Triple-A Lehigh Valley and High-A Jersey Shore each eked out one-run victories, Clearwater posted a lop-sided victory, and Reading lost big. George Klassen had a perfect game until a leadoff double in the fifth as a Thresher.
Lehigh Valley (2-2) beat Rochester, 5-4. After falling behind 4-1 in the fourth inning they plated 4 runs in the fifth and sixth and held on for the win. Taylor Lehman got the win, Jose Ruiz the save. Jordan Luplow’s sacrifice fly scored the game’s first run. Kody Clemens provided a 2-run single and Scott Kingery scored on a wild pitch to tie the game in the fifth. Kingery tripled home the go-ahead run in the seventh.
- Mick Abel – DNP
- Orion Kerkering – DNP
- Griff McGarry – DNP
- Simon Muzziotti – 1-4, double, 2 K
- José Ruiz – one clean inning for the save
Michael Mercado pitched two scoreless innings with one K and 0 BB. Matt Kroon (.375) went 2-4 with 2 R, K, SB. Scott Kingery went 2-4 with a R, 3B, RBI, K.
Reading (1-1) lost at Bowie, 19-1. They collected 2 hits and lead briefly on Gabriel Rincones first inning HR (2). Marcus Lee Sang had their only other hit. Andrew Schultz allowed a hit and struck out three in one inning. Carlos Francisco struck out three in 1.2 innings of relief but allowed 2 of 3 inherited runners to score on a hit and a walk.
- Andrew Painter – rehabbing from TJ surgery
- Gabriel Rincones went 1-4 with a HR (2), RBI, 2 K
- Carlos De La Cruz went 0-4 with a K
- Christian McGowan – development list
- Caleb Ricketts DNP
- Robert Moore – 0-2 wit a K and HBP
Kendall Simmons went 0-3 with 3 K.
Jersey Shore (2-0) beat Aberdeen, 7-6, running out to a 7-2 lead and holding on til the end. Jose Cabrera booked the win with five one-run innings on 3 hits, one walk, and 4 K. Danny Wilkinson struck out the side in his one inning. Charles King got the save with 1.2 innings of one-hit, 2 K relief although he did allow 2 of 3 inherited runners to score. The BlueClaws built their lead on Bryan Rincon’s first inning RBI groundout, Andrick Nava’s RBI single in the second, Nava’s 2-run HR in the fourth, Troy Schreffler’s 2-run single in the fifth, and Emaarion Boyd’s sacrifice fly in the sixth.
- Justin Crawford went 2-2 with a BB, K, SB
- Bryan Rincon went 0-4 with an RBI, BB, 2 K
- William Bergolla went 4-4 with 3 R, 2B, SB
- Pan Wen-hui is on the IL
- Emaarion Boyd went 0-4 with a SF, RBI
- Hendry Mendez – DNP
- Samuel Aldegheri – DNP
Crawford was the DH with Boyd in CF flanked by Cade Fergus in LF and Schreffler in RF.
Clearwater (2-0) won at Bradenton, 13-2. George Klassen provided five innings of one-hit ball with zero walks and 9 K. Jose Pena and Jaydenn Estanista followed with scoreless innings. Ethan Chenault got tagged for two runs in his two innings. The Threshers scored in bunches. Five in the fourth on Avery Owusu-Asiedu’s (O-woo’-soo Ah-see’-ah-doo) RBI double, a passed ball, Pierce Bennett’s RBI single, and Dakota Kotowski’s 2-run HR (1). Six in the eighth on Bryson Ware’s RBI single, Kehden Hettiger’s bases-loaded hit by pitch, consecutive bases-loaded walks to TJayy Walton, Aidan Miller, and Devin Saltiban, and a wild pitch. And two in the ninth on Kehden Hettiger’s 2-run HR (1).
The Threshers had 8 walks and 14 K. Raylin Heredia had an outfield assist.
- Aidan Miller went 1-4 with a R, RBI, BB, 2 K, SB
- Devin Saltiban went 1-4 with a R, RBI, BB, 2 K
- Alex McFarlane DNP
- TJayy Walton went 0-4 with a R, RBI, 2 BB, 4 K
- Raylin Heredia went 2-4 with a R, BB, 2 K
- Kehden Hettiger went 2-3 with 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, HR (1)
- George Klassen – 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
- Nikau Pouaka-Grego DNP
Pierce Bennett went 2-3 with 3 Runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 BB. The Threshers had 8 walks and 14 K. Raylin Heredia had an outfield assist.
George Klassen threw
- 67 pitches, 46 for strikes (68.7%).
- 43 four-seamers (30 strikes, 69.8%),
- 21 cutters (14 strikes, 66.7%),
- 2 curve balls (1 strike),
- one that didn’t register (strike).
- Four-seam – 97.6 mph (96.0-99.8)
- Cutter – 91.3 mph (89.7-93.4)
- Curve – 86 mph (86.5 and 85.5)
- First 4-seamer at 97.8
- Last 4-seamer at 96.5 (second to last was 97.3), so not losing too much velocity as his appearance progressed through five innings
- 19 called strikes, 4 for Ks
- 9 foul balls
- 7 balls in play, 1 hit, 1 fly ball out, 5 ground outs
- 11 swing-and-miss, 5 for Ks
Gameday Link for Lehigh Valley.
Gameday Link for Reading.
Gameday Link for Jersey Shore.
Gameday Link for Clearwater.
Other Prospects:
- Starlyn Caba, Rookie Level
- Eduardo Tait, Rookie Level
- Alexis De La Cruz, Rookie Level
- Jalvin Arias, Rookie Level
Spotlight on George Klassen
George Edward Klassen is a 22-year-old right-handed pitcher whom the Phillies drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 (most recent) draft out of the University of Minnesota with the 193rd overall pick. He is from Port Washington, Wisconsin and attended Port Washington High School.
George did not pitch his freshman year due to injury. He pitched sparingly his age-20 season as a red-shirt freshman with the Gophers but amassed 56.2 innings in 13 starts and one relief appearance as a 21-year-old as a red-shirt sophomore. He was considered a work in progress as he issued 47 walks while striking out 49 batters with his 100+ fastball. However, between is fist two Big Ten seasons, he pitched in the Northwoods League and walked only 16 while striking out 42 in 28.2 innings. He was Big Ten Pitcher of the Week (March 20, 2023)
Klassen did not pitch in a game at the Complex after being drafted last year. However, it looks like the work he put in with the staff has paid an early dividend as he notched a victory in his first professional appearance and did so without walking a batter while maintaining his velocity through the game.
Phuture Phillies 