Today was Opening Day for Greensboro and Bradenton. Both teams set their Opening Day rosters today. The season previews for all four teams are linked below.
YESTERDAY’S RESULTS
Prospect Watch: Indy Gets In The Win Column, Altoona Routed In Opener
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Caleb Smith (0-1, 15.43)
- Final Line: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO
Notable Performances:
- Travis Swaggerty 1-for-5, 2B
- Tucupita Marcano 3-for-5, 3 2B, 3 Runs
- Endy Rodriguez 2-for-4, RBI, BB
- Nick Gonzales 0-for-3, 2 BB
- Cal Mitchell 0-for-5, RBI
- Malcom Nunez 1-for-4
Game Recap:
Caleb Smith got roughed up in his first start, leaving him with a 15.43 ERA for the past week. He improved on that in this game, with two runs over 4.2 innings, on four hits, two walks and two strikeouts. He threw 47 of 77 pitches for strikes. Daniel Zamora recorded the final out of the fifth, stranding two runners. JC Flowers threw a scoreless sixth, while allowing two hits, with no walks or strikeouts. Carmen Mlodzinski was next, and he had some control issues. He allowed a hit and three walks in 1.1 innings, throwing 15 of 34 pitches for strikes. John O’Reilly came out with two inherited runners. He allowed one to score, making it a 4-3 lead for Indianapolis going into the ninth. O’Reilly recorded the final five outs without a run of his own, leading to a 5-3 victory.
Indianapolis got a run on a wild pitch in the first. A ground out by Cal Mitchell and a single by Miguel Andujar each scored a run in the fifth. Endy Rodriguez drove in a run in the sixth. An error allowed a run to score in the ninth. Tucupita Marcano had three doubles, giving him six already through seven games. Travis Swaggerty picked up his third double. Rodriguez had two hits and a walk. Mike Mathias had three walks. Chris Owings collected two hits, including a double.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Justin Meis (NR)
- Final Line: 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Notable Performances:
- Henry Davis 0-for-4, BB
- Liover Peguero 1-for-5
- Matt Gorski 0-for-5, 4 SO
- Connor Scott 0-for-4
Game Recap:
Justin Meis made his Double-A debut in the second game of the season for the Curve. He lasted three innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits, a walk and three strikeouts. He threw 71 pitches in his abbreviated time, with 46 going for strikes. Travis MacGregor was out next. He went 2.2 innings, giving up two runs on five hits, with no walks and two strikeouts. Noe Toribio bailed him out by stranding two inherited runners, then had both runners he left on base score when Juan Minaya took over in the eighth. Toribio threw 1.2 innings, with no hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Minaya was credited with two scoreless innings in the 7-2 loss.
Altoona scored their first run on a bases loaded walk to Lolo Sanchez in the eighth. They capped the scoring with the help of an error on a Liover Peguero grounder, which scored a run. Andres Alvarez had a solid day, with a single, double and two walks. Josh Palacios had two hits. Mason Martin had three walks and two strikeouts in five plate appearances. Lolo Sanchez had two walks. Matt Gorski struck out four times. The Curve could have easily won this game with some timely hits. They went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position, and that hit didn’t score a run.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Anthony Solometo (NR)
- Final Line: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
Notable Performances:
- Tsung-Che Cheng 0-for-4
- Abrahan Gutierrez 0-for-4
- Hudson Head 1-for-4
- Maikol Escotto 1-for-3, HBP
- Jase Bowen 3-for-4, 2B, RBI
Game Recap:
Anthony Solometo had an excellent season debut on Friday, going four innings on one run, two hits, one walk and five strikeouts. The only run he allowed was a solo homer. He tossed 60 pitches on the day, with 39 going for strikes. Will Kobos followed with a scoreless inning, though he threw just 11 of 23 pitches for strikes. Mitchell Miller allowed two runs on a hit and three walks, while recording just one out. Santiago Florez helped him out by stranding two runners. He went 1.2 innings before being replaced by Grant Ford, who took over with no outs and two men on base in the eighth. Both runs scored, plus another, leaving Greensboro with an 8-1 loss.
The only run for the Grasshoppers scored on a fifth inning double by Jase Bowen, which tied the score. Bowen was the offense, with three of the team’s six hits. He also picked up an outfield assist.
LOW-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
Box Score: LINK
Starting Pitcher: Thomas Harrington (NR)
- Final Line: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 SO
Notable Performances:
- Enmanuel Terrero 0-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
- Jack Brannigan 2-for-3, BB
- Javier Rivas 1-for-4
- Jesus Castillo 2-for-2, BB, HBP
- Braylon Bishop 0-for-3, BB
- Owen Kellington 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Game Recap:
Thomas Harrington made his pro debut on Friday. The 36th overall pick from the 2022 draft pitched five shutout innings on four hits, no walks and seven strikeouts. He threw 63 pitches, with 44 going for strikes. All four hits he allowed were singles. Owen Kellington followed with two runs (one earned) over three innings. He allowed two hits and a walk, with two strikeouts. Julian Bosnic had a busy pro debut for throwing just one inning. He allowed a hit and a walk, but struck out three batters to pick up the save in a 3-2 victory.
The Marauders won despite going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Their runs scored on a bases loaded walk to Deivis Nadal in the first. A bases loaded walk to Enmanuel Terrero in the fourth, which was followed by a wild pitch that scored a run. The Marauders had six hits, all singles. Jesus Castillo reached base all four times up, with two singles, a walk and a HBP. Jack Brannigan had two singles and a walk. Tres Gonzalez had a single and a walk.
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.
Free Marcano
Not happy with Gorski’s 4 K’s. 😞😞😞
2 more today.
Harrington won’t be long for Bradenton, has good stuff but not seeing anything plus right now but it’s real early. The marauders look very young and on the smallish side compared to the phillies single A team.
Wait til Murph posts video from centerfield, that slider is disgusting.
It’s one game and all, but it looked like that rare SL that’s tough on opposite hand hitters.
up to 2900rpm, sharp two-plane break. 5 whiffs in 7 swings. whew.
Much as I wanna see him pitch, I can’t see him being here long.
The one blip yesterday with Harrington was that his control was shaky for about an inning and a fraction. Lots of three-ball counts, although he worked past them and didn’t walk anybody. Maybe just first pro game and all. The FB was probably average and the slider and change can be plus pitches. Both were effective against LH hitters, consistent with the video Anthony linked the other day. Unless control problems become an issue, he probably doesn’t have a great deal to gain at this level.
Kellington was disappointing. Curve was good but he was sitting at 90.
Bosnic was erratic. He throws a slow curve with a very sharp break, FB was 89-92. He’d put a couple curves over the plate, just freeze hitters, then the next 2-3 pitches would be all over the lot. He’s coming off a lost season due to a flexor, so maybe the mechanics are still off a bit. Def profiles as a reliever, IMO, but one with the potential to move if his command comes around.
Jamesroberts posted the statcast link somewhere. It’s worth checking.
What was harrington’s velo around?
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?date=4/7/2023&gamePk=729626&chartType=pitch&legendType=pitchName&playerType=pitcher&inning=&count=&pitchHand=&batSide=&descFilter=&ptFilter=&resultFilter=&hf=playerBreakdown&sportId=14#729626
Required reading.
The CH looked really tough. FB was 94 and CH was 88, seemed just enough to eff up the hitter’s timing. Also appeared to have good fade.
I’m easily sold on a prospect with a CH.
Would love if we pull some guardians magic and make him 96-97
Nick at third base tonight
That Bradenton offense, quite creative!