Pirates Minor League Report: Termarr Johnson Homers in A-Ball

Pirates’ minor league affiliates earned three wins on Wednesday, with a former first round pick hitting a homer and a top pitching prospect continuing to mow down opposing batters.

Triple-A Indianapolis defeated the Iowa Cubs 2-0. Braxton Ashcraft kicked off the shutout with 4.1 scoreless innings in his second Triple-A start, while Indianapolis scraped across two runs in the eighth inning to claim victory.

The Altoona Curve took down the Bowie Baysox 6-4, with the bullpen allowing just one run over 8.1 innings after starter Drake Fellows got dinged for three runs early.

The Greensboro Grasshoppers defeated the Hudson Valley Renegades 8-2, with Termarr Johnson and P.J. Hilson each hitting a homer and Wilber Dotel turning in six scoreless innings.

Bradenton lost 10-2 to the Lakeland Flying Tigers after the bullpen got shelled for eight runs in 3.2 innings.

Here are some of the top performances amongst Pirates’ minor leaguers on Wednesday.

Triple-A Indianapolis (31-38)

RHP Braxton Ashcraft

• Game: 4.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 K’s.
• Season: 64 IP, 3.23 ERA, 71 K’s in 13 appearances (12 starts).

SS Liover Peguero

• Game: 2-for-4 with a double.
• Season: .276/.338/.408 with 14 doubles, 2 triples and 4 homers in 61 games.

Double-A Altoona (25-40)

1B Joe Perez

• Game: 2-for-5 with a double.
• Season: .214/.298/.348 with 8 doubles, a triple and 5 homers in 53 games between Altoona and Indianapolis.

RF Sammy Siani

• Game: 3-for-5 with a homer.
• Season: .276/.345/.464 with 10 doubles, 3 triples and 7 homers in 54 games between Greensboro and Altoona.

High-A Greensboro (38-26)

RF P.J. Hilson

• Game: 2-for-3 with a homer.
• Season: .233/.313/.438 with a double, a triple and 9 homers in 46 games between Bradenton and Greensboro.

RHP Wilber Dotel

• Game: 6 IP, 0 ER, 7 K’s.
• Season: 52.1 IP, 5.16 ERA, 50 K’s in 13 starts.

Single-A Bradenton (28-36)

RF Esmerlyn Valdez

• Game: 2-for-4 with a double.
• Season: .238/.362/.444 with 10 doubles, a triple and 9 homers in 56 games.

1B Axiel Plaz

• Game: 1-for-3 with a homer.
• Season: .217/.306/.446 with 3 doubles and 6 homers in 31 games between rookie ball and Bradenton.