Monthly Archives: July 2014

Box Score Recap – 7/22/2014

Box Score Recap

Sorry so late – got caught up watching Whatever It Takes, Dude on the YouTube. Maikel Franco left the Lehigh Valley game early with what Greg Joyce (@gjoyce9) described on Twitter as back tightness. Jo-Jo Reyes, back from over a year in pro ball in Korea, didn’t have his finest game, giving up seven earned in five innings and not managing to strike out a single batter. Jake Fox was a single short of the Big Wheel, and Kelly Dugan was 2-4 with a walk, pulling his season OPS back to an even .800. If he starts to show signs of getting his power stroke back in the next two weeks, they should just promote him already. He’s proven he can hit at AA. JPC with a hit and a walk, while Brian Pointer was 2-5 with a double for CLR. Perhaps I did not jinx him with that write-up last week after all. It’s almost as if I have no power to jinx people…hmm…gonna have to look into that.

Jiandido Tromp was 4-5 with two home runs (9), his third two-bomb game of the year. Aaron Brown and Cord Sandberg had two hits a piece, and Drew Stankiewicz was 4-4 for WIL as they walked off against Batavia on a Rhys Hoskins double. Fifth rounder Hoskins has hit safely in five of his last six, including five extra base hits (3 HR). Mitch Gueller managed his six innings well, walking two and allowing five hits while inducing seven outs on the ground, though he didn’t manage to strike anyone out in his six innings. In the GCL, Trey Williams had two XBH, including his second home run, while Nic Hanson and Austin Wright both got hit around in their rehab outings.

And finally, a little VSL update. The VSL squad was idle, but their playoffs start in less than two weeks – the Phils sit firmly in second place, four games up on third place Seattle for the last of two playoff spots to compete with runaway leader Detroit in a three game championship series. 18-year-old Ranger Suarez leads the five-team league in strikeouts with 68, (second place has 55), and he also leads all starters for fewest walks: he has allowed one, while the next closest starter has allowed four. Jesus Alastre’s OPS ranks ninth in the league, and he’s bested by four guys repeating the league, two 18-year-old league rookies old enough for the 2012 July 2 signing period, and two “men” (17-year-olds) from his signing year. I imagine we’ll see both Suarez and Alastre for instructs in the fall and vying for a spot in GCL (or possibly higher for Suarez) in the spring.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 7/22/2014 →

Crabs beat Threshers; July 22, 2014

Game Reports, , , , , , ,

The Threshers were stymied in their attempt to take the third game of the four game series against the Stone Crabs. Jeb Stuart started and did a KK impersonation, allowing 3 runs on 1 hit in the first inning. The Threshers rallied for 4 runs in the fifth inning to tie the game but Stefan and Ethan Stewart combined to surrender 3 runs in the top of the sixth inning. The Crabs held on for a 7-5 victory.

Stefan has struggled in the first inning this season. Going into his 12th start, his first inning ERA was 14.34. After tonight’s first inning he had pitched 11.2 first innings and allowed 20 earned runs, raising his first inning ERA to 15.42. He has allowed the opposing team to score first in half of his starts. Continue reading Crabs beat Threshers; July 22, 2014 →

Lehigh Valley Report

Other Stuff

Lehigh Valley continues mired in mediocrity but now, with a revamped roster that should provide some late season life. Over the last 11 games, the ‘Pigs went 4-7 and now sit at 49-55, 11.5 games behind division leading Syracuse in the Northern Division of the International League.  Wildcard hopes are dwindling as well, sitting 7 games behind Pawtucket with 40 games left in the season. Lehigh Valley continues with two more at home against Pawtucket before hitting the road for five games (Buffalo and Rochester).

‘Pigs Prospects:Maikel Franco left this evenings game with back tightness and is day to day.  Over the last 10 games, Franco hit .222/.237/.333 with 6 RBI’s. On the year, .233/.283/.366 with 6HR and 46RBI to go along with a 15%k rates.  Franco is hitting .266 against lefties, .219 against righties and .270 with RISP. Continue reading Lehigh Valley Report →

Guth Guts Crabs; July 21, 2014

Game Reports, , , , , , , , ,

A day after Mark Leiter shut out the Charlotte Stone Crabs; Jordan Guth pitched 6 strong innings in his longest outing of the season. Guth and 2 of the 3 pitchers who relieved him pitched the Threshers to a 4-3 victory. Art Charles and Brian Pointer provided the offense.

Jordan Guth had been used primarily as a reliever since his call-up to Clearwater last season. He posted a 3-3 record and 6.28 ERA in 26 appearances in 2013. Guth had made 24 relief appearances before making his first start this year on July 4th at Dunedin. He pitched 4 innings and didn’t figure in the decision. The arrival of Cliff Lee for rehab temporarily squeezed Guth out of the rotation. He pitched a hitless 3 innings against Palm Beach on July 13th. Continue reading Guth Guts Crabs; July 21, 2014 →

Box Score Recap – 7/21/2014

Box Score Recap

Darin Ruf had three hits, while David Buchanan and Ethan Martin pitched well for Lehigh Valley. They had the lead going into the ninth and then things went south. Then in the tenth things went even further south – so far south that the toilets flush the other direction. Which is an appropriate reference, I think.

Everyone in Reading’s lineup had a hit – Jake Fox hit his 11th homer. He’s only been with the team for 35 games. Hoby Milner allowed another home run – his 18th in 17 games. His HR/9 is nearing 2. At least he hasn’t had to face Jake Fox, I guess. Luis Encarnacion hit his second home run of the year while playing first base.  He’s only played two games in left and DHed some, and has not been used at third at all. That lines up with what we were told when he was drafted – they may have called him a third baseman, but it seems to not be an option going forward.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 7/21/2014 →

Around the System–Middle Infield

Other Stuff

A look at middle infielders around the organization.  Next, comes catchers.

Lehigh Valley

Nate Spears, 29, Signed as a free agent in 2014; .338/.389/.500 in 80 AB’s; 2HR 12RBI; 3SB; 9%bb/24%k rates; 19 games at 2B without an error; 9 games at SS with 1 error (.957); Hitting .350 in July. Since being signed a month or so ago, Spears has done a very good job solidifying the 2B position both with his glove and bat.

Freddy Galvis, 24, Signed as a free agent in 2006; .214/.313/357 in 14 AB’s; 0HR 1RBI; 4 games at SS without an error.  Galvis spent the beginning of the year in Philly and then almost immediately was significantly injured upon being sent to Lehigh Valley.  Returned to the lineup just last week.

Reading

KC Serna, 24, Signed as a free agent in 2014; .282/.315/.384 in 354 AB’s between Clearwater and Reading; 3HR 32RBI; 10SB; 6%bb/9%k rates; 25 games at SS with 3 errors (.975); 33 games at 2B with 4 errors (.978); 30 games at 3B with 5 errors (.938). Serna has had a very solid year before going down last week with an oblique injury and being placed on the DL.  SHowed himself to be both a capable hitter and solid fielder. Continue reading Around the System–Middle Infield →

Box Score Recap – 7/20/2014

Box Score Recap

Maikel Franco and Darin Ruf each with two doubles and Franco another hit in the nightcap. Phillippe Aumont struck out two and allowed just one hit in two scoreless innings in that game. Adam Loewen, (some of you are interested, so I’ll keep mentioning him), struck out seven and walked one in 6.2IP, while Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez took the loss as he struck out two but allowed a solo home run in the ninth for Reading. J.P. Crawford had three hits and Mark Leiter threw a complete game shutout – he allowed just five hits, no walks and struck out eight, his best performance at A+ thus far.

Tocci, Pullin, Cozens and Astudillo with two hits a piece. Tocci’s OPSing .666 in the second half. Beastly. Cozens added a walk, Tocci a triple and Astudillo a double. Sam Hiciano had a double there, and Andy Knapp was on base twice. Williamsport managed just two hits, (Brown and Tromp), while Mark Meadors struck out four in two scoreless innings of relief. He’s put up six scoreless outings in WIL thus far, but he has walked five men in 9.2 IP, while striking out a very respectable nine over that span.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 7/20/2014 →

Nothing but Nola; July 19, 2014

Game Reports

Aaron Nola made what may have been his last start with the Threshers on Saturday Night. I had planned to make the trip to Bradenton, but a family illness kept me at home. I listened over the internet and charted the game from there.

Nola throws 3 pitches – a fastball, change, and an off-speed pitch that has been called a slider, slurve, or curve. Nola himself calls the pitch his curve, but the pitch has slider action and curve speed. I’ve heard the announcers describe it all three ways.

Nola’s line –

  • 5 IP; 5 H; 2 ER; 0 BB; 5 K

Here’s a further breakdown of Nola’s outing – Continue reading Nothing but Nola; July 19, 2014 →

Mark Leiter Shuts Out Stone Crabs; July 20, 2014

Game Reports

The Clearwater Threshers posted a 5-0 win over the Charlotte Stone Crabs on Sunday afternoon. The game marked the last rehab start for Tampa Rays right hander Jeremy Hellickson. The Threshers countered with Mark Leiter. The son and nephew of former major league pitchers Mark and Al Leiter, responded with the Threshers first complete game shut out of the season, and only the 5thcomplete game shut out in the FSL this year.

Leiter kept the Stone Crabs off balance all afternoon. He was a little inconsistent around the strike zone with a strike-to-ball ratio of 64/46, but only allowed 5 hits. He faced 31 batters and only managed 12 first pitch strikes and ran 7 3-ball counts, but walked no one. Continue reading Mark Leiter Shuts Out Stone Crabs; July 20, 2014 →