Cannonballs coming: Michael Burrows makes his debut

By WTM Aug 6, 2018, 11:58pm EDT

Minor Transactions

2018-08-06 RHP James Marvel assigned to Altoona Curve from Bradenton Marauders.
2018-08-06 LHP Domingo Robles assigned to Bradenton Marauders from West Virginia Power.
2018-08-06 C Ryan Haug assigned to GCL Pirates from Bristol Pirates.
2018-08-06 RHP Michael Burrows assigned to GCL Pirates.

Some promotions, probably triggered in part by the departure of Taylor Hearn: the Pirates have moved (sub. req’d) lefty Domingo Robles, who’s having a nice year, from West Virginia to Bradenton. He replaces James Marvel, who’s been pitching very well lately and who moves up to Altoona. Dario Agrazal also moves up to Altoona from a rehab at Bradenton.

Games

Indianapolis, Altoona and West Virginia were off.

— Bradenton (50-56) wasted five shutout innings by Gavin Wallace and a four-strikeout inning by A.J. Schugel in a 2-1 loss to Charlotte. Wallace gave up five hits and two walks, and fanned seven. Schugel pitched the sixth and fanned all four batters he faced, with one reaching on a wild pitch (Schugel threw two of them). This was Schugel’s second rehab outing, his first one having gone very badly. The Marauders took a 1-0 lead into the seventh, but Jake Brentz gave up the tying run despite striking out the side, and Blake Cederlind lost it on an unearned run in the eighth. Bradenton pitchers fanned 14 in eight innings. Adrian Valerio went 2-4 and Jared Oliva 1-4.

— Three pitchers combined on a two-hitter as Morgantown (18-32) blanked Batavia, 6-0. Alex Manasa had the best start of his career, going six innings and allowing two hits and a walk while fanning seven. Logan Stoelke threw the last two innings, walking two and striking out three. The Black Bears only had five hits. Connor Kaiser went 2-3 and Brett Kinneman 1-3 with a double and a walk; each drove in two runs. Travis Swaggerty was 0-2 with two walks.

— Bristol (21-24) won the first game of its doubleheader with Johnson City, 2-1. Shane Baz (pictured), who’d been out with some soreness, returned and pitched well apart from some moderate control issues. He went four and two-thirds, leaving after having thrown 45 of 79 pitches for strikes. Baz allowed no runs on four hits and three walks, and fanned six. Chase Lambert went 2-2 with a walk and Victor Ngoepe 2-4. Mason Martin went 1-3 with a walk and Sherten Apostel 1-4. Bristol won in walkoff fashion when Ngoepe beat out a bunt with two out in the bottom of the seventh, went to second on a walk, and scored on a walkoff single by Apostel.

The Pirates made it a sweep in the second game with an 8-7 walkoff win on Ngoepe’s second career home run and first of the year. Ngoepe’s repeat heroics became necessary when the Pirates blew a three-run lead in the top of the seventh. Most of that lead came courtesy of the struggling Jeremias Portorreal, who drove in four runs with a single and a three-run home run. The longball was his second. Christian Navarro went 1-1 with two walks and two runs scored. Conner Uselton was 1-3. Yeudry Manzanillo started, giving up four runs in four and a third innings.

— Michael Burrows made his debut as the GCL Pirates (18-20) lost to the Braves, 5-1. Burrows, signed to an above-slot bonus as an 11th round pick, threw two scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and striking out three. Second round pick Braxton Ashcraft started the game and allowed a run in three innings on two hits and a walk. He also struck out three. Pirates Prospects (sub. req’d) has a more detailed report, including video, on both. Randy Jimenez lost the game, giving up four runs in three innings. Ji-Hwan Bae went 0-4 with a walk, Jack Herman 1-4 with a walk, and Samuel Inoa 1-4.

— The DSL Pirates1 (26-29) outlasted the Dodgers Guerrero, 11-8. Carlos Arroyo (17) went 2-2 with a walk and four RBIs, and Yoyner Fajardo (19) went 2-5 with a double and four runs scored. Germin Lopez (19) went 1-3 with a walk and three RBIs. Juan Pie (17) was 1-5 with a triple and a walk. Julio Rosario (19) threw two scoreless innings to get the save. Rosario has a 1.01 WHIP and 2.36 ERA.

— The DSL Pirates2 (22-33) beat the Mariners, 3-1. Denny Roman (19) started and threw four scoreless innings. He gave up two hits and a walk, and fanned nine. Roman has walked just three and struck out 44 in 23.2 IP. He’s a 5’9” lefty, so it’s hard to say how much of a prospect he is. He already had a fair amount of experience in Mexico when the Pirates signed him, so he may just be taking advantage of less experienced hitters. Carlos Campos (17) and Raydel Velette (17) fanned another seven, giving the Pirates 16 on the game. Edgar Barrios (18) was 2-2 with a walk and Pedro Castillo (18) 2-4 with a double. Angel Basabe (17) went 0-3 with a walk.

Disabled List

Triple-A Indianapolis

2018-06-27 3B Jung Ho Kang, left wrist sprain (underwent possible season ending surgery)
2018-07-14 RHP Bo Schultz, right forearm strain
OF Daniel Nava

Double-A Altoona

2018-08-04 RHP Austin Coley, right shoulder strain
C Jin-De Jhang (on rehab at Morgantown)

Single-A West Virginia

2018-04-16 RHP Dylan Prohoroff
2018-05-03 LHP Braeden Ogle, sore shoulder
2018-05-21 3B Dylan Busby
2018-07-19 LF Chris Sharpe
2018-07-20 RHP Cody Bolton
2018-07-29 2B Rodolfo Castro
RHP Will Reed
LHP Angel Martinez

Rookie Bristol

2018-08-02 RHP Leandro Pina (60 day)

Rookie GCL

2018-06-18 RHP Luis Gonzalez (60 day)
CF Emison Soto (60 day)