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Prospect Watch: Adam Frazier Breaks Long Homerless Drought, Joely Rodriguez Pitches Great in Relief

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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. 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 #1, 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 mid-season top 20 update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.

1. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Bradenton – DNP

2. Austin Meadows, CF, West Virginia – 2-for-5

3. Reese McGuire, C, West Virginia – 1-for-5

4. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP

5. Alen Hanson, SS, Altoona – 1-for-5, 3B

6. Josh Bell, RF, Altoona – 2-for-5, 2B

7. Harold Ramirez, OF, West Virginia – Disabled List (7/7 Update)

8. Cole Tucker, SS, GCL Pirates –  0-for-4

9. Luis Heredia, RHP, West Virginia – DNP

10. Mitch Keller, RHP, GCL Pirates – DNP

11. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Altoona – DNP

12. JaCoby Jones, SS, West Virginia – 0-for-5

13. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP

14. Andrew Lambo, OF, Indianapolis – 0-for-4

15. Joely Rodriguez, LHP, Altoona – 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 HR

16. Michael De La Cruz, OF, GCL Pirates – DNP

17. Trey Supak, RHP, GCL Pirates – DNP

18. Buddy Borden, RHP, West Virginia –  6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 0 HR

19. Stetson Allie, 1B, Altoona – 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB

20. Gage Hinsz, RHP, GCL Pirates – DNP

 

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DAILY SUMMARY

Top Pitcher: Alex McRae, RHP – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Francisco Aponte, 3B – 4-for-6, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI

Home Runs: Adam Frazier (1)

 

AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS    

Box Score

Result: Buffalo 7, Indianapolis 1

Starting Pitcher: Adam Wilk, LHP – 6.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: Tony Sanchez, C – 1-for-3, 2B, BB

Other Notable Performers:

Mel Rojas Jr, CF – 1-for-3

Matt Hague, PH – 1-for-1, RBI

Game Notes: One night after Gerrit Cole made a rehab appearance and helped Indianapolis break their seven game losing streak, the Indians returned to their losing ways with a lopsided defeat to Buffalo. This game had a few interesting notes despite poor pitching and no hitting. Jose Tabata was a late scratch from the lineup, with no reason given, though the obvious speculation was that he was part of a potential trade. It also marked the return of Matt Hague, who hasn’t played in three weeks due to a right shoulder injury. He drove in the only run for Indianapolis when he pinch-hit for Mel Rojas Jr in the ninth inning

 

AA: ALTOONA CURVE

Box Score

Result: Erie 3, Altoona 2

Starting Pitcher: Jhonathan Ramos, LHP – 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: Stetson Allie, 1B – 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB

Other Notable Performers:

Keon Broxton, CF – 2-for-3, 3B, BB

Josh Bell, DH – 2-for-5, 2B, SB

Andrew Maggi, DH – 2-for-4, HBP, SB

Joely Rodriguez, LHP – 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 HR

Game Notes: Altoona had 12 hits, including three extra-base hits, but they came up a run short in their loss to Erie. Josh Bell, Elias Diaz, Keon Broxton and Drew Maggi each had two hits. Alen Hanson hit his eighth triple of the season and Keon Broxton collected his sixth triple. Drew Maggi stole his 29th base of the year, the highest total among all Pirates minor league players. Stetson Allie picked up his 48th RBI, while Willy Garcia drove in his 50th run. Joely Rodriguez had an impressive relief outing, throwing no-hit ball over 3.1 innings. He retired all ten batters he faced and threw 30 of his 39 pitches for strikes.

 

A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS   

Box Score

Result: Daytona 6, Bradenton 4

Starting Pitcher: Shane Carle, RHP – 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Adam Frazier, SS – 1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Jordan Steranka, DH – 3-for-4, BB

Justin Maffei, LF – 3-for-4, 2B, RBI

Game Notes: Bradenton lost 6-4 to Daytona on a walk-off homer in the tenth inning. Cubs first round draft pick Kyle Schwarber hit the tenth inning homer off Ryan Hafner to hand Bradenton the loss. Adam Frazier had the big hit for the Marauders, belting a two-run homer in the fifth inning. It was the first homer as a pro for Frazier, who has 602 at-bats since being drafted in the seventh round last year. Both Jordan Steranka and Justin Maffei collected three hits. Jose Osuna had a single in four at-bats to extend his hit streak to eight games.

 

A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER   

Box Score

Result: West Virginia 4, Rome 3

Starting Pitcher: Buddy Borden, RHP – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Wyatt Mathisen, 3B – 2-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Austin Meadows, CF – 2-for-5

Erich Weiss, 2B – 2-for-2, 2 BB

Game Notes: West Virginia went into the top of the ninth inning, trailing by one run. After two runs by the Power, reliever Brett McKinney gave up a solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the inning that tied the game. West Virginia scored in the tenth and McKinney stayed on to pick up the win.  Buddy Borden took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before giving up three straight singles with two outs. He ended up allowing two runs over six innings. Erich Weiss reached base four times, with two singles and two walks. Wyatt Mathisen drove in two runs and hit his second triple. Austin Meadows and Edwin Espinal each had two hits.

 

A-: JAMESTOWN JAMMERS   

Game One Box Score

Result: Jamestown 3, Auburn 2

Starting Pitcher: Tyler Eppler, RHP – 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: Taylor Gushue, DH – 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Kevin Ross, 1B – 1-for-3, 2B, RBI

Game Notes: Jamestown rallied from a late 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in the first game of a doubleheader. Taylor Gushue had two doubles and drove in his 23rd run of the season. He has ten doubles, to go along with two triples and five homers in his first 35 games. Kevin Ross collected his ninth double and drove in his 22nd run. Tyler Eppler made his second straight start against Auburn and improved on his last game when he allowed four runs over 4.1 innings. He left in the fifth inning on Tuesday, allowing two runs, one of which was earned. Eppler had a 7/1 GO/AO ratio, to go along with three strikeouts.

 

Game Two Box Score

Result: Jamestown 3, Auburn 2

Starting Pitcher: Alex McRae, RHP – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Francisco Aponte, 3B – 2-for-3, 2B, 3B, RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Jordan Luplow, LF – 1-for-4

Game Notes: Jamestown won both games of the doubleheader with identical 3-2 scores. Starter Alex McRae allowed just one earned run over five innings, lowering his ERA to 3.35 through nine starts. McRae threw five shutout innings in his last start, which was covered here. Francisco Aponte led the offense with a double, triple and an RBI.  He had two hits and an RBI in the opener. Carl Anderson stole his 13th base of the season.

 

RK: BRISTOL PIRATES

Box Score

Result: Princeton 3, Bristol 2

Starting Pitcher: Junior Lopez, RHP – 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Nick Buckner, RF – 2-for-4, 2B

Other Notable Performers:

Daniel Arribas, C – 2-for-4, SB

Jose Salazar, 1B – 2-for-3

Game Notes: Bristol lost for the 27th time in 37 games and the decision went to an unlikely source. John Sever had gone 16.2 innings without allowing an earned run, going into the ninth inning of a tied game. He gave up the game-winner, which also happened to be the first home run he allowed. Sever has 30 strikeouts in 17 innings after picking up eight tonight. Starter Junior Lopez had seven strikeouts in his five innings and reliever Michael Clemens finished off the game with Bristol’s 16th strikeout. Jose Salazar is 9-for-18 since being promoted from the GCL. Trae Arbet picked up Bristol’s only RBI. Nick Buckner had two hits, including his seventh double.

 

RK: GCL PIRATES

Box Score

Result: Phillies 8, Pirates 0

Starting Pitcher: Jake Burnette, RHP – 0.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Julio de la Cruz, 3B – 1-for-3

Other Notable Performers:

Henrry Rosario, CF – 1-for-4

Hayden Hurst, DH – 0-for-3

Cole Tucker, SS – 0-for-4

Game Notes: Jake Burnette made his fifth start for the GCL Pirates and couldn’t get out of the first inning. He’s pitched a total of nine innings in those five starts, giving up 15 runs on 15 hits and eight walks. The 2011 seventh round pick, signed for $550K, but injuries and poor pitching have sidetracked his career. The Pirates had just two hits in the game and didn’t have a batter reached base until a seventh inning error by the Phillies shortstop. In the eighth, Julio de la Cruz singled with two outs to break up the no-hitter. Henrry Rosario added a ninth inning single. First round pick Cole Tucker went 0-for-4 with his tenth error. After a quick start to his pro career, he is hitting .210/.347/.258 in the month of July. He is 3-for-37 at the plate with runners on base.

 

RK: DSL PIRATES

The DSL box score hasn’t been uploaded yet. The Pirates lost 12-4 to the Yankees2, to drop them to 23-27 on the season. Starter Luis Escobar gave up two earned runs over four innings. All-Star second baseman Raul Siri had two hits. Shortstop Adrian Valerio went 1-for-5 and top prospect Jeremias Portorreal went 0-for-4. Catcher Mikell Granberry had two hits, including his first triple.

You can check out the DSL Pirates week eight recap here.

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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