Pirates Prospect Watch: Curve Walk It Off In Home Opener

Pirates’ minor league affiliates began a new week of games with a 1-3 record on Tuesday, with three one-run games and a lopsided blowout.

The Indians fell 6-5 to the Toledo Mud Hens, who tagged Indianapolis starter Michael Plassmeyer for five runs in five innings. Indianapolis took a 3-1 lead early, but they couldn’t find the decisive hit as the Mud Hens continued to pile on. Altoona walked it off 8-7 in ten innings, coming all the way back after the Harrisburg Senators built a 7-2 lead after four innings. Harrisburg managed four runs off of Curve starter Graham Ashcraft, including a three-run bomb from 2023 second overall pick Dylan Crews, but two Aaron Shackelford homers helped set the stage for third baseman Kervin Pichardo’s game-winning single.

The Greensboro Grasshoppers managed just two hits in their 1-0 loss to the Winston-Salem Dash. They only allowed five hits themselves, but a seventh-inning wild pitch was enough to allow the game winner. Bradenton fell 8-1 to the Lakeland Flying Tigers. The Marauders only allowed four hits, but 12 walks issued allowed Lakeland to do significant damage at the plate regardless.

Here are some of the top performing Pirates prospects to start the week.

Triple-A Indianapolis (5-5)

2B Ji-hwan Bae

• Game: 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and 2 RBI.
• Season: .571/.625/1.143 with a double and a home run in 2 games between Single-A Bradenton and Triple-A Indianapolis.

SS Liover Peguero

• Game: 4-for-5 with a double.
• Season: .425/.429/.550 with 5 doubles in 9 games.

Double-A Altoona (2-2)

SS Tsung-Che Cheng

• Game: 1-for-2 with 3 walks.
• Season: .111/.429/.111 in 3 games.

1B Aaron Shackelford

• Game: 2-for-5 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI.
• Season: .235/.235/.588 with 2 home runs in 4 games.

High-A Greensboro (2-2)

SS Termarr Johnson

• Game: 0-for-1 with 3 walks.
• Season: .143/.294/.143 in 4 games.

CF Lonnie White Jr.

• Game: 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk.
• Season: .200/.333/.733 with 2 home runs in 4 games.

Single-A Bradenton (1-3)

RF Jack Herman

• Game: 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored.
• Season: .176/.176/.294 with 2 doubles in 4 games.

RHP Mike Walsh

• Game: 1 IP, 1 K and 0 ER.
• Season: 4.50 ERA with 2 strikeouts in 2 innings.