Morning Rundown: Rain washes out Paul Skenes, Bubba Chandler, Pirates offense sputters in Phillies' series opener

Main impacts all four minor league affiliates, Pirates offense goes quiet in loss to Phillies

Apr 12, 2024

Thursday was supposed to be a big day for the pitching in the pitching, with four of the top prospects scheduled to pitch.

However, the baseball gods had other plans. Only half of the scheduled pitchers took the field, and one prospect had his night cut due to the weather.

Paul Skenes and Bubba Chandler never pitched after Indianapolis and Altoona postponed their games due to rain.

Hunter Barco pitched for High-A Greensboro and looked strong again, pitching four shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four.

He was able to get quite a few hitters to swing and miss at elevated fastballs, although the broadcast didn’t include a radar reading, so we aren’t sure what he was throwing.

Jared Jones made his third big league start, and while he didn’t have his best stuff, he still pitched solid through 6.1 innings. He struck out eight and allowed six hit, but two home runs did him in.

Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh went deep for the Phillies, providing the three runs charged to Jones.

While he got up to 99 MPH twice, he struggled to locate the pitch and only got two whiffs on 17 swings with the fastball. The slider, however, got 11 on 22 swings, and Jones relied on it heavily Thursday, throwing it more than the fastball.

Before the Greensboro game was suspended in the fifth inning, Lonnie White Jr. had two more hits, including his fourth home run.

Some swing and miss still need to be cleaned up, but he’s certainly flashing the power in his game so far. He’s also progressed, especially against breaking pitches on the outer half.

A couple of his home runs have been off the same pitch, and his other hit on Thursday was on a change-up tailing away from him.

The day got off to a crazy start, as the Bradenton Marauders scored three runs in the first inning but didn’t put a ball into play.

They walked five times, got hit by a pitch, and struck out three times.

They didn’t pick up their first hit of the game until the fourth, when an Omar Alfonzo RBI plated their fifth run of the day.

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Bradenton had three hits in the seven-inning shortened game, drawing seven walks and striking out 11 times.

Connor Oliver, acquired from Kansas City for Colin Selby, made his Bradenton debut. He allowed six earned runs while allowing five hits and two walks in 1.1 innings pitched.