Phillies Minor League Report: Lehigh Valley dominated by Syracuse again
Here's how the Phillies' minor league teams fared on Friday, July 18:
Lehigh Valley IronPigs – Triple A
The Syracuse Chiefs dismantled the IronPigs Friday for the second night in a row, this time by a score of 10-2 at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown.
The best team in Triple-A baseball swept the IronPigs by a combined score of 23-2 in the two games.
Unfortunately for the IronPigs, they begin a four-game series with the Chiefs in Syracuse, N.Y. Saturday.
As for Friday, the Chiefs did the bulk of their damage against starter Sean O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan lasted only 4.1 innings where he allowed nine runs, including six during the fourth inning, on 12 hits. Four of those hits were home runs.
O'Sullivan gave up homers in back-to-back innings to the same batter, as Syracuse third baseman Brandon Laird hit homers during the fourth and fifth innings.
O'Sullivan was handed his seventh loss of the season as a result.
Offensively, the IronPigs had some success as they recorded nine hits, but went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Second baseman Nate Spears and catcher Lars Davis led the IronPigs by going 2-for-4 from the plate. Spears and pitcher Ethan Martin drove in the only Lehigh Valley runs.
The IronPigs begin their four-game set with the Chiefs with a doubleheader Saturday that commences at 5 p.m.
Brad Lincoln (4-5, 4.40 ERA) is scheduled to start Game 1 where the starter for Game 2 was not determined as of this writing.
Reading Fightin Phils – Double A
Despite receiving home runs from third baseman Jake Fox and center fielder Aaron Altherr, the Fightin Phils fell to the New Britain Rock Cats, 6-3, Friday at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading.
With the Fightin Phils trailing 5-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Fox and Altherr both hit solo homers to pull the Fightin Phils to within one run of New Britain.
Unfortunately for the Fightin Phils, they were kept off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Fox posted a great outing for the Fightin Phils by going 3-for-4 with two RBI. His homer during the sixth was his ninth of the season. Altherr's homer was his eighth of the year and his only hit of the contest.
Catcher Raywilly Gomez posted a productive outing as well, as he finished 2-for-4.
However, starting pitcher Severino Gonzalez did not have a productive outing. Gonzalez let up six runs (five earned) on eight hits during 6.2 innings of work. He gave up two homers, but also struck out five batters.
Gonzalez took the loss, which dropped his record to 6-10.
After splitting the first two games of the series, the Fightin Phils will take on the Rock Cats in a doubleheader that starts at 5:35 p.m. Ryan O'Sullivan (3-5, 3.69 ERA) is slated to start Game 1. The starter for Game 2 was not determined as of this writing.
Clearwater Threshers – Class A-Advanced
With Carlos Ruiz and Reid Brignac making rehab starts, the Threshers plated four runs during the seventh inning to help them run away from the Bradenton Marauders, 7-2, at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Fla. Friday.
The Threshers entered the seventh leading the Marauders, 3-1. Back-to-back hits from catcher Gabriel Lino and second baseman Angelo put runners on second and third for the Threshers.
During the next at-bat, Bradenton first baseman Jordan Steranka committed a fielding error that allowed Lino and Mora to cross home plate and for center fielder Roman Quinn to reach first base.
Shortstop Freddy Galvis then stepped to the plate and launched a two-run homer to extend the Threshers' lead.
Ruiz and Brignac helped the Threshers' cause by combining to go 4-for-11 from the plate with three RBI. Brignac led the Threshers by going 2-for-3.
Starting pitcher Miguel Nunez posted a very good outing after he allowed only one run (none earned) on four hits during six innings. Nunez's efforts earned him his third victory of the season.
The Threshers will try to take three out of four from the Marauders at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Aaron Nola (1-2, 3.86 ERA) will start for Clearwater.
Lakewood BlueClaws – Class A
The BlueClaws kept the momentum going from their series victory over Hickory into a series-opening win over the Kannapolis Intimidators, 5-4, at CMC Northeast Stadium in Kannapolis, N.C.
With the game tied 4-4 during the eighth, Kannapolis pitcher Tyler Barnette threw a wild pitch that allowed right fielder Dylan Cozens to score and give the BlueClaws the lead.
Daniel Child took the mound in the ninth to secure the victory and his first save with the BlueClaws. Julio Reyes earned the win after tossing three scoreless innings in relief of starter Ranfi Casimiro. Reyes improved to 2-3.
Casimiro allowed four runs on four hits during five innings of work.
The BlueClaws had a lot of success offensively with 12 hits during the contest. The BlueClaws boasted four members of the lineup that recorded two hits.
Second baseman Andrew Pullin and catcher Willians Astudillo both went 2-for-4 with Astudillo driving in his 47th RBI of the season.
Designated hitter Andrew Knapp and Cozens each went 2-for-5. The BlueClaws also received a home run from left fielder Samuel Hiciano and two RBI from first baseman Zach Green.
The BlueClaws will take on the Intimidators again at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. Left-hander Matt Imhof start in his Lakewood debut.
Williamsport Crosscutters – Class A-Short Season
The Crosscutters snapped a three-game losing streak Friday by way of a 6-3 win over the Staten Island Yankees at Richmond County Ballpark in New York.
Although the Crosscutters ended their recent skid, they continued their recent trend of squandering early leads. Williamsport built up a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth thanks in part to a solo home run from first baseman Rhys Hoskins. The homer was Hoskins' only hit of the night and was his third of the season.
However, Williamsport pitcher Feliberto Sanchez coughed up the lead by allowing two runs during the bottom half of the frame.
The Crosscutters recovered nicely with RBI hits from Drew Stankiewicz during the seventh, and Wilson Garcia and Chase Harris during the eighth.
Meanwhile, Bryan Sova, Jesen Therrien and Frank Rivas combined to allow only four hits during four innings. The Williamsport pitching staff held the Yankees to 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position. They also left 15 runners stranded.
Sova earned his first victory while Rivas earned his third save.
Stankiewicz, Harris and Aaron Brown all recorded two hits Friday. Harries went 2-for-2 while Stankiewicz and Harris both went 2-for-5.
After they avoided a three-game sweep, the Crosscutters will begin a three-game set with the Brooklyn Cyclones at MCU Park in Brooklyn, N.Y. Alejandro Arteaga (1-3, 4.81 ERA) will start for Williamsport.