Today is day two of the minor league playoffs, at least for Indianapolis. Altoona had their game rained out last night. The playoff schedule below has been updated for Altoona. Each game has just been pushed back a day, but now the game times for games four and five in Altoona have yet to be announced. Here is a preview of today’s action, along with the history of Tyler Glasnow in the playoffs.
Game Two preview for Indianapolis:
Tyler Glasnow gets the start against Durham tonight. He faced them once during the regular season and dominated with seven shutout innings on two hits and two walks, with 12 strikeouts.
Glasnow has had some poor outings in the playoffs during his career:
In 2013 when he was with West Virginia, Glasnow allowed four runs on three hits and three walks in 2.2 innings. He allowed a high of four earned runs twice that year, but he went longer in each of those outings.
In 2014 with Bradenton, he gave up six runs on two hits and six walks in three innings. He did not allow more than four runs in any other start that season.
In 2015 with Indianapolis, he allowed two runs on seven hits, three walks and a hit batter over five innings. This wasn’t a really bad outing, other than the fact it was the most base runners he allowed in a single game up to that point in his career. He has only matched that total once since in the minors and never allowed more in the majors.
He then pitched a second time in the 2015 playoffs and allowed four runs on three home runs, which matched his home runs allowed total from the entire season. In 117 regular season minor league starts, he never allowed more than two homers in a game, which happened twice.
So in these four playoff starts, he had arguably his worst start of the season in 2013, definitely his worst start of the 2014 season, his highest amount of runners allowed in a single game and the most homers he has ever allowed in the minors. A strong playoff start would definitely be clearing a hurdle during his career, because they have clearly been an issue.
Durham will be sending Yonny Chirinos to the mound. He had a 2.74 ERA in 141 innings with Durham, picking up 120 strikeouts, to go along with a .227 BAA and an 0.98 WHIP. He faced Indianapolis twice during the season, throwing 7.1 shutout innings in one game and giving up one run over six innings in the other game. He struck out eight batters each time.
The two teams split the season series 5-5, while Durham went 4-3 during their home games.
Game One preview for Altoona:
Mitch Keller will be on the mound for Altoona. His worst Double-A start was against Bowie when he allowed four runs over 5.2 innings on August 27th.
David Hess faces Altoona tonight. In his last game against them, he threw eight shutout innings. He also faced them three other times this season, throwing seven shutout innings the first time, then allowing a total of six earned runs on 17 hits over 10.1 innings in two July meetings.
Bowie won the season series over Altoona 14-5 and they were 9-2 in home games.
Indianapolis
(Durham leads series 1-0)
9/6: Indianapolis 3, Durham 10
9/7: Game Two @ Durham 6:35 PM
9/8: Game Three VS Durham 7:15 PM
9/9: Game Four VS Durham 7:05 PM (if necessary)
9/10: Game Five VS Durham 1:35 PM (if necessary)
Altoona
9/7: Game One @ Bowie 7:05 PM
9/8: Game Two @ Bowie 7:05 PM
9/9: Game Three VS Bowie 6:00 PM
9/10: Game Four VS Bowie TBD (if necessary)
9/11: Game Five VS Bowie TBD (if necessary)
PLAYOFF PUSH
The Pirates trail in their division by 9.5 games. They are 7.5 games back for the second wild card spot.
Morgantown has been eliminated from the playoffs.
PIRATES GAME GRAPH
Source: FanGraphs
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
Today’s Starter and Notes: The Pittsburgh Pirates lost 1-0 to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. Jameson Taillon will be on the mound making his 22nd start of the season today. He has faced the Cubs twice this season, allowing four runs over five innings in one start and throwing seven innings without an earned run in the other outing. The Cubs will counter with lefty Jon Lester, who has a 4.46 ERA in 153.1 innings, with 159 strikeouts and a 1.29 WHIP. In three starts and 13.1 innings against the Pirates this season, he has allowed nine earned runs.
In the minors, Morgantown finishes their regular season tonight with Adam Oller on the mound. He was named the NYPL Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday. Altoona and Indianapolis both have playoff games, which I’m sure you’ve read about recently.
MLB: Pittsburgh (67-73) vs Cubs (76-63) 7:05 PM
Probable starter: Jameson Taillon (4.50 ERA, 42:107 BB/SO, 112.0 IP)
AAA: Indianapolis (79-63) @ Durham (86-56) 6:35 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Tyler Glasnow (1.93 ERA, 32:140 BB/SO, 93.1 IP)
AA: Altoona (74-66) @ Bowie (72-68) 7:05 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Mitch Keller (3.12 ERA, 11:45 BB/SO, 34.2 IP)
High-A: Bradenton (70-62) (season preview)
Low-A: West Virginia (69-67) (season preview)
Short-Season A: Morgantown (40-35) @ Mahoning Valley (44-29) 7:05 PM (season preview)
Rookie: Bristol (17-49)
GCL: Pirates (26-34)
DSL: Pirates (36-34) (season preview)
HIGHLIGHTS
Here is the first pro home run from 2017 third round pick Dylan Busby
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
9/6: Jack Leathersich added to Indianapolis. Cody Dickson assigned to Bradenton.
9/4: Pirates claimed Jack Leathersich on waivers from Chicago Cubs.
9/3: Josh Harrison placed on disabled list. Christopher Bostick recalled from Indianapolis.
9/3: Austin Meadows placed on disabled list.
9/3: Anderson Feliz and Justin Maffei promoted to Indianapolis. Mitchell Tolman and Casey Hughston promoted to Altoona
9/3: Kevin Kramer assigned to Morgantown on rehab.
9/2: Kevin Kramer and Taylor Hearn assigned to GCL Pirates on rehab.
9/1: Pirates activate Wade LeBlanc and Joaquin Benoit from disabled list.
9/1: Hunter Owen added to West Virginia. Shane Kemp promoted to Bradenton.
8/31: Juan Nicasio claimed on waivers by Philadelphia Phillies
8/29: Mikell Granberry promoted to Bristol. Jason Delay promoted to Morgantown.
8/29: Brent Gibbs placed on disabled list. Raul Hernandez promoted to West Virginia.
8/29: Daniel Zamora promoted to Altoona.
8/28: Adam Frazier placed on disabled list. Pirates recall Dovydas Neverauskas.
8/28: Johnny Barbato optioned to Indianapolis. Jordan Luplow recalled.
8/28: Hunter Owen assigned to Morgantown.
THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY
Five former Pittsburgh Pirates players born on this date. Starting with Gorkys Hernandez, who was a former player when I wrote the original article linked above, then he came back, then he left again. He played 25 games for the Pirates in 2012 and eight more last season. All the other players were born before 1900:
Fred Blackwell, 1917-19 catcher. He was a September call-up in 1917, then served as the third string catcher in 1918. He lost that job in 1919, but came back after Jeff Sweeney struggled and Walter Schmidt got hurt. Blackwell hit .205 in 35 games over his three seasons.
John Flynn, 1910-11 first baseman. Hit .263 in 129 games. The Pirates purchased him from St Paul in late 1909 for $4,000 and they sold him back to St Paul in 1911.
Charlie Case, 1904-06 pitcher. Had just three starts in the majors in 1901, before joining the Pirates three years later. He went 10-5, 2.94 in 1904, then followed that up with a 2.57 ERA over 217 innings in 1905. He lost his job when the Pirates improved their pitching staff in 1906 and went down to the minors early in the season, never coming back to the majors. He won 122 games in the minors after being sent down.
Ed Poole, pitcher/outfielder for Pirates from 1900 until 1902. Had a 3.22 ERA over 95 innings with Pittsburgh and hit .221 in 90 at-bats.
