More rain in Jersey City, so there were only three games last night, and only one victory. Clearwater lost a marathon that included 21 hits, 7 errors, 18 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Lehigh Valley was shut out on one hit. Didi made a rehab start. Reading posted the only win in a game where they were able to take and maintain a lead against a persistent opponent. And, Jersey Shore was suspended in the second inning with a lead.
Clearwater (17-15) lost a sloppy game to Tampa, 11-8. It was a painful, 4 hour and 15 minute game with dozens of stoppages by the Yankees and their American League shenanigans. (The game started 5 minutes before the Phillies’ game and was 3 innings behind after an hour.) I guess 18 walks didn’t help (12 by the Threshers’ pitchers). Would you be surprised to know that the ABS System was NOT in use last night. (It is only in use in four of each series’ six games.)
Mick Abel started and didn’t pitch poorly. One thing the Yankees seem to teach is plate discipline. They are good at it. They forced Abel to throw 25 pitches in the first inning. The first batter saw 9 pitches, the second saw six. Of the 15 pitches, ten were strikes. He threw 10 more in the inning, 6 more strikes. (He did fall behind three of the four batters.)
Abel threw 30 pitches to get one out in the second inning. The leadoff batter hit a game-tying HR on the seventh pitch of his at bat. Abel walked the next batter on 4 pitches and Coach Anderson visited the mound. Abel fell behind 2-0 to the next batter but battled back to 2-2 before giving up a single on the seventh pitch of the at bat. The base runners took advantage of some inattention and pulled off a double steal. He completed a 4-pitch strikeout before issuing an 8-pitch walk where he got ahead 0-2 and got two foul balls before four consecutive balls to complete his 30-pitch inning.
Abel threw 55 pitches, 31 strikes. He threw 31 fastballs and sat 95-97 (7 pitches were below 95, 3 at 93, and 4 at 94, one occurred in the first 11 pitches he threw, two at the start of the second inning, and the other four later in the inning. His last pitch of the first inning was 97. He didn’t touch 96 in the second inning.)
Abel’s line was 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
Tyler Adams entered with the bases loaded. He walked home one run and wild pitched home another. In all, he threw 1.2 innings, walked two, and struck out three. After the Threshers rallied to tie the game, Alejandro Made got lit for 6 runs (3 ER) on 5 hits and one walk. Carlos Francisco pitched two, scoreless innings issuing 3 walks and striking out three. Brenden Bell pitched two innings and gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and 4 walks.
The Threshers scored first on Johan Rojas’ first inning, solo HR (4). They tied the game in the third on Rixon Wingrove’s sac fly and Baron Radcliff’s bases-loaded walk. They began their comeback with a run in the sixth on Abrahan Gutierrez’ RBI single. Then, pulled within one run with 4 runs in the seventh on Radcliff’s 2-run single and a 2-run throwing error on a ground ball by Rojas.
Rojas went 3-6 with 3 runs scored, an RBI, and a HR (4). Radcliff went 1-3 with a run scored, 3 RBI, and 2 walks. Every Thresher had a hit except CDLC.
Yhoswar Garcia was activated and in the dugout.
Lehigh Valley (17-15) lost to Rochester, 3-0, and were one-hit.
Adonis Medina pitched four innings and gave up all 3 runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four. A runner cut down at the plate kept the score manageable. The bullpen strung together five shutdown innings. Enyel De Los Santos struck out five in two perfect innings. Bryan Mitchell struck out two in one inning allowing a hit and issuing a walk. JD Hammer struck out one and hit a batter in a no-hit inning. Neftali Feliz gave up a hit but struck out two in one inning.
The IronPigs were only able to manage one hit, Ryan Cordell’s single in the fourth inning. He was thrown out trying to steal second with two outs. Didi Gregorius made a rehab start and went 0-1 with a line drive out (to Blake Swihart in left field) and a walk. Rafael Marchan went 0-1 with 2 walks. Cordell had the outfield assist.
Reading (8-24) collected their third consecutive win, holding on to beat Hartford, 6-5.
Hartford scored first in the second inning, but the Phils took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning with 2 runs on pitcher James McArthur’s RBI single and a throwing error on the same play. They added a run in the third on Jorge Bonifacio’s RBI double. The Phils continued to score runs every time the Yard Goats pulled within a run.
When Hartford pulled within 3-2, the Phils scored twice in the sixth on Nick Matera’s 2-run HR (5). When the Goats made it 5-4, the Phils responded with a run in the eighth on Matera’s RBI single. Matera saved the game with a tag at the plate in the top of the ninth when a Yard Goat tried to stretch a triple – Gamboa (CF) to Stokes (1B) to Matera (C).
Matera went 2-3 with 2 runs scored, 3 RBI, HR (5), and a walk. Bryson Stott went 2-4. The only position player to not get a hit was Daniel Brito.
James McArthur went 4.2 innings and gave up one run on one hit and 6 walks. Tyler Carr got the win, stranding two of two inherited base runners, going 1.1 innings, and allowing one run on 2 hits. Zach Warren pitched one inning and gave up 2 runs on one hit and two walks. Jake Hernandez gave up a run on two hits in two innings, striking out three and earning his second save.
Jersey Shore (13-16) suspended in the bottom of the second with Jersey Shore leading Wilmington, 1-0, on Jhailyn Ortiz’ RBI single in the first inning. Jhordany Mezquita pitched two, one-hit innings, issued a walk, and struck out a batter. It will be interesting to see if/how they reschedule six games in the next four days with Mezquita presumably unavailable. There will be a doubleheader Thursday as they try and finish the suspended game.
GCL Phillies East and GCL Phillies West (runs 6/28 thru 9/12)
DSL Phillies Red and DSL Phillies White (starts 7/12 thru 10/2)
Here’s the affiliate scoreboard from MiLB.
The rosters and lists are up to date as of June 9th … there are 304 players in the org
- organization’s rosters (6/9)
- organization’s injury list (6/9)
- organization’s Rule 5 eligibility list (6/9)
Today’s Transactions (plus some from yesterday that were delayed. The two in bold text are big ones. Garcia was the big IFA signing two periods ago, Perez is from the most recent period and the only player from that period assigned to a roster.)
6/09/2021 – LHP Kyle Dohy assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
6/09/2021 – 1B D.J. Stewart assigned to Jersey Shore from Clearwater
6/09/2021 – 1B Rudy Rott retired
6/09/2021 – Clearwater placed RHP Starlyn Castillo on the 7-day IL
6/09/2021 – Clearwater placed LF Ben Pelletier on the 7-day IL
6/09/2021 – CF Yhoswar Garcia assigned to Clearwater from DSL White
6/08/2021 – Reading placed LHP Taylor Lehman on the 7-day IL, left elbow strain
6/08/2021 – Reading placed C Colby Fitch on the 7-day IL, right oblique strain
6/08/2021 – LHP Josh Hendrickson assigned to Reading from Jersey Shore
6/08/2021 – C Jack Conley assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
6/08/2021 – C Herbert Iser assigned to Jersey Shore from Reading
6/08/2021 – LHP Ethan Lindow assigned to Jersey Shore from Reading
6/08/2021 – C Rickardo Perez assigned to DSL Red
Phuture Phillies 
After a few years, anxious to see how Yhoswar Garcia does in his debut with the Threshers.
And Stott may get it rolling again.
Minor league prospect bats seem to be coming around.
Each of the affiliates BAs are over .200. Haven’t seen that this year plus all affiliates are over .300 in OBP. Also haven’t seen that this year.. Let’s write-off April and May and start in June. As the weather heats, maybe the bats will too.
Sorry to see Rudy Rott retired. Every time I see his name I think of Chris Tucker’s name in the “5th Element”: R-u-b-y R-h-o-d and I just slot in R-u-d-y R-o-t-t.
Maybe wrong thread but I was thrilled to see Luke Williams win last night’s game for the Phils. I’ve been wondering why he wasn’t called up earlier. 1 game does not a trend make but damn the Phils needed a shot in the arm.
Congratulations to JD Stewart (age 22, .353/.413/.943) and Hendrickson (age 23, 2.75 ERA, 0.864 WHIP) for their promotions.
Excited to see DJ Stewart at Jersey Shore. Also, Lindow sent to Jersey Shore but maybe it’s just to help them through their rainout catch-up back log. He has struggled big time at Reading.
Obviously we’re all excited to see Garcia on the field.