Tonight’s game against the Tampa Yankees featured Yankees’ pitching prospect, Luis Severino. The 20-year old emerged as their top pitching prospect last season and continued to excel this year in the SAL before being promoted to the FSL for a June 25th start against the Threshers. He no-hit the Clearwater that night thru 6 innings. He threw 4 strong innings tonight before being lifted after throwing 78 pitches. He allowed 1 unearned run, 4 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 8 Threshers.

Colin Kleven got the start for the Threshers and pitched equally well through his first 5 innigs. However, he ran into trouble in the 6th inning, giving up a leadoff home run. He struck out the next batter before conceding a walk and a single. He left having pitched 5.1 innings, allowing 2 earned runs, 6 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 3 Yankees. Through 16 starts, Kleven has allowed only 17 walks in 91.2 innings pitched. He entered the game with the 4th lowest BB/IP (1.56) in the FSL. Continue reading Threshers Win Tight One, 3-2; July 8, 2014 →

As much as I enjoyed posting reports on Wednesday’s Threshers’ game and the GCL game this afternoon, I did not want to report on this one.  The Threshers fell behind early and lost 14-6 to the Dunedin Blue Jays.  Jeb Stefan started and quickly dug a hole from which the offense could not recover.  Relievers, Dan Child and Ramon Oviedo were also ineffective. Continue reading Threshers; July 3, 2014 →

The humidity was a little lower than it had been during the past 10 days, so I went to the Complex to watch the GCL game between the Phillies and the Braves.  Yoel Mecias got his third rehab start.  He pitched 5 uninspiring innings.  His fastball maxxed out at 87 mph.  By the third inning, he had lost the ability to throw it consistently for strikes and relied heavily on his 82-83 mph changeup.  The Braves bunched 6 hits and a walk into the third and fourth innings to score 3 runs.  He threw 49 strikes in his 78 pitches.  His final line was –

• 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Darrin Ruf and Wil Nieves both hit line drive singles in the first inning with 2 outs.  Continue reading GCL Phillies; July 3, 2014 →

The Threshers’ offense exploded Wednesday night.  They collected 15 hits, of which 6 were XBH including a triple and 3 home runs.  They scored in each of the first 4 innings as the ran out to a 10-1 lead.  They maintained their advantage to win 11-5 against the Dunedin Blue Jays. Continue reading Threshers; July 2, 2014 →

The Phillies first round pick and number 7 overall, Aaron Nola, made his home debut against the Dunedin Blue Jays Tuesday night.  The crowd of 3,394 was treated to a pitchers’ duel in a game the Threshers’ lost 1-0.

Nola made his FSL debut last Monday in Lakeland.  He was on a 50 pitch limit that night.  He started Tuesday on an unknown pitch limit, but a 5-inning limit. Continue reading Threshers; July 1, 2014 →

The Threshers beat the Lakeland Flying Tigers 5-4 Saturday night to break a 6-way tie for first.  Although they still remain in a 3-way tie, they are above .500 for the first time this season.

Colin Kleven started and struggled through the first two innings.  He gave up 3 runs in a 31-pitch first inning on 3 hits and a hit batsman.  He escaped a 25-pitch, bases loaded situation in the second inning where he allowed 1 hit, a walk, and hit two more batters.  A 6-4-3 double play early in the inning kept the Tigers off the board.  Kleven took control and retired 9 of the next 10 batters.  The only Tiger to reach base did so on an error by JP Crawford.  Kleven left the game after five innings trailing 3-2. Continue reading First Place Threshers!!! June 21, 2014 →

The GCL Phillies posted a 6-1 victory over the Dunedin Blue Jays at the Carpenter Complex today.  Jason Marquis, on rehab since signing a minor league contact on June 4th, started and threw 5 shutout innings.  He overpowered the young Jays allowing 5 singles, and 1 base on balls while striking out seven.  He threw around 60 pitches before being lifted to allow some of the GCL relievers to get some work.  Marquis threw two simulated innings on an adjacent field against some bench players to get his pitch count up to ninety. Continue reading GCL Phillies; June 21, 2014 →

The Threshers beat the Dunedin Blue Jays 6-5 to even their record at 1-1 in the second half of the FSL North Division.   During the game a top prospect reached base for the first time in his FSL career, a refugee rehabber took the mound for the first time in a few weeks, a batter was called out on rare type of interference call on a strike out, and the game ended on a rare double play on a single to the outfield. Continue reading Threshers reach .500!!! June 20, 2014 →