown just three innings this season due to control issues, came out for the sixth. He allowed one run on two walks and no hits in two innings, picking up his first save in a 5-2 win. The opposing team (Indians) committed five errors in this contest.
The Pirates started the scoring with an RBI single by Enmanuel Terrero in the third inning. With a 1-1 tie in the fifth, Shalin Polanco hit his second double of the season to drive in a run. The Pirates got some help in the sixth, as they made it 3-1 when Osvaldo Gavilan stole third base and scored on a wild throw. Pedro Figuero made it 4-1 with a sacrifice fly, while a wild throw on the play allowed a second run to score. Jesus Castillo went 2-for-3, with two runs scored and his ninth stolen base. Polanco picked up his fifth steal.
DSL PIRATES GOLD
Starting Pitcher: Yojeiry Osoria 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
Notable Performances:
Rodolfo De La Cruz 0-for-3, 2 BB
Gustavo Armas 0-for-4, BB
Jauri Custodio 1-for-3, BB
Esmerlyn Valdez 1-for-3, BB
Eddy Rodriguez 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Jeral Toledo 2-for-4, BB
Game Recap: Yojeiry Osoria was one of the top pitching signings by the Pirates from the 2019-20 signing period. So far his debut has gone slow. He came into Friday with a 5.63 ERA in six starts, with a 1.44 WHIP and nine strikeouts in 16 innings. Today’s game started off with a shutout inning and got worse from there, with solo runs in the second and third, followed by two runs in the fourth before getting knocked out with two outs. Luis Joseph came out and walked all three batters he faced, then Eduardo Zapata allowed two inherited runners to score before he could record the final out of the inning. He stayed on and allowed one run in one inning of work. Juan Fuentes recorded the final out of the fifth, stranding two inherited runners. He ended up throwing 2.1 scoreless innings in the 7-5 loss.
The Pirates had eight hits and nine walks in their seven innings, but they couldn’t come through with enough big hits, going 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position. One of those hits was a bases loaded bunt single by Jhonson Pena, which scored the first run. Eddy Rodriguez hit a two-run home in the third, his second home run of the season. The Pirates added runs in the seventh on a single by Jeral Toledo and a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Delfin Ramirez. They had the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh, but Gastavo Armas struck out to end the game.
