According to Matt Provence, 24-year-old catcher Justin Dalles has been promoted from Lakewood to replace Humberto Quintero who was called up to the Phillies. Dalles was 2 for 10 with a HR and 2 RBI in just 3 games with Lakewood.
Cesar Jimenez will start tonight's game (Photo by Mitch Hyman)
According to the Pigs' website, Cesar Jimenez (0-1, 3.20) will start tonight's game against Rochester. It will be his third start of the year and his first at Coca-Cola Park. On April 17 he pitched 4.2 innings in a loss at Pawtucket and 4.0 on April 28 at Louisville in a no-decision.
For the season he has pitched 25.1 innings allowing 9 runs (all earned) on 24 hits. He has walked 7 and struck out 21. Opponents are hitting .255 off him.
Then Rochester pitcher Kyle Gibsoncarried a no-hitter (would have been the first ever at CCP) into the 8th before Steve Susdorf broke it up with 2 outs. The Pigs would still go down 11-0.
A few minutes after the Pigs game ended, Erik Kratz (game-tier) and Freddy Galvis (walk-off) hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the 9th to win it for the Phillies.
Lost in the 9th inning drama was another great start from Jonathan Pettibone who allowed just 1 earned run over 7 innings. Justin De Fratus and Antonio Bastardo held the Reds scoreless in the 8th and 9th.
After the Phillies game it was announced that Humberto Quintero will join the Phils in Miami as Carlos Ruiz is set to undergo an MRI. Ryan Howard will also get one, but there is no official indication that he will hit the DL. If he does, the Phils will likely turn to the Pigs again. Stay tuned.
1. Who starts tonight?
2. Who takes Quintero's roster spot?
I'm predicting we see Savery out there to start the game tonight. As for a new catcher, Suomi is down at Reading and could be an option. It will not be Tommy Joseph who is still recovering from his concussion (and they found out it's not his first one).
Adam Morgan will not start tomorrow night's game (Photo by Mitch Hyman)
As I mentioned earlier, Doug Heater had reported during the game this afternoon that Adam Morgan may not be able to make his start tomorrow night. That is now official as Morgan has been scratched because of "something medical" according to Jeff Schuler of the Morning Call. There is no word yet as to who will start in his place. Doug also said that Joe Savery had a "closed door meeting" with Brundage before today's game. Take that for what it's worth.
Humberto Quintero has been called up to the Phillies after Carlos Ruiz strained his hamstring against the Reds today. He'll meet the team in Miami. No word as to who will be joining the Pigs. Perhaps we'll see our old friend John Suomi who's down at Reading.
The Story
It was an ugly one today at Coca-Cola Park and that's not even factoring in the weather. The Pigs (18-25) lost 11-0 to Kyle Gibson and the Red Wings (18-26) to even the series at a game a piece.
Gibson, the #4 prospect in the Twins organization, pitched a complete game, 3 hit shutout and had a no-hitter going with two outs in the 8th. Steve Susdorf was able to break it up with a double that landed just inside the left field line. I can't speak for all Pigs fans, but at that point I was pulling for Gibson to get the no-hitter with the Pigs down 11-0.
Tom Cochran started the game and allowed 5 runs over 4.1 innings before giving way to J.C. Ramirez who let in 4 more. Bobby Bramhall gave up the final 2 before Justin Friend was finally able to pitch a scoreless 9th inning.
Erik Kratz and Freddy Galvis went back-to-back in the 9th to win it for the Phils
Now for some good news! The Phillies had a bad day at the plate themselves, but they got some heroics from two Pigs alumni to win it. Down 2-1 in the 9th, Erik Kratz launched a game-tying home run and Freddy Galvis followed that with the game-winner just inside the left field foul pole. Great to see two former Pigs win it for the parent club!
Notes
It was a particularly rough day for Leandro Castro who made 3 errors in left field...Chris Colabello had a 4 for 5 afternoon for Rochester with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and an RBI...Doug Heater reported during the TV broadcast that Adam Morgan may not be able to start tomorrow night's game for the Pigs as scheduled. The reason is still unknown as is who would start in his place...
Pig of the Game
Steve Susdorf - broke up the no-hitter with two outs in the 8th
Next Up
Game three of the series tomorrow night. Adam Morgan (1-4, 4.97) is scheduled to pitch, but Doug Heater reported there's a chance he won't be able to go. Cole De Vries (0-0, 13.50) goes for Rochester.
The IronPigs (18-24) put together a good all-around performance for my first game of the season to open up their eight game homestand with a 3-2 win over Rochester tonight at CCP. Fresh off being optioned down yesterday, Raul Valdes led a solid team pitching effort with 4 scoreless innings in a spot start for B.J. Rosenberg who was called up to Philadelphia to take Valdes' place.
After Valdes faced the minimum through 3, the Pigs were able to get on the board first in the bottom of the inning on a two-out Cesar Hernandez double to left-center that scored Jermaine Mitchell. It wouldn't be the first time Mitchell scored in the game with Hernandez at the plate.
Valdes was able to get through the 4th unscathed before giving way to Zach Miner in the 5th. Miner ran into trouble right away as the first two batters reached, but he was able to get the lead runner at third on a bad bunt by Doug Bernier and then got Joe Benson to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
In the bottom of the 5th the Pigs were able to add to their lead as Pete Orr led off with an infield hit, stole second, and scored on a Michael Martinez triple to make it 2-0.
The Red Wings tied the game in the 6th via back-to-back RBI singles by Chris Colabello and Jeff Clement, but that would be it for them as Miner settled down to keep them scoreless through the 8th.
In the bottom of the 8th the Pigs scored what would prove to be the winning run on a throwing error by Rochester 3B Ray Olmedo. Following a lead-off single by Mitchell, Hernandez tried to bunt him over to second, but Olmedo had a shot to get him at second and went for it. The ball sailed past second and into right-center allowing Mitchell to score to make it 3-2 Pigs. Jake Diekman pitched an impressive 1-2-3 9th inning with 2 strikeouts to earn the save, his 4th.
Notes
The Pigs were able to gain a game in the standings with Buffalo losing (now 6.5 GB)...
Box Score Mitchell, CF: 2 for 4, 2 runs, SB Hernandez, 2B: 2 for 4, 2B, RBI Asche, 3B: 1 for 4 Ruf, 1B: 0 for 3, BB Overbeck, DH: 0 for 3, BB Castro, LF: 0 for 4 Orr, RF: 1 for 3, run, SB Quintero, C: 1 for 2, BB Martinez, SS: 1 for 3, 3B, RBI
Pig of the Game
Raul Valdes - making a spot start and coming off being optioned, Valdes gave the Pigs 4 great scoreless innings, walking none and striking out 4.
Next Up
The series continues tomorrow at 1:35. Tom Cochran (0-1, 5.65) will make his fourth start of the season for the Pigs. The Twins #4 prospect, Kyle Gibson (2-5, 3.92), is scheduled to pitch for Rochester.
We are just a little bit past the halfway point of May and so far the 2013 IronPigs season has not gone as well as many anticipated. After an eight game roadtrip through Durham and Norfolk the IronPigs are back in town to open an eight game homestand against Rochester who is right behind them in the standings and Norfolk who is one of the best teams in all of Minor League Baseball and just took three of four from the Pigs down at their place. Perhaps most surprising this season is that the Pigs have not played well at home. It has not gone unnoticed. The faithful have taken to Facebook to voice their well-informed opinions on this year's team. There better be good giveaways the rest of the season of no one will show up. You've been warned, Pigs.
Tonight is also my first chance to catch this year's version of the Pigs and, to be honest, the first day this season that I will begin seriously following the team. For various reasons I have not kept track of the Pigs thus far the way I have the past three seasons. In light of that, the blog's lack of activity, and it being the end of the first quarter of the season (I'm too lazy to see if it really is. Looks like it when quickly glancing at the schedule...) I felt this morning was a good time for a State of the Pigs update.
At 17-24 the IronPigs find themselves in 4th place in the IL North, 7.5 games behind Buffalo who must have received some sort of magic upon becoming an affiliate of Toronto this offseason. I can't remember the Bisons ever playing this well. They're probably just happy to be rid of the Mets. But not to worry if the Pigs can't catch Buffalo because the Wildcard will come out of the IL North like always, right? Wrong. The IL has two great teams in each division so far. All six of the top two teams from each division have 24+ wins and they are at least three games clear of the third place team in their division. The Pigs are also 7.5 games behind in the Wildcard race.
Buffalo: No longer Mets losers
So things have not gone well so far for the Pigs both internally and around the league.
The good news is that this team, still loaded with prospects, will likely only get better as the year goes along. We're already seeing guys like Ethan Martin (4-2, 5.23, Phillies #6 prospect) and Darin Ruf (.272, 5 HR, 22 RBI, Phillies #9 prospect) turn things around after slow starts. Mike Stutes (1-2, 3.60) has a 1.76 ERA in his last ten appearances and that may have earned him a call-up in the near future. Humberto Quintero has hit .273 with 2 homers in his seven games with the Pigs since being DFA'd by the Phils.
While those guys are turning things around, some haven't slowed down at all. Cesar Hernandez is hitting .323 with an IL-best 5 triples, 2 HR, 15 RBI, and 12 SB. He leads the team in hits (50), runs (25), total bases (70), triples (5), stolen bases (12), and average (.323). Leandro Castro is also having a great season with a .262 average, 3 HR, 14 RBI, and 9 SB. The numbers might not seem as impressive, but Castro has delivered some timely hits throughout the season. Cody Asche leads the team with 24 RBI to go along with 4 HR and a .279 average. And quietly Steve Susdorf is hitting .306 in 26 games so far.
Forgotten prospects: Castro and Hernandez have played well after largely being overlooked at the beginning of the season (Photos by Mitch Hyman)
So while things don't look too good right now, don't give up on the Pigs. Many teams around the league have historically fell apart after good starts. Meanwhile the Pigs will get better and move up in the standings. The first step towards getting back in the race is to have a good homestand to keep Rochester in 5th place and get revenge on Norfolk for the series at their place.
The Story
It got dicey late, but the IronPigs (17-24) were able to avoid being swept by Norfolk (29-13) tonight with an 8-7 win at Harbor Park. The Pigs were comfortably in front for the entire game until a five-run bottom of the 8th highlighted by a Buck Britton grand slam brought the Tides within a run.
The Pigs were able to push a run across in the 1st in an odd way as Darin Ruf struck out and Cody Asche (attempting to steal second) stayed in a rundown long enough for Cesar Hernandez to score before being caught for the final out of the inning. They got two more in the 3rd on a Jermaine Mitchell triple and an error by Tides third baseman Brandon Wood. Pete Orr made it 6-1 with a three-run home run in the 4th, his first of the season. Asche would add the final two runs with a solo home run (#4) in the 5th and an RBI single in the 7th.
Ethan Martin has now won each of his last three starts (Photo by Mitch Hyman)
The recipient of all that run support was Ethan Martin who pitched 7 innings, allowing 8 hits, but just 2 runs (both earned) while striking out 6 to improve to 4-2 on the season. As Michael LoRé pointed out on Twitter, Martin is starting to pick things up after a bad start to his AAA career:
Ethan Martin is 3-0 in his last three starts for #IronPigs: 19IP, 17H, 5R/ER, 5BB, 17K. He's lowered his ERA from 7.66 to 5.23 in that span.
— Michael LoRé (@michaellore) May 18, 2013
In the bottom of the 8th Joe Savery gave up five runs including the grand slam to Britton to make it an 8-7 ballgame. Savery has now allowed 9 runs in 2 IP since coming back from the Phillies. Mike Stutes took over following the slam and didn't allow any walks or hits over the last inning and two-thirds for his second save of the season.
Notes Cesar Hernandez extended his IL lead in triples with his 5th of the season in the 7th inning (Jermaine Mitchell is tied for 2nd in the league with 3)...Mike Stutes has a 1.93 ERA over his last ten appearances (3.86 for the season)...B.J. Rosenberg was called up to the Phillies earlier today...Raul Valdes was optioned and will make a spot start tomorrow night in Rosenberg's place...
Box Score Mitchell, CF:1 for 4, run, RBI, 3B, BB Hernandez, 2B: 2 for 4, 2 runs, 3B, BB, 2 SB Asche, 3B: 2 for 4, HR, run, 2 RBI, BB Ruf, 1B: 0 for 4, BB Fields, DH: 0 for 4 Castro, LF: 1 for 4, run Susdorf, RF: 1 for 4 Lerud, C: 0 for 3, run, BB Orr, SS: 2 for 4, HR, 2 runs, 3 RBI
Pig of the Game Mike Stutes - there were some great offensive performances tonight, but Stutes came in after Savery gave up the grand slam and shut the Tides down over the last 1.2 innings to earn the save and tonight's Pig of the Game, his second of the season.
Next Up
The IronPigs return home to start an eight game homestand tomorrow night against Rochester (17-25) at 6:35. Raul Valdes (1-0, 7.65 w/Phillies) will make his 2013 IronPigs debut against P.J. Walters (4-2, 3.42).
