Box Score Recap (5/15/24)

Box Score Recap

Lehigh Valley swept a double header.  Reading lost.  Jersey Shore and Samuel Aldegheri lost.  Clearwater was banged.  The FCL Phillies don’t play on Wednesday.

FCL Phillies (3-4) Wednesday is an off day.

  • #5 Starlyn Caba (.364/1.153):
  • #9 Eduardo Tait (.125/.473):
  • #25 Alexis De La Cruz (0-1, 27.00):
  • Other players of interest
  • Aroon Escobar (.280/.677):
  • Guillermo Rosario (.333/.793):
  • Nolan Beltran (.100/.282): 04
  • Leonardo Rondon (.250/.583):
  • Rickardo Perez (.333/.666):
  • Adilson Peralta (1-0, 0.00):
  • Pitchers of interest
  • Danyony Pulido (2.79):
  • Juan Amarante (1-0, 1.93):
  • Luis Avila (0.00):

Lehigh Valley (15-23) swept a double header from Norfolk, 4-3 and 5-3.  

Game 1:  Tyler Phillips (4-2, 4.93) went the distance in a seven-inning game.  He allowed 3 runs on 8 hits and a walk.  He struck out 7 and gave up 2 HR.  He threw 101 pitches, 70 strikes.

The IronPigs scored 2 runs in the first inning on a solo HR (4) by David Dahl and an RBI single by Weston Wilson.  They tied the game with a run in the third on an RBI double by Dahl.  They took the lead in the fifth on a sac fly by Jordan Luplow.

    • #2 Mick Abel (1-2, 5.60): DNP
    • #11 Griff McGarry (1-1. 3.45): DNP
    • #19 Simon Muzziotti (.240/.674): went 0-3

Game 2:  Michael Mercado (0.35) pitched 5.0 scoreless innings allowing a hit and a walk.  He struck out seven.  He departed with a 3-0 lead.  Taylor Lehman (2.84) faced 3 batters.  He retired one but his appearance went BB, WP, K, E3t unearned run scored.  Ryan Burr (1.1, 3.09) came in and blew the save, let an inherited runner score on 3 hits, and got the win.  Max Lazar (3.00) got his 2nd save with a 1-2-3 seventh.

The IronPigs scored a run in the third on a solo HR (2) by Cal Stevenson.  They scored 2 runs in the fourth on a 2-run by Stevenson.  After the bullpen blew the save, they took the lead in the seventh on a 2-run double by Simon Muzziotti.

    • #2 Mick Abel (1-2, 5.60): DNP
    • #11 Griff McGarry (1-1. 3.45): DNP
    • #19 Simon Muzziotti (.240/.677): went 1-4 with a 2B, 2 RBI

Reading (16-18) lost to Richmond, 6-4.  Noah Skirrow (6.23) pitched 6.0 innings and gave up 2 runs (one ER) on 3 hits and 2 walks.  Mitch Neunborn (1-1, 5.93) got tagged for 4 unearned runs in 1.2 innings on 5 hits.  Tristan Garnet (1.59) got the final out.  

Reading scored 2 runs in the first inning on ab BRI double by Carson Taylor and an RBI single by Caleb Rickets.  They scored 2 runs in the ninth on an RBI double by Robert Moore and an RBI single by Taylor.

Seven of the ten runs in the game were unearned.

  • #1 Andrew Painter: rehabbing from TJ surgery on 60-day injury list
  • #10 Gabriel Rincones: 7-day IL
  • #13 Carlos De La Cruz (.157/.481): went 0-5 (37 K in 92 PA)
  • #21 Caleb Ricketts: went 1-2 with a R, RBI, BB, HBP
  • #26 Robert Moore (.253/.677): went 2-5 with 2 R, 2 2B, RBI
  • #28 Jose Rodriguez (.206/.650): DNP

Jersey Shore (20-15) lost at Hudson Valley, 9-3.  Samuel Aldegheri (3-1, 1.69) pitched 4.0 innings allowing 4 runs on 3 hits and 5 walks.  Jack Dallas (6.59) pitched 1.0 inning and gave up 3 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks.  Benony Robles (0.00) pitched 2.0 scoreless innings but gave up a hit and walked three.  Andrew Baker (6.00) pitched an inning and gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk.  Each pitcher recorded 2 strikeouts.

The BlueClaws didn’t score a run until trailing by 7-0.  They scored 2 runs in the sixth on a 2-run HR (1) by Bryan Rincon.  They scored a run in the seventh on an RBI single by Andrick Nava.

  • #4 Justin Crawford (.295/.743): went 1-0-4
  • #8 Bryan Rincon (.198/.658): went 1-4 with a R, HR (1), 2 RBI
  • #12 William Bergolla (.184/.481): went 0-3
  • #14 Pan Wen-hui: on 60-day injury list
  • #17 Emaarion Boyd (.239/.607): DNP
  • #23 Hendry Mendez (.286/.724): 0-3
  • #24 Samuel Aldegheri (3-1, 1.69): 4.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 2 K, 2 WP

Clearwater (23-11) v. Daytona banged.  They’ll play 2 today.

  • #3 Aidan Miller (.337/.990):
  • #7 Devin Saltiban (.207/.606):
  • #15 Alex McFarlane: on the 60-day injury list
  • #18 TJayy Walton (.237/.755): 7-day IL
  • #20 Raylin Heredia (.271/.785):
  • #22 Kehden Hettiger (.140/.530):
  • #29 George Klassen (2-0, 0.36) –
  • #30 Nikau Pouaka-Grego (.333/.910):

Other Prospects:

  • #6 Orion Kerkering (1-0, 1.54) in 11.2 innings with the Phillies
  • #27 Jalvin Arias, Rookie Level, DSL Red

Transactions –

 

31 thoughts on “Box Score Recap (5/15/24)”

  1. Tough start by Aldegheri, let’s see if he bounced back next time.
    Mercado looks like another great move by DD, he’ll likely get to Philly sometime this year.
    Dahl making it hard to keep him at AAA.

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    1. He was averaging 95.5, and not surprisingly, sat 95-96 pretty much all night.

      There was some fantastic scouting to identify Mercado as an acquisition candidate and some excellent coaching to help him progress as quickly as he has.

      It amuses me that people on this site have been largely ignoring Mercado, who wasn’t in our system until this year (but is still only 25) and fixating on a guy like McGarry, who we all know. Look, McGarry may end up turning into something – who knows? But right now, Mercado is so much better that it’s ridiculous.

      I have other comments, but they are mostly on the big league team so I’ll post those elsewhere.

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      1. Yes a huge scouting win by DD to steal Mercado from the Rays for nothing really. And also a huge Development win for the system. he may be our #1 trade chip at the deadline.

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        1. No, I don’t trade him. I keep him. He’s your cheap #5 starter for next year. I start then trade Walker. Turnbull and Mercado can easily cover the #5 starter slot.

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          1. I don’t trade him either. A cheap quality starter is what all teams dream to have.

            Let Mercado do his thing at Lehigh. If he’s for real, then the Phillies will make a place for him by trading Walker during the offseason. And I hate to say it, but Sanchez is not a lock either. If he regresses this season, then Mercado and Sanchez can fight it out in ST.

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          2. You got to give up value to get value back. No one is trading a stud closer for Tijuan Walker. The fact that he is good and cheap is what makes him a valuable trade asset.

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            1. Exactly, if they can get someone this year that helps push them to a title for a guy like Mercado you do it.

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            2. I think we don’t need to overpay for a stud closer. We have two excellent co-closers. Jeff Hoffman is about as good as anyone in baseball right now – why is everybody here ignoring that? He’s been fantastic for over a year, including in the postseason. Alvarado had one bad appearance at the beginning of the year and otherwise has been very good. Strahm is excellent in his role. Kerkering is good and getting better. Seranthony looks like he is coming around. What we need is a better long man – that could be Mercado. And somebody solid to replace Soto – who is horrendous. But Soto is a 7th inning guy – his replacement should cost a good prospect, but no reason for that to be Mercado, who can be on the roster as well.

              As for Walker, I’m trading him for maybe a lottery ticket and to shed payroll. He’s an expensive luxury they don’t need and can replace. Getting rid of him opens the door to a Ranger deal. They need to find a way to sign Ranger.

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            3. “…..Soto is a 7th inning guy – his replacement should cost a good prospect, but no reason for that to be Mercado”,….Top prefers three LHPs as relievers in his pen. Not sure he would go that route.

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            4. Well, then they should find another lefty somewhere, but Soto is a blown save or a loss waiting to happen. I don’t care how hard he throws. He’s awful and they should replace him.

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      2. It amuses me how quickly people on this site go hot/cold on prospects. From a frequent poster on this site in August 2023

        “Carlson should not cost you McGarry and I’d be really slow to move Griff. While McGarry has a bunch of risk for sure, the upside is a dominant starter – his stuff is truly elite. “

        Yes, McGarry has taken a major step backwards with his late season collapse last year but it’s also been just 9 months ago.

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        1. That’s true, but it’s also true that prospects, particularly pitching prospects, can trend up or down extremely quickly, not just in terms of performance, but in terms of their underlying stuff. When Griff McGarry was sitting 96-98 as a starter with wicked breaking stuff, it was not hard to dream on him. When he’s sitting 94 as reliever, it’s a lot harder to get excited. Same is true with Abel. He’s lost a ton of velocity as a starter. Is it a blip? Is he the next Spencer Howard? We don’t know, but the concerns are real, not imagined.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. In the minors, we really do not know what the development plans are. My impression is that when they have a talented arm with command and control issues, they sometimes dial back velocity to a level where the pitch is controlled and once the muscle memory is established for control, see if they can dial it back up slowly without reverting to the previous wildness. The result during the process is less important than the result in the end of the process. It doesn’t always work, but it is worth a try with talented arms.

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            1. I believe this is exactly what was done with Christopher Sanchez. He now seems to be ramping up the velo more and more with his improved command and control.

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            2. That may be what’s going on with McGarry, since he was so wild last year. But I’m not buying it with Abel – he starts around 96 MPH in the first inning and then it drops dramatically each inning thereafter. It’s a concern.

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      3. fair point – I haven’t looked too much at him, but I definitely have the homer mindset at this point on the “pitching trio” … it’s hard to let that go. 1st time I’ve seen such highly touted prospects come through…. There was prior years in the early rebuild – biddle, lively, Thomson, Efflin – then Sixto & Kilome who later swapped Howard into the mix. That was all good, but Painter, Abel, and McGarry… is different. Felt like 2 of the 3 were a lock to make it. Will see, I feel like Painter vs Stridor are big matchups in the future

        if Mercado leaps over McGarry, i think that makes him tradebait at this point. DD is going to use some bullets this year.

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    1. I remember watching him for the first time in ST and thinking “wow, who the hell is this guy?” When I saw his stats for the minor league Rays, I couldn’t believe it. Other than rookie ball, up to this year, he had never had an ERA below 5, although his K rates were always high. My view of this, and it’s just a educated guess, is that the Phillies are going to try to get Walker enough innings and exposure to trade him before the deadline. Turnbull and Mercado would be used to cover the 5th starter and long man slots.

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      1. Mercado’s TJ, now almost six years removed from 2018, may have been a blessing for him, though the Rays let up on hm it appears due to control issues. The Phillies team of PCs may have corrected to some degree that problem, he still is issuing BBs/9 @ 4, but better than he was with the Rays the last year or so. Hopefully he keeps it going whatever the Phillies have instructed him to do.

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  4. Are the Phillies Minor leagues turning into a Reliever factory? Fingers crossed, but it sure seems like they got someone/group of scouts that can identify a tweak to unlock a relievers potential. it just seemed to be the Phillies could identify Catchers…. Add that to their ability to identify catchers. If true, the scouts deserve some more praise.

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    1. Phillies are not alone in that reliever model…..many, if not all, teams are doing similar undertakings….all realize the majority of the rotation of their starters are good now for 2 times thru the lineup, so relievers become more of a necessity to get teams thru the last 4/5 innings of a game.

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  5. It’s fine to be excited about the possibility that Mercado has turned a corner. He certainly has a good arm; However, I would temper that excitement by noting that up until his 25 innings pitched so far in 2024 his overall minor league numbers were not exactly impressive.

    Maybe he’s found that elusive control and has had a breakout or maybe in a small sample size and he’s on a hot streak to start 2024.

    Just seems many are too eager to jump on/off player bandwagons base on small samples and short-term results.

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    1. Yeah, I hear you, but that’s the beauty of pitchers. If a guy has a lot of underlying ability (and, no doubt, Mercado does), it is not at all uncommon for the “light” to go on at some point and for the player to reach a completely new and better level. Of course, we need to see a larger sample size, but this sort of thing happens with pitchers all the time, especially younger ones (and even older ones – with Jeff Hoffman as one example). At the very least, it’s extremely encouraging.

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  6. Starlyn Caba ranked #9 switch hitter in minors

    9. Starlyn Caba, SS (PHI No. 5)
    Caba is making a big impression after signing for $3 million as the No. 13 international prospect in 2023. We can’t read too much into Rookie league stats, but he’s posted outrageous discipline numbers with more than twice as many walks (35) than strikeouts (17). The Dominican Republic native makes strong contact from both sides of the plate and has the makings of an everyday shortstop, even if he never grows into much power. As an impressive athlete with plus speed and range, he has quite a high floor for an 18-year-old.

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  7. I’m hoping that Marchan stays healthy and has more success at LHV like he did last season. I like Stubbs. He makes for a good teammate and a fine back up defensive catcher. But the guy just doesn’t hit.

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    1. Interested in JTR’s eventual replacement in 2 years or so….how’s about Harry Ford of Seattle! Wonder what it would take from Jerry Dipoto to move on that…..Justin Crawford and Griff McGarry?

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    2. Ciada………. I get you on Stubbs, I think when Inspector Callahan said, “a good man has to know his limitations” he was talking to Stubbs. The big swing more often than not results in a routine fly ball, but if he would just make contact, that soft liner over the infield would have him hitting .300 and the little guy sure can bunt.

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  8. We need to discuss NPG more. He’s 19 and after a missed injury season, he’s hitting 345

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