Category Archives: 01. Site Features

Box Score Recap – 8/2/2014

Box Score Recap

Hector Neris was added to the Phillies active roster this morning. As I mentioned yesterday, he’s been on a pretty nice streak since early/mid-July. He would have needed to be added to the 40-man this off-season to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft in December, so this will be a nice tryout. If he succeeds, great, if not, he has options, or he can be waived and every team will have a shot at him that way instead of via Rule 5.

MAG earned his first AAA save in LV’s win. Cam Perkins had two hits there – he’s hit safely in five straight, including two multi-hit games. Maybe he’s turning the corner. Kelly Dugan 1-3 plus two walks and scored three times. Zach Collier was 3-5 with two home runs (4) and Jake Fox was 2-4 with a walk, a double and a homer (15). Roman Quinn 2-4 plus a walk and a steal (21) and JPC was 3-5 with a double and a steal (4). Quinn’s recent base-stealing is super encouraging.

Jia Tromp with his tenth home run of the year, and David Whitehead pitched well for WIL – 1R 0ER 4H 0BB 5K in 6IP. And 21-year-old RHP Edubray Ramos, a Cardinals signee in 2010, who started the year in the VSL after a three year layoff from MLB affiliated pro ball, has worked 7.2 nearly perfect innings for Williamsport thus far – he’s hit one man and struck out seven. That’s it.

Nice game from Julsan Kamara out in the Dom Rep – 2-3 with a double a triple and a walk. And Ranger Suarez put up another gem, going eight scoreless innings and allowing no walks, just three hits and striking out four. 78:1 K:BB on the year now.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 8/2/2014 →

Around the System, Starting Pitching, Top Half

Other Stuff

A look at starting pitching throughout the upper levels of the organization.  You will learn quickly that July was an awful month for starting pitching across the board.  Next up, a look at starting pitching in Lakewood, WIlliamsport and GCL.

Lehigh Valley

Sean O’Sullivan, 26, Signed as a free agent in 2014; 20 starts; 4-9 with a 4.77ERA; 117IP 126H 38BB 69K; 15HR allowed; 0.88 GO/AO; .279 opp avg; 1.40 WHIP; 2.7BB/5.3K per 9; .307 vs. LHH; .255 vs. RHH; 1-3 with a 6.14ERA in 5 July starts; Pedestrian numbers for O’Sullivan, who is an innings eater.

Brad Lincoln, 29, Acquired from Toronto in 2013; 21 games (16 starts); 5-7 with a 4.73ERA; 91.1IP 88H 37BB 80K; 0.80 GO/AO;.251 opp. avg; 1.37 WHIP; 3.6BB/7.9K per 9; .276 vs. LHH, .231 vs. RHH, .284 with RISP; 1-4 with a 6.04ERA in 5 July starts; Has pitched very well at times this year but had a very difficult July.

David Buchanan, 25, Phils 7th round pick in 2010; 12 starts for Lehigh Valley; 6-2 with a 3.95 ERA; 57IP 67H 21BB 46K; 0.97 GO/AO; .300 opp. avg; 1.54WHIP; 3.3BB/7.3K per 9; .320 vs. LHH, .285 vs. RHH; .234 with RISP; The results are good, the splits are not, but Buchanan is poised for a call up, most likely for the remainder of the season to take Cliff Lee’s rotation spot. Continue reading Around the System, Starting Pitching, Top Half →

Nola Promoted to Reading

Other Stuff

Gas up the car.  Aaron Nola has been promoted to Reading for what looks to be his final three starts of the 2014 season.  Nola has pitched extremely well for CLearwater after being drafted by the Phillies 7th overall, in the first round of the 2014 draft.  Nola has thrown in 7 games (6 starts), and has gone 2-3 with a 3.16ERA and an outstanding 0.92 WHIP.  In 31.1 innings, Nola has walked just 5, while striking out 30 holding opponents to a .214 batting average.

Expect Nola, 21, to remain on a 80 pitch count throughout the rest of the season.

Leiter Struggles Against Mets; August 1, 2014

Game Reports, , , , , , ,

The Threshers 3 game winning streak came to an end when they returned home Friday night. Mark Leiter was coming off 2 solid starts where he had allowed only 2 runs in 16 innings, one his complete game shutout of Charlotte on July 20th. Leiter battled with control issues as the Threshers lost the first game of an 8-game home stand, 8-3. Continue reading Leiter Struggles Against Mets; August 1, 2014 →

Box Score Recap – 8/1/2014

Box Score Recap

LV reliever Hector Neris hasn’t allowed a run since July 8. He’s pitched 13 scoreless since then, allowing just six hits, two walks and struck out eight. Impressive run. Kelly Dugan was 2-6 with two doubles in Reading’s double header. Brian Pointer hit his second home run of the week, and his 11th on the year. Roman Quinn’s nine-game hit streak was ended, but he did manage a walk and his 20th steal.

Sam Hiciano (9) and Mitch Walding (4) went deep for Lakewood. Hiciano also had a double and drew a walk in his four trips to the plate. Dylan Cozens has two hits, including a double. He’s had two hits in six of his last ten games. Real nice. WIL managed just three hits.

ICYMI – I wrote up a handful of guys who had good numbers in July over at CrashburnAlley.com. Franco, Nola, Quinn, Tocci, MAG, Mecias, Cozens and Encarnacion. I hope you’ll check it out.

Also, this is not my work, but here’s an article from Philly.com on Matt Imhof.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 8/1/2014 →

Box Score Recap – 7/31/2014

Box Score Recap

David Buchanan with a strong outing in what’s likely to be his last before a recall to Philly to take over Cliff Lee’s spot in the rotation – he went 7.1 innings, allowing one run on seven hits, one walk, and striking out five. Aaron Altherr was 2-4 with his ninth home run of the year, and MAG worked a clean ninth, including two Ks, for his fifth save of the year. Roman Quinn and Brian Pointer were each 2-4 with a walk. Quinn’s two hits were a double and his fourth home run. Andy Knapp had four hits, Willians Astudillo three, and Cozens and Canelo two a piece, as Yacksel Rios threw about 65% of his pitches for strikes en route to another good start – 2R 1ER 6H 2BB 4K in 5IP.

WIL was swept in a double header – they managed just one hit in the seven-inning opener, then lost in 13 in the nightcap. Drew Anderson continues to rehab in the GCL – a fair but not great outing there. Five DSL guys had multi-hit games, including Edwin Rodriguez, and every VSL starter had at least one hit, including three from our man Jesus Alastre.

Hmm…little dry today. Light on the jokes. I blame flexor pronator strains. Jerks.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 7/31/2014 →

General Discussion – Day of 8-1-14 – So, So…So So Sad Edition

Weekly Discussion

Well, with over 250 comments on the thread form yesterday, I’ll give you all a fresh one today to talk about your feelings. No trades (which doesn’t have to make you sad on its face) and Cliff Lee down with an injury again (which does). Frown.

Hmm…a frown, is by definition, “sad on its face”. I guess. Or I’m trying too hard to be clever for this early on a Friday.

Discuss.

Nola/Quinn Lead Assault on Fort Myers; July 31, 2014

Game Reports, , , , , , , ,

Aaron Nola 2-hit the Miracle through 5 innings and the Threshers scored 9 runs in the second and third innings as Clearwater beat Fort Myers and took the series against the FSL South, first half division champions, three games to one. In the process, they helped drop the Miracle into a second place tie in the second half standings.

Aaron Nola pitched another good game. He allowed one run on 2 hits and a walk. He threw 73 pitches, 47 for strikes. He relied heavily on his fast ball, throwing predominantly 2- and 4- seam fastballs through the first 3 innings. One of his rare early inning curve balls resulted in a strike out to end the first inning. Continue reading Nola/Quinn Lead Assault on Fort Myers; July 31, 2014 →

General Discussion – Day of 7-31-14 – Cold Stove Edition

Weekly Discussion

Things have gone cold…maybe still you could see Bastardo go, since there’s little reason not to deal him with a bullpen crowded with younger, cheaper arms right now. And you never know if Amaro may find the right deal for Byrd or Burnett yet, but I can’t really see much else. Could be wrong, I suppose, but it doesn’t seem like it.

I will say this, I don’t think there’s much to complain about what Amaro is doing right now, though it’s pretty easy to complain about what he’s done in the past that led him here. Feel free to do some of that now. I’d personally like to complain about Ryan Howard’s contract, because as far as I know, no one’s ever mentioned how bad it is, I don’t think. It’s pretty bad, I think. Maybe I’m the only one.

Discuss.

Box Score Recap – 7/30/2014

Box Score Recap

First off, despite what was on MiLB.com for a while last night, Aaron Nola did not pitch. That site had it wrong. It was Miguel Nunez, and he pitched really well, allowing just one hit and three walks with eight strikeouts in six scoreless innings. He had a fine July, with a WHIP under 1.00 and six inning stints each time out. Roman Quinn was 2-5 and Chris Serritella was a triple short of the cycle. Cody Forsythe worked a five out save in that contest.

Maikel Franco hit the game-winning home run (9) for Lehigh Valley. He’s finishing the month strong. Hopefully August is another July, or even another May, and not another April or June. Five Iron Pigs had multi-hit games, led by Cesar Hernandez and Tyler Henson, who were both 204 with a double and a walk. I left the Rochester pitching line in there so you could see Trevor May’s work. Well done for the former Phils #1 prospect. He’s bound to be a September call-up this year after what looks like a really solid year on paper – 4HR, 33BB and 89K in 89.1 IP. All make for fine rates. Reading managed just one hit against Portland pitching, as Adam Loewen pitched fairly well – he did walk five guys in six scoreless innings, which is not ideal, though he also struck out seven. And Colt Murray let down two of his mates when he allowed both Seth Rosin and Austin Wright’s runners to score in the eighth.

Zach Green had two hits and a walk for Lakewood, as they were shut down by former Phils farm hand Luis Gonzalez. Gonzalez spent three years in the Phils system from 2010-2012, and spent last year in the DSL for the Orioles. He’s 22 years old, but he’s been very good for Delmarva – 0HR, 58K, 19BB in 61.1IP. Curious why he was let go, and I wonder if it was personal, as he wound up in the DSL for a year after what was not a bad year in WIL in 2012. Denton Keys went six scoreless, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out five – good start for him. He’s been inconsistent, but no major red flags so far for him. Austin Davis’ first pro start went pretty well, though he’s not stretched out – he may still wind up staying in the pen going forward.

I’m going to open another trade deadline thread today since yesterday’s is near 100 comments already. Try to keep that stuff in the general discussion, if you can.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 7/30/2014 →