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Prospect Watch: Clay Holmes and Altoona Even Up Series with 3-1 Win

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P2 Top 30

A look at how the current top 30 prospects did today. If a player is in the majors and loses his prospect eligibility, 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 the 2016 mid-season update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.

We’re working on a solution for the PHP stat codes not working in the app.

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2. Austin Meadows, CF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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3. Josh Bell, 1B, Pirates – [insert_php]
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4. Kevin Newman, SS, Altoona – [insert_php]
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5. Mitch Keller, RHP, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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7.Cole Tucker, SS, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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8. Will Craig, 3B, Morgantown –  [insert_php]
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9. Steven Brault, LHP, Pirates – [insert_php]
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10. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, West Virginia -[insert_php]
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11. Elias Diaz, C, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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12. Clay Holmes, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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13. Yeudy Garcia, RHP, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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14. Gage Hinsz, RHP, West Virginia  – [insert_php]
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15. Trevor Williams, RHP, Pirates – [insert_php]
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16. Alen Hanson, 2B, Pirates – [insert_php]
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17. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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18. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Altoona -[insert_php]
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19. Max Moroff, 2B, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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20. Taylor Hearn, LHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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21. Adrian Valerio, SS – Bristol – [insert_php]
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22. Braeden Ogle, LHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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23. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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24. Travis MacGregor, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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25. Max Kranick, RHP, GCL Pirates – [insert_php]
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26. Frank Duncan, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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27. Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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28. Connor Joe, 3B, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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29. Erich Weiss, 2B, Altoona – [insert_php]
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30. Stephen Alemais, SS, West Virginia –  [insert_php]
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P2 Top Performers

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Prospect-Watch-Altoona-Curve

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ALTOONA, PA – A day after the pitching faltered for the Curve, Clay Holmes and the combination of three bullpen members combined to only allow one run on four hits against a dangerous Akron offense.

Clay Holmes was not good against Akron this season, pitching to a 7.23 ERA in 23.2 innings against the Rubberducks. Tonight, it was a different story for the #12 ranked prospect, as he only allowed one run in 5.2 IP. Holmes struck out five and walked two, and he did a great job keeping the ball on the ground for the most part, inducing ten grounders to four fly balls and an infield popup.

“You got to take it with a grain of salt,” Holmes said of his struggles against this team during the season. “I faced them four times this year, so I know what they have, but I know my stuff. At the end of the day, I know I can make pitches, and I know I’m better than them.”

Holmes was better than them tonight. He threw a lot of pitches, throwing 98 pitches in his 5.2 innings of work, but his misses weren’t big misses like they were at times earlier in the season. He was around the zone and utilizing all of his pitches to keep batters off-balanced.

“That was phenomenal,” Pitching Coach Justin Meccage said. “He was in attack mode from pitch one.”

Holmes threw hard tonight, as he was up to 96 MPH, but the best part was that he stayed around the plate. His best pitch was his two-seamer, a pitch that he didn’t even throw at the beginning of the season.

He did a nice job going in on a couple of lefties with his four-seam, but I thought his two-seamer was more around the plate,” Meccage said. “He through in the curve ball and change-up to keep them off-balanced, and I really liked his delivery today. It was athletic. We simplified his hands to help time things out better.”

Holmes has been working on quite a few different things of late, including a new slider/cutter combo pitch that moves side-to-side. They want that pitch to compliment his two-seamer. They have also worked on some timing things within his windup that allows him to fully get everything he can out of his arm strength.

“I have less movement with my hands now, allowing me to get the ball out and let my arm do its thing,” Holmes said. “I sped my arm up. Timing was good tonight, so I could out there and compete.”

Ultimately, though, his two-seamer was his best pitch, and Holmes knows that it needs to continue to be as he moves forward.

“It is and it’s going to be my best pitch,” Holmes said. “It’s been huge for me. To know I can get ground balls with it early, I’m very confident with it. The velocity is still on it, and the movement is there. At the end of the day, it’s my best pitch.”

In the fifth inning, he walked the second batter he faced after striking out the first batter. Holmes did a good job getting ground balls, but one took a high bounce over first baseman Edwin Espinal and another got past Kevin Newman as he was moving to cover second base on a steal attempt. A little luck for Akron got them on the board to cut the Curve’s lead in half, 2-1. Holmes did strike out the side in the inning, including dangerous Akron lead-off hitter Greg Allen to end the inning.

In the sixth, Holmes again struck out the lead-off batter then walked the second. In a key at-bat, and what ended up being Holmes’ final batter of the game, Holmes got Akron power hitter Nellie Rodriguez to ground out to third baseman Eric Wood. In what I felt was the key at-bat of the game, Holmes did a great job working Rodriguez into a ground out.

“It was another tight spot in the game, and I was trying to keep the ball on the ground,” Holmes said. “You go with your best pitch, and we got the out.”

As for the rest of the pitching staff, the bullpen went 3.1 innings of no-hit baseball to close out the game. Manager Joey Cora went with LHP Josh Smith against a lefty to relieve Holmes in the sixth. Trey Haley then went 1.2 innings and struck out two batters. LHP Jared Lakind then relieved Haley in the eighth against another lefty, then Lakind struck out the side in the ninth to close out the game.

“The good thing about it was that they pay attention to what happened last night,” Cora said. “Holmes, Smith, Haley, and Lakind all paid attention and made adjustments. They attacked them and made very good pitches.

“The bullpen was outstanding. 3 1/3 innings with no hits against that team is impressive.”

In a very interesting story, Jared Lakind did everything he could tonight to get on the mound, as he was supposed to be shut down for tonight’s game because of pitching three scoreless innings on Monday against Richmond. Lakind wanted to make himself available, so he texted Pitching Coordinator Scott Mitchell to plead his case. Fortunately for the Curve, Mitchell agreed, and Lakind picked up the important save tonight.

“He wasn’t supposed to be available,” Cora said. “He personally asked to be available and that was huge. We put up the list on who was going to be available today, and after we put up the list, he got a hold of [Mitchell]. For a kid like that, that was huge.”

Meccage said that it was an impressive performance by Lakind, saying that he is “a bulldog” both on and off the mound.

Offensively, Kevin Newman and Erich Weiss did their parts to get the Curve on the board early tonight. Newman had a lead-off single up the middle to start the game. Erich Weiss then sliced a line drive double down the left field line to score Newman. Weiss was able to move up the third base on the throw home, then Barrett Barnes hit a deep fly to right field to score him on a sacrifice.

Cora, who coaches third base as well, was extremely aggressive by sending Newman home after the Weiss hit. While it could’ve been second and third with no outs, Cora sent Newman, and he got under the tag. The play at the plate was extremely close, but well worth it to the manager.

“I know we scored a lot of runs last night, but that’s one out of the last five games,” Cora said. “We haven’t been scoring a lot lately, but we had a chance to score one and get a lead right away. I took a chance and it worked out.”

The 2-0 score stuck until Akron scored in that fifth inning, then Stetson Allie hit a long home run to left field in the sixth inning to extend the lead to 3-1. That gave Allie home runs on consecutive nights in the series and seven total since August 22nd (14 starts).

“Surprisingly, he started me off with two heaters and missed,” Allie said. “With it 2-0, I figured I’d sit heater, and I got one. That’s how it works sometimes I guess. It felt good.”

Allie has been extremely impressive lately for the Curve with his power, but he also provided the game winning hit on Monday in extra innings to get the Curve into the playoffs.

“For me, it’s nice,” Allie said. “I’m the older guy. It’s more important in the clubhouse actually. A lot of guys haven’t been in the playoffs, and I’m just trying to relax them and have fun. It’s the same game. It just says playoffs before it.”

Again in the lead-off spot, Kevin Newman went 2-for-3 with a walk. Newman was batting third in the order for a while towards the end of the season, but he has been much better as a lead-off hitter, as he finished the season hitting .310 from the one-hole. More impressively, he hit .345 in the first inning this season for the Curve, setting the table early and often.

Barrett Barnes and Allie both added two hits each for the Curve, as well.

With the win, the Curve now head to Akron with the series tied at one game apiece.

“It’s winning time,” Cora said. “Once we got down to it in August, we were going to do everything we could do to win it. 140 games in the minor leagues is tough, but this is our reward. We need to win 2 out of 3 in there place. Only the people here in this clubhouse believe it could be done, but that’s what we need.”

Stetson Allie echoed that sentiment.

“We’re here to win. We swung the bat well yesterday, and we swung it well today. We’re going to give it our all.”

Notes: 

*Anderson Feliz was thrown out at home after a hard hit Eric Wood single to left field. Cora took the blame on the play, saying he hesitated on sending Feliz. Cora was waving Feliz home, then quickly tried to stop him, then told him to keep going.

*Nick Kingham will get the start tomorrow for the Curve, and he will continue to be on a six inning or 90 pitch limit, according to Justin Meccage. Kingham has never pitched in the playoffs before, and he has told us that he is extremely excited to get out there and try to help win a championship.

*Cody Dickson will be available out of the bullpen tomorrow for the Curve. Jared Lakind projects to be the only reliever who is unavailable.

*Anderson Feliz will continue to start in right field, as Cora said that he likes the way he is playing in both the field and at the plate. Jon Schwind will start again tomorrow in center field, as it will be a better match-up for him against a left-handed pitcher. -Sean McCool

Prospect-Watch-Bradenton

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Bradenton won their first round series over St Lucie on Wednesday night. The best-of-five Florida State League finals begin against Tampa on Friday night in Bradenton.

 

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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