Pirates Prospect Watch: Altoona Walks it Off in Final Home Game

It was a clean sweep for all Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates on Sunday. From Triple-A Indianapolis down to Low-A Bradenton, each team won.

Altoona’s win was especially special out of all the affiliates. With their last home game of the season, Altoona managed to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth inning thanks to Carter Bins.

Greensboro came back from a two-run deficit in the ninth and ended up winning; Bradenton won while using seven pitchers, and Indianapolis had a few familiar names have some big games.

Let’s head to the Pittsburgh Pirates farm and see who stood out.

Indianapolis (63-73)

SS Chris Owings

• Game stats: 3-5, a homer, double, one run scored, and an RBI
• Season stats: .238/.342/.448, 14 homers, two triples, 14 doubles, and 44 RBIs (286 at-bats, or 78 games)

DH Henry Davis

• Game stats: 3-3, two walks, and an RBI
• Season stats: .298/.448/.564, 12 homers, two triples, ten doubles, and 32 RBIs (188 at-bats, or 53 games between Double-A and Triple-A)

The Indians defeated the Toledo Mud Hens on a bullpen day as Wil Crowe started the game and went four innings while giving up two earned runs.

Beau Sulser, Kyle Nicolas, and Osvaldo Bido finished the game as the Indians won 5-2, claiming the series. In addition, Henry Davis is nearing his return and went 3-3 with an RBI and two walks.

Altoona (63-66)

C Carter Bins

• Game stats: 3-5, a double, and three RBIs
• Season stats: .207/.277/.348, three homers, four doubles, and 16 RBIs (92 at-bats, or 27 games between the FCL, Low-A, and Double-A)

1B Connor Scott

• Game stats: 2-3, a walk, and an RBI
• Season stats: .195/.264/.317, three homers, four triples, 13 doubles, and 35 RBIs (246 at-bats, or 70 games)

It was a magnificent finish for the Altoona Curve as they walked it off in the final home game of the 2023 season.

With the game knotted up, the Curve had Joe Perez lead the inning with a single. Harrisburg then had a passed ball, allowing Perez to advance to second.

Matt Fraizer hit a fly ball to right field for an out, and then Carter Bins happened. In a 1-0 count, Bins blasted a ball to center field that flew over the fielder’s head and landed as a walk-off book-rule double.

The Curve won 5-4 and took five out of six games from the Senators.

Greensboro (67-60)

1B Nick Cimillo

• Game stats: 1-4, a homer, one run scored, and three RBIs
• Season stats: .247/.364/.472, 11 homers, one triple, 17 doubles, and 38 RBIs (231 at-bats, or 70 games between Low-A and High-A)

3B Jack Brannigan

• Game stats: 2-4, a double, and run scored
• Season stats: .275/.390/.524, 19 homers, 22 doubles, 24 stolen bases, and 54 RBIs (309 at-bats, or 87 games between Low-A and High-A)

Greensboro found themselves down two runs in heading into the top of the ninth. With one out in the inning, Hudson Head got hit by a pitch, followed by a single from Sammy Siani.

Shawn Ross struck out leaving it up to Nick Cimillo with two outs and runners on first and second. In an 0-1 count, Cimillo blasted his third homer of the season and put the Grasshoppers up 6-5.

Julian Bosnic came in to close things out in the bottom of the ninth and he pitched a perfect inning while striking out two. In addition, Sunday’s win gave both the Grasshoppers and Hot Rods three wins apiece in the series.

Bradenton (76-54)

RHP Carlos Jimenez

• Game: 2.0 IP, no hits, no runs, one walk, and four strikeouts 
• Season: 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 13.0 IP, 15 walks, and 21 strikeouts in seven games (three starts)

C Omar Alfonso

• Game: 1-2, a double, run scored, a walk, and an RBI
• Season: .275/.408/.427, five homers, one triple, nine doubles, and 42 RBIs (171 at-bats, or 60 games between the FCL and Low-A)

The Pittsburgh Pirates Low-A affiliate, the Bradenton Marauders capped off the minor league sweep on Sunday. With Bradenton’s 5-3 win over Fort Myers, each level won on Sunday.

Omar Alfonso had the lone extra-base hit for the Marauders, and Bradenton had to use seven different pitchers to pull off their win on Sunday.

In addition, with Bradenton’s win, they clinched the series victory over Fort Myers four games to two.