Threshers Recap – 4/12/2019

Box Score Recap

Clearwater (2-7) lost to Fort Myers, 5-4 in 12 innings.

This was a heart wrenching loss.  Alejandro Requena (0.82) was masterful through six innings, holding the Miracle to one hit and one walk.  He struck out eight, and at one point had thrown first pitch strikes to the first ten batters he faced.

Requena got seven of his 8 strike outs swinging, 5 on fastballs.  He mixed his pitches well.  His fastball range was 89-94 mph.  He sat 91-93.  He threw three 94’s in the third inning.  His velocity dipped a little in the later innings.  The four 89s he threw came in the fifth and sixth innings.  But, his last pitch of the night was a 94 mph FB.

Luis Carrasco (6.75) carried the one-hitter thru the next two innings, walking none and striking out three.  Connor Brogdon fell behind the lead off hitter in the ninth and gave up a shift-beating double to left field.  A ground out moved the runner to third, and he scored on a game-tying sacrifice fly.

And then the fun began. Each frame in extra innings began with a runner on second base.

In the tenth, with Brogdon still on the mound, the lead off batter hit a ground ball to shortstop.  The umpire was out of position, behind the play, when he called the runner safe.  A pop up and sac fly later, we’re trailing a team that had only two hits at that point.  Oh, on the sac fly, the runner broke home on contact.  Stupid move.  He had to retreat to the bag to tag up and didn’t get the greatest jump.  The throw beat him, but was up the first base line and the catcher couldn’t get back in time to make the play any more than close.

After the Threshers tied the score, Zach Warren entered the game.  He struck out the first batter on a “wild pitch”.  You know, a curve ball or slider that the catcher calls for and then can’t block correctly.  Well, the new catcher, Rodolfo Duran, scrambles to pick up the ball as it bounced toward the home dugout, pumped to third, saw that the runner was not trying to advance, turned to first, and … held … the … ball.  Nobody out.

Warren strikes out the next two batters.  Of course.  Then he loses the strike zone and walks two batters.  That’s one run forced in.  Mound visit.  Another walk.  Good talk, coach.  Another mound visit, and a new pitcher.  Grant Dyer.

Miracle now has 4 runs and two hits.  Head bang.  Miraculously, the Threshers rally again.  And on we go to the twelfth.  Dyer still on the mound.  He strikes out the side, but between the first and second K, he gives up a double, a bases-loading intentional walk, and an RBI single.

The Threshers offense was hardly any better.  They managed 7 hits, only one after the seventh inning.

They scored first on Jake Scheiner’s RBI single in the fourth inning.  It almost held up.  After regulation, they were playing catch up each inning.

They tied the game in the tenth on Madison Stoke’s sacrifice fly.  the extra runner was moved to third by a sacrificing Daniel Brito.

They tied the game on Ben Aklinski’s 2-run HR (1) to lead off the eleventh.  Yeah.  A lead off 2-run HR.  Minor League Baseball.  Nick Maton later drew a one-out walk, but nothing materialized.

Matt Vierling had 3 of the Thresher’s 7 hits.  He’s hitting .375.  Stokes is hitting .321.

Threshers pitchers struck out 18 batters.  But, walks will kill you.

Jhailyn Ortiz was added to the roster before the game and played RF.  He went oh-fer, but only looked bad on one pitch, a called third strike to end an at bat where he really battled, fouling off some tough pitches.

(Sorry for the brevity in this and the other recaps.  I had an accident and my left index finger is bandaged and useless, except for hitting extra keys.  My normal hunt-and-peck has become hunt-peck, hunt-peck, hunt-peck, backspace, hunt-peck, hunt-peck, hunt-peck, mouse back to block and delete a single character, hunt-peck, repeat… I’m up to about 75% efficiency.  And now my grandkids are here for a two-week visit.)

  • #5 Spencer Howard (1-1, 2.61)
  • #11 Jhailyn Ortiz went 0-5
  • #12 Simon Muzziotti (.276) entered as a PR in the 10th and scored
  • #17 Kyle Young (0-1, 4.50)
  • #18 Nick Maton (.250) went 1-4 with a BB
  • #19 Rodolfo Duran (.095) went 0-1
  • #20 Daniel Brito (.087) went 0-4 with a BB

Lehigh Valley (7-2) shut out Rochester, 3-0.

Enyel De Los Santos threw seven shutout innings.  He was perfect thru 4.2 innings before walking a batter.  He gave up a two out double in the sixth.  And, allowed 2 base runners in the seventh before getting out of the inning with a double play.  He threw 83 pitches, 63 for strikes.

James Pazos pitched the final two innings.  He walked one, struck out one, and picked up his second save.

The IronPigs scored a run in the second inning on Sean Rodriguez’ RBI triple.  They added a run in the third on Dylan Cozens’ solo HR (2). And, completed the games’ scoring on Mitch Walding’s solo HR (2) in the sixth.

  • #6 Enyel De Los Santos (2-0, 0.75) – 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
  • #7 JoJo Romero (0-1, 9.00)
  • #10 Ranger Suarez (1-0)
  • #16 Cole Irvin (0-0, 1.64)
  • #28 Edgar Garcia (0-1, 3.86)

Reading (4-2) postponed, rain.

  • #2 Adonis Medina (0-0, 1.80) –
  • #3 Adam Haseley (.095)
  • #9 Mickey Moniak (.292)
  • #13 Arquimedes Gamboa (.100)
  • #15 Mauricio Llovera
  • #21 David Parkinson (1-0, 1.80)
  • #22 Kyle Dohy (1-0, 0.00)
  • #25 Cornelius Randolph (.211)
  • #29 Connor Seabold

Lakewood (3-6) lost to Delmarva, 5-3.

Victor Santos (1-1, 2.00) pitched five innings giving up 3 runs (2 ER) on 7 hits.  He walked none and struck out seven.  He threw 49 strikes in 67 pitches.  Francisco Morales piggybacked and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk in three innings.

Trailing 5-0, the BlueClaws mounted a little offense with 2 runs in the eighth inning on a wild pitch and Malvin Matos RBI single, and in the ninth on Jonathan Guzman’s RBI single.

  • #1 Alec Bohm (.258) went 0-3 with a run scored, BB
  • #4 Luis Garcia (.200) went 0-5 
  • #8 Francisco Morales (4.91) – 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
  • #14 Rafael Marchan (.333)
  • #23 Dominic Pipkin (6.00)
  • #24 Kevin Gowdy
  • #26 Jhordany Mezquita (0-1, 9.00)

Unassigned Prospects

  • #27 Starlyn Castillo
  • #30 Manuel Silva

Williamsport begins its 2019 season on June 14th.

GCL Phillies East begins its 2019 season  on June 24th.

GCL Phillies West begins its 2019 season on June 24th.

DSL Phillies Red begins its 2019 season on June 2nd.

DSL Phillies White begins its 2019 season on June 2nd.

Here’s the affiliate scoreboard from MiLB.

The rosters and lists are up to date as of March 31st.

Today’s Transactions (newest transactions in bold text)
4/12/2019 – LHP Jhordany Mezquita assigned to Williamsport from Lakewood
4/12/2019 – RHP Tyler McKay assigned to Williamsport from Lakewood
4/12/2019 – RHP Dominic Pipkin assigned to Williamsport from Lakewood
4/12/2019 – RHP Francisco Morales assigned to Lakewood from Williamsport
4/12/2019 – OF Jhailyn Ortiz assigned to Clearwater
4/12/2019 – RHP Victor Santos assigned to Lakewood 
4/12/2019 – LF Ben Pelletier assigned to Lakewood from Williamsport
4/12/2019 – Clearwater placed CF Jesus Alastre on the 7-day injured list
4/12/2019 – RHP Alexis Rivero assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
4/12/2019 – SS Raul Rivas assigned to Reading 
4/12/2019 – Phillies recalled RHP Victor Arano from Lehigh Valley
4/11/2019 – RHP Spencer Howard assigned to Williamsport from Clearwater
4/11/2019 – Phillies optioned RHP Edubray Ramos to Lehigh Valley
4/11/2019 – Lehigh Valley activated RHP Yacksel Rios from the 7-day IL
4/11/2019 – Lehigh Valley placed RHP Tyler Viza on the 7-day IL. Right foot turf toe
4/10/2019 –  Phillies sent CF Roman Quinn on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley
4/9/2019 – Reading placed 3B Jose Antequera on the 7-day IL
4/9/2019 – Reading placed RHP Trevor Bettencourt on the 7-day IL
4/9/2019 – RHP Alexis Rivero assigned to Reading
4/9/2019 – RHP Tom Eshelman assigned to Reading
4/9/2019 – RHP Julian Garcia assigned to Clearwater from Williamsport
4/9/2019 – RHP Andrew Brown assigned to Williamsport
4/8/2019 – RHP James McArthur assigned to Lakewood
4/8/2019 – RHP Kevin Gowdy assigned to Lakewood
4/8/2019 – RHP Francisco Morales assigned to Williamsport from Lakewood
4/8/2019 – RHP Victor Santos assigned to Williamsport from Lakewood
4/8/2019 – RHP Francisco Morales assigned to Williamsport from Lakewood
4/7/2019 – Lehigh Valley placed LHP Tyler Gilbert on the 7-day IL Left groin strain.
4/7/2019 – RHP Tyler Viza assigned to Lehigh Valley
4/7/2019 – Clearwater activated RF Danny Mayer from the restricted list.
4/6/2019 – RHP Ismael Cabrera assigned to Clearwater
4/6/2019 – LHP Damon Jones assigned to Williamsport
4/5/2019 – Phillies signed FA Austin Filiere to a MiLB contract, assigned to Williamsport
4/4/2019 – Phillies sent CF Roman Quinn on a rehab assignment to Clearwater
4/4/2019 – Lehigh Valley placed C Matt McBride on the 7-day IL Right calf strain.
4/4/2019 – Lehigh Valley placed 3B Gift Ngoepe on the 7-day IL Left shin contusion
4/4/2019 – Lehigh Valley placed RHP Yacksel Rios on the 7-day IL Abdominal strain
4/4/2019 – Reading placed RHP Connor Seabold on the 7-day IL
4/4/2019 – LHP Garrett Cleavinger assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/4/2019 – 1B Kyle Martin assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/4/2019 – Clearwater placed RF Danny Mayer on the restricted list.
4/4/2019 – LHP Nick Fanti assigned to Clearwater
4/4/2019 – RHP Tyler Hallead assigned to Clearwater from GCL Phillies East.
4/4/2019 – RHP Julian Garcia assigned to Williamsport from Clearwater
4/2/2019 – Phillies signed free agent RHP Saul Alcala to a minor league contract.
4/1/2019 – RHP JD Hammer assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – RHP Trevor Bettencourt assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – 3B Jose Antequera assigned to Reading
4/1/2019 – 2B Grenny Cumana assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – 3B Luke Williams assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – LF Josh Stephen assigned to Reading
4/1/2019 – LHP Bailey Falter assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – LHP Jakob Hernandez assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – RHP Mauricio Llovera assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – LHP David Parkinson assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – RHP Ramon Rosso assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – RHP Addison Russ assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – C Henri Lartigue assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – 3B Ali Castillo assigned to Reading
4/1/2019 – CF Mickey Moniak assigned to Reading from Clearwater
4/1/2019 – SS Nick Maton assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – 3B Jake Scheiner assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – 1B Madison Stokes assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – LF Matt Vierling assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – C Colby Fitch assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – CF Jesus Alastre assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – RHP Julian Garcia assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – RF Danny Mayer assigned to Clearwater from Williamsport
4/1/2019 – CF Simon Muzziotti assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – C Rodolfo Duran assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – LHP Damon Jones assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – RHP Spencer Howard assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – LHP Kyle Young assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – LHP Zach Warren assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – RF Ben Aklinski assigned to Clearwater from Williamsport
4/1/2019 – RHP Andrew Brown assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – RHP Luis Carrasco assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – RHP Connor Brogdon assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – RHP Gustavo Armas assigned to Clearwater from Lakewood
4/1/2019 – RHP Austin Ross assigned to Clearwater from Williamsport
4/1/2019 – GCL Phillies West released RHP Antonio Canizales

23 thoughts on “Threshers Recap – 4/12/2019”

  1. Hey Jim I know you do a ton of stuff and I’m not trying to add to the work but could you add Cozens to the prospects you list at the end of each summary?

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    2. In other words, Cozens has run his course as a minor league prospect. He’s become a AAAA player (maybe) with tremendous power and a non-major league K rate. Last night – a HR and 3 strike outs. That’s him in a nut shell. Ironically, if he did exactly that every game, he would be in a big league uniform if only for that one AB per game. So much to dream on, so little to realize.

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    3. Nah, the “cutoff” is a prospect’s presence on the MLB top 30 list. If I were to add players, they would be players whose parents/families I know read Phuture Phillies, not a former prospect like Dylan. Sorry.

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  2. I chuckled at the brevity comment after the extensive description of the Threshers game. Enjoy your time with the grandkids and hope the finger is healing up alright.

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  3. Requena is looking very good so far this year. In 2 appearances, over 11 IP, he’s given up 4 hits and 1 ER. He also has 16 Ks and 3 BBs. He was injured early last year and didn’t get back to the mound until late June. He was good but not quite the dominant self he’d been in previous years. He came to the Phils in the Neshek trade with the Rockies in 2017. The 22 yo could be the first call up to Reading, when a starter is needed.

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  4. As I survey the Phillies minor league system, there are currently 4 players that I have legitimate hope to make significant impact at the big league level. Two have high ceilings, two have high floors.

    The catching throughout is especially deep. Rafael Marchan is my favorite. His floor is high and because of his size and agility/speed for a backstop, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him move to 2b down the road, depending on the organization’s need at that position. He switch hits, has good contact skills, and will steal a base now and then.

    His teammate at Lakewood, Luis Garcia, has a high ceiling IMO. He’s currently being challenged at low-A ball. It’s interesting that he and Guzman are alternating between ss and 2b, I guess to determine how useful Garcia may be higher up, again, should there be the need at 2b. Bohm has to show me over the course of time that his power and glove will propel him higher and farther. I’m just not there yet. I’m just not feeling him. Hope I’m really, really wrong.

    The only outfielder that I am really excited about right now, ironically, is the guy so many had bailed on a year ago – Mickey Moniak. His floor is high. While the Yelich comps aren’t appropriate any more, he still stands to be a Yelich-lite, which is pretty good especially if he has Harper and another formidable power bat on the other side of him when he arrives in the Show. His personal makeup and character have and will continue to serve him well. I expect Mickey to debut in 2021, the year some other local product was “supposed” to be coming home. Can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about Haseley that’s missing. Athletically he may have a higher ceiling than Moniak. He could turn out to be a nice player but I don’t know. The rest of the OF talent in the system appear to be projects at best. Glad to see Ortiz. And I’m sure he’s glad that he can see now, too. Big season for him. I do like Matt Vierling a lot. Nothing about him screams at you but overall his profile may play very well in a 4th OF role in the majors. Especially if he can hit.

    And finally, the one who IMO is head and shoulders better than the next best pitching prospect in the system is Spencer Howard. High ceiling. TOR stuff, tough, competitive which I read about for the first time in Jim Salisbury’s piece just the other day.

    The rest of our farm may be deep, especially at the battery positions if at no others. But these 4 kids stand out to me as real deals. Garcia and Marchan are still very young, but lots for me to dream on.

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    1. Regarding OF prospects, I’d throw Pelletier in the “stuff to dream on” category and Muzziotti as a potential contributor in the MLB.

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    2. As I look at your 4 impact players, and I’m not refuting any of them, something pops out. Two were drafted and 2 were Intl signings. The draftees were a #1 (Moniak) and a #2 (Howard). Different years but still high draftees. Both Garcia and Marchan were high to relatively high bonus signees. So drafting good picks in early rounds is a major secret to success plus signing and spending money on Intl guys is also a big key.

      The downside is the high draft picks that didn’t make an impact. Randolph and Haseley are probably the poster children for the downside. In your mind anyway. I think Haseley will have an impact. I also feel pretty good about ‘C’. If you rank the 3 OF #1s by age. Haseley is the oldest but he came out of college. ‘C’ is a year younger and Moniak is a year younger than ‘C’ and 2 years difference than Haseley. Age-wise they are lined up almost exactly 1 year apart from each other. If you throw Ortiz into the mix because he was bonus baby. ‘J’ is 6 months younger than Moniak. I’m not very high on him. He hasn’t given me much to get excited about.

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    3. I’m trying not to get excited about Marchan because of the sss. He’s got more walks than strikeouts and is showing doubles power; both very good signs.

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  5. Vierling…now after 290 minor league PAs…..sample large enough to evaluate to some degree with a little projection.
    17 is good…K%
    5 is poor …BB%
    .173…is good…ISO
    Slash….327/.368/.500
    wRC+….approx 149

    For him the proof in the pudding will be at Reading facing AA pitching.

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    1. Usually the real testing ground is AAA for hitters – witness Dylan Cozens and Matt Rizzoti, the Jim Thome of AA

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    2. I think Clearwater will be a test for him yet. The K% has spiked way above that career mark; it was minuscule last year in W-port.

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  6. Great start for Enyel DLS, and I would list him as the first call up should we need a SP from LHV. I like Vierling a lot, and I I have since we drafted him, and could see him exceeding the 4th OF role. I know very little about Requena, but the results are great so far.

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    1. I really am excited about DLS. I think on the Phils team 2 years ago (meaning a non-competitive team), he would be in the majors. He has velo, stuff and command. He is definitely a MLB starting pitcher. not sure what his ceiling is, but he is a great 6th starter to have stashed at AAA. There will be injuries this year. There always is. And he will come up and I am very confident that the will pitch well. Especially after his cup of coffee last year.

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    2. I don’t know if you saw the game or not but man was he dominating. He was perfect till the 15th batter and that was the first time in the game that he even had a 3-0 count but then throws a curve ball and a FB (they didn’t show or say his mph) to get back 3-2 and then throws I believe another FB that even the redwings play by play said was very close. Had he gotten that call, he would have been perfect till the 18th batter. He did seem to lose his release point a bit around the 4th or 5th as he had a few pitches that were way out of the zone.

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  7. Former Phil prospect…now Marlin…lefty Will Stewart now in the FSL with Jupiter.
    Still going strong….could be a real good trade for Jeter and the Marlins…last game vs Tigers affiliate, Lakeland….— he went until two outs into the 8th inning…1BB, 7Ks and 1 hit….still crazy GB%…71%

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  9. In talking about catching prospects, I’ve been impressed with Abrahan Gutierrez so far, man is he a big kid but so far has swung the bat well. Don’t know much about him other then how we got him but looking forward to seeing more of him.

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    1. Another Braves find…Phillies got in the Braves scandal from a few years ago.
      Top 30 international player in 2016.

      Abrahan Gutierrez Rank: 25 …. Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 179 lb.(gain some from then)
      Signed: July 2, 2016 – $3.5M
      Scouting grades: Hit: 40 Power: 40 Run: 20 Arm: 60 Field: 70
      Report:
      “Gutierrez is not afraid of the big stage. The teenager starred on Venezuela’s 15-and-under World Cup team so he’s no stranger to playing under pressure in games that matter. But that’s only part of the reason scouts like him so much.
      Gutierrez has an athletic body with a strong and accurate arm. He’s a good receiver with solid defensive skills behind the plate. Scouts like his soft hands and how he controls the game. He also has a loose arm and a quick release.
      He might not be the fastest player on the field, but Gutierrez has shown some power and projects to be an everyday catcher. He’s a line-driver hitter with power to the alleys. The teenage hitter is also working on defining his strike zone at the plate.”

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