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Prospect Watch: Eppler Goes for Indianapolis; DSL Pirates Win with Wild Eighth Inning

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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 for an extended time (Alen Hanson, Jose Osuna), or loses his prospect eligibility, he will be removed from this list. 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 more active prospects on the list. Rankings are from the 2017 Prospect Guide, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.

1. Austin Meadows, CF, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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2. Mitch Keller, RHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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3. Kevin Newman, SS, Altoona – [insert_php]
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4. Cole Tucker, SS, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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5. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Bradenton -[insert_php]
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6. Will Craig, 3B, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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7. Taylor Hearn, LHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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8. Gage Hinsz, RHP, Bradenton – [insert_php]
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9. Nick Kingham, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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10. Steven Brault, LHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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11. Clay Holmes, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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12. Braeden Ogle, LHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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13. Max Kranick, RHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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14. Elias Diaz, C, Pirates – [insert_php]
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15. Edgar Santana, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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16. Luis Escobar, RHP, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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17. Dovydas Neverauskas, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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18. Yeudy Garcia, RHP, Altoona -[insert_php]
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19. Kevin Kramer, 2B, Altoona -[insert_php]
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20. Tyler Eppler, RHP, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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21. Stephen Alemais, SS, West Virginia – [insert_php]
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22. Brandon Waddell, LHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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23. Travis MacGregor, RHP, Extended Spring Training – [insert_php]
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24. Barrett Barnes, LF, Indianapolis -[insert_php]
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25. Max Moroff, 2B, Pirates -[insert_php]
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26. Eric Wood, 3B, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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27. J.T. Brubaker, RHP, Altoona – [insert_php]
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28. Chris Bostick, INF/OF, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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29. Connor Joe, 3B, Altoona – [insert_php]
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30. Pat Light, RHP, Indianapolis – [insert_php]
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P2 Top Performers

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Prospect-Watch-Indy

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Indianapolis lost to Toledo on a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning. Tyler Eppler started the game and it was perhaps his worst career outing because it looked even worse than the pitching line indicates. He allowed four runs on nine hits and five walks in 4.2 innings. Eppler was not only having trouble throwing strikes, but when he did, he gave up a lot loud hits and even some well-struck outs. He had just one easy inning, otherwise he was in trouble in each of the other four frames. He came into this game with the fifth best WHIP and seventh best ERA in the International League.

The Indians tied this game up with two outs in the ninth inning on a Gift Ngoepe single that scored Anderson Feliz. It was a single bright moment on an otherwise tough day for Ngoepe, who went 1-for-6 with three strikeouts and a poor throw on an easy play that ended up costing Tyler Eppler an earned run. It was credited as a hit (for now), but it wasn’t a difficult play and the throw reached the bag 3-4 steps ahead of the runner. A.J. Schugel later in the game had a tougher and closer play at first base, and his bad throw in the dirt ended up as an error. While I agree on the error for Schugel, I could see both scoring decisions being reversed.

Antonio Bastardo had his longest outing of his rehab, going 2.1 shutout innings and throwing 53 pitches. A.J. Schugel followed with  2.2 scoreless frames. Edgar Santana took the loss after allowing a single, stolen base, then a long single to the right-center gap, which would have been extra bases, except the game was over.

Indianapolis had a tough call in the top of the 12th when Austin Meadows was caught stealing to end the inning, but he looked safe and neither he nor manager Andy Barkett liked the call. Meadows went 0-for-3 with three walks and his ninth stolen base.

Anderson Feliz had a big game in the ninth spot, driving home three runs with his third homer and two doubles. Indianapolis struck out 14 times in the game.

Prospect-Watch-Altoona-Curve

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Altoona has off on Monday.

Prospect-Watch-Bradenton

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Bradenton had a doubleheader postponed today. They will attempt to play a doubleheader tomorrow.

Prospect-Watch-WV-Power

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West Virginia has off on Monday.

Prospect-Watch-DSL

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For a brief summary of how the second game of the season went for the DSL Pirates, all you need to know is that outfielder Rayvi Rodriguez made his pro debut in the eighth inning as a pinch-runner representing the tying run. He also picked up a triple in that same inning for his first pro hit, then scored on a wild pitch.

The Pirates won 12-5 on Monday despite committing six errors and going into the bottom of the eighth trailing by a 5-2 score. Starter Oliver Garcia pitched a strong five shutout innings, working around two of those errors.

Saul de la Cruz followed Garcia and finally made his debut two years after signing. He was injured in 2015 and it eventually required Tommy John surgery, with the timing of the operation putting him out for the entire 2016 season. He was hurt by an error, but also gave up some damage in his two innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk.

The offense was spread all around with just eight hits and almost everything coming in that eighth inning. Shortstop prospect Francisco Acuna had two hits, scored two runs, picked up an RBI and his first stolen base. Catcher Samuel Inoa was the only player without a hit in the opener. He went 2-for-2 with a double, a stolen base, and he was hit twice. Outfield prospect Pedro Castillo had two walks, an RBI and a run scored. Carlos Garcia went 2-for-4 with a double and drove in two runs.

Third baseman Sherten Apostel had a tough game after a nice debut at the plate on Saturday. He went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and two errors, before leaving for a defensive replacement in the fifth inning. Top prospect Jean Eusebio had the day off, as did Larry Alcime.

The eighth inning from both sides included a total of 22 batters, as the Cubs also scored four runs in the top of the inning. The Pirates alone had five hits, three walks, two hit batters and one batter reach on an error.

*The boxscore says Pedro Castillo caught the ninth inning, but he’s an outfielder, who won’t be catching anytime soon. It was actually Ruben Gonzalez, a July signing from last year, making his pro debut.

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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