Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: Five Hit Night for Cal Mitchell, Strong Start in a Loss for Anthony Solometo & More

Five-hit night for Cal Mitchell, Anthony Solometo pitches 5 strong innings in a loss, and more minor league action for the Pittsburgh Pirates

Tuesday night the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians dispatched of the Columbus Clippers 10-4, improving to improve to 9-13 on the season. Chase De Jong began his rehab assignment, pitching a scoreless 1st inning with a walk.

Kent Emanuel followed De Jong, allowing four hits, walking a batter, and striking out four in 4 scoreless innings pitched. Carmen Mlodzinski allowed 2 runs on three hits, no walks, no strikeouts, and a home run allowed. Angel Perdomo allowed a run in 1.2 innings pitched, and Eli Villalobos allowed a run in 1 innings pitched.

Cal Mitchell helped lead the way for the Indy offense, going a remarkable 5-for-5. Mitchell hit his 1st home run of the season, scored three runs, and drove in a pair. Fellow outfielder Josh Palacios had a big game as well, going 3-for-4 with a walk. Palacios scored a run, hit his 1st home run with Indy, and drove in five runs.

Catcher Tyler Heineman went 1-for-2 with a RBI and three walks. Miguel Andújar stayed hot going 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored, and his 8th double of the season. Malcolm Nuñez was 0-for-3 and Chavez Young was 0-for-4.

Two poor innings sink Double-A Altoona

Things started well for the Double-A Altoona Curve in their Tuesday morning matchup with the Reading Fightin Phils. The Curve jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 11 AM first pitch, however, allowing 6 runs in the 4th inning and 4 in the 7th inning sunk the Curve in an 11-5 loss. With the loss, the Curve are now 7-8 on the season.

The Curve quickly struck to take the lead. With one out in the top of the 1st inning Liover Peguero walked and Domingo Leyba doubled. With two outs in the inning Mason Martin hit a double, making the score 2-0 Altoona.

Kyle Nicolas started for the Curve and fired 3 scoreless innings to start the game. Nicolas ran into trouble in the 4th inning, but it was not completely on him. With two outs in the inning shortstop Andres Alvarez committed a throwing error to keep the inning alive. Six Reading hits, including a home run, followed.

Then in the 5th inning Nicolas was hurt by a passed ball by Dylan Shockley. When the dust settled, Nicolas allowed 7 uneared runs in 4.2 innings pitched. He did allow nine hits and a pair of home runs, but six of those hits and both home runs came in an inning that should have already been over. Nicolas did not walk a batter, he struck out six, threw 65 of 89 pitches for strikes, and lowered his ERA on the season to 4.34.

Matt Eckelman got the final out of the 5th inning and then fired a 1-2-3 6th inning. Retiring all four batters he faced, Eckelman also recorded three strikeouts. Braedan Ogle allowed 4 runs on a hit, which was a home run, two walks and a wild pitch in the 7th inning. Juan Minaya then picked up a strikeout in a scoreless 8th inning.

Leyba started at third base and went 2-for-4 with his double, a run scored, and two RBI. He now owns a .964 OPS this season. Fabricio Macias was 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI, and Matt Fraizer was 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored.

Rare poor night for High-A Greensboro

So far this season the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers have been one of the best teams in all of minor league baseball. On Tuesday, however, the Grasshoppers had one of their worst performances of the early season. The Grasshoppers lost to the Rome Braves 7-2 to fall to 11-5 on the season.

Lefty Anthony Solometo started for the Grasshoppers and turned in a strong start. Solometo allowed 2 runs on just two hits, three walks, and four strikeouts in 5 innings pitched. Solometo was called for a balk, but did not allow a home run and threw 47 of his 76 pitches for a strike.

Brad Case took over for Solometo in the 6th inning and struggled. In 1.2 innings pitched Case allowed 5 runs on four hits, two walks, a home run, and a strikeout. Grant Ford pitched the final 2.1 innings of the game. Ford issued a walk and struck out three without allowing a hit or a run.

Offensively it was not a good night for the Grasshoppers who recorded just four hits. Mike Jarvis hit a solo home run, giving him 3 on the season. Tsung Che-Cheng, Luke Brown, and Hudson Head all had a hit as well.