TOP OF THE SYSTEM
A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today. Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors (Stolmy Pimentel #13). If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. If a player is out for the season (Jameson Taillon #2, Clay Holmes #12), he will be removed and everyone below him will move up a spot. Removing these guys doesn’t mean they have lost prospect status. It is just an attempt to get 20 active prospects on the list. Rankings are from the 2014 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.
1. Gregory Polanco, CF, Indianapolis – 0-for-4
2. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Bradenton – DNP
3. Austin Meadows, CF, West Virginia – Disabled List (4/22 Update)
4. Alen Hanson, SS, Altoona – 2-for-9, 2B
5. Nick Kingham, RHP, Altoona – DNP
6. Reese McGuire, C, West Virginia – 1-for-4
7. Josh Bell, RF, Bradenton – 1-for-4
8. Luis Heredia, RHP, West Virginia Power – Disabled List (4/22 Update)
9. Harold Ramirez, OF, West Virginia – 0-for-5
10. Andrew Lambo, OF, Indianapolis – Disabled List (5/7 Update)
11. Joely Rodriguez, LHP, Altoona – 5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
12. Blake Taylor, LHP, Extended Spring Training – DNP
13. Cody Dickson, LHP, West Virginia – DNP
14. Barrett Barnes, CF, West Virginia – Disabled List (4/14 Update)
15. JaCoby Jones, SS, West Virginia – 1-for-4
16. Michael De La Cruz, OF, Extended Spring Training – DNP
17. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, West Virginia – 1-for-3, 2B, BB
18. Jin-De Jhang, C, Bradenton – 1-for-3, RBI
19. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP
20. Stetson Allie, 1B, Altoona – 1-for-6, 2 BB
ORDER YOUR 2014 PROSPECT GUIDE
The 2014 Prospect Guide is now available, and is the perfect resource to follow the minor league system during the 2014 season. You can order your copy on the products page of the site.
DAILY SUMMARY
Top Hitter: Keon Broxton, LF – 4-for-6, 2 3B, 2 BB, 2 SB
Home Runs: Matt Hague (6), Mel Rojas Jr. (5), Jaff Decker (3), Jarek Cunningham (2)
AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Result: Indianapolis 3, Buffalo 2
Starting Pitcher: Jake Brigham, RHP – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Jaff Decker, LF-CF – 1-for-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI
Other Notable Performers:
Matt Hague, DH – 1-for-4, HR, RBI
Game Notes: Jake Brigham had only had one start where he has given up over three runs this season. The string was in jeopardy early, as he gave up two runs in the first inning. However, Brigham settled down and did not allow any more runs the rest of the way and only three base runners after the frame. Living in the low 90s, Brigham struck out four and walked just one hitter. Brigham has a 2.41 ERA in his last seven games.
Matt Hague continued his hot stretch. Hague, who hit a mammoth home run to left, has a hit in eight out of the last nine games. During the stretch, he is 10-for-31. Jaff Decker also added a long ball to straightaway center field for Indianapolis. Decker is 4-for-10 in his last three games.
For the second straight outing, Tyler Waldron threw 1.1 scoreless inning. However he also has not had a strikeout in those appearances. Andy Oliver consistently hit 94 miles per hour on his fastball and added nasty breaking balls to pick up the save with 1.2 innings. – Ryan Palencer
AA: ALTOONA CURVE
Result: Richmond 5, Altoona 4
Starting Pitcher: Zack Dodson, LHP – 4.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
Top Hitter: Mel Rojas Jr., CF – 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Other Notable Performers:
Alen Hanson, SS – 2-for-5, 2B
Gift Ngoepe, 2B – 2-for-4, 2B, BB
Game Notes: This game began on Wednesday night, before rain pushed the completion back to Thursday. Zack Dodson started the game and looked decent through four innings, allowing one run on a solo homer. His start was cut short though due to the weather. He threw 68 pitches before being pulled, 44 for strikes. He has a 2.60 ERA in 27.2 innings this season. They resumed play in the bottom of the fifth, with a 1-1 score. Tyler Sample was the pitcher when the game restarted and he couldn’t even get one out before being lifted for a reliever. All five batters he faced, reached base and four of them came around to score. Altoona attempted a ninth inning comeback, but fell one run short. Mel Rojas Jr. had the rally killer, hitting a three-run homer with two outs. Elias Diaz then struck out to end the game. Former Pirates farmhand Hunter Strickland, pitched a scoreless eighth inning for Richmond.
Result: Richmond 6, Altoona 3
Starting Pitcher: Joely Rodriguez, LHP – 5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Jarek Cunningham, 3B – 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI
Other Notable Performers:
Gift Ngoepe, 2B – 1-for-4
Stetson Allie, 1B – 1-for-3, BB, SB
Game Notes: Joely Rodriguez allowed two runs in the first, then looked good the next four innings, before tiring in the sixth. From the second through fifth innings, Rodriguez allowed just three singles, two of them were infield hits. In the sixth, he gave up two hits and two walks before being pulled. He threw 95 pitches over 5.1 innings, 57 going for strikes. He had an unusual ground ball rate on Thursday night, allowing eight fly balls against just four ground outs. Rodriguez came into the game with a 1.84 GO/AO ratio. He has had spotty control this year, occasionally looking good, but he has also walked three batters in a game, four times this year.
Emmanuel De Leon saved Rodriguez’s ERA by getting out of a bases loaded, one out jam without giving up a run. All of the offense for Altoona came off the bat of Jarek Cunningham, who hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Keon Broxton ended up going 2-for-3 with a triple and walk in both games. Backup catcher Ralph Henriquez went 0-for-3, leaving him 1-for-39 this season with no walks, giving him an .051 OPS.
A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Result: Bradenton 4, Tampa 0
Starting Pitcher: Chad Kuhl, RHP – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Jonathan Schwind, DH – 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI
Other Notable Performers:
Josh Bell, RF – 1-for-4
Raul Fortunato, LF – 1-for-3, 2 RBI, SB
Game Notes: Chad Kuhl threw six shutout innings for the second time this season, helping Bradenton to a 4-0 win over Tampa. He had nine ground balls out, improving on the 2.00 GO/AO ratio he had coming into the game. Kuhl has a 9/34 BB/SO ratio this season. Jhondaniel Medina followed him with three shutout innings for the save. Jonathan Schwind had two doubles and drove in a run. He is hitting .336 this year, with an .871 OPS. Raul Fortunato drove in two runs and stole his ninth base of the year. Josh Bell has a six game hitting streak and he has reached base in eight straight. Adam Frazier went 0-for-4, leaving him 4-for-30 in his last eight games.
A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER
Result: Greensboro 3, West Virginia 1
Starting Pitcher: Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
Top Hitter: Edwin Espinal, 1B – 3-for-4
Other Notable Performers:
JaCoby Jones, SS – 1-for-4
Reese McGuire, C – 1-for-4
Harold Ramirez, CF – 0-for-5, SB
Game Notes: Dovydas Neverauskas pitched well and Reese McGuire extended his hitting streak to 18 games, but the Power still lost 3-1 on Thursday. Neverauskas went six full innings for the first time in his five year career, topping the 5.1 innings he threw last season for Jamestown. He has now allowed two earned runs or less in seven of his ten starts this season. Jared LaKind picked up the loss after he gave up two runs in the seventh inning. Edwin Espinal had three of the nine West Virginia hits. Erich Weiss went 2-for-3, giving him a .324 average this year. He collected his 11th double of the season. Chis Diaz drove in the only run for the Power on a second inning ground out that scored Espinal. Reese McGuire’s only hit was a sixth inning single.
