Everybody lost again last night although Lehigh Valley posted a win in their split with Columbus. Abel and Painter made their initial starts for the season. Both suffered the loss for their respective teams, though Painter was burned by an unearned run.
Wins by the affiliates are important. They are necessary to combat the culture of losing. These losses are particularly galling because so many players are repeating levels because the Triple-A team is stocked with a lot of AAAA imports to provide depth for the parent club. There were very few promotions and fewer aggressive assignments as promised by the development group.
Clearwater (0-2) lost to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, 4-2.
Andrew Painter (0-1, 0.00) was impressive. He pitched 3.0 innings allowing one unearned run. He gave up 3 hits, walked one, and struck out nine. He pounded the strike zone, throwing 40 strikes among his 58 pitches. His fastball sat 94-97 mph and touched 98 mph a couple of times. He relied on his curveball as his primary offspeed pitch and mixed in a couple of changeups.
Tommy McCollum (9.00) followed. He gave up 2 runs on a fifth-inning HR. He went 2.0 allowing 2 runs on one hit, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. He throws mostly fastball (91-94) and slider with a changeup. Malik Binns (0.00) notched a scoreless inning with a walk and 2 strikeouts. He throws a 4-seamer (90-91), cutter (89-91), and a curveball. Buddy Hayward (0.00) pitched two strong innings walking one and striking out four. (he throws a fastball (91-93), cutter (85-87), sinker (91-92), slider (85), and changeup. Jared Wetherbee (9.00) allowed a run in one inning on a hit and 3 walks. He struck out two. He throws a fastball (90-91), sinker (90-91), slider (75-76), and a curveball.
The Threshers staff combined to strike out 19 but walked eight.
The Threshers collected 6 singles in the game and closed within one run in the sixth inning on Lee Hao Yu’s 2-run single.
The Threshers stole 3 bases (Flores, Baylor, Garcia). Sanchez and Garcia were caught stealing. The Threshers committed 3 errors (Baylor, Azuaje (2)), one figured in the scoring of the Mussels’ first run.
Yhoswar Garcia was ejected for arguing an out call on a stealing attempt that ended the eighth inning with the Threshers trailing by one. In the ninth inning, the Mussels’ batter challenged a 3-2 strike call by the umpire that would have been the third out. The ABS had the pitch as a ball, the call was reversed, and a run was forced in.
Lehigh Valley (3-2) split a doubleheader with the Columbus, winning 4-0 and losing 4-2.
Game One: Both teams were held to 2 hits. Ricardo Sanchez (0.00) pitched 3.0 innings walking one and striking out two. Mark Appel (1-0, 0.00) got the win allowing two hits in 2.0 innings. Jeff Singer (0.00) pitched the final 2.0 innings walking 3 and striking out two.
The IronPigs jumped out to an early lead cashing in on their only 2 hits. Dalton Guthrie opened the first inning with a double. Donny Sands walked with one-out. And, Darick Hall slammed a 3-run HR. They added a run in the third when Guthrie led offwith a walk, took second on a passed ball, reached third on a fielder’s choice, and scored on a wild pitch.
Game Two: The IronPigs took an early lead but were unable to make it hold up. Hans Crouse (0-1, 7.36) pitched 3.2 innings giving up 3 runs on 2 hits (2 HR) and 2 walks. He struck out five. Andrew Bellatti (0.00) pitched 0.1 innings, allowed one hit, and allowed an inherited runner to score. Aaron Barrett (0.00) pitched 1.0 inning and was charged with an unearned run on one hit, striking out two. Joe Gatto (0.00) pitched 1.2 scoreless innings walking three and striking out two. Kyle Dohy (0.00) got the final out stranding 3 inherited base runners.
The IronPigs took the lead with 2 runs in the third inning. Ronald Torreyes reached base on a one-out single. Nick Maton brought him home with a two-out double. He scored on Donny Sands’ RBI single.
Reading (0-2) lost to the Somerset Patriots, 11-2.
Adam Leverett (0-1, 7.36) pitched 3.2 innings and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits. He struck out five. Mike Adams (45.00) got tagged for 5 runs on 5 hits and a walk in 1.0 inning. Matt Seelinger (0.00) allowed 2 inherited runners to score amd went 1.1 innings giving up no runs on 2 hits and 2 walks. Billy Sullivan (0.00) pitched a scoreless inning allowing a hit and striking out one. Bubby Rossman (16.20) pitched 1.2 innings and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks. He struck out three. Zach Warren (0.00) got the final out stranding an inherited runner.
Reading scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings on Jonathan Guzman’s groundout and Logan O’Hoppe’s RBI double.
O’Hoppe went 3-4 with a double and RBI. Matt Kroon was caught stealing in the first inning and exited the game with an injury.
Jersey Shore (0-1) lost to Aberdeen, 3-1.
Mick Abel (0-1, 9.00) pitched 3.0 innings allowing 3 runs on 4hits and no walks. He struck out five. Ethan Lindow (0.00) followed with 3.0 scoreless innings allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out three. Dominic Pipkin (0.00) pitched 1.0 scoreless inning but allowed 2 hits and a walk. Tyler McKay (0.00) pitched a clean inning with 1.0 strikeout. Carlos Francisco (0.00) pitched 1.0 clean inning with 2 strikeouts.
The BlueClaws only run came on D.J. Stewart’s solo HR in the fourth inning.
Ethan Wilson went 1-4 with a stolen base (3). He also picked up an outfield assist at third base.
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Painter with 9 Ks in 3 innings is good and so is O’Hoppe with 3 hits but not much to be happy about.
https://www.milb.com/news/prospect-q-a-philadelphia-phillies-catcher-logan-o-hoppe
I was at the Jersey Shore game. Quick rundown:
– Abel sat 91-93 for most of the three innings. Jersey Shore gun apparently slow. He appeared to be throwing harder than that. Left a couple of balls up in the zone that were hit hard for ringing doubles, including one to Cowser, the top 5 Oriole pick. But he also struck Cowser out on a beautiful off speed pitch for strike 3. He needs innings and lots of refinement but with better fastball location to go with his great secondary offerings, watch out.
– Rojas plays MLB level CF defense right now. Just glides to balls. The difference between Rojas and the Aberdeen CF who took wonky routes to the ball was night and day. At the plate looks like a work in progress. Did have one beautiful bunt hit.
– Not much else at the plate. Garcia had one or two nice defensive plays.
– Dom Pipken throws hard but the secondary offerings need a lot of work.
– Ethan Lindow is probably an org guy at this point but he threw two or three really nice innings, he looked much more refined than most of the pitchers but he is kind of a veteran at this point, so he should.
Evaluations and rankings by folks across MLB, Baseball America, and others are scarily spot on. Phillies have a bottom 5 farm system that will take years of work to improve. But like you said, maybe worse than all else is the lack of winning culture this system has created. Shameful really.
End of first week…brutal…..all four teams combined record 4-11.
Johan Rojas leads minor leagues in SBs with 5 in his first three games.
Morales – 2 innings, 3 K’s, 16 of 19 for strikes.