Minor League Games - Wednesday, April 26, 2017

[kikutaro]

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (10-9) @ Columbus Clippers (8-11) 6:35 pm | Gameday
Cesar Ramos (1-0, 1.04) vs. Shawn Morimando (0-3, 9.20)

Notable

J.P. Crawford 1-4, SB
Dylan Cozens 0-4, 3 K
Rhys Hoskins 2-4, R, RBI, HR
Nick Williams 1-4, 2B, 2 K

Cesar Ramos 4.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 3K, game score: 65
Adam Morgan (L, 0-1), 2.0 IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 1K
Wander Perez 2.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 1K

Reading Fightin Phils (9-7) @ Harrisburg Senators (9-9) 6:30 pm | Gameday
Tom Eshelman (1-0, 3.94) vs. Erick Fedde (1-1, 0.50)

Notable

Kyle Martin 1-4, 2B, 2 K
Aaron Brown 1-3, R, RBI, HR
Tom Eshelman 1-2, R, 3 RBI, HR

Tom Eshelman (W, 2-0), 6.0 IP, 6H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 6K, game score: 56
Mario Sanchez (H, 3), 0.2 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K
Tom Windle (H, 3), 1.1 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 1K
Jesen Therrien (S, 2), 1.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 2K

Clearwater Threshers (14-6) @ Tampa Yankees (8-12) 7:00 pm | Gameday
Jose Taveras (2-0, 1.08) vs. Domingo Acevedo (0-2, 5.51)

Notable

Mark Laird 2-4, 3 R, K
Herlis Rodriguez 4-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR
Damek Tomscha 2-5, 2 RBI
Jose Pujols 1-5, 3 K
Drew Stankiewicz 0-4, 2 K
Zachary Coppola 2-5, R, K
Emmanuel Marrero 3-5, R, 2 K

Jose Taveras (W, 3-0), 6.0 IP, 7H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 5K, game score: 59
Edgar Garcia (H, 1), 1.2 IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 2K
Jeff Singer (S, 5), 1.1 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 1K

Lakewood BlueClaws (10-10) @ Delmarva Shorebirds (10-10) 10:35 am | Gameday
JoJo Romero (0-0, 3.29) vs. Alex Wells (1-1, 1.50)

Notable

Luke Williams 0-3, 2 K
Brett Barbier 1-3, 2B, K
Danny Zardon 0-3, 2 K
Carlos Duran 1-2, R, SB

JoJo Romero (L, 0-1), 6.0 IP, 2H, 2R, 1ER, 1BB, 5K, game score: 69

Lakewood BlueClaws (11-10) @ Delmarva Shorebirds (10-11) Game 2 | Gameday
Ranger Suarez (0-0, 1.17) vs. N/A

Notable

Daniel Brito 2-4
Mickey Moniak 2-4, R
Henri Lartigue 1-3, R, BB
Danny Zardon 1-2, R, RBI, BB
Alex Wojciechowski 2-3, R
David Martinelli 1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, K

Ranger Suarez (W, 1-0), 7.0 IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 9K, game score: 87

(click on the start time for box scores)

[schooldoc]

A couple things to watch on the pitching front.

First in Lehigh Valley...this was Nick Pivetta's turn in the rotation. With him joining the Phils, we'll see who gets the spot start for the IronPigs.

Second and perhaps more interesting in some ways is Lakewood. Sixto Sanchez has been following Romero in the rotation, but MiLB lists Suarez as the starter in his spot. Sanchez is listed as Sunday's starter instead. Is this a mistake by the site, or are the Phillies beginning already to finesse Sanchez's workload?

[zambonir]

It appears the Phillies never officially called up Pivetta.

[LoneStarPhan]

Since the rained out Phillies game is not being made up at this time, they are continuing in the rotation and will not need Pivetta for the next four games. I guess he gets a start at LV to stay sharp.

I'm sure they were going to make the roster move the day of the game he was to pitch.

[andyb]

Not a whole lot of offense in Lakewood game 1. JoJo is good again but loses a tough luck 2-hitter 2-1.

[tom81]

Since the rained out Phillies game is not being made up at this time, they are continuing in the rotation and will not need Pivetta for the next four games. I guess he gets a start at LV to stay sharp

Nola can't pitch till Monday so we need someone to pitch Sunday. Pivetta won't get enough rest if he pitches a game at LV. I guess he travels with the team and just throws in the bullpen.

[kmc1019]

In a young season of impressive pitching, Ranger Suarez raises the bar. Complete game (7IP) shutout, 2 hits, no walks, 9 Ks. ERA now under 1.00 for the year entering May.

[Austinfan]

Saurez is a little older and probably needs to get promoted at some point if he continues to pitch like this to challenge him at a higher level in a more neutral ballpark.

[zambonir]

I guess there is no reason Pivetta would decline the opportunity to hang out with the major league club for four days while still only getting paid his AAA salary. Comes with a food and lodging upgrade too.

If it was a veteran he could have probably been available in the bullpen tonight in lieu of sidework, but you don't want to throw a kid into his major league debut that way.

[schooldoc]

Lehigh Valley falls 3-1. Just 5 hits for the Pigs, two by Hoskins including a HR.

Reading wins 4-2. Eshelman pitches and hits (3-run HR) his way to a W.

Clearwater ahead 5-2. Where is C Randolph? Hasn't played in a few days.

[schooldoc]

Herlis Rodriguez is maybe a tad old for high-A, but he's showing signs. He was Lakewood's best player two years ago too before I don't know what happened last year.

[Austinfan]

I think you can stick the fork into Pujols, he's showing no sign of improvement.
And Cozens is looking like a AA player, can't hit AAA junk.

[bkeich]

2017 Season Phillies News/Notes/General Discussion

People are awfully impatient with young players this year,

In another thread you are saying Cozens is unable to hit AAA pitching and to stick a fork in Pujols. In this one you are commenting on how impatient people are being. Do you see the contradiction?

[zambonir]

People are awfully impatient with young players this year,

In another thread you are saying Cozens is unable to hit AAA pitching and to stick a fork in Pujols. In this one you are commenting on how impatient people are being. Do you see the contradiction?

As prone as AF is to sweeping pronuncements I don't see the contradiction there. Cozens is a guy with no track record above AA. Joseph is a guy who has a major league track record. So while I do think it's silly to say that about Cozens (and AF might be kidding), he has to show he can hit AAA pitching for the first time, whereas Joseph merely needs to show he can hit major league pitching again.

[LoneStarPhan]

I say evaluations on prospects should not be taken seriously until about the first of July. Then they can promote or not based on the evaluation. Veterans can be traded or not depending on their play and the interest other teams have in them along with the knowing who is ready to be promoted to the big club.

[tom81]

Joseph is a guy who has a major league track record.

All of 407 PA's with a .773 OPS and a career 0.2 WAR. Why should this block a hot young prospect?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/josepto01.shtml

[andyb]

Joseph has less track record than most with all the injuries. There should have been major questions about the lack of high level minor league performance in addition to the major league lack of track record. None of that means that last year was not real. Just that there was a strong possibility that the league would adjust to him over time.

He does have decent raw power though, so there is also a possibility that last year was real and he can be a consistent 30-40 HR guy (though probably never with a really high OBP). The lack of track record means there is just a wider range of possible outcomes with Joseph.

[Austinfan]

My problem with Cozens and Pujols isn't their OPS or some other measure of performance, it's their extremely high K rate which is independent of BABIP or ballpark factors - it's a very bad sign in players going into the season with serious question marks.

Early in the season, it's less about performance than improvement, that is, if a guy has a weakness, is he trying to address it?
So Franco hitting balls to CF and the right field alley is a good sign, irrespective of his OPS.
Williams with 1BB/22K and Alfaro with 1BB/17K is not good, even if Alfaro is putting up great numbers.
Because plate discipline is one thing they need to develop to succeed at the next level.

Cozens has 32K in 74 PA, that's ridiculous, tells me he's simply not picking up AAA breaking stuff and is flailing.
PUjols has 35K in 71PA, that's horrific, especially in A+ ball, where you rarely see good offspeed stuff.

[bigegypt0417]

People are awfully impatient with young players this year,

In another thread you are saying Cozens is unable to hit AAA pitching and to stick a fork in Pujols. In this one you are commenting on how impatient people are being. Do you see the contradiction?

As prone as AF is to sweeping pronuncements I don't see the contradiction there. Cozens is a guy with no track record above AA. Joseph is a guy who has a major league track record. So while I do think it's silly to say that about Cozens (and AF might be kidding), he has to show he can hit AAA pitching for the first time, whereas Joseph merely needs to show he can hit major league pitching again.

You mean at 66 at-bats you aren't willing to make a sweeping statement that cozens is toast?

[andyb]

The one interesting prospect promotion I might think about now involves nobody playing well at a current level. All guys like Hoskins and Pullin will be fine where they are for a few more weeks but of course might merit promotion if they continue to play well.

The move I would do is in Lakewood where I think I would swap Cole Stobbe for Lucas Williams. I know that Williams has been unlucky with BABIP (like Crawford), but it is also the case that he did not really hit last year either. He is still young enough to get another year of chances, but he is really struggling now in Lakewood. Stobbe appeared to have an excellent spring like Gamboa and Brito. Being conservative with him made sense given learning a newish position (3B), but now he has had almost a month of XST and it might be time to see if he is ready. Gamboa, Brito, and Stobbe might end up being a good young infield that can mature together (unless Brito keeps developing at a fast rate).

3B is a weak position (though Jan Hernandez is poking his head up through the prospect clouds now). Let's see what we have with Stobbe.