Tyler Viza scattered seven singles as the Clearwater Threshers defeated the Brevard County Manatees 6-1 Saturday night. The Threshers provided Viza a five run cushion in the first inning, and he made those runs stand up as he shutout the Manatees over a season-high 6.0 innings.
The Manatees put up more of a fight tonight. In fact, they out hit the Threshers 11-8.
Viza pitched out of a couple scoring situations in the first couple innings. In the first inning, a seeing-eye single and a Texas Leaguer put two runners on base. A strike out and ground out ended the threat.
An error by shortstop Drew Stankiewicz and another single to start the second inning created another jam for Viza. He escaped that threat with his third strike out and a couple air outs.
After a 1-2-3 third inning, Viza found himself in a first and third situation with two outs. The batter dropped a bunt down the third base line. Mitch Walding charged, bare-handed, and threw in one motion to nab the runner and keep Viza’s slate clean.
In the fifth, Viza had a runner on first and two outs. The batter lined a single to left. For some reason, the runner on first decided to try for third. Damek Tomscha gunned him out to end the inning. Questionable base running decision.
Viza ended his night with a 1-2-3 sixth inning, punctuated with a third out strike out. He gave way to what appeared to be a rusty Jairo Munoz who hadn’t pitched in 5 days. Munoz pitched one inning plus two batters into the eighth. He had allowed a single and walked 4 batters. He was lifted after two walks to start the eighth.
Joey DeNato came on to finish the game. He also hadn’t pitched in 5 days. He induced three fly balls to defuse the situation in the eighth. But, he gave up three singles and the Manatees only run in the ninth.
The Threshers opened the scoring with a 5-spot in the first inning. Cord Sandberg walked with one out and advanced to third on 2 wild pitches while Carlos Tocci made the second out of the inning. Kyle Martin walked to put runners on the corners, and the Threshers got four consecutive two-out, RBI base hits. Walding singled in the first run. Zach Green followed with another RBI single. Stankiewicz contributed an RBI double. And, Chace Numata finished the scoring with a two-run single.
The Threshers went dormant for a few innings. Sandberg walked in the second and was thrown out on a steal attempt. The Manatees retired seven Threshers in a row until Scott Kingery opened the fifth with a single. Sandberg and Tocci also singled to load the bases. They got a run on Martin’s double play ball. Their last base runner came when Kingery singled to open the seventh. He was erased on an a 3u, 3-6 double play when he over slid the bag and was tagged out.
Viza has a 5-pitch mix that includes a FastBall, CUtter, SLider, CHange up, and Curve Ball. He seemed to mix his pitches and velocity well, but the stadium gun failed on 28 of his 85 pitches (32.9%). He threw 24 FB from 91-93, t94 mph (7, 10, 6, 1). He struck out 5 batters, 4 swinging. He got 15 called strikes and 6 swinging strikes. His strike outs came on pitches of 89 (looking), unknown, unknown, 84, and 82 mph.
Viza threw 43 pitches in the first two innings (18 and 25). He threw 42 over his next four innings (12, 11, 11, and 8). Here’s the breakdown of his results for the two games I’ve seen.
- Pitch 4/11 4/23
- Swing 10, 18.5% 6, 9.8%
- Called 10, 18.5% 15, 24.6%
- Foul 15, 27.8% 20, 32.8%
- Other 19, 35.2% 20, 32.8%
- Strikes 54 61
- Balls 20 24
- S/B% 73/27 71.8/28.2
Viza threw first-pitch strikes on 15 of 25 batters (60%). Not quite as good as the 18 for 22 (81.8%) he managed during his April 11th outing.
Viza’s game lines –
- April 11 – 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 WP, 74 pitches/54 strikes, FB 91-93, t94 mph.
- April 23 – 6.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 85 pitches/61 strikes, FB 91-93, t94 mph.
The box score and recap for the game is here.
Extra Innings –
- Cord Sandberg reached base three more times going 1-2 (.346) with an infield single and 2 BB.
- Scott Kingery went 2-4 (.286).
- The efficient Threshers went 5-7 with RISP, and had only 3 LOB for the game.
- Jairo Munoz was called for a balked with runners on the corners in the seventh inning. Coach Legg came out to question the call, calmly. The home plate umpire who made the call conferenced with the other umpire who had been stationed between the mound and second base. After a short discussion, the umpires went to the Manatees’ third base coach, and shortly afterward overturned the call. The runner had to return to third and a run came off the board. Who needs replay?
- The Threshers have the top pitching staff in the FSL.
- Lowest ERA at 1.89
- Tied for most shutouts, 4
- Fewest hits allowed, 105
- Fewest runs allowed, 40
- Fewest ER allowed, 32
- Fewest HB, 0 (note that 7 Threshers have been HBP)
- Fewest BB , 40 (even after the 4 by Munoz tonight)
- Second most strike outs, 151
- Lowest WHIP, 0.95
Phuture Phillies 
Is Viza working himself into a top 25 prospect status????? From your reports it appears he has the velocity needed along with four other pitches.
Just a reminder to all who think every thing I saw is negative. I told you viza had to have something, or he wouldn’t have been moved up. after how bad he has looked for two years, on paper. Looks like he is starting to figure out some stuff. On stats alone he never would have moved up. Cant always go by stats alone.
rocco…..you are correct. Tyler Viza at 21-years old seems to be finding his niche. If he had went to college in 2013 when he was drafted he would now be a junior and eligible for this years Rule 4 draft. So it looks like he is right on pace.
I think the badness of his stats gets overblown. In his first year in Lakewood, as a 19 year old, he was too hittable but he didn’t walk anybody. Last year, repeating the level, his WHIP went way down as he got more Ks and ground outs. He looked like a fairly typical back-end starter prospect.
I agree that the Phillies’ handling of him shows that they saw something in him. There was a reason why, in 2014, he went to Lakewood and stayed there all year while his draft-mate Denton Keys repeated the GCL.
Viza’s badness was overblown by the guys who look at pitchers’ W-L records. Nobody else said anything about Visa being bad.
I saw Viza in Lakewood in his first season and he was as bad as his record suggested. Everything he there up there got crushed. Sat upper 80s. Initially I thought he was throwing s lot of change ups. But by 3rd inning I realized that was his fastball. Was completely overmatched. His current performance is a tribute to the Phils staff and his hard work. But his horrific first season was not overblown. He was horrible.
Few are talking about him, but Kingery is off to a great start.
– BB/K ratio of 1:1. Both at a very good 13%
– showing decent pop for a non power hitter with a > .1 ISO
– 5/5 in SB attempts, showing the speed we knew he had.
I like what I am seeing from him.
I am wondering if the Phillies will promote him at mid-season, if he is deserving offensively, or let him play out the whole year at CLW.
I’m quietly keeping an eye on him and rooting for him. He certainly seems a little under the radar at the moment. Nobody is going to replace Utley, but I’m hoping Kingery is a solid guy. .280 hitter with 20 steals, maybe a perfect 2-hole hitter. Hope he keeps it up!
You saying Galvis’ .268 OB% doesn’t excite you from the 2 hole?
But yes, he does seem like a guy who can become a really solid 2 hole guy. Although I can see JP hit 2nd too. High Ob% guy
Hope your right. I Am starting to sour on Hernandez .Last night I thought he misplayed that soft liner to right. Didn’t get a jump on the bunt and got thrown out at third. He seems to make too many mental mistakes on base path.
C Hernandez .246 .295 .316 19 % k rate. 1 for 4 in stolen bases , there stating to play the Ben Revere outfield on him.5.3 k rate 5.3 ball rare guess who
You stole my thunder lol with him and Sandberg getting on base , Martin and company should be knocking them in.