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Prospect Watch: Poor Starting Pitching Leads to Losses For All Four Affiliates

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TOP OF THE SYSTEM

A look at how the current top 30 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, 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 30 active prospects on the list. Rankings are from early season update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.

1. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Altoona – Disabled List

2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List

3. Austin Meadows, CF, Bradenton – DNP

4. Josh Bell, 1B, Altoona – 2-for-4

5. Reese McGuire, C, Bradenton – 3-for-5, RBI, SB

6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List

7. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – Disabled List

8. Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – 1-for-3, 2 BB, RBI

9. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – DNP

10. Mitch Keller, RHP, Extended Spring Training

11. Harold Ramirez, OF, Bradenton – 3-for-4, 3B

12. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, West Virginia – DNP

13. JaCoby Jones, SS, Bradenton – 1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI

14. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP

15. Trey Supak, RHP, Extended Spring Training

16. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Extended Spring Training

17. Barrett Barnes, OF, Bradenton – 0-for-4, SB

18. Clay Holmes, RHP, Bradenton – Disabled List

19. Cody Dickson, LHP, Bradenton – DNP

20. Willy Garcia, OF, Indianapolis – DNP

21. John Holdzkom, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP

22. Jordan Luplow, 3B, West Virginia – 2-for-5, 2 RBI

23. Connor Joe, 1B, West Virginia – DNP

24. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, Bradenton – 0-for-5

25. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP

26. Steven Brault, LHP, Bradenton – DNP

27. Tito Polo, OF, West Virginia – 0-for-3

28. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Bradenton – DNP

29Luis Heredia, RHP, Bradenton – 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

30. Taylor Gushue, C, West Virginia – DNP

 

DAILY SUMMARY

Top Pitcher: Montana DuRapau, RHP – 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Gabriel Brito, DH – 2-for-5, 2B, 4 RBI

Home Runs: JaCoby Jones (8), Mel Rojas Jr. (1), Felix Vinicio (1)

 

AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS    

Indianapolis was rained out on Wednesday.

AA: ALTOONA CURVE

Box Score

Result: Akron 9, Altoona 3

Starting Pitcher: Zack Dodson, LHP – 6.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Mel Rojas, CF – 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB

Other Notable Performers:

Max Moroff, 2B – 2-for-3, 2 R, BB

Dan Gamache, 3B – 2-for-4, RBI

Josh Bell, 1B – 2-for-4

Game Notes: Altoona went down early to Akron, as Zack Dodson gave up four runs in the third. That would be a deficit they couldn’t overcome, despite some good hitting by the top/middle of the lineup. The 2-5 hitters, Max Moroff, Josh Bell, Mel Rojas Jr. and Dan Gamache all had two hits apiece, with Rojas hitting his first homer this season and Moroff scoring two runs. The rest of the lineup went 1-for-20 and three pitchers combined to allow nine earned runs in the loss. Jeff Inman allowed two runs in the eighth, the first runs he has allowed this season. He started the year with 12 straight scoreless outings, including five strikeouts over two innings in his last game.

 

A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS   

Box Score

Result: Tampa 7, Bradenton 5

Starting Pitcher: Luis Heredia, RHP – 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: JaCoby Jones, SS – 1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Harold Ramirez, RF – 3-for-4, 3B

Reese McGuire, C – 3-for-5, RBI

Edwin Espinal, 1B – 3-for-4, BB, 2B, SB

Game Notes: Tampa had no problems putting the ball in play against Luis Heredia in the first inning and the rest of his outing. Five pitches into the game, the Yankees were already up 2-0. Five pitches later, they made three outs, including a fly ball to the warning track. In the second inning, Heredia gave up a lead-off triple. On the next pitch, the runner scored on a sacrifice fly. He got an infield pop up for the second out, then gave up a first pitch single. Heredia picked up his first strikeout during a long at-bat. He threw 17 pitches in the second inning.

In the third, the first batter reached on an error from JaCoby Jones. Heredia got another long out to the warning track for the first out. Reese McGuire threw out the runner from first attempting to steal, giving Heredia two outs and no one on base. The next batter singled through infield, then moved to second base on a wild pitch. Heredia then allowed an infield single, with Jones making a great diving stop to keep the run from scoring. That was temporary though, as the next hitter dropped down a perfect bunt to make it 4-0. That was followed by a two-run double before Heredia could finally get out of the inning. He had two quick outs, but ended up throwing 24 pitches.

He came out for the fourth and got a strikeout from the first batter, which was also the first swing and miss he recorded in the game. Heredia walked the next batter, then after a stolen base, he got a pop up to left field for the second out. He couldn’t get out of the inning though, giving up an RBI double. The next batter flew out to left field. The double was the ninth hit of the game and tied the career-high in hits allowed for Heredia. Seven runs are just one short of his worst outing. Heredia threw 19 pitches in the inning, getting him to 70 in the game.

Despite the high pitch count, he came out for the fifth inning. The first batter worked the count full and after a foul ball, he picked up his third strikeout. The next batter also worked a full count before getting a fly ball to left field. That ended his game with 83 pitches and 4.2 innings, both season highs.

You could say Heredia was just facing a hot team, but Montana DuRapau and Isaac Sanchez combined to retire 13 of the 14 batters they faced(seven each), giving up just a single.

On offense, the Marauders had four players collect three hits each, Reese McGuire, Harold Ramirez, Justin Maffei and Edwin Espinal. Despite all that, the one hit from JaCoby Jones drove in three of the five runs. He hit his eighth homer of the season. He is still in a slump, as he went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts, leaving him 4-for-28 in his last six games with 14 strikeouts. McGuire stole his 11th base of the season, while Ramirez was caught for the seventh time in 15 tries.

 

A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER

Box Score

Result: Charleston 6, West Virginia 5

Starting Pitcher: Colten Brewer, RHP – 4.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Jordan Luplow, 3B – 2-for-5, 2 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Pablo Reyes, 2B – 1-for-3, BB, SB

Cole Tucker, SS – 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB

Game Notes: West Virginia had the same problem all the other affiliates had today, poor starting pitching. Colten Brewer allowed six runs over 4.2 innings, putting up a pitching line very similar to the one from Luis Heredia. He has not pitched well since his career-high 11 strikeout game. Jordan Luplow drove in two runs, giving him 25 RBIs on the season. Cole Tucker had a single and two walks, after coming into the game with nine walks all year. Pablo Reyes stole his 14th base of the season. Elvis Escobar had two walks and two stolen bases. Coming into this game, he had seven walks all season and he was 4-for-15 in stolen base attempts.

 

RK: DSL PIRATES

Box Score

Result: Cubs 13, Pirates 12

Starting Pitcher: Raymond Rodriguez, RHP – 0.1 IP, 0 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 0 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Gabriel Brito, DH – 2-for-5, 2B, 4 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Felix Vinicio, LF – 3-for-5, HR, RBI, 3 R

Mikell Granberry, 1B – 1-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI

Jeremias Portorreal, RF – 2-for-3, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, 3 R

Game Notes: The Pirates lost a heart-breaker on Wednesday, coming back from a 9-2 deficit, only to lose in the bottom of the ninth inning on a walk-off walk. Starter Raymond Rodriguez faced six batters and five reached on walks, one on a HBP. The only out he recorded was on a wild pitch, with a runner getting thrown out at home. Brian Sousa, who signed for a six-figure bonus back in July, was supposed to start, be he felt pain prior to the game and was scratched. That is potentially the second day in a row with an injured starter that signed for a big bonus in July. Adonis Pichardo left yesterday’s game early due to a sharp decline in his velocity.

Catcher Paul Brands, who signed out of the Netherlands last month, was sent from the GCL to the DSL because four of the five catchers were injured and he ended up leaving after the second inning due to a wrist injury. There is a freeze on international signings from now until July 2nd, but Brands was eligible to play in the DSL because he is a foreign-born player.

Top prospect Yondry Contreras continued his recent slump and it’s a bad one. He is 6-for-39 with 18 strikeouts in his last ten games. Felix Vinicio is now hitting .400 after a three-hit game, which included his first homer of the season. He scored three runs. Gabriel Brito, who is one of the catchers unable to catch, drove in four runs. He was one of the top signings from last July.

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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