Pirates Prospect Watch: Termarr Johnson is Heating Up

Pirates minor league affiliates went 3-1 on Saturday. Termarr Johnson hit a grand slam after missing a game following a hit by pitch, giving him four home runs in his past six games.

Here are the notable performances.

Triple-A Indianapolis Indians (56-62)

CF Ryan Vilade

• Game: 2-for-2 with a home run, two walks and two RBI.
• Season: .258/.374/.369 with 16 doubles, three triples and five home runs in 95 games. 

RHP Quinn Priester

• Game: 4 innings pitched, 0 runs allowed, six strikeouts.
• Season: 7-3 with a 4.12 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 91.2 Triple-A innings. 

Playing just across the river from their big league clubs in Minneapolis, Indianapolis defeated the Saint Paul Saints 5-4. Priester didn’t have the best game, allowing four hits and three walks in four innings, but he managed to keep the Saints off the board nonetheless. Vilade’s two-run homer in the eighth was the difference in the contest. 

Double-A Altoona Curve (52-58)

2B Tsung-Che Cheng

• Game: 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
• Season: .301/.372/.492 between High-A Greensboro (57 games) and Double-A Altoona (44 games). 

RF Joe Perez

• Game: 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk.
• Season: .267/.335/.423 between Triple-A Sugar Land (Astros, 87 games) and Double-A Altoona (7 games).

The Curve fell to the Bowie Bay Sox 6-5 in extra innings. Anthony Solometo gave up a three-run homer in the first inning, lasting just four innings on a rare down night. 

High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers (60-50)

2B Termarr Johnson

• Game: 2-for-4 with five RBI, a home run and a walk.
• Season: .240/.410/.450 between Single-A Bradenton (75 games) and High-A Greensboro (14 games).

3B Brendan Dixon

• Game: 2-for-3 with a home run, a triple and a walk. 
• Season: .227/.349/.483 between High-A Greensboro (52 games) and Triple-A Indianapolis (4 games).

The Grasshoppers beat the Bowling Green Hot Rods 9-1. J.P. Massey pitched three innings, allowing one run, while Johnson and Dixon knocked in eight of Greensboro’s nine runs.

Single-A Bradenton Marauders (64-48)

DH Lonnie White Jr.

• Game: 2-for-5 with a double.
• Season: .288/.418/.485 between rookie ball (17 games) and Single-A Bradenton (27 games).

INF Jesus Castillo

• Game: 2-for-3 with a walk.
• Season: .219/.388/.266 in 103 games for the Marauders.

Bradenton beat the Lakeland Flying Tigers 5-3. The Marauders racked up 13 hits, but just three of them went for extra bases, keeping the final score modest. Max Kranick pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits as he continues his rehab assignment.