Minor League Games - Monday, August 7, 2017

[kikutaro]

Norfolk Tides (53-62) @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (67-48) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Gabriel Ynoa (4-8, 6.16) vs. Jake Thompson (4-11, 5.36)

Notable

Scott Kingery 1-5, R, 3B, K
J.P. Crawford 2-4, R, RBI, 2B, BB, K, SB
Rhys Hoskins 2-5, RBI, 2 K, SB
Dylan Cozens 1-4, BB, 2 K
Brock Stassi 0-3, BB, 2 K
Andrew Pullin 1-3, 2B, BB, K

Jake Thompson (L, 4-12), 5.1 IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 5K, game score: 48
Pat Venditte (BS, 2), 0.2 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 2K

Akron RubberDucks (56-56) @ Reading Fightin Phils (59-53) 9:35 am | Gameday
Luis Lugo (6-6, 4.74) vs. Tommy Bergjans (1-5, 7.09)

Notable

Drew Stankiewicz 1-5, R, 3 K
Angelo Mora 2-3, 2B, BB, K
Carlos Tocci 2-4, RBI, K
Kyle Martin 0-4, 2 K
Jiandido Tromp 1-4, R, 2 K
Damek Tomscha 1-4, 2B, K

Tommy Bergjans (L, 1-6), 5.1 IP, 7H, 4R, 3ER, 2BB, 3K, game score: 39
Shane Watson 2.2 IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 2K

Clearwater Threshers (61-53) @ Tampa Yankees (67-46) 7:00 pm | Gameday
Edgar Garcia (3-4, 3.68) vs. Erik Swanson (5-2, 3.23)

Notable

Mark Laird 2-5, 2 R, 2 K
Jose Gomez 1-4, 2B, BB, K
Cornelius Randolph 1-4, R, 2 RBI, 2 K, CS
Wilson Garcia 2-5, 2 R, RBI
Jan Hernandez 1-4, R, 2 RBI, 3B, BB, 2 K, CS
Derek Campbell 1-5, R, RBI, 2B, K
Jose Pujols 1-4, BB
Edgar Cabral 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, K
Emmanuel Marrero 1-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K

Edgar Garcia 4.2 IP, 6H, 6R, 6ER, 2BB, 3K, game score: 31
Luke Leftwich (BS, 6)(L, 0-6), 2.1 IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 4K

Lakewood BlueClaws (60-54) @ West Virginia Power (53-57) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Alejandro Requena (1-0, 1.50) vs. Mike Wallace (2-6, 3.62)

Notable

Daniel Brito 1-4, 2 K
Darick Hall 2-3, R, 2B
Austin Listi 1-3, R, 2B, K
Gregori Rivero 1-4, 2 RBI, 2B, K
David Martinelli 0-3, BB, 2 K
Jesus Alastre 0-2, BB, 2 K

Alejandro Requena (L, 9-4), 5.0 IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 4K, game score: 65

Auburn Doubledays (18-27) @ Williamsport Crosscutters (24-19) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Seth Romero (0-0, -.--) vs. Luis Carrasco (2-0, 2.61)
(postponed: wet grounds)

Notable

Luis Carrasco 0.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K, game score: 40

GCL Phillies (21-14) @ GCL Pirates (14-23) 12:00 pm | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A

Notable

Jonathan Guzman 1-3, R, BB
Ben Pelletier 2-4
Yahir Gurrola 1-4, R, SB
Brayan Gonzalez 2-3, RBI, 2B, BB, K
D.J. Stewart 1-3, BB

Manuel Silva 5.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 3K, game score: 69
Justin Miller (BS, 1), 1.0 IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 0K
Oscar Marcelino (L, 3-1), 0.0 IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 0K

DSL Rojos (24-30) @ DSL Phillies White (33-21) 10:30 am | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A
(postponed)

DSL Phillies Red (24-31) @ DSL Nationals (22-33) 10:00 am | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A

Notable

Christian Valerio 1-2, BB
Luis Matos 0-2, 2 K

Victor Santos (L, 3-2), 5.0 IP, 4H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 4K, game score: 63

DSL Phillies Red (25-31) @ DSL Nationals (22-34) Game 2 | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A

Notable

Luiggi Mujica 1-2, RBI, 2B, 2 BB
Juan Aparicio 1-3, 2 RBI
Luis Rojas 0-4, 2 K
Wilbert Garcia 1-2, R, SB, CS
Dixon Gutierrez 2-3, 2 R, K, SB
Frailin Serra 2-3, 2 R, SB

Wilberson Liendo 4.0 IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 7K, game score: 62
Abdallah Aris (W, 2-2), 3.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 3K

(click on the start time for box scores)

[phillychuck]

Reading and Lehigh Valley are almost certainly going to be rained out today/tonight. Too bad, I was thinking about going to the Reading game today.

[bigegypt0417]

Hoskins is scheduled to play LF tonight...

[bkeich]

It makes a great deal of sense to bring Hoskins up with Altherr injured. Altherr probably won't be back until rosters expand (or close to that) and frankly I couldnt care less if Hoskins plays LF most days and makes 30 errors out there in the next 3 weeks. He can learn there, no issue. Pitchers may not be thrilled, but then again hopefully there is a little offensive boost to go with him.

[julio]

Hoskins is scheduled to play LF tonight...

I have a bad feeling about this.

How will Philadelphia's kind, gentle fan base react if Rhys Hoskins is thrown into LF, and starts turning in plays like Dom Brown turned in a few years ago?

Or would Hoskins get a pass, because he's a "gritty gamer"?

[Squire]

The machinations this organization is undertaking to protect Tommy Joseph amazes me but whatever.

[andyb]

It has been more than 5 years, but Hoskins did mostly play the outfield as a freshman in college. He was exclusively a 1B his sophomore and junior years, so I don't think he was that good out there, but at least he has played some.

I always thought that bringing Hoskins up and playing him in the OF might have helped the value we could get for Joseph (I do wonder if he cleared waivers). Joseph probably is not playing well enough for it to make much of a difference.

I don't think the fans will care that much if he is terrible in the OF as they get the combination of OF injuries and the fact that he is ready. Brown had expectations as a high prospect. Hoskins will be more like Ruf and Stassi where he just needs to catch everything within his postage stamp-like range. There are other criticisms of fans liking "gritty" players but I doubt that will matter here.

[zambonir]

Well, let's wait until it happens at least. Giving him a couple of looks in the minors is not the same thing as giving him Perkins' roster spot (though if that did happen, defense aside, a line-up with Hoskins and Joseph in it every night is certainly better than one with Joseph and Kim/Perkins).

[bkox]

Ive seen this before... but last time it was Rico Brogna and Pat Burrell.

[julio]

It has been more than 5 years, but Hoskins did mostly play the outfield as a freshman in college. He was exclusively a 1B his sophomore and junior years, so I don't think he was that good out there, but at least he has played some.

Pat Burrell played third base in college. Of course, it was just some minor-college program...

[Squire]

Unless you think Altherr is done for the year, this is stupid. All three OFs are better hitters and better defenders than Tommy Joseph is at first.

[Dirk41]

What do they have against Hoskins??

[andyb]

I think Hoskins is closer to the Darin Ruf type of athleticism than the Pat Burrell variety.

I just don't see what the harm in this is even if Hoskins only plays 5-10 games out there. It gets him major league at bats in a no pressure environment. They might also decide he can't fake it out there (like they did with Howard). No harm in letting him try.

[julio]

I think Hoskins is closer to the Darin Ruf type of athleticism than the Pat Burrell variety.

Pat Burrell had poor range, but as an ex-third baseman, he at least had a credible throwing arm for a left fielder. Hoskins? We really don't know. If he combines Pat Burrell's range with Ben Revere's throwing arm...

In general, though, if the organization wants to evaluate whether a first baseman might be able to hack it in left field, I think it would make a lot more sense to sort that out early - in a place like Williamsport - rather than when a first baseman is dominating in AAA. Evaluate what you have early on - not as means of avoiding making a decision years later.

[bkox]

Matt Gelb's article on the Hoskins thing

Rhys Hoskins will play left field in triple-A, could soon be with Phillies

[zambonir]

Certainly this organization - though not this front office - has a poor track record with this stuff (most recently with Asche). But three years ago nobody could have imagined needing to try Hoskins in LF. Tommy Joseph wasn't even a 1B (or a guy they could imagine playing decently in the major leagues) then. I don't think it hurts anyone for 2-4 weeks.And it does suggest Altherr will be out a while (or at least, it will suggest that if they trade Nava and actuall call Hoskins up).

[allentown]

or a guy they could imagine playing decently in the major leagues

And, in truth, he has yet to play decently in the major leagues. Joseph was blessed by arriving at a time when the Phillies had nobody else to play 1B, but has been well below average as a 1B. He's not that inexperienced, with almost 700 MLB AB on top of almost 1900 minor league AB AND he's already 25-years old. The biggest negative is that the additional MLB experience has seen regression, especially in HR power. Last year, he got noticed in 315 AB, by hitting 21 HRs and putting up an .813 OPS. This year, he's already at 377 AB, but with only 16 HR and his OPS all the way down to .747 OPS. His OBP has been remarkably steady at a totally unsatisfactory .307/.308. This year is not just a bad April, as April hasn't been his only down month. There has been a lot of hoping and praying for Joseph, but there just seems to be no there there. He isn't an MLB first baseman and he's pretty much proven that.

This is starting to resemble all the season ends with Howard and TPTB hoping and praying that if they just kept playing him, somehow his trade value would rise. It never did. Even at MLB minimum he couldn't make an MLB roster when the PHillies didn't pick up his option and flopped at AAA for the Braves. Wishing and praying isn't a replacement for sufficient talent/health.

[julio]

But three years ago nobody could have imagined needing to try Hoskins in LF.

I disagree with this. Bottom line is, if you sign a young player who's a first baseman, find out if he can also handle LF. If you sign a left fielder, find out if he has the arm to play RF. If you draft a college shortstop you think will need to move (to 2B or 3B), evaluate his actual ability at SS before you relegate him.

If you do this early on, and consistently, then you have more knowledge, and suddenly you're more able to do contingency planning.

The thing is, they do these things - just not consistently and across the board. They're letting Cozens play his way out of the outfield (and so far, he isn't). They're drafting shortstops they think will have to move, but letting them play the more difficult positions (this year alone, Jake Scheiner, drafted as a 3B, has played more 2B than 3B; Jesus Azuaje has seen time at both SS and 2B). All I'm suggesting that they should make this routine, so that 1) they're not caught in situations where they have a Hoskins knocking at the door, and they don't know whether he can handle LF; and 2) if a kid shows some potential at the more demanding position, they can get him time there, and actually develop that potential.

Rhys Hoskins isn't going to have great range in the outfield, no matter what. Does he have the ability to get a jump on balls? Does he instinctively have, or can he develop the ability to take efficient routes to fly balls? Does he have enough throwing arm to at least play left field? We don't know; we don't know; we don't know. The Phillies don't know - but they should know.

[bigegypt0417]

Hoskins is scheduled to play LF tonight...

I have a bad feeling about this.

How will Philadelphia's kind, gentle fan base react if Rhys Hoskins is thrown into LF, and starts turning in plays like Dom Brown turned in a few years ago?

Or would Hoskins get a pass, because he's a "gritty gamer"?

The twitterverse is collapsing on itself...this move is going to destroy Hoskins as a player and the rebuild will take 15 years longer...

[julio]

The twitterverse is collapsing on itself...this move is going to destroy Hoskins as a player and the rebuild will take 15 years longer...

Well, this is over the top - but that's Twitter.

That said, the move troubles me. If Hoskins has the tools to play LF, that should be known to the organization. If he doesn't have the tools, then what's the point of "trying" him there now? Appearances?

My conclusion is that the organization doesn't know whether Hoskins can handle this or not. I see that as an organizational failing.