Minor League Games - Monday, August 21, 2017

[kikutaro]

Syracuse Chiefs (48-80) @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (71-57) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Erick Fedde (1-2, 4.82) vs. Tom Eshelman (8-3, 2.58)

Notable

J.P. Crawford 0-4, 2 K
Andrew Pullin 1-3, R, BB, 2 K
Logan Moore 2-4, R, 3 RBI, 3B, K
Tom Eshelman 0-2, 2 K

Tom Eshelman 6.0 IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 5K, game score: 64
Michael Mariot (BS, 1), 1.0 IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 0K
Pedro Beato (W, 1-3), 2.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 1K

Reading Fightin Phils (65-61) @ Bowie Baysox (66-60) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Franklyn Kilome (0-1, 3.75) vs. John Means (9-7, 4.11)

Notable

Zachary Coppola 1-5, 2 K
Jiandido Tromp 0-5, 2 K
Zach Green 2-4, R, RBI, 2B, 2 K
Deivi Grullon 2-4, R
Drew Stankiewicz 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 2 K
Malquin Canelo 1-4, R, RBI, 2B, 2 K
Derek Campbell 0-2, 2 K

Franklyn Kilome (W, 1-1), 8.0 IP, 3H, 0R, 0ER, 4BB, 5K, game score: 79

Clearwater Threshers - Off

Delmarva Shorebirds (54-70) @ Lakewood BlueClaws (65-62) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Alex Wells (10-5, 2.42) vs. Adonis Medina (4-8, 3.22)

Notable

Adam Haseley 2-4, R
Arquimedes Gamboa 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR
Darick Hall 2-4, RBI, 2B

Adonis Medina (L, 4-9), 5.1 IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 5K, game score: 53
Jake Kelzer 2.2 IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 3K

Williamsport Crosscutters (26-30) @ Batavia Muckdogs (24-33) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Julian Garcia (3-3, 3.56) vs. Sam Perez (3-1, 1.70)

Notable

Nick Maton 2-3, 2 R, 3B, BB
Josh Stephen 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR
Yahir Gurrola 2-4, RBI, K, SB
Greg Pickett 1-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 K
Jake Scheiner 0-4, 3 K

Ramon Rosso 3.0 IP, 3H, 4R, 4ER, 3BB, 5K, game score: 39
Zach Warren 3.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 2BB, 4K
Damon Jones (L, 1-3), 1.0 IP, 3H, 6R, 6ER, 4BB, 2K

GCL Braves (25-24) @ GCL Phillies (31-18) 10:00 am | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A

Notable

Kevin Markham 2-5, 2 R
Jake Holmes 0-2, R, K, SB
Quincy Nieporte 1-4, 2 RBI, BB
Ben Pelletier 2-3, R, 2 RBI, 3B, BB
Brayan Gonzalez 1-4, RBI, K, SB
Danny Mayer 0-4, 2 K
Jack Zoellner 2-4, 2 R

Manuel Silva (W, 6-0), 5.0 IP, 6H, 1R, 0ER, 3BB, 4K, game score: 53
Oscar Marcelino (H, 2), 1.1 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 2K
Rafael Carvajal 2.0 IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 3K

DSL Phillies White (40-24) @ DSL D-backs2 (22-43) 10:30 am | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A

Notable

Raymond Mora 1-5, R, 3 K
Carlos Oropeza 2-5, R, 2 RBI, SB
Yerwin Trejo 0-2, R, RBI, 2 BB
Alexito Feliz 2-5, R, K
Jose Tortolero 1-2, BB, CS
Juan Herrera 2-4, R, K

Jean Carlos Valdez 4.1 IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 4K, game score: 47
Anderson Parra (W, 4-2), 2.2 IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 3BB, 2K
Santy Prada (H, 3), 1.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K
Yorbys Tabares (S, 5), 1.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 2K

DSL Angels (30-33) @ DSL Phillies Red (30-35) 10:30 am | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A

Notable

Juan Carlos Smith 1-4, RBI, K, SB
Christian Valerio 1-3, R, BB, 2 SB
Edgar Made 0-3, BB, 3 K, SB
Jose Rivera 1-3, R, BB, SB

Juan Santos (L, 2-4), 5.0 IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 0BB, 1K, game score: 50
Eudiver Avendano 3.0 IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 3K

(click on the start time for box scores)

[Squire]

GCL Phillies beat the Braves 7-4.

Ben Pelletier 2-3, 3B, BB, 2 RBI, Run. Also multi-hit games for Markham and Zoellner

[California_Dreamin]

18 year old lefty Manuel Silva is now 6-0 on the season. Not sure who he is but the Canadian scout to found both Therrien and Pelletier deserves a raise, and a bigger budget to keep mining these gems.

How strange it would be [and I know its a long shot] if Pelletier turned out to be a better hitter than Moniak?

[California_Dreamin]

While I am opposed to putting Crawford at 3rd base because I simply don't think he is offensively powerful enough for the position I will say this...I happen to believe that like Kingery is an Utley-lite, I also believe Guthrie will become a Kingery-lite.

If this happens, perhaps the Phils are trying to project a way to get all three in the lineup. Oh, and by the way, much like Kingery I feel Guthrie will blast through the minor league system, he is that good! This was a guy who could have been a first round pick but for an average junior year, a year that was hampered [greatly I believe] by an injury.

I think Guthrie will prove to be the best pick from the 2017 draft.

[andyb]

Silva is interesting. The next in the line of Fanti, Suarez, and Young of lefties with decent command that only have OK velocity. I think Silva is 90-92, but if there is a little more there like Suarez then he becomes a decent prospect.

And yes the Canadian scout has a pretty good track record for low picks. Wish we could have signed the kid in the draft who went to Auburn who I think was the only Canadian we picked this year. Pelletier is repeating GCL so not 100% sure this means much this year, but it is certainly worth watching.

[California_Dreamin]

Blue Jays lost today by the way so GCL Phils are up again a game with 11 to play.

[California_Dreamin]

Pelletier is only 18 years old so repeating the GCL is no big deal, he is certainly age appropriate.

[andyb]

Pelletier is only 18 years old so repeating the GCL is no big deal, he is certainly age appropriate

True (though he will be 19 tomorrow). I have no idea what his true experience level, but he is the age equivalent of a youngish HS player drafted last year. He is young enough where repeating is not a problem. It is more something to note because any time a player repeats a level you sometimes get good performance and the lower the level the less that performance means.

Tool-wise I think he has legitimate power and the batting average/K rate this year is encouraging. No idea what his other defensive tools (speed and arm) are like.

[allentown]

Pelletier is only 3 months older than Muzziotti. He's a little younger than Jake Holmes and a half year younger than Jhordany Mezquita. He's outhitting both of them (Holmes and Muzziotti -- Mezquita has yet to bat). The two guys on the team who outhit him are 21 and 22. I think he has to be counted as a solid prospect.

[bigegypt0417]

Gamboa has been hitting with some power lately.

3 hits with 2 homers.

[allentown]

He's running an OPS of about .670 for July/August, compared to about .600 for the earlier part of the year. He was better in not many April AB, but May and June he was really bad.

[phillychuck]

He's reportedly very, very good defensively. He's also small, so building muscle might allow him to hit with more power consistently. I'm cautiously optimistic that he'll make the big leagues, I just don't know if it will be as a reserve IF or a decent starter.

[California_Dreamin]

I mentioned that one of the failures of the Phillie coaching staff is in teaching players how to run the bases, get leads, and knowing when/if to steal. P specifically mentioned the number of PO [picked off] almost daily, a really bad sign of poor base running.

Happened again tonight and it likely cost a game. Stephens led off the 9th in a one run game [they were trailing] with a single and immediately got picked off. Next hitter singled and tying run would have been in scoring position. Instead there was an out, and given the weak hitting of the team over the past 7 weeks the next hitters went out and yet another one run loss. I feel like this is Groundhog Day, every day the same thing, same one run losses, same games that appear winnable but rarely are.

I know I sound like a broken record but unless you have been in a dugout when this stuff keeps happening you have no idea how deflating this becomes. I hate the thought that losing seems to be almost an accepted thing in the minors now. Other than GCL, I simply wish the rest of the clubs would call it a summer and go home.

This losing is not a good thing for the organization and players know when they are receiving poor [or no] instruction. Such a shame,

[DougLindsay]

You offer some strange, sweeping generalizations.

Lehigh won a one run game btw.

[andyb]

Nice outing by Kilome. 8 IP and only 94 pitches even though he walked 4. The lower K rate is a yellow light looking at this year but the results have still been very good. Assuming he is concentrating on throwing strikes and pitching to contact. Whether he will need a better out pitch in the majors is an open question but I am pretty happy with his year so far.

[phillychuck]

LV bottom of the 9th:

Pitching Change: Neil Ramirez replaces Austin Adams, batting 5th.
Logan Moore singles on a sharp line drive to right fielder Zach Collier.
Herlis Rodriguez singles on a line drive to center fielder Rafael Bautista. Logan Moore to 3rd.
Offensive Substitution: Pinch-hitter Dylan Cozens replaces Pedro Beato.
Neil Ramirez intentionally walks Dylan Cozens. Herlis Rodriguez to 2nd.
Scott Kingery singles on a fly ball to center fielder Rafael Bautista. Logan Moore scores. Herlis Rodriguez to 3rd. Dylan Cozens to 2nd.

[phillychuck]

I've been meaning to post this...do we think Drew Stankiewitz, the Reading 2B, might actually be a prospect? He's hitting .330 at Reading, and he's hit better than .260 in the CLW/Lakewood/WMPT deathtraps. (He was hurt in 2016) He has one more year of non-40-man control, but he's bit old for Reading at 24. Probably not in our top 30, but an interesting guy.

[andyb]

Zach Collier sighting! Still only 26, 740 OPS in AAA though it looks like he missed a bunch of time again this year because of injury.

[California_Dreamin]

Doug Lindsey...you make a glittering generality without one bit of evidence to the contrary. I used an example that has been happening almost nightly, not only on the minor league front but at the major league level.

You can ignore me if you wish, no problem with that, but please don't criticize the major leaguers who also routinely get thrown out on the bases, make fundamental mistakes and seem to be simply a very poor base running club.

Players in the majors had to go through as many as 4-5 years of training in the minors and by the time they get to the majors they should arguably be nearly finished products. Klentak has mentioned this several times when defending the slow call ups of several players. Fair enough.

My contention is that organization wide, they are not receiving this proper coaching. Of course there are good ones and I have mentioned a few...Wathan seems solid, Burris might be the best pitching coach in the organization. Stairs seems to have gotten through to some players. All good things.

But I do simply do not buy into the belief that when good prospects get called up immediately the losing follows. Not if the players left behind are getting good coaching and instruction. I still believe what Mauch advocated..you don't win one run games, you lose them.

And the Phils system has been losing an awful lot of them over the past 7 weeks. And this is no strange sweeping generalization, it is a fact. Organization was once about 60 games over .500. Now? About 25-26 depending on tonight. This is not a sweeping generalization, it is a reality. And I don't blame the players, I blame the coaches.

[Austinfan]

Long-shot, like Stassi.
If he has a good year at Lehigh next year has a shot at the Blanco role (will be competing with Mora).
Nothing wrong with cheap depth on the bench that can help out for 3-4 years.
Kelly has actually been pretty solid in that role.
What you're looking for is a guy who can handle multiple positions without embarrasing himself and can PH and be a credible hitter, and maybe start a few games due to injuries.

Beware of jumping to generalizations, pickoffs may reflect a desire for players to take more aggressive leads and accepting them as the cost of players learning what they can do and not do in the minor leagues as part of the teaching experience.