31.2 F
Pittsburgh

Winter Leagues: Week in Review

Published:

We have nearly a week’s worth of action here, as the amount of players in winter ball continues to dwindle. Starting with Sunday’s action, where a total of five Pirates in four different countries saw action.

In Venezuela, Jose Osuna went 0-for-4 in his team’s 3-1 loss, which sent them to a one-game play-in game on Monday for the next round of the playoffs

In Puerto Rico, Danny Ortiz went 1-for-4 with a single and three strikeouts.

In Mexico, Carlos Munoz struck out as a pinch-hitter in his only at-bat.

In the Dominican, Gustavo Nunez came into the game as a pinch-runner in the eighth inning and went 0-for-2 with a run scored.

Wilkin Castillo went 2-for-3 with two singles.

Monday’s Action

In Venezuela, Elias Diaz returned from the Rookie Career Development Program so he could participate in the all-or-nothing play-in game for Bravos de Margarita. His team lost 1-0, as Diaz went 0-for-3 to give him a .235 average in the playoffs.

Jose Osuna went 1-for-4 with a single, collecting one of his team’s three hits. With his team being eliminated, there is a chance Osuna or Diaz could continue to play in the next round for another team. For that to happen, they would have to agree to play, possibly need the Pirates’ permission to continue to play, and they would have to be drafted by one of the four remaining teams.

In the Dominican, Mel Rojas Jr. got a rare playoff start and went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. That made him 1-for-17 in the playoffs.

Gustavo Nunez went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.

Tuesday’s Action

On Tuesday in Venezuela, things didn’t go so well for two Pirates’ pitchers on Tigres de Aragua. Robert Zarate started the game and went 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks, with one strikeout. He was followed by Jorge Rondon, who lasted just 1.1 innings, giving up two runs on two hits, a walk and two wild pitches. He had two strikeouts. Zarate allowed four runs over 5.2 innings in his last start.

In Puerto Rico, Danny Ortiz went 1-for-4 with a single and a run scored.

Wednesday’s Action

If you missed it from Wednesday, Jose Osuna received 46 of the 50 first place votes for the Venezuelan league Rookie of the Year.

In the Dominican, Mel Rojas Jr. continued his playoff slump by going 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He showed power, speed and defense during the regular season in the Dominican, but he has come up empty(1-for-21) in the postseason.

Gustavo Nunez went 2-for-3 with two singles, giving him a .211 average.

In Puerto Rico, Danny Ortiz went 2-for-6 with a walk in his team’s 7-5 win in 16 innings. In the 13th inning with the score 2–2, Ortiz drove in the go-ahead run, then scored an insurance run, but the other team came back with three runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the score again.

In Mexico, Carlos Munoz played two innings on defense at first base without an at-bat. He is hitting .176 in the playoffs, going 3-for-3 in the second game and 0-for-14 in the other games.

Thursday’s Action

In Australia on Thursday, Sam Kennelly went 0-for-1 with a walk, an RBI on a sacrifice fly and a sacrifice bunt.

In Mexico, Carlos Munoz singled as a pinch-hitter in the ninth, then left for a pinch-runner.

In the Dominican, Gustavo Nunez went 0-for-3. He has been getting more playing time with Pedro Florimon away at Pirates mini-camp.

Friday’s Action

In Australia, Sam Street had a nice outing, throwing two shutout inning, with one walk, no hits and three strikeouts. His winter looks strong when you take out his one poor game. In one appearance last week, he allowed six earned runs over 1.1 innings. In his other seven appearances combined, he has given up two runs over 12.1 innings.

Sam Kennelly went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

In Puerto Rico, Danny Ortiz went 0-for-3, giving him a .229 average in nine games.

In Venezuela, Wilfredo Boscan went 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and three walks, with three strikeouts. In three playoff starts, he has allowed eight runs over 13.1 innings.

In Dominican, Mel Rojas Jr. went 1-for-3 with a double, RBI and walk. He came into the game as a pinch-hitter in the sixth and put his team up by a run in the top of the ninth with his double. Rojas scored a run to give his team a two-run lead, but the score was tied again in the bottom of the inning. His team ended up losing 10-7 in 13 innings.

Gustavo Nunez went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, giving him a .178 average in the playoffs.

In Mexico, Carlos Munoz came on as a pinch-hitter in the sixth and hit a two-run single to give his team a 2-1 lead. He was intentionally walked in the eighth inning. Munoz also had a ground out to first base and a sacrifice bunt in the 13-inning contest, which his team won 3-2.

Notes

More Australian Baseball League action will be televised this weekend, with Sam Kennelly and the Perth Heat taking on Adelaide. Live coverage starts tonight at midnight on MLB Network.

I mentioned last week that two Pirates players were in Panama. It is now down to one, as RHP Dan Urbina was released this week. He is the son of the Pirates’ DSL pitching coach by the same name. The younger Urbina spent five years in the system, topping out at Bristol. He had a good arm and looked strong at times in the DSL, but a couple injuries slowed him down. He struggled in two seasons with Bristol.

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.

Related Articles

Latest Articles