Box Score Recap – 4/9/2014

Box Score Recap

Cesar Jimenez and Hector Neris threw a seven inning shutout to beat Blue Jays’ #2 and consensus Top 50-60 overall prospect Marcus Stroman, who struck out eight Pigs in six innings, but walked five. Cameron Rupp didn’t manage a home run. Not sure why he just wouldn’t go ahead and hit one. Maybe it’s some kind of strategy for the next time they face Buffalo. Lulling them into complacency. Smart.

Reading’s staff did a nice job, with Severino Gonzalez going 7 strong innings and Nefi Ogando and Ken Giles finishing up. Giles has now recorded 10 outs on the year, 9 by K. If you’re into that sort of thing.

Brian Pointer looking good in four games thus far. Not sure why he’s not playing every day at this point. Zach Green has two doubles, and Mark Leiter put up another nice line in a losing effort – 2R/4H/1HR/0BB/5K in 7 IP. Charting shows him throwing seven different pitches. Wonder if there’s some overlap there. From Fangraphs’ Nathaniel Stoltz:

Here’s the affiliate Scoreboard from MiLB. http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.jsp?sid=milb&org=143&ymd=20140409 4-9-14 boxscores

37 thoughts on “Box Score Recap – 4/9/2014”

    1. I think if he really has the kind of Cliff Lee control and K/BB ratio, the velocity isnt as important as for a regular prospect.

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      2. Yeah, but for a righty, unless he develops a true “out” pitch, he’s going to have to be able to at least touch the low 90s to be effective. Look, if Roy Halladay can’t be effective throwing at 88 MPH, I think it tells you all you need to know about the importance of at least decent velocity for a righty. That said, I’m really encouraged and just posted how impressive these performance are in the Eastern League.

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  2. The more things change, the more they stay the same…Anthony Gose in the first LV game: 1 SB, 1 CS, 1 Picked Off

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  3. I wouldn’t exactly say we beat Stroman, the only run the Pigs got came via: Walk, E-4, DP (runner advanced to 3rd), Passed Ball

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    1. Yeah, no dig on Stroman, there. He did get away with being wild, though he wasn’t exactly living outside the zone – 62% strike rate isn’t awful, just not great.

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    1. Sickels is so good – this may best the write-up of all that non-Phuture Phillies sites. I’m having a hard time finding anything he has said that is anything less than fact-based and reasonable.

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        1. True, but he still rates him fairly. And he’s right about the pitching being a complete mess – it certainly is. Although I want the team to take the best player available with the 7th pick this year, I’m hoping to God that the best player is a pitcher and, please, no low ceiling, sure-thing, middle rotation starter – they can always buy those guys. Let’s go for upside.

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    2. That is a great write-up. He is very realistic and I think spot on in almost all cases. Interested to see what Sandberg does in year #2. Any reports on his EST games? Think he’ll be back in GC or try WP?

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    2. He was designated for assignment yesterday. Assuming he clears waivers, the Phillies will have the option of taking him back.

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  7. Sounds like Leiter Jr is just outsmarting hitters in the lower levels. Once again, a guy with his skill set will need to show what he can do in AA/AAA to show his true worth.

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    1. Seriously folks and no offense to Mr. Leiter, I agree with Edge, don’t even bother paying attention to what he’s doing until he hits Reading. Remember the promise of Austin Hyatt? Strikeout machine and Florida State League Pitcher of the year – was totally exposed at Reading and he was one of many.

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      1. Hyatt actually did pretty well at Reading. It wasn’t until the following year when he went to LHV (eventually ended up back at Reading) that things fell apart. Hyatt also supposedly had a good changeup to go with, iirc, an average fastball. I’m not sure if Leiter even has that, so in the end I agree with you: he’s not on the radar.

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        1. From what we’re seeing in reports, he’s flashing two plus pitches – both off-speed. That’s not a recipe for domination. If he gets them to be consistently avg/sometimes plus, and manages to tick up the FB maybe he gets by as a 5/swingman. Nothing to write home about, for sure. But I’m not going ignore him just yet.

          I would like to see them move him to CLR quickly so we have a better idea against reasonably-aged competition, but the fact that they started him in GCL last year not WIL makes me wonder if they have any designs for him other than anchoring a MiLB rotation for as long as he can. Seems like he could be a coaching candidate, with his pedigree in the game and Philly connection.

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          1. ‘Seems like he could be a coaching candidate, with his pedigree in the game and Philly connection’….huh?
            I have to assume thats tic satire?.

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            1. Why, does that not ring as a possibility for you? He’s got some idea of working batters, from what I have heard, and the other parts are both true – his Dad was a Phillie for a while.

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            3. Ahh…I take your point. No, I didn’t mean anytime soon – I said they’ll let him pitch “as long as he can”.

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  10. “Not sure why Brian Pointer isn’t playing everyday”

    Because he isn’t a prospect. He’s fortunate to have been promoted.

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    1. And he’s the youngest OF on Clearwater’s roster by a full year, so I don’t think it’s because he’s “not a prospect”. Actually the two games he didn’t play in were on back-to-back days, so I think it’s more likely that he had a minor injury or something.

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  11. He’s the same age and level Aaron Altherr was last year. He gets on base, can run some, is reportedly good in the field with a good arm. The hit tool is lacking and he’s not going to hit for power, but they gave him third round money in 2010 and the only other guy in that OF who can be considered even a marginal prospect is Parr. Handzus makes a good point about back to backs. Maybe he’s dinged up.

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    1. What does it matter that Pointer is the same age as Altherr was last year? Altherr passed his Lakewood exam. Pointer failed two years in a row.
      Its basically the same thing as if Larry Greene stinks it up again in Lakewood this year. Are people going to be asking why LGj isn’t getting playing time in Clearwater. I doubt it.

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      1. Comparing his age to Altherr is to say that he’s not too old to have his first pass at A+ at the age he’s at right now and still be a prospect. Was more a point about the age and league, not Aaron Altherr versus Brian Pointer.

        Pointer’s 2013 OBP was .337, and his WRC+ was 101, meaning he was essentially average for the league, (Greene’s 2013 was 81, or 19 points below league average, FTR). Also worth noting his BABIP was below .300, so there’s room for him to improve his BA and OPS with just a bit more luck.

        Pointer still strikes out too much, but improved that in 2013 by about 4% versus 2012, or about one K per week. Progress.

        He stole 22 bags versus 7 CS, which is a fair but not great rate of 76% or so, compared to 16/6 or ~73%. Some improvement there as well.

        So I guess one way or the other, I don’t agree with you that he failed the league, and don’t think he’s even close to the same type of case as Greene might be if he bombs out in 2014, as Pointer has positional versatility and speed on his side.

        I’ll also add, that being a repeater in 2013, his improvements in SAL are not as impressive as they would be if he had been promoted. I think it’s fine he hits low in the order at CLR until he shows he’s worthy of moving up, but to not play him now behind the likes of Ferdinand and Lavin seems like a waste. Ferdinand could surprise me, I guess, but I doubt it. Lavin, despite what Chris said yesterday, does nothing for me.

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