Category Archives: 01. Site Features

Box Score Recap – 9/7/2015

Box Score Recap

For the first time since 2012 when Reading lost in the first round of the Eastern League playoffs, teams from within the Phillies’ organization will play in the post season.

Clearwater begins the playoffs on the road Tuesday in Daytona for the first game of a three-game series.  Games two and three (if necessary) will be played in Clearwater.

The announced match ups are –

  1. RHP Ricardo Pinto (9-2, 2.87) v. LHP Amir Garrett (9-7, 2.44)
  2. RHP John Richy (0-0, 2.84) v. TBD
  3. RHP David Whitehead (9-11, 4.44) v. TBD

Game one will be a match up of staff aces.  Pinto faced Daytona once and beat the Tortugas.  He pitched 6.1 innings and gave up two runs (2.86 ERA).  He allowed six hits including a home run.  Pinto struck out seven and walked none.  More below the fold.

Amir Garrett faced the Threshers six times and had a 1-2 record.  Two of his starts experienced long rain delays.  He pitched two innings in one and recorded one out against two batters in the other.  He pitched at least six innings in each of the other four starts.  In all, he pitched 27.1 innings and gave up seven earned runs (9 R) on 26 hits including one home run.  He posted a 2.31 ERA against the Threshers.  Garrett struck out 25 and walked nine.  Five of the walks occurred in one start, three in another.

Richy faced Daytona once and shut them out over seven innings.  He allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out three.  However, he didn’t figure in a decision.  Overall, Richy went 10-5 in 20 starts (24 appearances).  He pitched 137 innings and allowed 153 hits, 12 home runs.  He struck out 115 and walked 35.  Richy posted a 4.07 and spent most of the season in the California League.

Whitehead faced Daytona once and gave up four runs in five innings on seven hits and a walk.  He struck out two.  He is coming off consecutive good starts where he beat Brevard County and Dunedin.  Whitehead went five innings in each game and gave up one run on 11 hits and three walks while striking out six.

The Threshers will have to do without Dylan Cozens’ bat in the playoffs, but Jesse Valentin has been hitting his stride since being activated.

  • 2B Jessie Valentin (.273)
  • CF Carlos Tocci (.258)
  • LF Andrew Pullin (.258), 14 HR, 73 RBI
  • RF Aaron Brown (.257), 11 HR, 47 RBI
  • 1B Rhys Hoskins (.317), 8 HR
  • DH Wilians Astudillo (.314) 49 RBI
  • 3B Mitch Walding (.233) 48 walks
  • SS Malquin Canelo (.250)
  • C Chace Numata (.263)

Reading begins their five-game series against the Binghamton Mets Wednesday.  Games one and two are on the road.  The Phils return home for games, four, and five (if necessary).  Pitching match ups are not set.

Williamsport begins their three-game series against the West Virginia Black Bears Wednesday.  Game one is on the the road.  The Crosscutters return home for games two and three (if necessary).  Pitching match ups are not set.

Lehigh Valley (63-81) lost to the Rochester Red Wings 8-1 and finished fifth in the International League North.  Seve Gonzalez struck out five in six innings and walked none.  However, he gave up four runs (3 ER) on eleven hits including 3 doubles and a home run.  Joey DeNato allowed an inherited runner to score on a wild pitch, then gave up three more in the ninth.

  • The “prospects” turned in the following in their season finale:
  • LF Kelly Dugan (.221) went 0-4.
  • 1B Tommy Joseph (.193) went 3-4 with a run scored and 2 doubles.
  • C Gabriel Lino (.215) went 1-4.

Reading (80-61) lost to the Richmond Flying Squirrels 2-1.  Nick Pivetta was removed after four pitches with a possible oblique injury (per manager Dusty Wathan).  Joely Rodriguez came in and threw five solid innings.  He gave up one run on four hits and struck out six.  Ethan Martin gave up the tie-breaking run and earned the loss.  A Cam Perkins sac fly accounted for the Phils’ only run.

  • The Phils go into the playoffs with the following performances:
  • Nick Williams (.320) just off the DL went 1-5 with a stolen base.
  • J.P. Crawford (.265) 3-5 with a run scored and double.
  • Andrew Knapp (.360) went 2-4 with a walk.
  • Brock Stassi (.300) went 0-1 with 3 walks.
  • Cam Perkins(.252) went 0-3 with a SF and RBI.
  • Dylan Cozens (.350) went 0-4.
  • Rodriguez picked a runner off first.
  • Destin Hood hasn’t played since Thursday and may miss the divisional playoffs with a knee injury he suffered diving for a ball (per manager Dusty Wathan). He was reassigned to the GCL Phillies roster.

Clearwater (79-58) starts their playoff run Tuesday night in Daytona.

Lakewood (73-65) beat the Delmarva Shorebirds 12-3 and finished second for the second half in the SAL Northern Division.  They had the third best overall record in the division, fourth best in the league.  Jairo Munoz reaped the benefits of the BlueClaws 16-hit attack.  He went five innings and gave up two runs on six hits and no walks.  He struck out four.  Munoz gave up a two-out, two-run home run in the first but shut down the ‘Birds while the ‘Claws scored all twelve runs in the second through fourth innings.

  • The BlueClaws turned in the following in their season finale:
  • Herlis Rodriguez (.294) went 2-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.
  • Drew Stankiewicz (.288) with a run scored, 2 doubles, a walk, and 2 RBI.
  • Damek Tomscha (.282) went 1-4 with a double and 3 RBI.
  • Deivi Grullon (.221) went 0-3 with a walk and 2 K.
  • Kyle Martin (.279) went 2-4 with a run scored, double, walk, and RBI.
  • Cord Sandberg (.255) went 1-3 with 2 runs scored, a double, and 2 walks.
  • Scott Kingery (.250) DNP.
  • Jiandido tromp (.216) went 3-5 with 2 runs scored, a double, HR (9), and 4 RBI.

Williamsport (46-30) lost to the State College Spikes 5-3.  Jose Taveras gave up four runs on eight hits in six innings.  Greg Brodzinski drove in two runs, Jesus Posso one.

  • The Crosscutters go into the playoffs with the following performances:
  • Josh Tobias (.321) went 0-4.
  • Jose Pujols (.238) went 1-4 with a run scored and 3 K.
  • Brendon Hayden (.291) went 0-3 with a walk.
  • Mark Laird (.285) DNP.
  • Zachary Coppola (.271) went 1-1 as a pinch hitter.
  • Venn Biter threw out a runner at home, Pujols threw one out at second.

GCL Phillies (36-24) Season completed.  Finished in second place, four games back.

DSL Phillies (40-32) Season completed.  Finished tied for second place, three games back.

VSL Phillies (30-40) Season completed.  Finished tied for third in a four team league.

Here’s the affiliated scoreboard from MiLB.

Extra Innings –

  • Reading Fightin Phils activated OF Nick Williams from the 7-day disabled list.
  • Destin Hood assigned to GCL Phillies from Reading Fightin Phils.
  • RHP David Buchanan, RHP Nefi Ogando, and LHP Ken Roberts will be called up to the Phillies before tomorrow’s game against Atlanta.
  • The Phillies are going to institute a 6-man rotation for the remainder of the season.

Post Season Report Card–Starting Pitching, GCL, WP, and Lakewood

Other Stuff

A look at starting pitching in the lower part of the organization.  A note that player grades are based on what was expected of that players performance against himself, not against others.  Up next will be a look at Starting pitching at the higher levels on Wednesday.

GCL

Felix Paulino, 20, Signed as a free agent in 2013; 11 games (10 starts); 5-4 with a 2.34ERA; 50IP 41H 5BB 46K; .223 opp avg; 0.92 WHIP; 1.06 GO/AO; 0.9BB/8.3K per 9; .176 vs LHH; .244 vs RHH; .224 last 30 days.  Paulino had an outstanding season with his walk/strikeout ratio in an area that screams long term success.  Grade: A; 2016: Lakewood with a potential drop back to Williamsport

Adonis Medina, 18, Signed as a free agent in 2013; 10 games (8 starts); 3-2 with a 2.98ERA; 45.1IP 42H 12BB 35K; 1HR allowed; .253 opp avg; 1.19 WHIP; 1.76 GO/AO; 2.4BB/6.9K per 9; .222 vs LHH, .272 vs RHH, .284 last 30 days. A good season for Medina in his first action stateside.  Good command.  Grade: B+; 2016: Williamsport

Sam McWilliams, 19, Phils 8th round pick in 2014; 7 starts, 0-2 with a 3.27ERA; 33IP 29H 5BB 21K; 1.4BB/5.7K per 9; .232 opp avg; 1.03 WHIP; 1.92 GO/AO; .245 vs LHH, .222 vs RHH. McWilliams was pitching well but missed his last 4 or 5 starts at the end of the season, costing him what may have been a trip to Lakewood to start 2016.  With 25IP in 2014 for GCL and 33IP this year, he will need some time in WIlliamsport.  Grade: B- Continue reading Post Season Report Card–Starting Pitching, GCL, WP, and Lakewood →

Open Discussion: Week of September 7th

Weekly Discussion

Here’s an open discussion thread so the minor league posts don’t get cluttered with Phillies’ talk and other topics.

  • The play of the young guys.
  • The chase for the #1 pick.
  • Or, anything else …
  • How about this observation.  Delmon Young’s 6-year streak of playing in the playoffs is likely to come to an end.

Box Score Recap – 9/6/2015

Box Score Recap

Look! They did it again!  The Clearwater Threshers won the second half FSL North Division with their 2-1 win on the last day of the season.  They duplicated their first half performance when they won they clinched on the last day of that half.  The Threshers, who had a distressingly poor record in 2014, rebounded with the best overall record in the entire Florida State League.   More on the Threshers below the fold.   Continue reading Box Score Recap – 9/6/2015 →

Box Score Recap – 9/5/2015

Box Score Recap

Three wins by Reading, Clearwater, and Lakewood.  Two losses, one a blowout and the other a walk-off.  The pitching staffs for the three winning teams issued just one walk, and Williamsport’s starter issued one walk in six innings.  David Whitehead pitched well for the second start in a row,  Rhys Hoskins put on a singles clinic, and Aaron Brown drove in three runs.  More on the game below the fold.   Continue reading Box Score Recap – 9/5/2015 →

Box Score Recap – 9/4/2015

Box Score Recap

Five more close games.  A 4-1 win and a 4-1 loss, a 2-0 victory, and two one-run losses.  The Clearwater loss was a little exasperating, but exciting nonetheless.  They are frustrating to watch when they go into an offensive lull for extended periods, but frustrating to play against because they never give up.  They rallied in the bottom of the ninth and eleventh innings to extend the game, and were threatening again in the thirteenth before succumbing to the other team.  More on the game below the fold.   Continue reading Box Score Recap – 9/4/2015 →

Box Score Recap – 9/3/2015

Box Score Recap

All five affiliates were involved in close games last night – four one-run games and one two-run game, that resulted in three wins and two losses.  The Clearwater win was much closer than it had to be thanks to a three-run ninth inning surrendered by their closer, Ulises Joaquin.  The tying and winning runs were on base before he was able to record the final out of the game.  Way more excitement than I needed.  More on the game below the fold. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 9/3/2015 →

Box Score Recap – 9/2/2015

Box Score Recap

All four affiliates in action lost last night.  Looks like Jello was the order of the day as several pitchers turned in shaky outings.

Lehigh Valley (62-77) lost to the Pawtucket Red Sox 6-5.  Seve Gonzalez gave up four runs in five innings on eight hits and two walks.  Dustin McGowan walked in the go ahead run in the eighth inning.  The IronPigs had fought back to tie the game in the top of the eighth on Tommy Joseph’s home run.  Bogusevic, Canzler, Moore, and Pastornicky had 2 hits each. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 9/2/2015 →

The First End of Season Poll

Other Stuff

Over the past weekend, Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle published his yearly prospect survey.  Mike requests input from about two dozen industry people who watch or cover a fair amount of games and players among the Phillies’ affiliates.  He received 16 responses and used a weighted scoring system to determine a player’s perceived value (first-place votes earning 20 points, second place 19 points, etc.).   I was one of the 16 respondents.

J.P Crawford received 15 of 16 first place votes.  Jake Thompson received the other first place vote.  Nick Williams received 11 second place votes.  Thirty-four players received votes.  The results of the poll were as follows.

  1. J.P. Crawford                     SS     Reading                    317 points
  2. Jake Thompson                 P     Reading                    287
  3. Nick Williams                    OF    Reading                    278
  4. Cornelius Randolph      OF   Gulf Coast                253
  5. Jorge Alfaro                          C     Reading                    236
  6. Roman Quinn                    OF     Reading                    225
  7. Franklyn Kilome                 P      Williamsport         215
  8. Zach Eflin                                P      Reading                   197
  9. Ricardo Pinto                       P       Clearwater             154
  10. Carlos Tocci                          OF     Clearwater             145
  11. Aaron Altherr                       OF    Philadelphia         144
  12. Andrew Knapp                     C      Reading                   138
  13. Jarad Eickoff                         P      Philadelphia        113
  14. Scott Kingery                      2B      Lakewood             104
  15. Nick Pivetta                           P      Reading                      93
  16. Ben Lively                                P      Reading                      63
  17. Darnell Sweeney              OF     Philadelphia            59
  18. Rhys Hoskins                      1B     Clearwater                36
  19. Alberto Tirado                      P      Clearwater                34
  20. Malquin Canelo                 SS    Lakewood                  29

The next ten were – Matt Imhof, Alec Asher, Brandon Leibrandt, Dylan Cozens, Jimmy Cordero, Kelly Dugan, Jose Pujols, Deivi Grullon, Willians Astudillo, Jesse Biddle.

Four others received votes – Felix Paulino, Jonathan Arauz, Aaron Brown, Lucas Williams. (All four were on my ballot.)

I returned my ballot with the following disclaimer.  “Really tough this season. I haven’t seen enough of half of the guys in the MLB top 20. I relied on what I’ve read and even box scores (shudder) to some extent. My bias toward players I have seen probably works for and against them, but my bias against relievers is probably permanent, for now. Anyway, here goes.”

1. J.P. Crawford
2. Cornelius “C” Randolph
3. Jake Thompson
4. Jorge Alfaro
5. Ricardo Pinto
6. Andrew Knapp
7. Franklyn Kilome
8. Roman Quinn
9. Jerad Eickhoff
10. Nick Williams
11. Zach Eflin
12. Scott Kingery
13. Felix Paulino
14. Darnell Sweeney
15. Nick Pivetta
16. Jonathan Arauz
17. Aaron Brown
18. Dylan Cozens
19. Rhys Hoskins
20. Lucas Williams

I ended with the following – “PS – I really, really, really like Randolph.  And Alfaro makes me go, “Wow!”.  I had him lower until I saw him in a sim inning, hitting off Stephen Inch (in his third sim outing).  He’s big and packs a wallop.  And Williams’ approach at the plate is similar to Randolph’s.  If Kingery is as good as they think/hope, this looks to have been a really good draft. Did I mention I like Randolph?”

I approached my poll by listing the top 20 prospects that I have actually seen this season.  Then decided where to slot the players I hadn’t seen, or hadn’t seen enough.  It came down to the pain I would experience if a player left the organization.  The more the pain, the higher the ranking.

I know I have some glaring omissions.  I don’t apologize for those.  For example, Carlos Tocci.  I have watched him for half a season.  I enjoy watching him play center field.  He plays a nice center field.  But, he doesn’t hit well enough.  Opposing outfields are playing him shallower than they did his first time through the league.  If he doesn’t put on some weight and muscle, I don’t see how he’ll ever hit enough to play in the majors. Sorry.

It appears that I penalize pitchers I’ve seen like Imhof and Leibrandt, but reward players like Arauz, Brown, and Lucas Williams.   Maybe I’m “too close to the trees to see the forest”. But the players I’ve seen the most leave an impression one way or the other.

I’ll post the Mike Drago’s Reading Eagle Top 20 Survey on the Rankings Page tonight or tomorrow.

Box Score Recap – 9/1/2015

Box Score Recap

Clearwater (77-57) split a double header with the Daytona Tortugas, winning 3-2 and losing 3-0.  Victor Arano and Matt Imhof got the starts.  Ricardo Pinto was pushed back to Thursday in Dunedin.  That could make him available for game two in the first round of the playoffs.

Game one went eight innings.  Arano started and pitched out of minor jams in the second and third before wriggling out of a lead off triple in the fourth.  The Tortugas finally got to him with a game-tying, two-run home run in the fifth.  Alberto Tirado pitched around two walks in two hitless innings.  Jesen Therrien picked up his third save with two strike outs in a perfect eighth.  The Threshers missed a bigger inning when they scored a run on a bases loaded double play in the first.  Rhys Hoskins provided a two-run lead with a solo home run (8) in the fourth.  Malquin Canelo provided the game winner on a solo home run (2) in the eighth. Continue reading Box Score Recap – 9/1/2015 →