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.
INDIANAPOLIS
Starting Pitcher: Max Kranick 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO
Notable Performances:
Phillip Evans 1-for-3, BB
Kevin Kramer 1-for-4
Nick Mears 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO
Game Recap: Indianapolis lost 4-1 to Columbus, dropping them to a 15-14 record. Max Kranick made his second start since being promoted to Triple-A. He allowed one run over five innings in his debut with Indianapolis and looked to be heading that way in this game, throwing shutout ball in the first four innings. Things went south in the fifth and he gave up four runs while recording just one out. Nick Mears took over and stranded an inherited runner, while throwing 1.1 scoreless innings. Joe Jacques and Shea Spitzbarth combined to throw three shutout innings. Blake Weiman came on for the ninth, but before he threw a pitch, rain delayed and then ended this game early.
Indianapolis had almost nothing to offer on offense and their lone run was unearned. Christian Bethancourt had two hits, the lone RBI and his double was their only extra-base hit. He has six doubles. TJ Rivera had a single, walk and scored a run. Phillip Evans went 1-for-3 with a walk, while playing left field. He is 6-for-13 with two doubles and a walk in five games on his rehab assignment.
ALTOONA
Starting Pitcher: Jeffrey Passantino 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
Notable Performances:
Ji-Hwan Bae 2-for-4, 2B, 3B
Rodolfo Castro 1-for-3, 2B, 3 RBI
Mason Martin 0-for-4
Cal Mitchell 1-for-4
Canaan Smith-Njigba 0-for-3
Game Recap: Jeffrey Passantino worked 5.1 innings for Altoona on Sunday, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk, with five strikeouts. The second run scored in the sixth inning and it was against Shea Murray, who had a rough outing, partially due to defense. Back-to-back errors by Rodolfo Castro led to five unearned runs, four against Murray, who recorded just one out before being removed from the game. Cam Vieaux recorded the final out of the inning, then Cam Alldred tossed a scoreless seventh. Hunter Stratton allowed a run in the eighth, as Altoona dropped a 7-3 decision to Richmond.
The Curve scored their first run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Rodolfo Castro. They added two more runs in the eighth inning on Castro’s seventh double of the season. Ji-Hwan Bae hit his fourth double and third triple. He scored on Castro’s sac fly. Jonah Davis went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts, giving him 42 strikeouts in 70 at-bats. He has 11 hits this year and nine have gone for extra-bases.
GREENSBORO
Starting Pitcher: Carmen Mlodzinski 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 SO
Notable Performances:
Liover Peguero 1-for-5
Lolo Sanchez 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Jared Triolo 1-for-3, RBI, SB, BB
Matt Gorski 0-for-3, RBI
Game Recap: Carmen Mlodzinski continued his strong start to his pro career by tossing five shutout innings on Sunday. He now has an 0.55 ERA in 16.1 innings, with 25 strikeouts. His day didn’t get off to a great start, as two singles and a stolen base put two men in scoring position before he recorded his first out. Mlodzinski got an infield pop up, a strikeout and a ground out to keep Winston-Salem off of the board. They had just three base runners in the final four frames.
This game had a crazy ending, as Greensboro led 5-1 going into the ninth, only to lose the lead, before Matt Fraizer doubled and Lolo Sanchez hit a two-out, two-run walk-off for the 7-6 victory. Fraizer had three hits and scored two runs. He’s now batting .320, with a .947 OPS. Sanchez had two hits and scored two runs. Fabricio Macias had three hits, a run scored and an RBI. Jared Triolo had a hit, run, RBI, walk and a stolen base.
Bear Bellomy tossed a scoreless sixth and Grant Ford did the same in the seventh and eighth, but he was on the mound for four earned runs in the ninth. Oliver Garcia came on and allowed three hits and a walk, giving up one inherited run and two runs of his own. He ended up getting credited with the win.
BRADENTON
Starting Pitcher: Adrian Florencio 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO
Notable Performances:
Sergio Campana 0-for-5
Endy Rodriguez 2-for-4, 2B
Hudson Head 0-for-0, 2 BB, HBP
Jase Bowen 1-for-3, HBP
Sammy Siani 0-for-2, RBI, BB
Alexander Mojica 0-for-4, RBI
Eli Wilson 1-for-4
Nick Garcia 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO
Game Recap: Bradenton lost 4-3 to Dunedin on Sunday, dropping them to a 19-11 record. Adrian Florencio got the start and continued to look strong. He went five innings, allowing one run on two hits, with no walks and eight strikeouts. He has an 0.86 ERA in 21 innings, with 25 strikeouts. Nick Garcia pitched the final three innings and allowed three runs, though just one was earned. He allowed two hits, two hit batters and three walks, while picking up four strikeouts.
The Marauders had just four hits, but they had their share of base runners in the game and chances to score. Endy Rodriguez had a single and the only extra-base hit, his fourth double. Eli Wilson and Jase Bowen each had singles. Hudson Head drew two of their five walks and he was one of two Bradenton batters hit by pitches. He left for a pinch-runner after being hit, but not until after he made it to third base. The Marauders had four straight batters reach to start the sixth inning on an error, two hit batters and a walk. The next two batters had productive outs that brought in two runs and temporarily gave Bradenton a 3-1 lead, but that was all the could muster in this game.
Infielder Yoyner Fajardo rejoined Bradenton for today’s game.
