Daily Archives: July 17, 2015

Around the System, Starting Pitching–Lakewood, WP and GCL

Other Stuff

Lakewood

Ranfi Casimiro, 23, Signed as a free agent in 2011; 15 starts, 5-5 with a 3.52ERA; 87IP 86H 20BB 53K; .256 opp avg; 1.22 WHIP; 0.84 GO/AO; 2.1BB/5.5K per 9; .264 vs LH; .250 vs RH, .275 last 30 days; .208 with RISP.  Casimiro has pitched well this year and with 40 starts at the Low A level is ready to be moved to Clearwater.

Einiery Garcia, 20, Signed as a free agent in 2011; 14 starts, 6-7 with a 3.29ERA; 82IP 89H 24BB 45K; .283 opp avg; 1.38 WHIP; 1.34 GO/AO; 2.6BB/4.9K per 9; .235 vs LH, .301 vs RH, .297 opp avg last 30 days; .256 with RISP.  Garcia’s season has to be considered a successful one thus far with consistent positive results.  I would expect his innings to be monitored pretty closely in the short term as his workload is substantially beyond anything he has done in years passed.

Austin Davis, 22, Phils 12th round pick in 2014; 25 games, 3 starts; 2-2 with a 2.41ERA; 52.1IP 36H 29BB 41K; .194 opp avg; 1.24 WHIP; 0.90 GO/AO; 5.0BB/7.1K per 9; .207 vs LHP; .188 vs RHP; .190 last 30 days; 2-0 with a 1.93ERA in 3 starts.  Davis just joined the rotation and has pitched very well.  His control issues from earlier in the season seem to be resolving.

Shane Watson, 21, Phils Compensation round pick in 2012; 4 starts between GCL and Lakewood; 0-1 with a 5.40ERA; .383 opp avg; 2.49 WHIP; 8.5BB/10,8K per 9.  Watson has had minimal work since coming off both the suspended list and the injured list.  He has been extremely unimpressive.

Tyler Viza, 20, Phils 32nd round pick in 2013; 15 starts, 4-5 with a 4.23ERA; 87.1IP 85H 26BB 62K; 9HR allowed; 2.7BB/6.4K per 9; .254 opp avg; 1.27 WHIP; 1.23 GO/AO; .273 vs LHP; .239 vs RHP; .320 opp avg last month; .313 with RISP.  Overall decent progress from Viza who has struggled a bit recently.

Williamsport

Mitch Guellar, 21, Phils Comp A round pick in 2012; 4 starts, 3-1 with a 3.27ERA; 22IP 17H 6BB 13K; .215 opp avg; 1.05 WHIP; 0.86 GO/AO; 2.5BB/5.3K per 9; .152 vs. LHP; .261 vs RHP.  Guellar has pitched well early on, as he should at this stage.  The goal should be for him to get a few Lakewood starts in before the end of the season.

Denton Keys, 20, Phils 11th round pick of 2013; 4 starts, 0-1 with a 5.00ERA; 18IP 18H 6BB 13K; .257 opp avg; 1.33 WHIP; 1.93 GO/AO; 3.0BB/6.5K per 9; .241 vs LH; .268 vs. RH.  Not atrocious, but not great

Jose Taveras, 21, Signed as a free agent in 2013; 4 starts, 2-1 with a 1.42ERA; 19IP 11H 8BB 18K; .177 opp avg; 1.00 WHIP; 1.00 GO/AO; 3.8BB/8.5Kper 9; .222 vs LHP; .159 vs LHP; Taveras has been outstanding in the early going.

Alejandro Arteaga, 21, Signed as a free agent in 2010; 5 starts, 3-0 with a 1.24ERA; 29IP 17H 9BB 25K; .168 opp avg; 0.90 WHIP; 2.8BB/7.8K per 9; .200 vs LH; .143 vs RH. Having already made 11 starts above this level, Arteaga was expected to produce well and he has back in Williamsport.  I would expect him to be the first starter to move to Lakewood when its time.

Franklyn Kilome, 20, Signed as a free agent in 2013; 3 starts, 2-0 with an 0.54ERA; 16.2IP 8H 6BB 14K; .140 opp avg; 0.84 GO/AO.  Simply dominant however missed his last two starts injured.  Expected to make his next start.

GCL

Sam McWilliams, 19, Phils 8th round pick in 2014; 3 starts, 0-0 with a 0.56ERA; 16IP 8H 1BB 8K; 0.6BB/4.5K per 9; .148 opp avg; 0.56 WHIP; .200 vs LH, .103 vs RH.  Only 3 starts but has been very good bolstered by a great walk rate.

Felix Paulino, 20, Signed as a free agent in 2013; 4 starts; 2-1 with a 2.25ERA; 20IP 15H 4BB 20K; .211 opp avg; 0.95WHIP; 1.8BB/9.0K per 9; .217 vs LH, .208 vs RH.  Excellent thus far.

Adonis Medina, 18, Signed as a free agent in 2013, 4 games (3 starts); 15IP 10H 5BB 14K; .204 opp avg; 1.00 WHIP; 2.7BB; 8.4K per 9.

Ranger Suarez, 19, Signed as a free agent in 2011; 5 games (3 starts); 21.2IP 13H 3BB 15K; .173 opp avg; 0.74WHIP; 1.2BB/6.2K per 9; .200 vs LH; .167 vs RH; Doing everything you would want a young pitcher to do.

 

Aaron Nola promoted to Philadelphia

Other Stuff

The Phillies have called up 2014 1st round pick Aaron Nola and he is expected to make his major league debut next Tuesday against Tampa at Citizens Bank Park.  Nola’s quick rise through the system has been well documented with him going 10-4 with a 2.39 ERAin 18 combined starts between Reading and Lehigh Valley this year.  His outing last night for Lehigh Valley was perhaps his worst outing of the year (3IP 7H 5ER 2BB 3K), however it should be nothing more than a blip on the radar screen.  Over the last year, Nola has proven that he has big league stuff and big league stuff that is ready now.  With the horrendous condition of the Phils pitching staff and the manner in which Nola’s production has come (great stuff and great pitching IQ), it is time.

Box Score Recap – 7/16/2015

Box Score Recap

Clearwater (52-39) lost to the Palm Beach Cardinals 3-0.  David Whitehead took the loss.  He allowed 3 runs (2 ER) in 6.1 innings on 8 hits and 2 walks.  He hit a batter and struck out five.  He threw a wild pitch that set up the Cardinals first run.  When Whitehead ran into trouble in the seventh, Miguel Nunez came on to shut the Cardinals down.

The Threshers were shut down by a pitcher who was only just called up from Full A ball earlier this month.  Daniel Poncedeleon was making his second start in the FSL.  He held the Threshers to 6 hits in 8.0 innings.  He was very effective against the aggressive Threshers batters.  He started the eighth inning having only thrown 70 pitches in the first seven innings.

Whitehead threw 88 pitches in his 6.1 IP.  Remarkable because he threw 28 pitches in the Cardinals’ second inning when they scored the game’s first run.  He kept it close until the seventh when he surrendered a lead off HR.  The stadium gun worked intermittantly and I only have readings for half of Whitehead’s pitches.  So, I don’t know how accurate it is to state that he was 89-92, T93.

The Threshers managed only 6 hits, all singles.  They hit several balls hard, but couldn’t string enough together to score.  Carlos Tocci (.275) went 2-4.  Canelo and Mitch Waldng made a couple good defensive plays to keep the game close.

Lehigh Valley (40-52) lost to the Rochester Red Wings 6-0 on Nola Night.  Aaron Nola lasted 3.0 innings, his shortest outing of the season (and shortest of his professional career since going 2.1 innings in his pro debut at Lakeland on June 23, 2014 with Clearwater).  He gave up 6 runs (5 ER) on 7 hits, 2 walks, and 2 HR.  The bullpen held the red Wings to one hit over the final five innings.  (I saw some comments on Twitter that blamed Nola’s sub-par performance on Ruben Amaro for not bringing him up to the majors.  Really.)  The IronPigs managed 5 singles.  Aaron Altherr (.300) went hitless.  Gabriel (.273) went 1-4.

Reading (49-42) beat the New Britain Rock Cats 3-1.  Starter Reinier Roibal had to leave after tweaking something warming up for the third ining.  The bullpen took over.  Ethan Martin gave up a run on 4 hits in 3.0 innings.  Colton Murray earned the win with two, one-hit innings.  Ryan O’Sullivan struck out 2 in one hitless inning.  Stephen Shackleford picked up his 20th save.  Kelly Dugan (.325) went 1-4 with a triple and RBI.  Brock Stassi (.308) went 1-3 with an RBI.  Andrew Knapp (.321) went 1-4 with a triple.

Lakewood (45-44) beat the Kannapolis Intimidators 3-1.  Lakewood held the Intimidators to 3 hits.  Austin allowed 2 hits and 3 walks while limiting Kannapolis to one run in 6.0 innings.  Manny Martinez pitched one no-hit inning.  Joey DeNato allowed one hit in 2.0 innings while recording his fifth save.  Herlis Rodriguez (.307) went 2-4 with a HR (7) and RBI.  Scott Kingery (.240) went 2-4.  Kyle Martin (.372) went 1-4.  Cord Sandberg (.259) went 1-4 with 2 RBI.

Williamsport (18-7) lost to the Batavia Muckdogs 4-2.  Alejandro Arteaga put together a quality start.  He threw 95 pitches (66 strkes) in 6.0 innings.  He gave up one run on 5 hits and a walk.  He struck out eight.  The lone run he allowed came on a solo HR in the fifth inning.  Lewis Alezones and Juan Figueroa  conspired to blow the save and lose the game.  Alezones left the game after one-third of an inning with runners on the corners.  He had given up a single, force out on a sacrifice attempt, stolen base, wild pitch and a walk when he was lifted.  Figueroa allowed one inherited runner to score on a SF.  Next inning, Figueroa gave up a 2-run HR.

The Cutters scored their 2 runs on just 6 hits.  Brendon Hayden (.352) went 2-3 with a walk.  Jose Pujols (.326) went 2-4 witha double and RBI.  Pujols also ended a couple early scoring chances.  He grounded into a double play with runners on first and second to end the first.  And, he was thrown out at home to end the third.

GCL Phillies (17-5) beat the GCL Astros 3-2.  Adonis Medina (1.20 ERA) struck out three and walked one while holding the Astros to 1 run on 4 hits in 5.0 innings.  Kevin Walsh pitched two, one-hit innings.  Nick Fanti made his professional debut.  He allowed one hit but struck out the side in his one inning of work while getting the win.  Sutter McLoughlin notched his third save with a perfect ninth inning.

The Phillies pushed two runs across in the ninth to get the come-from-behind victory.  Jesus Alastre (.298) went 2-3.  Cornelius Randolph (.279) went 0-4.  Luis Encarnacion (.284) went 0-2 with 2 walks.  Lucas Williams went 1-4.  Greg Pickett played 4 innings in RF and went 0-2 with an RBI.  Scott Tomassetti (.385) went 1-4.  Rodolfo Duran went 2-2 with 2 RBI on a go-ahead single in the ninth.

DSL Phillies (24-17) beat the DSL Astros Blue 5-0 on the 15th.  Randy Alcantara (6-0, 2.22) allowed 5 hits in 8.0 innings.  He walked none and struck out three.  In his 8 starts this season, Alcantara has pitched 48.2 innings.  He has only struck out 28 batters, but he has only issued 5 walks.  DH Daniel Brito (.278) went 1-4.

On the 16th, they beat the DSL Royals 6-3.  Joel Cabrera pitched 8.0 innings and got the win.  He threw 7 shutout innings after giving up 3 runs in the first inning.  He allowed 11 hits, but neither walked nor struck out anyone.  Jose Nin earned his first save, striking out two in his one inning.  Nerluis Martinez (.296) went 2-4 with an RBI.  Daniel Romero, Emmanuel Garcia, and Ronaldo Marrero also had 2 hits a piece as the Phillies scored 6 runs on 11 singles and 1 walk.

VSL Phillies (23-29) lost to the VSL Rays 5-0.  The Phillies amassed three hits.  Enger Jimenez (.311) went 2-4.

Here’s the affiliate scoreboard from MiLB.

Extra Innings –

  • The deadline for the signing of 2015 draft picks arrives at 5:00PM Friday.
  • RHP Randy Alcantara assigned to DSL NL All-Stars.
  • C Nerluis Martinez assigned to DSL NL All-Stars.
  • Keith Law posted his mid-season top 50.  J.P. Crawford was #2, Aaron Nola was #38.
  • BA posted their mid-season team top 10 –
  1. J.P. Crawford
  2. Aaron Nola
  3. Franklyn Kilome
  4. Zach Eflin
  5. Ben Lively
  6. Roman Quinn
  7. Carlos Tocci
  8. Tom Windle
  9. Ricardo Pinto
  10. Malquin Canelo