Morning Rundown: Pirates split doubleheader, Bubba Chandler return for Altoona
Paul Skenes gets second win, Bubba Chandler returns to the mound.
The Pittsburgh Pirates split their doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday and will now have an off day before heading to Toronto to face the Blue Jays.
Jared Jones had his first real blow-up game, allowing seven runs (five earned) on five hits and two walks across 4.1 innings pitched. He struggled to get swings and misses, only picking up four whiffs on 38 swings, none of which were with the fastball.
Regardless of how he pitched, he wasn’t going to pick up a victory because the offense was shut out and held to three hits.
They made that back up in game two, scoring 10 runs on 13 hits, including Andrew McCutchen's eighth home run of the season. Nick Gonzales picked up three hits, one of which was his third home run since being recalled.
Paul Skenes struck out nine batters over six innings while allowing two runs on three hits and one walk. He picked up his second win on the season for his efforts.
With the multiple off days, the Pirates don’t technically need a fifth starter for this upcoming series in Toronto, but knowing how protective they’ve been with Jones and Skenes, it wouldn’t be a shock if someone came up to fill that spot.
Bubba Chandler made his return to the mound after being held out for a start. He last pitched on May 17 against the Akron RubberDucks and didn’t make it out of the first after walking five batters.
He left the game in the middle of an at-bat and was placed on the injured list due to a forearm injury.
He missed only one start, as he played on Wednesday and pitched four innings, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out three. He threw 75 pitches, 48 of them for strikes.
Apparently, it was due to an old surgery he had on his ‘funny bone’, and he was fine.
Altoona Curve released RHP Cameron Junker
Altoona Curve activated RHP Bubba Chandler from the 7-day injured list
Indianapolis Indians released LHP Cam Alldred
Greensboro Grasshoppers sent RHP Scott Randall on a rehab assignment to Bradenton Marauders
Pittsburgh Pirates recalled RHP Daulton Jefferies from Indianapolis Indians
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Top Exit Velocity
Henry Davis - IND - 108.9 mph - Single
Oneil Cruz - PIT - 107.7 mph - Triple
Ke’Bryan Hayes - PIT - 107.7 mph - Groundout
Rowdy Tellez - PIT - 106.5 mph - Groundout
Javier Rivas - BRD - 106.1 mph - Single
Top Pitch Velocity
Paul Skenes - PIT - 100.5 mph
Paul Skenes - PIT - 100.4 mph
Paul Skenes - PIT - 100.2 mph
Paul Skenes - PIT - 100.1 mph
Paul Skenes - PIT - 99.9 mph
Most Whiffs
Paul Skenes - PIT - 19
Derek Diamond - GBO - 12
Luigi Hernandez - BRD - 9
Michael Plassmeyer - IND - 8
Brandan Bidois - GBO - 7
Luis Ortiz - IND - 7
Indianapolis Indians - 2 vs Omaha Storm Chasers - 8
Top Hitter - Mike Jarvis: 1-2, HR, R, RBI, BB
Top Pitcher - Wily Peralta: 1.1 IP, H, BB, 2 K
Altoona Curve - 2 vs Portland Sea Dogs - 6
Top Hitter - Connor Scott: 1-4, R, RBI
Top Pitcher - Drake Fellows, IP, 2 K
Greensboro Grasshoppers - 12 vs Asheville Tourist
Top Hitter - Mitch Jebb: 2-4, 3 R, RBI, BB, HR, SB
Top Pitcher - Derek Diamond: 5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 7 K
Bradenton Marauders - 3 vs Fort Myers Mighty Mussels - 2
Top Hitter - Braylon Bishop: 1-4, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB
Top Pitcher - Antwone Kelly: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Growing my mustache, not the Skenes’ stache, the Nick the Stick stache.
Some Greensboro impressions from the game at Asheville:
Barco works fast, throws a ton of non fastballs but when he does throw a fastball it was usually 93-95. Not afraid to throw inside to righties (8/9 batters were RH) either the fastball or the breaking pitch which he often went back foot to the RHH. HR was on a breaker he left up in the zone.
The home runs were not cheap ones, all were hit very hard. I didn’t see Cimillo’s but I could hear it from the concession area.
I don’t really like how McAdoo handles ground balls (he turns to the side and backhands everything) but he didn’t make an error. He has a line drive swing and hit the ball hard. His first hit was a gift of sorts, should have been handled by the 3B although it was a bit of a tough hop.
Even a lot of the outs were loud in the middle innings.
All the Greensboro pitchers were LH.
Johnson has good plate coverage. His first double was a slicer down the third base line, not hard hit but not sure how he even made contact with it. His second one one hopped the right field fence. It was a liner with lots of top spin. His K at the end was looking, he didn’t like the call.
Brown’s first three at bats - two HR way over the very high right center fence and third off the middle of the equally high RF fence.
Ross was clearly the worst hitter tonight. He looks good at catcher though. He’s also huge, like an NFL linebacker.
Lonnie White had a good night too. The grand slam in the 1st was on a meatball of a pitch but that’s what a good hitter does with it. It was over 400 feet.