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Prospect Watch: Joely and Wandy Rodriguez Struggle, Homers For Hanson and Lambo

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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 (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 – 1-for-3, 3B, SB, R

2. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Bradenton – DNP

3. Austin Meadows, CF, West Virginia – Disabled List (4/22 Update)

4. Alen Hanson, SS, Altoona –  1-for-3, HR, RBI

5. Nick Kingham, RHP, Altoona – DNP

6. Reese McGuire, C, West Virginia – Disabled List (4/27 Update)

7. Josh Bell, RF, Bradenton – 0-for-3, BB

8. Luis Heredia, RHP, West Virginia Power – Disabled List (4/22 Update)

9. Harold Ramirez, OF, West Virginia – Disabled List (4/14 Update)

10. Andrew Lambo, OF, Indianapolis – 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI

11. Joely Rodriguez, LHP, Altoona – 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2 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-2, HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB

16. Michael De La Cruz, OF, Extended Spring Training – DNP

17. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, West Virginia – 0-for-5

18. Jin-De Jhang, C, Bradenton – 2-for-4, 2B

19. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – In Majors

20. Stetson Allie, 1B, Altoona –  2-for-7, 2 2B, BB

 

2014FrontCoverORDER 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 Pitcher: Phil Irwin, RHP – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Elias Diaz, C – 3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Home Runs: Willy Garcia (4), Andrew Lambo (2), Gift Ngoepe (2), JaCoby Jones (2), Mike Fransoso (1), Alen Hanson (1)

 

AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS    

Box Score

Result: Indianapolis 3, Pawtucket 2

Starting Pitcher: Jeff Locke, LHP – 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Andrew Lambo, DH – 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Gregory Polanco, RF – 1-for-3, 3B, R, SB

Chris McGuiness, 1B – 1-for-1, 2 BB

Game Notes: After not hitting a home run between September and this week, Andrew Lambo hit his second home run in as many games.
Jeff Locke only threw 46 pitches in two innings, fueling the thoughts that he may be preparing for a spot start in Pittsburgh. Phil Irwin put together a strong outing in relief of Locke, striking out five in four more shutout innings.
Gregory Polanco continued to excite, wowing a national audience on CBS Sports Network by adding a triple and a stolen base before the game was called in the bottom of the seventh due to fog. – Ryan Palencer

 

AA: ALTOONA CURVE

Game One Box Score

Result: Altoona 9, Erie 4

Starting Pitcher: Wandy Rodriguez, LHP – 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: Elias Diaz, C – 3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Stetson Allie, 1B – 2-for-4, 2 2B

Alen Hanson, SS – 1-for-3, HR, RBI

Mel Rojas Jr., CF – 2-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB

Game Notes: Wandy Rodriguez made his first rehab start since going on the disabled list on April 21st with right knee inflammation. He gave up four runs over 3.1 innings and issued three walks. Rodriguez needed 74 pitches to get through his limited work, 48 went for strikes. A.J. Morris followed him and picked up the win with 2.2 scoreless, no-hit innings. The Curve put up nine runs on 13 hits, including solo homers from Gift Ngoepe, Alen Hanson and Willy Garcia. Elias Diaz and Stetson Allie each had two doubles. Mel Rojas Jr. and Drew Maggi each had two hits.

Game Two Box Score

Result: Erie 5, Altoona 2

Starting Pitcher: Joely Rodriguez, LHP – 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2 HR

Top Hitter: Drew Maggi, 2B – 2-for-4, 2B, SB, R

Other Notable Performers:

Gift Ngoepe, SS – 2-for-3, RBI, SB

Stetson Allie, 1B – 0-for-3, BB, 3 K

Game Notes: Joely Rodriguez had about as much success as Wandy Rodriguez had, giving up five earned runs in five innings. He allowed two homers and had just four ground outs. He has really struggled early with the jump to AA, putting up below average results and a low strikeout rate, with just eight in 24.1 innings and not more than three in any of his five starts. His control has been consistently good, but batters are hitting .320 against him. Drew Maggi and Gift Ngoepe at the top of the lineup had much of the offense for Altoona, collecting four of the team’s six hits. The 3-6 spots in the lineup combined to go 0-for-10 with seven strikeouts.

 

A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS   

Box Score

Result: St Lucie 11, Bradenton 0

Starting Pitcher: Chad Kuhl, RHP – 5.0 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 3 HR

Top Hitter: Jin-De Jhang, C – 2-for-4, 2B

Other Notable Performers:

Josh Bell, RF – 0-for-3, BB

Jose Osuna, 1B – 1-for-3, HBP

Game Notes: Chad Kuhl came into tonight’s game with 18 career starts and no homers allowed, so what happened Thursday was a bit shocking. He gave up eight runs over five inning, with all eight runs scoring on home runs. He gave up a three-run shot in the first, a two-run homer in the third and another three-run shot in the fifth inning. The last two homers came off the bat of Jairo Perez. Kuhl’s previous high for runs allowed in a game was seven back on August 2nd of last year. The Bradenton offense could only muster three hits, two from Jin-De Jhang and one from Jose Osuna. They did draw six walks, but the Marauders were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER   

Box Score

Result: West Virginia 5, Kannapolis 4

Starting Pitcher: Justin Topa, RHP – 4.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

Top HitterJaCoby Jones, SS – 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB

Other Notable Performers:

Elvis Escobar, CF – 2-for-5, 2 R, SB

Mike Fransoso, RF – 3-for-3, HR, RBI, BB

Game Notes: West Virginia won 5-4 with a run in the top of the ninth inning off the bat of Danny Collins, which scored JaCoby Jones. The Power got three runs in the fourth inning off a solo homer from Mike Fransoso and a two-run shot from Jones. Fransoso had three of the Powers’ nine hits. Justin Topa got his second start and allowed three runs over four innings. Will Kendall came in next and gave up one unearned run in three innings. Brett McKinney finished off the game with the win and two scoreless innings. He has thrown six scoreless innings this year and has given up just two hits.

John Dreker
John Dreker
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball. When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.

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