Box Score Recap (4/12/24)

Box Score Recap

The org teams won 3 of 5 games.  Lehigh Valley won behind Mick Abel’s effort that was a 3-run HR pitch away from being a solid outing.  Matt Osterberg gave a strong showing allowing one ER in five innings of Reading’s blowout loss.  Jersey Shore got a strong effort out of Jean Cabrera in game one and some solid relief in game two.  And, George Klassen led a quartet of great appearances for Clearwater.

Lehigh Valley (5-5) used a 6-run first inning to catapult to a 9-4 win over Durham. 

Mick Abel pitched five innings.  He was tagged for 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks.  He struck out five.  He threw 88 pitches, 51 for strikes.  He used a 5-pitch mix according to GameDay – four-seamer, curve, changeup, sinker, and slider.  His FB in the first inning averaged 94.6 mph, but dropped off to 92.6 in the second and 92.2 the rest of the game.  He did get 11 whiffs – 7 on the FB, 1 on the curve, 2 on the changeup, 1 on the slider.  Ryan Burr tossed 2.0 scoreless innings allowing 2 hits and striking out four.  Michael Mercado pitched 2.0 scoreless innings allowing 2 hits and striking out one.

Jordan Luplow started the scoring with a one-out solo HR in the first inning.  The IronPigs went on to score 5 more runs on Aramis Garcia’s RBI single, Estaban Quiroz‘ groundout, Nick Podkul’s RBI double, and Scott Kingery’s 2-run HR.  Kody Clemens added a run in the second on a groundout.  After a 3-run HR closed the gap to 7-4, the IronPigs tacked on single runs in the fourth and eighth on a Jordan Luplow RBI single and Scott Kingery’s solo HR (2).

Luplow went 3-4 with a R, HR (1), 2 RBI.  Kingery went 2-3 with 3 R, 2 HR (2), 3 RBI, BB, SB.

#2 Mick Abel – 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

#6 Orion Kerkering – on rehab assignment

#11 Griff McGarry – DNP

#19 Simon Muzziotti – DNP

Reading (3-3) lost to Portland, 11-0.

Matt Osterberg pitched 5.0 innings allowing 3 runs, (1 ER), on 6 hits.  He walked none and struck out five.  Andrew Schultz went 1.1 innings allowing 2 runs on 2 hits while striking out two.  Beau Burrows went 1.2 innings giving up one run on one hit with 4 K.  Carlos Francisco pitched the final inning and gave up 5 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks.

The Phils managed just 4 hits, all singles, and one walk.

#1 Andrew Painter – rehabbing from TJ surgery

#10 Gabriel Rincones – DNP

#13 Carlos De La Cruz – 1-4

#16 Christian McGowan – development list

#21 Caleb Ricketts – 1-3

#26 Robert Moore – 8th inning defensive replacement

#28 Jose Rodriguez – 0-4

Jersey Shore (4-3) split with Hickory, winning 4-0 and losing 5-0.

Game One:  Jean Cabrera tossed 5.0 innings of one-hit ball.  He walked 3 and struck out ten.  Nathan Karaffa pitched a clean inning followed by Charles King who did same with 2 K.  The BlueClaws opened the scoring on Jordan Dissin’s second inning solo HR.  They scored three runs in the sixth on William Bergolla’s 2-run single and Zach Arnold’s RBI single.

Erick Brito went 2-3 with a 2B.

#4 Justin Crawford – DNP

#8 Bryan Rincon – DNP

#12 William Bergolla – 1-3 with a R, 2 RBI

#14 Pan Wen-hui is on the IL

#17 Emaarion Boyd – DNP

#23 Hendry Mendez – 0-2 with a R, BB

#24 Samuel Aldegheri – DNP

Game Two:  Starlyn Castillo pitched 3.0 innings and gave up 4 runs on 4 hits and a walk.  He struck out two.  Alex Rao pitched an inning and gave up a run on a walk (BB, SB, WP, SF).  He struck out two.  Mason Ronan pitched a scoreless 2.0 innings allowing a hit and a walk with 3 K.

The BlueClaws managed just 3 hits, all singles.

#4 Justin Crawford – 1-3

#8 Bryan Rincon – 0-3

#12 William Bergolla – 0-3

#14 Pan Wen-hui is on the IL

#17 Emaarion Boyd – 0-3

#23 Hendry Mendez – 1-3

#24 Samuel Aldegheri – DNP

Clearwater (5-2) beat Fort Myers, 3-0.  Four Threshers’ pitchers held the Mighty Mussels to 3 hits, 2 walks, and 15 strikeouts.

George Klassen pitched 5.0 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks.  He struck out eight.  Jaydenn Estanista pitched 2.0 one-hit innings striking out five.  Trey Dillard pitched a clean inning striking out two.  Paxton Thompson followed with his own clean inning.

There were few scoring opportunities during the first four innings.  The Threshers finally broke through in the fifth (and rewarded Klassen’s efforts with a W).  Luis Caicuto led off with a double.  He advanced to third on a fly out and scored on Devin Saltiban’s RBI single.  They added some insurance in the eighth with 2 runs.  Caicuto walked but was forced out on a ground ball by Keaton Anthony.  After a pitching change, he took second on a wild pitch.  Saltiban walked.  Aidan Miller followed with an RBI double.  Otto Kemp was intentionally walked.  Saltiban scored on a groundout by Pierce Bennett.

#3 Aidan Miller – 1-4 with a 2B, RBI

#7 Devin Saltiban – 1-2 with a R, RBI, 2 BB, SB

#15 Alex McFarlane – 60-day IL

#18 TJayy Walton – 0-4

#20 Raylin Heredia – DNP

#22 Kehden Hettiger – DNP

#29 George Klassen – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

#30 Nikau Pouaka-Grego – 1-4

Gameday Link for Lehigh Valley.

Gameday Link for Reading.

Gameday Link for Jersey Shore, game one.

Gameday Link for Jersey Shore, game two.

Gameday Link for Clearwater.

Other Prospects:

#5 Starlyn Caba, Rookie Level

#9 Eduardo Tait, Rookie Level

#25 Alexis De La Cruz, Rookie Level

#27 Jalvin Arias, Rookie Level

Transactions

4/12/2024 – Jersey Shore activated RHP Starlyn Castillo from the Development List
4/12/2024 – Clearwater activated RHP Chase Hopewell from the Development List
4/12/2024 – Clearwater transferred RHP Jake Eddington to the Development List

23 thoughts on “Box Score Recap (4/12/24)”

  1. Klassen is obviously the big story with his 2nd strong start, allowing only 2 walks in his 5 innings. However, Cabrera is a guy we don’t talk about enough. He was terrific in 2021 and then struggled a bit last year before finding his footing late in the season, being outstanding in the playoff game.
    Miller keeps hitting which is great but let’s keep an eye on Saltibon too. He’s hitting while learning how to play 2b.
    Nervous about Abel’s ceiling?

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    2. If they view Klassen as a reliever in the majors but are just starting him to get innings, then it is very possible that he has a Kerkering type rise this season.

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      1. Kerkering never started a game in the minors and last season during his meteoric rise through 4 levels, he pitched in 49 games (53.2 innings).

        Andrew Painter had 22 starts (103.2 innings) in 2022 but he was 19 at the time.

        George Klassen is 22 and had starting experience at Minnesota. Not sure why the Phillies would want him to be a reliever when he’s doing this as a starter. I’m guessing he’ll end up pitching around 110 innings and we’ll see if he ends up at JS or Reading at the end.

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        1. It’s pretty common for RPs to be starters in the minors. Just gets them innings. Many reasons to make him a RP but mostly if he only has 2 MLB quality pitches. I don’t know if he does or not. Just saying if he does then he can get through the minors like that but not the majors as a SP.

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          1. There are no current plans to make George a reliever. He has focused on a three pitch mix however is working on a change up as well. Plans are to keep him at CW to continue progress. Outstanding first couple of outings for sure though.

            Steve Potter

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            1. Like to see him get over 60 innings in this season…not sure he has been able to get to that point so far in his pitching career…HS and collegian levels. The two objectives I’d think for him this summer would be maintaining adequate control of his FB and breaking pitches, and length of innings pitched thru the season..

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            3. Romus, Klassen tossed 7.2 Big Ten innings in 2022, his age-22-season as a red shirt freshman after sitting out the 2021 season with an injury. He tossed another 28.2 innings in a summer league that season for a total of 36.1 innings. In 25 appearances he made 7 starts.

              In 2023, his age-21-season and red shirt sophomore year, Klassen threw 56.2 innings in 14 appearances, 13 starts. 

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    3. My friend, the Blue Jays fan, follows somebody on X that does a deep analysis on pitching perfomances and he texted me the review on Mick Abel. His notes were that Abel struggled with location, his arsenal graded out poorly, and his velocity was a tick down from last season. Unfortunately, this is pretty much what I saw when Abel pitched in the MLB spring breakout game. Abel has a long way to go and he needs to stay healthy at Lehigh. At this point, his ceiling is a 3/4 pitcher.

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  2. So Abel’s velo has gone down, it is something we worried about during ST.

    I’m officially concerned.

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    1. There are no physical issues with Mick. He did have an extended illness in ST and is still building up stamina as a result. In regards to velo he’s been working on a sinker and mix – results don’t always indicate what’s happening – no worries – he will be fine.

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      2. I don’t disagree that Abel is working on stuff in the minors but he’s starting year 4 in the system and it seems like he’s been a work in progress his entire minor league career. At a certain point, he needs to show some positive results.

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        1. He was a HS kid tho…Nola had been in college the entire first 3 years of Abel in pro ball….starting in AAA in ur 4th year out of HS is fine…

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    2. There are no physical issues with Mick. He did have an extended illness in ST and is still building up stamina as a result. In regards to velo he’s been working on a sinker and mix – results don’t always indicate what’s happening – no worries – he will be fine.

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      1. The chart does not show any 2Smrs…..I wonder if he has not incorporated that into his arsenal at this point….either the sinker version or ASR like Nola uses on LHBs. 

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  4. I don’t like making excuses, but I neglected to mention that there was a short rain delay between the first and second innings in the Lehigh game last night. So, on top of a long bottom of the first where the IronPigs scored 6 runs and there was a pitching change, there was about a 15-minute rain delay where the field had to be covered and uncovered. This is at the very least an extenuating circumstance at the start of a season that has had a lot of delays and postponements during the opening couple weeks. 

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  5. Let’s not have a repeat of the “Luis Garcia Reaction” with George Klassen. Let’s reign in expectations. Some guy (a self-professed stats nerd) in Toronto just declared Klassen a top 100 prospect on the small sample of ten innings. Apparently ignoring his control issues before the draft (8.5 BB9 in college and 5.0 BB9 in a college summer league. 

    At least, Garcia had a full first season of GCL ball under his belt before expectations got wildly out of control. Let’s wait a few more weeks before raising expectations over Klassen’s assuredly great start to the season. 

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    1. Calling Klassen a top 100 prospect is over the top aggressive. However, the excitement over Klassen isn’t based on 10 IP. It’s based on the stuff. The combo of velocity and movement is electric. So it was always about him not walking guys. That said, agreed that a 10 IP is too small of a sample size to conclude that ge fixed his command. And he also needs to show that he can keep this command as he moves up and faces better hitters. But we don’t have many arms like him in our system imo.

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