Clearwater (61-48) bounced back with a 7-0 shutout of the Lakeland Flying Tigers.  Ricardo Pinto (5-2, 2.96) pitched extremely well.  He used a low 90s fastball to set up his offspeed pitches as he went 6.0 innings and scattered 5 hits.  He walked none and struck out six.  He induced a lot of weak contact.  Alberto Tirado made his Clearwater debut and pitched 2 innings.  He has a mid 90s fastball, touching 96.  He gave up a bloop hit on a well located pitch and an excuse me swing to his first batter.  He survived his first night jitters walking 2 and striking out three.  Miguel Nunez pitched a strong ninth.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 8/5/2015 →

Clearwater (60-48) was shutout 8-0 by Lakeland Flying Tigers on 2 hits. The loss was their 4th in a row, and they have now dropped out of first place for the first time this half. They are curently a half game behind the Daytona Tortugas, 2 games in the loss column.

Brandon Leibrandt (7-3, 3.11) threw 87 pitches, 50 strikes. He lasted only 4.1 innings. He was charged with 4 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks (a career high). He struck out two.  Leibrandt throws a fastball, change, slider, and curve. His FB was 86-87, T88. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 8/4/2015 →

Lehigh Valley (49-61) beat the Toledo Mud Hens 10-8 in 11 innings.  New guy Alec Asher started and gave up 4 runs in 6 innings on 9 hits.  No walks but 2 HR.  Dustin McGowan blew the save giving up the other 4 Hens’ runs (3 ER) in 1 inning.  Nefi Ogando pitched 2 scoreless innings and Cesar Jimenez a perfect 10th inning for the win.  Adam “the Thrill” Loewen picked up his 10th save by going BB, K, BB, BB, K, K, in the 11th inning.

Eric Kratz led the 15 hit/8 BB  attack with 2 HR including a game-tying 2-run shot in the 8th inning.  Brian Bogusevic broke the tie with an RBI single in the 11th.  Chase Utley did not play. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 8/3/2015 →

Chase Utley made a rehab start as DH for Lehigh Valley.

Lehigh Valley (48-61) lost to the Norfolk Tides 4-0.  Jesse Biddle (2-1, 4.44) was charged with 4 runs on 3 walks and 8 hits in 6.1 innings.  He picked up his first AAA loss.  Colton Murray allowed one of two inherirted runners to score on a sacrifice fly , butu retired all eight batters he faced.  He struck out three in 2.2 innings.  Chase Utley went 2-3.  Logan Moore went 3-4 with a triple.  Aaron Altherr (.297) went 0-2 with 2 walks.  Kelly Dugan got his first AAA hit and went 1-4 with 2 K. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 8/2/2015 →

Kelly Dugan made his first AAA start.  Aaron Nola picked up his second major league win.  Two of the new pitchers made their organizational debuts.

Lehigh Valley (48-60) came back from an early 4-0 deficit to beat the Norfolk Tides 8-4.  Anthony Vasquez was replaced after a 4-run, 48-pitch first inning.  Chris Leroux got the win with six, 4-hit innings.  Adam Loewen recorded a 5-out save (9) after Seth Rosin was given a quick hook. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 8/1/2015 →

Jesmuel Valentin made his 2015 debut with the Threshers in the second game of double header against the St. Lucie Mets.

Ben Revere was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for 2 minor league pitchers.  RHP Jimmy Cordero split time as a reliever at the Jays Advanced A and AA clubs in Dunedin and New Hampshire.  The 6’3, 215 lb., 23-year old has seen his peripherals dip a little with the advancement to the higher level.  RHP Albert Tirado has spent all season as a reliever in Dunedin where he is three years younger than the league average.  The 6’0, 180 lb., 20-year old is striking out a batter an inning, but needs to lower his 5.1/9 walk rate.  Tirado was rated the #76 prospect in the 2014 pre-season rankings.

And, it looks like have decided to go in a different direction than a lot of us wanted.  They have recalled RHP David Buchanan, RHP Dalier Hinojosa, and OF Jordan Danks from Lehigh Valley.  Danks?  Why not Altheer?  They both play center field.  Geez!

GCL Phillies (21-12) edged the GCL Astros 17-2.  This game wasn’t as close as the score would indicate.  The Phillies broke open a 2-0 game with a 10-run 5th inning.  They unleashed a 17-hit attack and supplemented it with 8 walks and a hit batter.  The Astros also chipped in with 2 fielding errors, 3 wild pitches, and a fielder’s choice that failed to produce an out.  The Astros best defense was the 4 double plays the Phillies hit into to thwart their own offense. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 7/31/2015 →

Be sure to read to the bottom of the report.  There’s a link to an interview that should be of interest.

GCL Phillies (20-12) lost to the GCL Tigers 1-0 in 10 innings for their 6th straight loss. They are winless since coach Roly de Armas returned from the Pan Am games. Sam McWilliams rebounded from 2 losses (where he gave up 9 ER in 6.1 innings) with a solid 6.0 innings. He gave up 5 hits, a walk, and struck out four. Two of his early base runners were erased by Edgar Cabral on steal attempts. McWilliams was in and around the strike zone, needing only 66 pitches to complete his six innings. His fastball was 88-91, touching 92 on several pitches. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 7/30/2015 →

MLB Tonight confirmed that the Phillies traded Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers.  The details announced were Hamels, Jake Diekman, and cash considerations to the Rangers.  The Phillies receive Rangers #4 RHP Jake Thompson (#60 on Top 100), #5 OF Nick Williams (#64 on Top 100), #6 C Jorge Alfaro (#69 on Top 100, #2 Catcher), #17 RHP Jerad Eickhoff, major league LHP Matt Harrison, and minor league RHP Alec Asher.  This could seriously upgrade the system, since the Phillies will have 6 prospects in the top 99.

Clearwater (59-45) closed out their series against the Bradenton Marauders with a 6-3 victory to earn a series split. Brandon Leibrandt (7-2, 2.88) gave up 2 runs in 5 innings on 3 hits and 2 walks. He ran some deep counts and threw 82 pitches before being lifted. Leibrandt also picked off a runner at second. Jesen Therrien retired the first 6 batters he faced but gave up an unearned after commiting an error to open the 8th inning. Miguel Nunez pitched a perfect 9th for his second save. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 7/29/2015 →

The Phillies completed their first move as they approach the trade deadline.  They have traded popular closer Jonathan Papelbon to the Washington Nationals for RHP Nick Pivetta.  The Phillies kicked in $4.5M this season to offset part of Papelbon’s salary.  Papelbon negotiated a guranteed $11M for the 2016 season, however $3M will be deferred to 2017.  Papelbon has been assured that he will be the closer.  Here’s a report on Pivetta from the Washington Post on July 24th.

Lehigh Valley (47-57) lost to the Scranton RailRiders 5-3.  Jesse Biddle gave up 2 runs (1 ER) on 1 hit and 5 walks in 5 innings.  He struck out four.  Cesar Jimenez blew the save in two-thirds of an inning.  Nefi Ogando came in to strand 2 runners and pitch shutout ball the rest of the way.  Aaron Altherr (.308) went 2-3 with a walk and RBI.  Brian Bogusevic and Chris McGuinness also had multi-hit games. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 7/28/2015 →