Triple-A
Like their parents Pirates, Indianapolis (31-21) banged out the hits but came up short in extra innings, dropping a 7-6 decision to visiting Gwinnett (32-23) in ten innings.
Left-hander Cam Vieaux (3-3, 3.43) got knocked around in his second start since being promoted from Altoona, giving up five runs on seven hits, including a pair of homer, in five innings.
Down 5-3, the Indians rallied for single runs in the eighth and ninth to send the game into extra innings, as Jake Elmore hit his third homer with two outs in the eighth and in the ninth, with one out, Corey Dickerson singled, Jung-ho Kang walked and then Will Craig (280/364/566) singled up the middle to drive home Dickerson.
Jake Brentz (1.33 ERA, 33 Ks in 26 IP) and Michael Feliz each worked two scoreless innings with three strikeouts, but in the tenth, with a fake runner on second, Sean Keselica (3.12 ERA in 26 IP) gave up a double to Adam Duvall and single to Alex Jackson.
Singles by Trayvon Robinson and Ke’Bryan Hayes drove in the fake runner in the bottom of the inning, but Nick Franklin struck out to leave them a run short.
Kang started at shortstop and had three hits, including a double, along with a walk. Craig, who started in right field, had two singles and two walks. Jason Martin and Erick Wood also homered.
Double-A
Altoona walked it off in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 win over visiting New Hampshire.
After LF Logan Hill (296/369/464) opened the ninth with a ground single to right, 3B Hunter Owen (307/376/587) ended the game with homer to left, his twelfth of the year.
Starter Sean Brady (3-4, 5.89) allowed two runs on five hits in six and a third innings. In five starts with Altoona, since being acquired from Cleveland, Brady’s ERA is 4.40.
Angel German (5.82 ERA in 17 IP) struck out the side in the ninth for the victory.
Both Hill and Owen collected three hits, those six being Altoona’s total for the game. CF Jared Oliva (199/292/294) was 0-for-4, dropping him below the Mendoza Line.
High-A
Bradenton’s (31-23) bats fell silent, falling 4-0 at Tampa (23-31).
Another fine start by Nick Economos (5-4, 2.26) was wasted as the offense could only muster four singles and three walks, while fanning fifteen times.
Economos went seven innings and allowed just one run for the third straight start, on six hits and a walk while striking out five. He has a 1.89 ERA in three starts since being promoted from Greensboro to Bradenton.
Ryan Valdes (6.17 ERA in 23 1⁄3 IP) gave up three runs on four hits in the eighth to seal the win for Tampa.
CF Travis Swaggerty, RF Cal Mitchell, LF Chris Sharpe and SS Robbie Glendinning collected the hits. Mitchell (294/332/451) was hit in the helmet on a pick off throw and left the game for precautionary reasons.
Low-A
Greensboro (36-18) downed visiting Lakewood (18-36) by a 7-3 score.
The Grasshoppers scored three in the fourth, two on Jack Herman’s triple, to take an early 5-0 lead. Mason Martin (264/357/591) added a solo homer, his 16th, in a two-run eighth.
21 year old right-hander Colin Selby made his fourth start, allowing only three hits and a walk in 6 1⁄3 innings while whiffing ten.
Herman was a 30th round pick in 2018 out of Eastern HS in Voorhees, New Jersey, and quickly attracted attention last summer by hitting 340/435/489 in 17 games in the Rookie level Gulf Coast League. He had been kept in Extended Spring Training so far this year, but was activated today, skipping over short-season Morgantown (which opens in a week) to go to full-season Greensboro. Adding Herman, the youngest player on the team, gives the Grasshoppers five starting position players among the 51 youngest players in the South Atlantic League.
Rookie DSL
Pirates-1 banged out 14 hits in a 10-6 win over the Dodgers Shoemakers.
SS Luis Tejeda had two hits, including a homer, as did 1B Shendrik Apostel, younger brother of Sherten, who scored three and drove in a pair.
The Pirates-2 scored a 3-2 win over Royals-2
16 year old right-hander Carlos Jimenez, 6-2 and 140 lbs, made his pro debut with a one walk, seven strikeout effort, allowing no earned runs in five innings. Domingo Gonzalez followed with four strikeouts in three shutout innings.
SS Daniel Lopez was 2-for-3.