Your daily Pittsburgh Pirates Prospect Watch article for recaps of all of today’s games. Be sure to pick up your copy of the latest Prospect Guide in our store, available as an ebook or a limited edition paperback.
Three different prospects got the golden sombrero today, including two of the Bucs’ top prospects. But Matt Fraizer had a two-HR day and Aaron Shackelford went deep again.
INDIANAPOLIS
(7:05pm)
Starting Pitcher: James Marvel 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Notable Performances:
Phillip Evans 1-3
Colin Moran 1-3, HR (1)
Nick Mears 1 IP, 2 K
Austin Davis 1 IP, 2 K
Game Recap: Indianapolis (12-13) lost to Columbus, 3-2. The Indians couldn’t get much offense going, getting only five hits. The two runs came in the fourth when Phillip Evans singled and Colin Moran homered. They each went 1-for-3. James Marvel started and had some control problems, walking three and hitting one. He gave up all three runs. Four relievers — Joe Jacques, Nick Mears, Austin Davis and Jandel Gustave — each threw a scoreless inning. The only runner in that stretch reached on an error. The Indians had only three at-bats with runners in scoring position. Christian Bethancourt had two hits.
ALTOONA
(6:35pm)
Starting Pitcher: Noe Toribio 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Notable Performances:
Ji-Hwan Bae 2-4
Oneil Cruz 1-5
Rodolfo Castro 0-4, BB
Cal Mitchell 1-4
Canaan Smith-Njigba 1-1, 3 BB, 1 SB
Shea Murray 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Game Recap: Altoona (17-9) beat Richmond, 4-2. The Curve got two runs in the first after getting Ji-Hwan Bae to second with two outs. Brendt Citta, Cal Mitchell and Canaan Smith-Njigba all singled to produce the runs. Starter Noe Toribio gave up only three hits over five innings, but had some control issues, throwing only 50 of 93 pitches for strikes. He gave up one run on a solo home run, then a second on two walks and his own error. The bullpen followed with four scoreless innings, three by Oddy Nunez, who’s thrown eight scoreless innings in his last three games. The Curve finally broke the tie in the seventh on a bases-loaded wild pitch. Bae tried to score from second on the play, but was thrown out. He was down a while and left the game, possibly due to a potential concussion. Pinch hitter Deon Stafford added an insurance run in the top of the ninth with his second home run of the year. Shea Murray threw the ninth for the save, while Nunez got the win. Bae and Citta each had two hits.
GREENSBORO
(6:30pm)
Starting Pitcher: Michael Burrows 4.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Notable Performances:
Matt Fraizer 3-4, 2 HR (4)
Liover Peguero 1-5, 4 K
Aaron Shackelford 1-4, HR (8)
Lolo Sanchez 1-4
Matt Gorski 0-4, 4 K
Game Recap: Greensboro (12-15) continued a common pattern in its 8-6 loss to Winston-Salem. The Grasshoppers got a good effort from their starter, but the bullpen got torched. Michael Burrows allowed no hits until there were two out in the fifth, then left after allowing a walk and an RBI double. Alex Manasa immediately gave up a home run, then allowed another run before the inning ended. Colin Selby pitched the next two and two-thirds innings, allowing three home runs and four runs total. Greensboro got its first four runs on longballs. Two were solo shots by Matt Fraizer, giving him four on the year. Aaron Shackelford had a two-run blast, his eighth. Jared Triolo and Liover Peguero drove in the other two runs. Peguero mostly had a rough day, striking out his first four times up. Matt Gorski fanned all four times up.
BRADENTON
(6:30pm)
Starting Pitcher: Eddy Yean 4 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Notable Performances:
Hudson Head 1-6, 4 K
Sergio Campana 1-5, BB
Jase Bowen 1-5, 2B
Dariel Lopez 1-4, 2B, BB
Eli Wilson 1-4, BB
Sammy Siani 2-5
Jasiah Dixon 1-5
Game Recap: Bradenton (18-9) held on in a wild ninth inning to beat Dunedin, 9-7. The Marauders have now won nine in a row. They took an early 2-0 lead, but Eddy Yean had a shaky start, giving up four runs, including two home runs, over four innings. He left with a 4-2 deficit, but Bradenton got a run on a Dariel Lopez double in the fifth, then scored two in the seventh. Eli Wilson walked with two out, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on a Norkis Marcos single. Marcos came all the way around when the catcher threw the ball away trying to catch him advancing. The Marauders seemingly put the game away with four runs in the top of the ninth, two on Ernny Ordonez’ second double of the game. Leading 9-4, Xavier Concepcion gave up three in the bottom half of the ninth, two of them unearned. Logan Hofmann, who followed Yean, got the win with four hitless innings. He walked one and struck out three. Marcos, Ordonez and Sammy Siani each had two hits, and Ordonez drove in three runs. Marcos added a double and two stolen bases. Hudson Head struck out his first four times up, but had an RBI single in the ninth.
