All Hands on Deck: Ji-Hwan Bae drives in five runs on four hits for Greensboro

By Brian Cartwright Aug 23, 2019, 2:03am EDT

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18 year old right-hander Quinn Priester, the Pirates #1 pick in the 2019 draft and 18th overall selection, was promoted from the GCL Pirates to Short Season West Virginia at Morgantown. In seven starts and one relief appearance in the GCL, Priester posted a 3.03 ERA, walking just ten while striking out 37 in 32 ²⁄₃ innings.

23 year old right-hander Blake Cederlind, the Pirates’ 5th Round pick in 2016 out of Merced Junior College in California, was promoted from Double-A Altoona to Triple-A Indianapolis. Cederlind started this year in Bradenton, where he’d finished 2018, and after seven appearances with a 1.17 ERA was promoted to Altoona, where he logged a 1.77 ERA in 45 ²⁄₃ innings over 31 games with a fastball that touches 100.

Indianapolis activated 2B Kevin Kramer, who’d been out the minimum seven days with a left knee contusion.

Bradenton activated RHP Osvaldo Bido, who’d been on the Injured List since Aug. 12. They then placed RHP Ryan Valdes on the Injured List, a day after he allowed four hits and two walks in two thirds of an inning.

Games

Triple-A

Indianapolis (62-67) falls 5-4 at Toledo (60-69)

Promoted a day after blowing a save for Altoona, Blake Cederlind (2.13 ERA in 55 IP) blew another and took the loss, surrendering a two-run homer to Jeimer Candelario (330/421/593) that capped a three-run eighth in Toledo’s come from behind win.

Cederlind struck out three batters with a walk in an inning and two thirds, but allowed five hits.

Welcome to Triple-A, Blake Cederlind! Two strikeouts and some serious heat (12 of 17 pitches over 98mph and hit both 100 and 101). #RollTribe pic.twitter.com/pG7XOm1ofm
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) August 23, 2019

Yefry Ramirez (4.14 ERA, 82 K’s in 63 IP) surrendered a solo homer in the first and another run in the second, but settled down, allowing only those two runs in six innings of work, on four hits and one walk as he fanned eight.

The Indians took the lead in the third on a double by CF Jason Martin (263/312/428), a sac fly by DH Kevin Kramer (253/328/414) and the third when 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (250/322/406) grounded a single to right.

Indians batters struck fifteen times, fourteen against the bullpen. Kramer went down three times, along with a walk and a sac fly, and LF Trayvon Robinson (306/387/472) and 1B Hunter Owen (268/352/506) also fanned three times each.

Double-A

Altoona (64-65) spanked 9-2 at Bowie (71-58)

Five days after tossing eight shutout innings, Pedro Vasquez (8-5, 2.35 ERA in 118 ¹⁄₃ IP) served up two runs in the first, including a solo homer, then was lifted after another pair in the second. In those two innings he allowed nine base runners on seven hits and two walks without any strikeouts.

Reliever Angel German (4.06 ERA in 51 IP), the second player acquired, along with Oneil Cruz, in the Tony Watson trade two years ago, put the game out of reach when he surrendered three runs in the fourth.

DH Logan Hill (248/323/436) hit his 14th, a solo shot in the sixth.

SS Cruz (310/358/496) and LF Chris Sharpe (254/332/434) were both 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.

High-A

Bradenton (68-60) blanked 3-0 at Palm Beach (56-68)

Osvaldo Bido (12-8, 3.39 ERA in 132 ²⁄₃ IP) returned from the disabled list but was lifted after giving up a two-run homer with two outs in the third, throwing only 60 pitches. Those were the only two runs he allowed, on two hits and three walks as he fanned three.

Conner Loeprich (4.20 ERA in 90 IP) entered and went the rest of the way, pitching well as he struck out five in five and a third innings, allowing just one run on four hits and no walks.

SS Rodolfo Castro (244/296/467) had three of the Marauder’s seven hits, and is 15-for-38 (.395) over his last ten games.

Low-A

Greensboro (74-53) rolls 11-3 at Delmarva (85-42)

SS Ji-Hwan Bae (319/402/407) drove in five runs with two singles and a pair of doubles, backing the pitching of Steven Jennings (6-11, 4.88 ERA in 120 IP), who struck out five without a walk in five innings, allowing one run on five hits.

CF Fabricio Macias (275/326/390) drove in three with a single and a double and CF Jonah Davis (242/329/478) had a walk and two hits, including his 17th home run.

Short Season A

West Virginia (34-29) beaten 5-2 at Auburn (23-40)

Starter Michael Burrows (2-3, 4.54 ERA in 39 ²⁄₃ IP) gave up three first inning runs on an error, walk and two singles, then was lifted with one out in the fourth after serving up a two-run homer. In three and a third innings, he was charged with five runs, three earned, on five hits and two walks, fanning three.

The Black Bears only had six hits.

Advanced Rookie

Bristol (31-30) edges visiting Pulaski (40-22) by 2-1 score

20 year old right-hander Tahnaj Thomas (3.32 ERA, 54 K’s in 43 ¹⁄₃ IP), who’s fastball has been sitting at 99-100 and touching 101, allowed one run in six innings on five hits and a walk, striking out three.

The Pirates only managed three hits, but got on the board with 3B Jesus Valdez’ (296/382/441) solo homer in the first, his fifth of the year, then scored the deciding run in the sixth when Valdez singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and came home on an infield ground out.

Rookie

GCL Pirates (16-31) downed 10-4 at Rays (22-25)

19 year old starter Arlinthon de Dios (3.63 ERA in 39 ²⁄₃ IP) was hit hard, giving up four runs in four innings on six hits and three walks, including a solo homer, but the bullpen didn’t do any better, as three pitchers coughed up six runs over the final four innings.

CF Sammy Siani (239/376/301), DH Juan Pie (250/331/392) and LF Angel Basabe (214/286/295) each had two hits.

Dominican Rookie

Pirates-1 (33-36) ahead 3-1 at Indians (26-40) in game suspended in the sixth

The box score is messed up, as it appears all the individual totals are doubled, but apparently starter Andy Maldonado (8.62 ERA, 37 BB in 31 ¹⁄₃ IP) allowed just an unearned run in three innings despite giving four hits and a walk without striking out a batter. Yeison Santos followed with two scoreless innings.

The game was suspended with one out in the top of the sixth after the Pirates had broken a 1-1 tie with a three run outburst.

Pirates-2 (55-15) victorious 6-0 over visiting Mariners (33-37)

17 year old Venezuelan right-hander Carlos Jimenez (2.54 ERA, 45 K’s in 39 IP) tossed four scoreless innings, alowing just two hits and two walks, striking out two.

1B Juan Mena (302/388/395) drove in a pair of runs with a single and a double and RF Rodolfo Nolasco (292/367/451) had a pair of singles.