Pirates Prospect Watch: Solometo Impresses in Double-A Debut

It was a night for debuts for the Pittsburgh Pirates and their minor league affiliates. One of the bigger debuts for the Pirates had to be LHP Anthony Solometo’s Double-A debut.

Solometo outperformed his box score due to some less-than-ideal defense in the outfield, and a blatant missed out call at third base.

Solometo’s final line read five innings, six hits, four runs (two earned), one walk, and seven strikeouts. Three of Solometo’s strikeouts came against Jasson Dominguez, the Yankees’ top-rated prospect.

With all that being said, let’s dive into some Pirates’ prospects.

Indianapolis (29-37)

RHP Cody Bolton

• Game stats: Two innings pitched, no hits, no earned runs, no walks, and one strikeout
• Season stats: 17 games, 1-2 record, 2.88 ERA, 26 strikeouts, seven walks, and 25.0 innings pitched

RF Henry Davis

• Game stats: 1-3 with a double and a walk
• Season stats: .283/.432/.539 with a .971 OPS

There wasn’t much to root for in Indianapolis’ game against Iowa Saturday night, but Davis belted a 106.6 mph double in the first inning, and Cody Bolton pitched two perfect innings to close the game out in a 6-3 loss.

Altoona (31-29)

RF Matt Fraizer

• Game stats: 2-2 with a double and two walks
• Season stats: .236/.311/.372 with an OPS of .683

LHP Anthony Solometo

• Game stats: five innings pitched, six hits, four runs, two earned, one walk, and seven strikeouts
• Season stats: 13 games, 2-4 record, 2.40 ERA, 26 walks, 75 strikeouts, and 63.2 innings pitched

As the opener said, Solometo pitched better than his box score read, and honestly, you can’t ask much more from a 20-year-old in Double-A making his debut.

Fraizer was the only consistent one for Altoona, and as a result, the Curve lost 8-1 against Somerset.

Greensboro (33-27)

OF Tres Gonzalez

• Game stats: 3-4 with a double, a run scored, and a walk
• Season stats: .263/.388/.353 with an OPS of .741

INF Tsung-Che Cheng

• Game stats: 1-5 with a triple and two RBIs
• Season stats: .315/.414/.581 with an OPS of .955

Greensboro was losing 8-1 heading into the ninth and then pulled within four to make things “close,” but all in all, it was pretty much a stinker for the Grasshoppers.

Gonzalez was the only hitter to manage more than one hit in the game.

Bradenton (33-29)

OF Shalin Polanco

• Game stats: 3-3 with a homer and a double
• Season stats: .257/.341/.497 with an OPS of 838

RHP Derek Diamond

• Game stats: Five innings, four hits, no runs, one walk, and four strikeouts
• Season stats: 11 games, 5-3 record, 4.71 ERA, 10 walks, 42 strikeouts, and 49.2 innings pitched.

Polanco belted his second consecutive homer in as many games for the Marauders, as well as hitting a double. The Marauders’ pitching staff pitched a combined shutout in a 3-0 win.

The Marauders were the only team from the majors to Single-A to win a game Saturday evening.