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Prospect Watch: Luis Ortiz Makes His First Double-A Start; Oneil Cruz in Left Field; Martin Powers Indy to Win

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Four early games on Sunday, highlighted by Luis Ortiz making his first start for Altoona after making the jump from Bradenton. He was recently ranked 28th overall in the system in our updated top 30 prospects ranking.

TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

Minor League Season Preview: 2022 Indianapolis Indians

Game Time:  1:35 PM

Box Score: LINK

Starting Pitcher: Osvaldo Bido (0-1, 7.71)

  • Final Line:  2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO

Notable Performances:

Canaan Smith-Njigba 2-for-5, 2B

Oneil Cruz 0-for-3, 2 BB

Rodolfo Castro 0-for-2, RBI, 3 BB

Mason Martin 3-for-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI

Game Recap:

Indianapolis won 7-2 on Sunday over Omaha. Osvaldo Bido faced the minimum in two innings of work as a spot starter on Sunday. He allowed one runner on a hit batter, but that was erased on a double play. He had one strikeout and threw 17 of 22 pitches for strikes. Bido pitched earlier this week and allowed two runs over 2.1 innings. Jerad Eickhoff followed with one run on three hits in 3.2 innings, then Blake Weiman allowed a run in his only inning of work. Hunter Stratton had a scoreless inning with two walks. Yerry De Los Santos had a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Mason Martin was the offense, collecting two doubles and his first homer. He drove in three runs. Bligh Madris, Brendt Citta, Hunter Owen and Rodolfo Castro each had an RBI. Castro drew three walks in the game. Oneil Cruz handled two fly balls in left field.

DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE

Minor League Season Preview: 2022 Altoona Curve

Game Time: 1:00 PM

Box Score: LINK

Starting Pitcher: Luis Ortiz (NR)

  • Final Line:  3 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

Notable Performances:

Matt Fraizer 0-for-5

Nick Gonzales 0-for-4

Jared Triolo 0-for-3, BB

Lolo Sanchez 2-for-4, 2 SB

Connor Scott 3-for-4, 3B, RBI

Tucupita Marcano 0-for-3, RBI

Omar Cruz 2.1 IP,  3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO

Game Recap:

Altoona lost 5-3 to Harrisburg on Sunday. Luis Ortiz skipped over High-A ball this year after a strong season in Bradenton in 2021 that helped the Marauders to the league title. His season debut basically had one pitch he would like to take back, as he served up a two-run homer in the third inning after hitting the lead-off batter. The only other runner he allowed was on a walk over three innings of work, in which he struck out three batters. He threw 50 pitches, 31 for strikes. Omar Cruz followed with two runs over 2.1 innings, then Enmanuel Mejia allowed one run in 1.2 frames. Oliver Garcia and Colin Selby tossed scoreless frames, with Selby picking up two strikeouts. The Curve had nine hits, including three from Connor Scott, who had a triple and an RBI. Andres Alvarez hit a solo homer and Tucupita Marcano had the other RBI on a sacrifice fly. Lolo Sanchez had two hits and two steals.

HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS

Minor League Season Preview: 2022 Greensboro Grasshoppers

Game Time: 2:00 PM

Box Score: LINK

Starting Pitcher: Santiago Florez (NR)

  • Final Line:  3 IP,  2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

Notable Performances:

Endy Rodriguez 1-for-4, 2B

Henry Davis 1-for-3, BB

Abrahan Gutierrez 1-for-4, 2B, RBI

Sammy Siani 2-for-3, BB

Jack Herman 0-for-4

Game Recap:

Greensboro won 3-2 behind some strong work from their bullpen. Starter Santiago Florez went three innings and allowed two runs on two hits and a walk. Nick Garcia had an outstanding outing, throwing three no-hit innings with five strikeouts. Rick DeVito followed with two scoreless innings in his Pirates debut since coming over in last year’s trade of Richard Rodriguez to the Atlanta Braves. It was a bit shaky in the first inning, with nine of 18 pitches going for strikes, plus a hit and a walk, but the second inning ended on eight pitches and he retired the side in order. Cameron Junker tossed a scoreless ninth for the save. Greensboro scored their runs in the first two innings, getting solo runs on RBI doubles by Abrahan Gutierrez and Jackson Glenn in the first, and an RBI single by Yoyner Fajardo in the second. Endy Rodriguez hit his third double in three games. Eli Wilson started at third base, his first pro start anywhere besides catching (or DH). It did not go well on either end, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and an error, before he was replaced on defense late.

LOW-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS

Minor League Season Preview: 2022 Bradenton Marauders

Game Time: 12:00 PM

Box Score: LINK

Starting Pitcher: Joelvis Del Rosario (NR)/ Luis Oviedo (NR/Rehab)

  • Final Line:  Luis Oviedo 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO / Joelvis Del Rosario 2.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO

Notable Performances:

Tsung-Che Cheng 1-for-6, RBI

Rodolfo Nolasco 0-for-6, 4 K

Jase Bowen 0-for-4, BB, SB

Juan Jerez 1-for-4, BB

Game Recap:

Bradenton won 13-4 despite striking out 18 times in the games. Luis Oviedo got a rehab start from a preseason ankle injury and he went one inning, retiring all three batters he faced on 14 pitches, 11 for strikes. Joelvis Del Rosario was supposed to start today, but got pushed back to the second inning. He went 2.2 innings, allowing three runs over six hits, with no walks and five strikeouts. He threw 42 of 63 pitches for strikes. Dante Mendoza tossed 2.1 shutout innings and had three strikeouts. Jake Sweeney allowed a run, then Nick Dombrowski and Valentin Linarez each had a scoreless frame. The offense got a little help from the opposing pitchers, who were missing the strike zone as much as they were missing the bats. Six walks, three hit batters and three wild pitches helped Bradenton, though the big hit was a grand slam by Alexander Mojica, his first homer of the year and also his first double. Jakob Goldfarb added a two-run homer. He had two hits, scored twice and drew a walk. Luke Brown had a single, two walks and two runs scored. Juan Jerez had a single, walk and two runs scored.

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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