Minor League Games - Sunday, September 2, 2018

kikutaro 2018-09-02 02:30:31 UTC #1

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (83-56) @ Rochester Red Wings (64-75) 6:05 pm | Gameday
Tom Eshelman (2-13, 5.84) vs. Omar Bencomo (1-0, 3.46)

Final
Rochester 6, Lehigh Valley 5

Notable

Collin Cowgill 1-4, R, RBI, 2B, 2 K
Mitch Walding 0-4, 2 K
Andrew Knapp 2-4, R, K
Zach Green 0-3, R, BB, 2 K
Danny Ortiz 1-2, R, 3 RBI, HR, BB
Ryan Goins 0-3, 2 K

Tom Eshelman 6.0 IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, 1BB, 7K, game score: 43
Ben Lively (H, 2), 1.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K
Jeff Singer (H, 2), 1.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K
Edgar Garcia (BS, 2)(L, 0-1), 0.0 IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 0K

Reading Fightin Phils (64-72) @ Trenton Thunder (78-61) 7:00 pm | Gameday
Harold Arauz (9-7, 4.59) vs. Jonathan Loaisiga (undefined-undefined, )

Final
Trenton 3, Reading 0

Notable

Malquin Canelo 0-3, BB, K, SB
Deivi Grullon 0-3, 2 K
Jan Hernandez 1-3, 2 K

Harold Arauz (L, 9-7), 4.1 IP, 6H, 2R, 1ER, 1BB, 4K, game score: 44
Luke Leftwich 2.2 IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 5K

Clearwater Threshers (77-60) @ Fort Myers Miracle (68-69) 12:00 pm | Gameday
Ramon Rosso (6-2, 2.91) vs. Brusdar Graterol (5-2, 3.12)

Final
Fort Myers 2, Clearwater 1

Notable

Arquimedes Gamboa 0-4, 2 K
Henri Lartigue 1-4, 2 K
Luke Williams 1-4, RBI, 2 K
Raul Rivas 0-2, 2 BB, 2 CS

Ramon Rosso 3.0 IP, 5H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 3K, game score: 51
JD Hammer (L, 1-2), 1.0 IP, 2H, 2R, 0ER, 0BB, 3K
Alberto Tirado 2.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 3K

Delmarva Shorebirds (67-66) @ Lakewood BlueClaws (87-50) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Brandon Bonilla (0-4, 3.18) vs. Damon Jones (10-7, 3.41)

Final
Lakewood 5, Delmarva 4

Notable

Matt Vierling 1-4, 2 RBI, K
Rodolfo Duran 1-3, R, BB, K
Colby Fitch 0-3, R, BB, 2 K
Jose Antequera 2-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB, K

Damon Jones (W, 10-7), 5.0 IP, 6H, 4R, 1ER, 2BB, 6K, game score: 48
Connor Brogdon (H, 5), 2.0 IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 1K
Zach Warren (S, 15), 2.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 2BB, 5K

State College Spikes (35-40) @ Williamsport Crosscutters (32-43) 5:05 pm | Gameday
Eli Kraus (3-2, 3.15) vs. Francisco Morales (4-5, 5.27)

Final
State College 9, Williamsport 1

Notable

Jonathan Guzman 0-4, 2 K
Ben Aklinski 2-4, 3B
Ben Pelletier 0-4, 2 K
Danny Mayer 0-4, R, 2 K
Seth Lancaster 0-3, BB, 2 K
Lenin Rodriguez 1-3, 2B
Jesus Henriquez 1-2, RBI, 2B, K

Francisco Morales (L, 4-5), 6.0 IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 6K, game score: 51

(click on the start time for box scores)

phillychuck 2018-09-02 12:42:29 UTC #2

Our full season teams go into the last day of the regular season today 75 games OVER .500 in a year where a lot of our minor league talent was hurt, or graduated to the majors, or was traded away. All-in-all a very successful year in terms of performance, and most of it was age-appropriate for prospects. Here are my "performance" MVPs of the year for position players:

AAA--Joey Meneses -- will finish just short of a IL triple crown, is currently in the top 2 for all three major categories. Should earn himself a shot somewhere in spring training next season on a big-league roster. Honorable mention--Dylan Cozens

AA--Zach Green -- a .953 OPS at Reading where he was better on the road. Needs a 40-man spot this winter IMHO. HM -- Damek Tomscha, Austin Listi

A+--Jose Pujols -- also played well at Reading, 22 HRs over the season and a dramatic increase in walk percentage. Still just 22 years old. HM -- Darick Hall

A--Jake Scheiner -- an under-the-radar great year. Who puts up an .850 OPS at Lakewood? Just turned 23, I'd love to see how he would hit at Reading next season, but he'll likely start in CLW. Seems solid enough defensively to stay at 3B. HM -- Rodolpho Duran, Nick Maton

Others: Haseley did well splitting levels posting an overall .800 OPS with .880 at Reading, Moniak had a very nice second half, 53 games with an .820 OPS, Randolph raised himself from obscurity with a .930 July OPS, Deivi Grullon hit 21 HR at Reading, and Mitch Walding had an .870 OPS in AAA.

Slinging_Southpaw 2018-09-02 21:54:50 UTC #3

With a big night tonight Meneses and a poor night from the others, he could still win the triple crown(Tied HR's, Tied RBI, 4 points behind in Batting average).

fish 2018-09-03 12:09:08 UTC #4

Interesting comments on Mitch Rupert’s twitter feed about Francisco Morales having made adjustments to his slider to get more vertical movement like Brad Lidge.

Squire 2018-09-05 11:57:41 UTC #5

I pride myself in being one to not go with conspiracy theories but if I had to guess, Moniak was not played in the final regular season game on Sunday because he had got his season average to .270 on Saturday night.

bigegypt0417 2018-09-05 12:45:22 UTC #6

LOL

the conspiracy is they wanted his average to be 270?

rkeden 2018-09-05 13:01:30 UTC #7

I guess he is not Ted Williams. I prefer the William's approach. But I doubt it was his decision so I will be kind. And .270 really is impressive given his first few months.

allentown 2018-09-05 14:21:39 UTC #8

Nothing wrong with the team wanting him to end the season on a positive note as he heads into off-season activities. With the comments in media about the improved results coming when he reverted from Phillies' instructed approach to hitting back to what worked for him in H.S., perhaps the team just wanted to remove him from the media line of fine. That was a rather damning comment to the Phillies instructional approach to his hitting. Imagine, the swing the Phillies scouts, including Gillick, absolutely fell in love with is the one which actually works for him.

flyers19rw 2018-09-05 14:22:59 UTC #9

FWIW, Moniak's .270 BA was thirteenth highest in the FSL this season. 100Ks/22BBs-needs work.

Messing up a player who was a 1.1 selection should be a fireable offense. They drafted him knowing what he is/was, a Yelich style hitter, and tried to make him into something else. That's poor. Coming out of H.S., he was known for a level swing that allowed his bat to stay in the hitting zone for a while and generated line drives, especially to the alleys. If they wanted a power hitter, they should have taken someone else. Now here he is after three seasons in the system and who knows what he may be? At least the Phillies haven't messed with his defense and changed his position on the field (yet?).

bigegypt0417 2018-09-05 14:36:00 UTC #10

Christian Yelich will finish in the top 10 in the MVP voting...Christian Yelich as your ceiling is not an insult.

I mean...to most peeps.

zambonir 2018-09-05 14:37:26 UTC #11

Where was this? (I mean, I saw a post by CD referencing a post on another message board but not a media outlet).

flyers19rw 2018-09-05 14:38:20 UTC #12

If Yelich had a "problem" it was that he was on the same team as Stanton and his power numbers paled in comparison to him. Stanton is Stanton and Yelich is Yelich. I'd take either of them on this team right now. Stanton didn't want to come here and the Phillies, even though they had a shot at Yelich, didn't make the move.

Squire 2018-09-05 14:54:43 UTC #13

Moniak was 6 for his last 10 and then they sat him down against a RHP on Sunday with an off day on Monday. I guess that's only a really odd decision to me.

andyb 2018-09-05 15:28:57 UTC #14

Moniak's problem is not that he has a Christian Yelich ceiling. Yelich is a passable CF with decent speed, 20 HR power, good strike zone discipline, and a great hit tool. Right now Moniak has only shown that he is a passable CF with decent speed (though likely less of it than Yelich).

Yelich and Moniak were both age 20 in the FSL. Yelich had a 330/404/519 slash compared to 270/304/383 for Moniak. Yelich 49 BB and 85 Ks. Moniak 22/100.

Yelich is really not a great comp with Moniak any more. There is probably some racial bias in that comp (i.e. find me a white CF that looks like Moniak physically). While they might be similar physically, Moniak just does not have anywhere near the hit tool that Yelich had and scouting reports suggested Moniak would have.

I don't know what Moniak is. He is going to need to hit .300 to have an acceptable OBP in the 330-340 range. He really needs to get to having 20 HR power and learn to use his speed more effectively. If his CF defense is good that is a major league average starter. If his CF defense is average or below then he is more of a 4th OF.

Who are his real comps? Hard to tell. Maybe guys like Starling Marte or John Jay. Ender Inciarte without quite the defense. 280-300 hitter with 10-15 HR power, a modest number of BBs and relatively low number of Ks. That is his path today it seems.

allentown 2018-09-05 16:02:57 UTC #15

we are talking about Moniak's improvement after he reverted to his approach from H.S., I think it fairer to look at his more recent stats. Admittedly, he was beyond awful in April and poor in May and June.

for July, his slash is .277/.336/.489/.825

for Aug, his slash is .311/.355/.456/.811

including 5 AB for Sept, in which he did well, this period covers 202 ab and his BB/K ratio is a more respectable 17/36

I think his numbers for the past two months are fine.

fish 2018-09-05 17:18:27 UTC #16

I'd go with a ceiling of Gerardo Parra.

andyb 2018-09-05 17:28:46 UTC #17

Yes they are respectable. They are just not anywhere near the 404 OBP that Yelich had along with much more power than Moniak. 17 BB in 202 AB is respectable. It is not Yelich. And if we picked Yelich's best month or two that year I am sure it would have an OBP even higher than .404.

Moniak's hit tool looks average at best. We need to stop comparing him to players with hit tools that are significantly above average. I recognize that Moniak has improved from last year and earlier this year. I just don't think Yelich is his ceiling any more since he does not seem to have a hit tool anywhere near Yelich. His path to success if he makes it will look different.

andyb 2018-09-05 17:31:25 UTC #18

Parra is not bad, though I would argue in Moniak's favor regarding power potential. There is 20 HR power potential in Moniak so that might make his ceiling a bit higher than Parra. Hopefully anyway (I am not rooting against him.....).

bigegypt0417 2018-09-05 17:40:28 UTC #19

You understand the progress but don't account for it because your argument makes sense when you refuse to actually look at the most recent sample size. You can call the hit tool "average at best" again when you devalue the most recent sample size...if he continues to replicate his last two months is his hit tool still "average at best"?

andyb 2018-09-05 17:51:23 UTC #20

Yes. A 50 hit tool in the majors is a .280-.300 hitter who does not do a great job of controlling the strike zone. Or more of a .260 hitter that does. In Moniak's best month (August) he hit .311/355/456. Only 7 BBs in 103 ABs so there probably is a bit of BABIP luck involved. This was a good performance though and he gets credit for it. But it is still not that special. A guy with an above average hit tool should do better than that. Guys with 50 hit tools hit .300 in A+ ball all the time. Guys with 40 and 45 hit tools hit well in A+ and then hit a ceiling at higher levels. A 50 hit tool means MAJOR LEAGUE AVERAGE. That would put him in the top 10%-20% in A+ ball though since most hitters there do not project to be major league average.

There is nothing Moniak has done, even in his best months that suggest his hit tool is above average. Average is pretty good already. Moniak was looking below average early in the year.