Pirates Minor League Report: Bubba Chandler Bounces Back

Pirates’ minor league affiliates picked up two wins on Monday, with a handful of homers from batters in the lower rungs of the system and a continued bounce back for MLB Pipeline’s No. 64 prospect Bubba Chandler.

Triple-A Indianapolis lost 15-4 to the Columbus Clippers. Columbus tagged starting pitcher Michael Plassmeyer for four runs in one inning, and the Indianapolis bullpen couldn’t stop the bleeding… nor could the bats effectively play catch-up.

The Altoona Curve lost 1-0 to the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Chandler allowed one unearned run across five innings, while the Curve went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.

The Greensboro Grasshoppers walked off the Jersey Shore Blue Claws 5-4 in the tenth courtesy of a Lonnie White Jr. single, with closer Elijah Birdsong wriggling his way out of a jam with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the frame. 

Bradenton scored two late runs to outlast the Clearwater Threshers 6-4. Braylon Bishop, Axiel Plaz and Shalin Polanco all cleared the fences and Esmerlyn Valdez came a homer shy of the cycle, while the bullpen shut things down with 3.2 scoreless innings in relief of Hung-Leng Chang.

Here are the top performing Pirates’ prospects to begin the week.

Triple-A Indianapolis (24-32)

2B Mike Jarvis

• Day: 2-for-3 with a triple.
• Season: .143/.231/.304 with a double, a triple and 2 homers in 19 games between Altoona and Indianapolis.

C Jason Delay

• Game: 2-for-4 with a double.
• Season: .278/.381/.389 with 2 doubles in 6 rehab starts between Bradenton and Indianapolis.

Double-A Altoona (16-36)

RHP Bubba Chandler

• Game: 5 IP, 0 ER (1 unearned), 5 K’s.
• Season: 33.2 IP, 4.81 ERA, 38 K’s in 10 appearances (9 starts).

C Carter Bins

• Game: 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.
• Season: .278/.381/.389 with 9 doubles and 4 homers in 30 games between Altoona and Indianapolis.

High-A Greensboro (30-21)

1B Nick Cimillo

• Game: 2-for-5 with a homer.
• Season: .333/.418/.643 with 2 doubles and 8 homers in 24 games.

RHP Derek Diamond

• Game: 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 K’s.
• Season: 31.2 IP, 2.56 ERA, 31 K’s in 8 appearances (4 starts).

Single-A Bradenton (22-30)

1B Axiel Plaz

• Day: 2-for-4 with a homer.
• Season: .207/.319/.397 with 2 doubles and 3 homers in 21 games between rookie ball and Bradenton.

3B Esmerlyn Valdez

• Game: 3-for-3 with a double and a triple.
• Season: .238/.357/.404 with 8 doubles, a triple and 5 homers in 45 games.