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Prospect Watch: Grossman Has Been on Fire Since Suspension

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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. Rankings are from the mid-season update.

1. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Altoona (2-1, 4.63) – DNP

2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Bradenton (5-6, 4.05) – DNP

3. Mark Appel, RHP (No Stats) – Unsigned

4. Starling Marte, CF, Indianapolis (.288) – 1-for-6, BB, 4 K

5. Alen Hanson, SS, West Virginia (.332) – DNP

6. Josh Bell, RF, West Virginia (.274) – Low-A DL

7. Luis Heredia, RHP, State College (0-1, 0.64) – DNP

8. Rudy Owens, LHP, Indianapolis (7-4, 2.89) – DNP

9. Jeff Locke, LHP, Indianapolis (7-5, 2.95) – 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

10. Robbie Grossman, CF, Altoona (.253) – 2-for-3, 2B, 2 BB

11. Gregory Polanco, CF, West Virginia (.310) – DNP

12. Kyle McPherson, RHP, Altoona (1-2, 5.29) – DNP

13. Nick Kingham, RHP, West Virginia (1-7, 6.06) – DNP

14. Justin Wilson, LHP, Indianapolis (7-4, 3.44) – DNP

15. Tony Sanchez, C, Indianapolis (.231) – 1-for-4, 2 BB

16. Bryan Morris, RHP, Indianapolis (1-2, 2.58) – 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR

17. Mel Rojas, CF, Bradenton (.263) – 3-for-5, 3 RBI

18. Wyatt Mathisen, C, GCL Pirates (.340) – 1-for-5, 2 BB

19. Barrett Barnes, CF, State College (.282) – 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 SB

20. Alex Dickerson, 1B, Bradenton (.294) – 1-for-5, 2B, SB

 

$2.50 PROSPECT GUIDES

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DAILY SUMMARY

Top Pitcher: Tim Alderson, RHP (3.58) – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Gift Ngoepe, SS (.250) – 3-for-4, HR

Home Runs: Gift Ngoepe (8)

 

AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

Game One Box Score

Result: Columbus 4, Indianapolis 1

Starting Pitcher: Jeff Locke, LHP (7-5, 2.95) – 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: Brandon Boggs, LF (.277) – 1-for-3, 2B

Other Notable Performers

Starling Marte, CF (.290) – 1-for-3, 2 K

Game Notes: Locke gave up four runs, although two were unearned. He’s now gone ten starts in a row where he’s pitched five or more innings with three or fewer earned runs. He’s only given up more than three earned runs in a start twice this season out of 17 starts. Starling Marte extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

Game Two Box Score

Result: Indianapolis 2, Columbus 1

Starting Pitcher: Kris Johnson, LHP (3.96) – 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Jose Tabata, RF (.276) – 1-for-3, BB

Other Notable Performers

Bryan Morris, RHP (2.58) – 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR

Game Notes: Starling Marte went 0-for-3 with a walk, ending his 15 game hitting streak. On the day he combined to go 1-for-6 with a walk and four strikeouts. Bryan Morris now has a 2.58 ERA in 52.1 innings, with a 54:12 K/BB ratio. Tony Sanchez went 1-for-4 with two walks in the double header.

 

AA: ALTOONA CURVE

Box Score

Result: Altoona 3, Akron 2

Starting Pitcher: Tim Alderson, RHP (3.58) – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Robbie Grossman, CF (.253) – 2-for-3, 2B, 2 BB

Other Notable Performers

Mike Colla, RHP (3.43) – 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 0 HR

Game Notes: Since his suspension in early June, Robbie Grossman is hitting for a .327/.462/.535 line in 101 at-bats, with a 21% strikeout rate and a 19% walk rate. He has now reached base safely in 24 straight games, with hits in 20 of those games. He’s drawn a walk in 18 of his last 25 games. Tim Alderson has been pitching well in his last few starts. He’s combined for three earned runs in 16.2 innings with a 16:8 K/BB ratio in his last three starts. Mike Colla continues to pitch well in relief. Prior to this outing, he had a 1.33 ERA in 27 innings this year, along with a 23:6 K/BB ratio.

 

A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS

Box Score

Result: Bradenton 10, Brevard County 3

Starting Pitcher: Tyler Waldron, RHP (6-6, 5.24) – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Gift Ngoepe, SS (.250) – 3-for-4, HR

Other Notable Performers

Mel Rojas, CF (.263) – 3-for-5, 3 RBI

Dan Grovatt, LF (.254) – 3-for-5, SB

Justin Howard, DH (.296) – 2-for-4, 3B, BB

Game Notes: Tyler Waldron has allowed three earned runs in 12 innings over his last two starts, with an 8:3 K/BB ratio. Eliecer Navarro pitched two shutout innings in relief, with two strikeouts. He now has a 2.63 ERA in 41 innings in relief, with a 33:8 K/BB ratio. Gift Ngoepe hit his 8th homer of the year. Coming in to the season he had four career homers in 484 at-bats. Alex Dickerson hit his 20th double of the year and stole his seventh base of the year.

 

A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER

West Virginia was postponed.

 

A-: STATE COLLEGE SPIKES

Box Score

Result: State College 5, Staten Island 3

Starting Pitcher: Jake Burnette, RHP (4.71) – 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Yhonathan Barrios, 2B (.200) – 3-for-3, RBI

Other Notable Performers

Tyler Gaffney, RF (.182) – 2-for-3, SB

Game Notes: John Eshleman’s live game report.

 

RK: GCL PIRATES

Box Score

Result: Pirates 6, Blue Jays 3

Starting Pitcher: Aaron Pribanic, RHP (9.00) – 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Gavi Nivar, LF (.296) – 1-for-3, 3B, BB

Other Notable Performers

Harold Ramirez, RF (.313) – 2-for-7

Game Notes: The GCL Pirates won in 17 innings after scoring three in the top of the 17th. Gavi Nivar brought in the first run with an RBI triple, scoring Harold Ramirez. Aaron Pribanic made a rehab start, and gave up two of the three runs allowed. Jackson Lodge gave up one run over four innings. Isaac Sanchez, Alex Lukshevich, Martires Cadet, Aneudy Merejo, and Roberto Espinosa combined for 11 shutout innings in relief. Wyatt Mathisen caught all 17 innings.

 

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE

For a primer on the 2012 DSL Pirates, along with information on the players to watch, check out the 2012 DSL Preview.

 

RK: DSL PIRATES1

Box Score

Result: Pirates 9, Yankees 3

Starting Pitcher: Cesilio Pimentel, LHP (7.24) – 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Ramses Pena, DH (.296) – 2-for-4, 2 2B, BB

 

RK: DSL PIRATES2

Box Score

Result: Giants 12, Pirates 3

Starting Pitcher: Angel Sanchez, LHP (3-2, 3.00) – 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Anthony Claudio, LF (.276) – 2-for-4, 2B, BB

Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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