All Hands on Deck: Mitch Keller dazzles then fizzles for Indianapolis

By Brian Cartwright Aug 3, 2019, 9:58am EDT

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Greensboro sent RHP Wilkin Ramos on a rehab assignment to the GCL Pirates. He’s been out since July 13.

Games

Triple-A

Indianapolis (56-54) downed 5-3 by visiting Columbus (62-48)

Mitch Keller (7-5, 3.56) struck out twelve of the first nineteen batters to face him, walking just one but not allowing a hit until a fifth inning double, but then took the loss when it fell apart when Columbus tagged him for four runs on five hits in the sixth. He is second in the International League in ERA and leads with 123 strikeouts in 103 ²⁄₃ innings, ahead of Drew Hutchinson’s 109.

Keller carried a 2-0 lead from the second inning, when DH Kevin Kramer (261/338/430) led off with a double and was followed by singles from CF Jason Martin (260/302/433), C Christian Kelley (188/258/313) and SS Cole Tucker (275/355/438).

Martin and Tucker each had two hits in the game.

Double-A

Altoona (55-55) falls 5-3 at Reading (65-46)

SS Oneil Cruz (303/343/509) tripled and scored in the first and 1B Jerrick Suiter (234/283/309) and 3B Chris Pope (243/308/296) both doubled in the second to post the Curve to a 2-0 lead, but Reading chipped away at starter Sean Brady (4-10, 4.79), who ended up allowing three runs in six innings on seven hits and a walk, He struck out four.

Cody Ponce (3.66 ERA, 45 K’s in 39 ¹⁄₃ IP) then made his debut in the Pirates’ system in the seventh, but gave up a pair of insurance runs on a walk, hit by pitch and a bases clearing double.

Altoona batters managed only four hits and a walk while fanning thirteen times.

High-A

Bradenton (59-48) wins 7-2 at Dunedin (63-44)

Gavin Wallace (4-5, 3.83) turned in a fine start, allowing one run in seven innings on just five hits and no walks while striking out eleven.

Dunedin starter Simeon Woods Richardson (3-9, 4.39) retired the first nine batters, but in the fourth he walked CF Travis Swaggerty (249/333/354), RF Cal Mitchell (261/311/434) and 1B Mason Martin (263/369/577) to load the based before C Deon Stafford (242/335/386) brought them all home with his double to center.

Martin finished with a single, double and two walks, along with two RBI to give him 101 on the year, and Swaggerty had two singles and two walks.

Low-A

Greensboro (65-44) defeated 8-5 at Charleston, West Virginia (56-56)

The Grasshoppers jumped out to a 5-1 lead after three, but starter Alex Manasa (8-3, 3.67), who’s struggled in three of his last four starts, let West Virginia tie the score when he was hit with four runs in the sixth inning on a walk and three hits. For the game he allowed six hits and two walks while striking out six.

Greensboro collected thirteen hit, with 1B Luke Mangieri (289/366/469) going 3-for-5 while CF Jonah Davis (210/301/397), RF Jack Herman (267/339/516) and 3B Mike Gretler (218/300/305) had two hits apiece.

Short Season A

Morgantown, West Virginia (23-22) loses 5-1 at Hudson Valley (27-18)

Hudson Valley only had three base runners in four innings against starter Michael Burrows (3.54 ERA in 28 IP), but they came in succession and all scored in the third inning, on a hit by pitch, triple, three-base error on a dropped sacrifice fly, then a regular sacrifice fly.

3B Jared Triolo (242/308/417) was 3-for-4.

Advanced Rookie

Bristol (19-22) beaten 10-6 at Elizabethton (22-20)

The Pirates scored early, having a 5-2 lead after three, but Elizabethton roared back, including three run homer off relievers Enrique Santana in the fifth and Lizardy Dicent in the sixth.

Starter Luis Ortiz (2.81 ERA in 28 IP) was tagged with four runs, one earned in four innings on four hits and three walks.

3B Matt Morrow (286/351/369) was 3-for-4 and DH Jake Snider (300/391/300 in 5 games) 3-for-5. C Ethan Goforth (170/235/340) hit a solo homer in the eighth, his second of the year.

Rookie

GCL Pirates (12-19) eke out 1-0 win at Orioles (19-11)

In bullpen games for both teams, the Pirates’ pitchers stranded twelve Orioles runners, on base via four hits and nine walks.

The Pirates got their run in the seventh when DH Deion Walker (294/368/588 in 5 games) led off with a ground single to right, was bunted to second, went to third on a ground out and scored on LF Juan Pie’s (241/341/329) infield single to third base.

Dominican Rookie

Pirates-1 (24-29) edged 1-0 by Red Sox-2 (23-29)

Starter Braham Rosario (2.40 ERA in 45 IP) tossed five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk while fanning five, but reliever Kelvin Disla (0.75 ERA, 18 K’s in 12 IP) gave up the game’s lone run on a couple of hits in the sixth.

Pirates-2 (43-10) stunned 6-4 at Tigers-2 (24-28)

The Pirates dropped their second straight after having their winning streak snapped.

Starter Adrian Mendez (6.57 ERA in 38 ¹⁄₃ IP) surrendered three runs in five innings in three hits and two walks while fanning four.

CF Randy Romero (410/448/571) was 3-for-5 while LF Rodolfo Nolasco (286/356/455) and RF Jauri Custodio (321/360/448) each had a pair of hits.