Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 8-10-18

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores:

 

Iowa won 4-2 Box Score

 

LF C. Coghlan 1/5, R, HR (2), RBI, K

3B J. Vosler 1/3, BB, K

RF M. Zagunis 2/3, R, RBI, K

C W. Remillard 0/4, 2 K

SP T. Clifton 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HBP, 4-6 GO-FO, 93-59 pitches-strikes

RP J. Norwood 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 0-1 GO-FO

RP A. Bass 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2-1 GO-FO

RP C. Mazzoni 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0-2 GO-FO

RP D. Maples 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 0-0 GO-FO

 

Tennessee lost 3-2 Box Score

 

SS Z. Short 2/2, R, HR (14), RBI, 2 BB

2B V. Machin 0/4, K

C I. Rice 0/3, BB

3B PJ Higgins 1/4

LF C. Burks 1/3, B

RF Je. Báez 1/3

SP M. Rucker 6 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP, 5-8 GO-FO, 74-47 pitches-strikes

RP J. Stinnett 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 1-1 GO-FO

 

Myrtle Beach won 6-5 Box Score

 

RF DJ Wilson 0/4, K

SS A. Ademan 1/2, R, BB, SB (8)

C J. Pereda 1/3, R, BB

LF J. Young 1/4, R, HR (5), 3 RBI, 3 RBI, 2 K

2B-SS A. Monasterio 1/4, R, HR (3), RBI

3B W. Galindo 0/3, K

SP C. Abbott 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 4-4 GO-FO, 78-51 pitches-strikes

RP E. Leal 3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3-1 GO-FO

RP T. Peyton 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR< 1 WP, 1-1 GO-FO

 

South Bend lost 6-3 (10 innings) Box Score

 

CF J. Gutiérrez 0/3, R, 2 BB, K

SS R. Narea 1/5

LF C. Dnahue 0/2, RBI, 2 BB

1B-C M. Amaya 3/4, 2B (20), RBI, BB, E (10, missed catch)

3B A. Filiere 0/4, BB, 2 K, E (21, throw)

RF B. Hughes 0/3, BB, K

SP B. Little 4.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 4-5 GO-FO, 88-60 pitches-strikes

RP M. Rodriguez 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1-0 GO-FO

 

Eugene lost 5-2 Box Score

 

2B A. Weber 1/4, R, 2B (2), K

3B L. Reynolds 2/4, 2B (8), RBI

LF N. Velázquez 0/3, BB, 2 K, outfield assist at home

RF J. Sierra 1/4

1B J. Slaughter 1/3, BB, K, E (1, throw)

SS L. Vázquez 0/4, K

C C. Knight 2/4, R< 2B (1), HR (1), RBI, 2 K

CF F. Kelli 1/3, K, SB (24)

SP P. Richan 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 3-3 GO-FO, 44-29 pitches-strikes

RP C. Sanders 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO-FO

 

AZL Cubs won 3-0 Box Score

 

RF E. Americaan 1/4, R, 3B (1), RBI, 3 K

CF Y. Cuevas 0/3, BB, K

SS C. Morel 2/4, K, CS (3)

DH A. Guerra 0/3, K

C J. Soto 0/1, BB, PB (3)

3B Y. Perlaza 1/3, R, HR (1), RBI, K

1B R. Mejía 1/3, R, K

LF E. Pagán 0/3, K

SP B. Clark 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 0-1 GO-FO

RP D. Hultzen 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO-FO

RP Y. Pérez 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 1-2 GO-FO

 

AZL Cubs 2 had the day off

 

DSL Cubs 1 won 3-2 Box Score

 

DSL Cubs 2 won 6-1 Box Score

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Jared Young and Andruw Monasterio went back-to-back.

[stitchface]

Vlad Jr's season line entering tonight (he's 1/3 with a HR):

 

.407/.462/.678 with <10% K rate and 41 XBHs including 16 HRs through 315 PAs

 

His AAA slash line entering tonight:

 

.462/.571/.769 through 35 PAs

 

With tonight's included he has more HRs (3) than Ks (2) in AAA

 

 

but can he hit the one-hopper?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Bailey Clark: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K. Wonder if the AFL is in the offing for him. There are a few injured guys who could use the innings - Alzolay, Steele and Clark.

 

Hultzen also had another scoreless inning with 2 Ks. Probably too late for him too meaningfully contribute to the big league team but if he moves up the minors healthy with good numbers, I'd love to bring him back next season.

[craig]

Bailey Clark: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K. Wonder if the AFL is in the offing for him. There are a few injured guys who could use the innings - Alzolay, Steele and Clark.

 

Hultzen also had another scoreless inning with 2 Ks. Probably too late for him too meaningfully contribute to the big league team but if he moves up the minors healthy with good numbers, I'd love to bring him back next season.

 

Thanks, cal, those are all really good points. Agree on all.

Rucker has a 2.72 ERA over last 10 starts. Had a poor April, but from May on, his ERA is a hair under 3.0.

 

Not sure if his stuff could ever translate to the majors, he's got the two hardest steps left (PCL is a tough step, and the step to the majors is biggest of all.) Totally possible that he's just kind of like Farrell, a blah-stuff guy who depends on throwing strikes to bad hitters.

 

Think sometimes those guys can get killed in the majors; in minors can get away with throwing not-great fastballs for strikes, and not getting killed because the hitters are bad. (Look at the collection of bad hitters Tennessee has...) But then in majors some of those fastball strikes are getting smoked, so you nibble more, and instead of working 1-2 counts and getting guys to chase on minor-league curve, you're working 2-1 counts and big-league hitters don't chase so now you're 3-1, etc..

 

But it would be nice if a control guy like Rucker was able to be decent as a 6th/7th starter, so you don't need to be turning to Tseng or Farrell when you've got a spot start.

 

Same for Swarmer. 2.91 ERA on the year, 1.1 WHIP, 114K/17BB is pretty good.

3.27 over last 10 starts at Tennessee, 2.63 over last 7 starts,

37K/3BB over last 6 starts (34.2 IP).

 

Those are some pretty nice numbers. (obviously chosen subsequent to his last lousy game.)

 

Again, not sure if his stuff or effectiveness will carry up very well.

 

But would sure be fun to have some rotation options next July. Think a lot of the big-league rotation has been worked pretty heavily. Would be nice to have an Iowa option, and give a guy like Lester All Star break off, then skip a start after, so that he could kinda get a two-week break to refresh his arm. Or same for Quintana. I'm not asking for top prospects here. Just some guys who, given the advantage of being unfamiliar to opposing hitters, could give 4-5 competitive innings and it wasn't a Farrell-like fillin.

[craig]

Keegan T might also fall in that not-much-stuff but has been competitive in AA. 2.91 over last 10 starts, 3.03 at AA, 3.13 on season.

 

Think he's been making some adjustments in how he works. Seemed to come out as a throw-strikes/challenge guy (13 walks in 68 Myrtle innings). But at Tenn, he's ~ doubled his walk rate (16 walks in 39 innings), while reducing the HR's.

 

May be coincidence. But I wonder if he's taken a more Lester/Quintana approach, where you'd rather nibble and walk a guy than give him a fat pitch on 3-1?

 

Obviously he's got to really locate, because his stuff seems average or below-average. But results have been good, and maybe there is still improvement ahead for him?