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Prospect Watch: Tarpley Has Strong Outing, Hart and Allie Homer

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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 – DNP

2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List

3. Austin Meadows, CF, Bradenton – 1-for-4, 2B, SB

4. Josh Bell, 1B, Altoona – 0-for-3, R

5. Reese McGuire, C, Bradenton – DNP

6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List

7. Alen Hanson, 2B, Indianapolis – 1-for-3, 2 BB

8. Cole Tucker, SS, West Virginia – 1-for-5, R

9. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – 0-for-4, BB

10. Mitch Keller, RHP, Bristol – DNP

11. Harold Ramirez, OF, Bradenton – 2-for-4, 2B

12. Stephen Tarpley, LHP, West Virginia – 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

13. JaCoby Jones, SS, Bradenton – DNP

14. Adrian Sampson, RHP, Indianapolis – DNP

15. Trey Supak, RHP, Bristol – DNP

16. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Bristol – DNP

17. Barrett Barnes, OF, Bradenton – 1-for-5, R

18. Clay Holmes, RHP, Bradenton – DNP

19. Cody Dickson, LHP, Bradenton – DNP

20. Willy Garcia, OF, Indianapolis – 3-for-4

21. John Holdzkom, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List

22. Jordan Luplow, 3B, West Virginia – 0-for-2, R

23. Connor Joe, 1B, West Virginia – 0-for-4, BB, R

24. Wyatt Mathisen, 3B, Bradenton – 3-for-4, 2 RBI

25. Casey Sadler, RHP, Indianapolis – Disabled List

26. Steven Brault, LHP, Altoona  – DNP

27. Tito Polo, OF, West Virginia – DNP

28. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Bradenton – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

29Luis Heredia, RHP, Bradenton – DNP

30. Taylor Gushue, C, West Virginia – 1-for-4, RBI

 

DAILY SUMMARY

Top Pitcher: Stephen Tarpley, LHP – 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Edwin Espinal, 1B – 3-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Home Runs: Stetson Allie (12), Michael Suchy (6), Corey Hart (1)

AAA: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS    

Box Score

Result: Indianapolis 7, Toledo 3

Starting Pitcher: Wilfredo Boscan, RHP – 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: Corey Hart, DH – 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Alen Hanson, 2B – 1-for-3, 2 BB

Jose Tabata, RF – 2-for-5, 2 2B

Willy Garcia, CF – 3-for-4

Game Notes: Corey Hart hit a two-run homer in his second rehab game, helping Indianapolis to a 7-3 win. While he had the big hit in this game, he also struck out in all four of his other at-bats. He still has almost a week before he can be activated off the disabled list, so he should see plenty of at-bats before then. Hart hasn’t played the field yet, with both games coming as the DH.

Jose Tabata returned to Indianapolis and had two hits, both doubles. He also scored two runs. Alen Hanson had a single and two walks. Willy Garcia had three singles in the game, giving him a .200 average since being promoted to Indianapolis. A.J. Morris threw three scoreless innings of relief, which followed four shutout frames his last time out.

AA: ALTOONA CURVE

Box Score

Result: Trenton 11, Altoona 3

Starting Pitcher: Jason Creasy, RHP – 4.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: Jose Osuna, LF – 2-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Adam Frazier, SS – 2-for-5

Stetson Allie, DH – 1-for-3, HR, RBI, BB

Game Notes: Jason Creasy matched his worst career outing, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits in four innings on Thursday. He also allowed seven earned runs in four innings back on July 17th of last year. Creasy, who was just elected to the EL All-Star game, saw his ERA go from 2.99 up to 3.55 in this game.

On offense, Stetson Allie connected on his 12th homer, tops among all Pirates’ minor league players. Jose Osuna drove in two runs on two hits, including his first triple with Altoona. Edward Salcedo had three singles and Max Moroff drew two walks. Adam Frazier had two hits and was back at shortstop after Moroff played there on Wednesday. Eric Wood struck out three times and he is hitting .184 in his last ten games.

 

A+: BRADENTON MARAUDERS   

Box Score

Result: Bradenton 7, Charlotte 3

Starting Pitcher: Tyler Eppler, RHP – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

Top Hitter: Edwin Espinal, 1B – 3-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Wyatt Mathisen, 3B – 3-for-4, 2 RBI

Harold Ramirez, RF – 2-for-4, 2B

Jin-De Jhang, C –  2-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB, 3 R

Game Notes: Since returning from elbow soreness, which shut him down in Spring Training, Tyler Eppler has had one bad inning in each of his three starts. On Thursday, he was able to avoid that problem, giving up one run on two hits and three walks over five innings. This was the first time he has gone five innings in a start since returning. There is still a little rust, as it took 85 pitches(56 strikes) to get through his day. Eppler now has a 5.40 ERA in 16.2 innings.

The bottom of the order did the damage on Thursday. The 5-8 hitters, Harold Ramirez, Jin-De Jhang, Edwin Espinal and Wyatt Mathisen, combined for ten hits and six RBIs. Espinal hit his 15th double and he has now driven in 36 runs. Austin Meadows also hit his 15th double, plus he stole his 12th base of the season. Mathisen had three hits to extend his hit streak to 11 games. Wes Freeman went 0-for-4 in his first game with Bradenton in three years. He was with the GCL Pirates until getting promoted this past weekend.

A: WEST VIRGINIA POWER

Box Score

Result: West Virginia 5, Kannapolis 1

Starting Pitcher: Stephen Tarpley, LHP – 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Michael Suchy, RF – 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Elvis Escobar, CF – 1-for-4, RBI

Jerrick Suiter, DH – 3-for-3, 2 2B, 2 R, BB

Game Notes: Stephen Tarpley had his best outing since joining the Pirates, going seven innings, while allowing one run on three hits and two walks. In his last three starts combined, he has allowed four runs over 18.2 innings. Tarpley had ten ground ball outs in this game and five strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 2.57 through 42 innings.

Michael Suchy connected on his sixth homer and drove in three runs. He had an outstanding month of June, hitting .344/.434/.531 in 19 games. He started off this month by driving in four runs yesterday. Jerrick Suiter reached base in all four plate appearances, collecting two runs and two doubles. Elvis Escobar had another caught stealing, leaving him 7-for-22 in stolen bases this year.

A: WEST VIRGINIA BLACK BEARS

Box Score

Result: West Virginia 7, State College 1

Starting Pitcher: Stephan Meyer, RHP – 2.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Christian Kelley, C – 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Danny Arribas, DH – 2-for-2, 2 BB, 3 R, RBI

Kevin Newman, SS – 0-for-1

Ulises Montilla, 2B – 2-for-4, RBI

Game Notes: Stephan Meyer, the 18th round pick this year, made his pro debut in this game. He had some trouble over his 2.2 innings, allowing just one run, but he gave up five hits and a walk, running his pitch count to 47 pitches. Nick Hibbing, who was taken two rounds before Meyer, threw three scoreless innings. He has started his career with six shutout innings over three appearances.

Kevin Newman left this game after he batted in the first inning. No immediate word as to why he left. Third round draft pick Casey Hughston must be looking for the reset button by now on his pro career. After an 0-for-4 game on Thursday, he is now 1-for-33, giving him an .030 batting average.

Danny Arribas reached base in all four plate appearances. He is now batting .371 through ten games. Mitchell Tolman, this year’s seventh round pick, had a hit and two walks, but he was also thrown out stealing twice.

RK: BRISTOL PIRATES

Thursday’s Bristol game was rained out. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday.

 

RK: GCL PIRATES

Box Score

Result: Pirates 3, Tigers 2

Starting Pitcher: Chris Plitt, RHP – 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Eric Thomas Jr., LF – 2-for-4, 2B, R

Other Notable Performers:

Michael de la Cruz, CF – 2-for-4, 2B, R

Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B – 1-for-4, RBI

Jhoan Herrera, 1B – 1-for-4, 2B

Game Notes: The Pirates looked like they were going to have an extremely bad game at the plate, but they still ended up with a 3-2 victory. In the first four innings, Pirates’ batters struck out ten times, with everyone expect Yoel Gonzalez getting in on the action. They managed to put two runs on the board in the eighth, with Ke’Bryan Hayes picking up his third RBI, which gave them the lead for good.

Michael de la Cruz had two hits, including his first double of the season. Early on, it looks like he has turned things around from a tough 2014 season in the GCL, when he hit .165/.287/.198 in 32 games and had some injury issues. This year he is hitting .297/.333/.378 in ten games and he is just four total bases short of what he had last year.

This game was the debut of pitcher Chris Plitt, a 20-year-old righty drafted in the 14th round this year. He faced one over the minimum and only gave up a single in his three innings. Gerardo Navarro got the win by throwing five innings in relief. He allowed two runs, but both were unearned.

Raul Siri had his nine-game hitting streak snapped. Jhoan Herrera has come up big when it matters, leaving him with an odd stat line. He has a .586 OPS, yet he has four doubles and seven RBIs in nine games.

 

RK: DSL PIRATES

Box Score

Result: Tigers 5, Pirates 4

Starting Pitcher: Yerry De Los Santos, RHP – 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 0 HR

Top Hitter: Huascar Fuentes, 1B – 2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Other Notable Performers:

Rudy Guzman, LF – 2-for-2, SB

Jeremias Portorreal, RF – 2-for-4, BB

Yondry Contreras, CF – 2-for-5, 2B

Game Notes: The DSL Pirates lost for the seventh straight time on Thursday, but they got some good starting pitching. Exactly one year after he signed, 17-year-old Yerry De Los Santos pitched his best game, allowing one run over five innings. He came into the game with a 6.04 ERA in his first five starts. In six starts, he has issued just four walks, showing excellent control for a young pitcher.

Huascar Fuentes broke out of a recent slump with two doubles, giving him ten on the year. He has also driven in 26 runs this season. Yondry Contreras and Jeremias Portorreal each had two hits, as did Rudy Guzman, who only recently started playing again after sitting out all of last year. We posted an article on his visa troubles, which is an interesting read worth checking out.

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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