Morning Rundown: Spencer Horwitz returns, Konnor Griffin hit streak continues
Horwitz makes Pirates' debut, Griffin continues hitting streak
Spencer Horwitz made his official Pirates’ debut after undergoing surgery before the start of training camp. He had been rehabbing with the Altoona Curve and Indianapolis Indians previously, but joined the team on Friday and was activated on Saturday.
He went 0-2 before being pinch-hit for Alexander Canario.
The Pirates dropped the second game of three this weekend against the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-2. Carmen Mlodzinski was tagged for four runs on seven hits and a walk over 3.1 innings pitched.
Bryan Reynolds went 2-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in the 9th inning to keep them from being shut out.
Paul Skenes will start on Sunday and face Mick Abel, who will be making his major league debut.
With another multi-hit effort on Saturday, Konnor Griffin has extended his hitting streak to nine games. He has 21 hits in those nine games after finishing with two yesterday.
Griffin went 3-6 with two runs scored, a double, and two RBI. He also stole his 17th base of the season.
This week against Dunedin, Griffin has 12 hits in 22 at-bats and has at least three hits in three of the last four games.
Altoona Curve sent LHP Tyler Samaniego on a rehab assignment to FCL Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates optioned 1B Matt Gorski to Indianapolis Indians
Top Exit Velocity
Konnor Griffin - BRD - 112.7 mph - Double
Nick Yorke - IND - 109.3 mph - Single
Darick Hall - IND - 107.8 mph - Groundout
Axiel Plaz - BRD - 107.1 mph - Single
Bryan Reynolds - PIT - 106.6 mph - Home Run
Top Pitch Velocity
Tanner Rainey - PIT - 97.9 mph
Carmen Mlodzinski - PIT - 97.1 mph
Carmen Mlodzinski - PIT - 97.1 mph
Chase Shugart - PIT - 96.9 mph
Carmen Mlodzinski - PIT - 96.8 mph
Most Whiffs
Victor Cabreja - BRD - 14
Mike Burrows - IND - 11
Ryan Harbin - GBO - 8
Carmen Mlodzinski - PIT - 8
Thomas Harrington - IND - 8
Khristian Curtis - GBO - 8
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Indianapolis Indians - 6 vs Louisville Bats - 4
Top Hitter - Jack Suwinski: 1-3, R, HR, 3 RBI
Top Pitcher - Isaac Mattson: 1.1 IP, H
Indianapolis Indians - vs
Top Hitter - Jack Suwinski: 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI
Top Pitcher - Mike Burrows: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R (ER), BB, 5 K
Altoona Curve - 8 vs Harrisburg Senators - 4
Top Hitter - Mitch Jebb: 3-5, RBI, SB
Top Pitcher - Sean Sullivan: 3 IP, 4 K
Greensboro Grasshoppers - 4 vs Rome Emperors - 2
Top Hitter - Enmanuel Terrero: 1-3, HR, 3 RBI, R
Top Pitcher - Ryan Harbin: 2 IP, BB, 6 K
Bradenton Marauders - 13 vs Dunedin Blue Jays - 5
Top Hitter - Konnor Griffin: 3-6, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, SB
Top Pitcher - Jake Shirk: IP, 3 K
FCL Pirates - 2 vs FCL Orioles - 7
Top Hitter - Wyatt Sanford: 1-3, R, HR, RBI, HBP
Top Pitcher - Jose Regalado: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 5 K
Went down to Toon-Town and saw the Curve put away the Harrisburg Senators last night, 8-4, behind a couple-a homers and more weird play by the visitors than is allowed by the Comics Code.
It was a wild night for weather too, as storms threatened, even as the bright, warm sun kept breaking through, and the temps were nice and there was a mild wind blowing out to the left field bleachers.
Watched it all from seats 39 and 40 of the Rail Kings section. This is my witness report.
Senators' shortstop Cortland Lawson was in the Bermuda Triangle all night with three errors and an oh-fer at the plate, but he wasn't the only one as the Curve scored on two wild pitches as well.
On his first error, Cortland threw a not-routine grounder into pretty near the right field bullpen. Later, in a routine double play ball that was leading him straight to second, he underhanded the ball about five yards west of the second baseman and 20 yards into right field. TO BE FAIR, I thought he was going to run to the bag, which was, like, TWO steps away, but when he looked up, the second baseman was standing on the bag and so he quick like tries to shuffle him the ball and avoid running into him and it was all a cluster truck by then and Curve baserunners were running Three-Stooge style around the diamond, hats flying and arms waving.
Poor guy. I hope he has a future left.
In the first, Kervin Pichardo doinked a no-doubter off Hyun-Il Choi and then Termarr yanked one so far into the right field corner that their right fielder could not find it and Termarr ran counter-clockwise-like around the bases, hat flying and arms waving the whole way to third and there might not have been a throw. We wondered if he could have run the whole way to Johnstown.
Next batter, Choi threw it to the backstop for an RBI. I think they should credit pitchers not just with unearned runs, but also RBIs. That would be fantastic. Cause it happened again later to Chance Huff, who relieved Choi after Mike Jarvis gave one a big fat wham so hard it flew FAR over Al Tuna's front door in the left center power alley. But Huff did also score an RBI later on by throwing the ball to the backstop.
Then there was Sean Sullivan, who was the reason I finished off The World's Best Margarita and got up off the bar stool at Plaza Azteca and drove over there to begin with. Three no-hit innings with four Ks and nobody from Harrisburg was aware of even IF there was a baseball located somewhere in the flight path between the mound and the plate.
I wanna say he was all fastball-change with a sprinkling of maybe slider. But it looked either very good, or the Toon-Town atmosphere had infected the Senators' thinking (as ACTUAL senators will think crazy things) because it looked like their batters were playing wiffle-ball.
Oh, they came back late with a few runs off Nielson and Woods, but by then their OWN pitchers had done enough damage to make it a laugh-riot.
You could actually HEAR the Benny Hill Theme somewhere seeping in from these beautiful green mountains.
________________________________
"Ah HA! ... Pronoun trouble. ... Let's try that again."
-Wabbit
In Greensboro last night. The big bats I came to see remained quite. Escotto another HR. The one notable pitching performance was Harbin. Sitting in the upper 90's comfortably, 6Ks 1 BB to close out the last 2 innings. Might have something there if he continues to find the plate.