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: Steven Wright 1.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO
Notable Performances:
Cole Tucker 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Kevin Kramer 0-for-3, RBI, HBP
Anthony Alford 0-for-3, BB
Nick Mears 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
Game Recap: Steven Wright had a very rough outing on Wednesday night, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks, while recording just four outs. He threw 57 pitches during his brief outing. Matt Eckelman was out next and he threw 1.2 scoreless innings. Blake Weiman pitched the fourth inning and he allowed three runs. Shea Spitzbarth threw two shutout innings and struck out four batters. Nick Mears had two strikeouts in a scoreless seventh inning. Kyle Keller handled the eighth and threw scoreless ball.
Indianapolis was down 9-0 early in this game and they made it a bit closer, but never really got back in the game. Cole Tucker hit a two-run double in the fifth inning. Three innings later, Kevin Kramer was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and it made it 9-3. Christian Bethancourt made it 9-4, but his double play with the bases loaded helped Columbus get out of a jam and walk away with a win. Indianapolis had just two hits in the game. Chris Sharpe pinch-hit in the fifth and stayed in the game. He walked twice and scored twice.
ALTOONA
Starting Pitcher: Travis MacGregor 1.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO
Notable Performances:
Oneil Cruz 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Canaan Smith-Njigba 1-for-4, BB
Rodolfo Castro 4-for-5, HR, 4 RBI, 4 Runs
Mason Martin 2-for-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI
Calvin Mitchell 2-for-4, 3B, 4 RBI
Game Recap: Travis MacGregor has been pitching well in his first action since an injury in 2018 ended his season early. However, he hit his first bump in the road on Wednesday in the early stages of a high scoring affair. He left with 6-5 score in the top of the second, allowing five earned runs on six hits and four walks. He threw 63 pitches, 31 for strikes, during his abbreviated night. Brad Case took over and stranded an inherited runner to close out the second inning. he put together a strong performance, especially considering how much offense happened in this contest. He tossed 3.1 scoreless innings on two hits and one walk. Will Gardner followed and gave up five runs while recording just one out. Cam Alldred was next and he surrendered two runs in 2.1 innings. Shea Murray got the win thanks to 2.1 scoreless frames, giving him a 1.32 ERA this season. Altoona won this game 14-13 over Akron.
Altoona scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Rodolfo Castro got things started with an RBI single. Mason Martin followed with a two-run triple. Brendt Citta hit an RBI double, then scored on a Jonah Davis ground out. The Curve added a run in the third on a Calvin Mitchell single, then added another run in the fourth on a solo homer by Oneil Cruz, his sixth of the season. Cruz brought in the next run as well with a sixth inning RBI single. Rodolfo Castro brought home two runs on a single, then Calvin Mitchell hit a bases loaded triple that made the score 13-11 at the time. After Akron tied it up, Castro hit his sixth homer in the eighth for the go-ahead run. Castro had four hits, four runs and four RBIs. Cruz had two hits and two walks. Mitchell drove in four runs. Martin hit his seventh double and second triple.
GREENSBORO
Starting Pitcher: Quinn Priester 4.2 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO
Notable Performances:
Liover Peguero 0-for-5, RBI
Lolo Sanchez 1-for-4, HR, RBI, HBP
Jared Triolo 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Matt Gorski 2-for-3, 2 RBI, BB
Game Recap: Quinn Priester had his usual Tuesday start pushed back to Wednesday due to a rain out yesterday. He ended up putting together a solid start, allowed two unearned runs on six hits and no walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out five batters, giving him a 3.86 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 25.2 innings this season. Bear Bellomy threw 1.1 shutout innings for the win. Colin Selby allowed two runs in the seventh, then Will Kobos tossed 2.2 innings with one unearned run for his first save in the 13-5 victory.
The Grasshoppers hit four home runs. Aaron Shackelford hit his tenth. Lolo Sanchez hit his fifth, Jesus Valdez his fourth, and Jared Triolo his third homer. Those four homers were the only extra-base hits in the game from either side. Valdez drove in four runs. Triolo and Matt Gorski each had two RBIs. Triolo scored three times, while Gorski, Sanchez, Shackelford and Grant Koch each scored two runs. Liover Peguero had a rough game, going 0-for-5 with two errors. Every batter in the Greensboro lineup had at least one strikeout. Shackelford leads the system in strikeouts.
BRADENTON
Boxscore (suspended game)
Starting Pitcher: Luis Ortiz 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
Notable Performances:
Hudson Head 1-for-3
Endy Rodriguez 1-for-5, 2B, RBI
Sammy Siani 1-for-3, BB
Sergio Campana 0-for-4
Dariel Lopez 0-for-3, BB
Alexander Mojica 0-for-2, 2 BB
Jasiah Dixon 0-for-3, BB
Game Recap: The Marauders completed yesterday’s suspended game, losing 8-2 to Daytona. Luis Ortiz started and did well through four innings, with six strikeouts and one earned run. He reported hit 99 MPH multiple times, according to the Bradenton announcer. Denny Roman took over when the game restarted and he gave up four runs in three innings. Parker Brahms allowed two earned runs over the final two innings.
Bradenton scored two runs in the third inning, then couldn’t do anything after play resumed today. Yoyner Fajardo had an RBI triple and Endy Rodriguez drove him in with his fifth double. The only other hits for the Marauders were singles by Hudson Head and Sammy Siani
Game Two
Starting Pitcher: Santiago Florez 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 SO
Notable Performances:
Sergio Campana 0-for-3
Endy Rodriguez 2-for-3, HR, RBI
Eli Wilson 0-for-3
Sammy Siani 1-for-2, RBI, BB
Dariel Lopez 0-for-2
Hudson Head 0-for-1, BB
Alexander Mojica 1-for-2, RBI
Game Recap: Bradenton won the regularly scheduled game for today, taking a 3-0 victory in seven innings over Daytona. Santiago Florez had been on fire lately and tonight was no different. He tossed a complete game shutout on five hits, no walks and eight strikeouts. He now has a 1.17 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 30.2 innings.
It wasn’t a big game on offense, but they did more than enough to win with Florez on the mound. Endy Rodriguez hit his sixth home run of the season for the first run. In the second inning, a single by Alexander Mojica brought in Sammy Siani with the second run. In the third inning, Rodriguez singled, then scored on a Siani single. The only other hit for the Marauders was a single by Norkis Marcos, who was then thrown out stealing.
