Phillies Minor League Roundup - April 7, 2016

Today's Probables:

LHV: GM1 Jake Thompson, GM2 Adam Morgan
REA: Ben Lively
CLR: Matt Imhof
LWD: Tyler Gilbert

Lehigh Valley, Syracuse (PPD, due to weather with a doubleheader today)

Portland 3, Reading 1

Alec Asher - 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 4 K, 8 GB, 4 FB
Tom Windle - 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, HR
Severino Gonzalez - 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K
Joely Rodriguez - 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, K
Roman Quinn - 1 for 4, 2B, K
J.P. Crawford - 0 for 3, R, BB (throwing error)
Rhys Hoskins - 0 for 4, 3 K
Dylan Cozens - 0 for 4, 4 K
Jorge Alfaro - 1 for 4, 2 K
Aaron Brown - 0 for 3, BB, K
Angelo Mora - 0 for 3, K (throwing error)
Jesmuel Valentin - 1 for 3

24 year old righty Alec Asher (acquired in the Cole Hamels trade) gets bumped to AA and pitches like Alec Asher, giving up a ton of hits without too many consequences. The effort was ultimately wasted as the offense was collectively 4-hit during the game with 11 strikeouts, getting their lone run in the bottom of the 9th via a Jake Fox RBI single. Cozens and Hoskins did not have the kind of start you'd expect. Cozens lit up AA in his short stint last season and didn't look terrible in Spring Training. Lets credit the less than stellar weather and hope for a rebound tonight from the incredibly potent offense.

Dunedin 6, Clearwater 2

Tom Eshelman - 5 IP, 2 H, 4 H, 1 ER, BB, 4 K, 10 GB, 4 FB
Victor Arano - 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 2 K, HR
Malquin Canelo - 0 for 4, K (fielding error)
Scott Kingery - 1 for 4, K (throwing error)
Carlos Tocci - 2 for 4, SB
Kyle Martin - 0 for 4, K
Mitch Walding - 1 for 3, 2 R, HR, BB, 2 K
Zach Green - 2 for 4
Cord Sandberg - 1 for 3, 2B, RBI
Gabriel Lino - 0 for 3, K
Herlis Rodriguez - 0 for 3

Tom Eshelman, acquired in the Ken Giles trade, makes his Phillies organizational debut. Most shockingly, HE WALKED A BATTER. Well, he has walked batters before, but just very infrequently. Fielding errors doomed poor Tom with 1 unearned run scoring in the 1st and then 2 more in the 6th. Victor Arano (acquired in the Roberto Hernandez trade) has been moved to the bullpen to begin the 2016 where he found a bit of success in recent years (just not yesterday). Zach Green makes his first start since May 7, 2015 and served as DH in the game. He will likely split time between 1B and DH this season. Mitch Walding, repeating Clearwater, mashed the first tater of the Phillies minor league season. If you had him in your pool, please tell me the next winning Powerball numbers. That divisive centerfielder Carlos Tocci starting the season hot with two hits and a stolen base.

Lexington 7, Lakewood 4

Franklyn Kilome - 2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HR, HBP, 2 GB, 2 FB
Jose Tavares - 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 GB, 3 FB
Zach Morris - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Jacob Waguespack - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, BB, K
Cornelius Randolph - 1 for 5, R, K
Jiandido Tromp - 1 for 5, K
Josh Tobias - 1 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB (2 fielding errors)
Deivi Grullon - 3 for 5, 2B, HR, K
Damek Tomscha - 1 for 2, R, 2 BB, SB
Jose Pujols - 1 for 4, 2 K
Brendon Hayden - 1 for 4, 2 K
Jan Hernandez - 1 for 4, RBI, K
Emmanuel Marrero - 1 for 3, R, BB, K

Big buzz-worthy prospect Franklyn Kilome makes his full-season debut, a start that will hopefully prove he has a short memory. He gave up a 2-run single in the 2nd inning and followed it up with giving up a 3-run dinger in the 3rd. He would get out of the inning, but wouldn't be sent out for the 4th. The Lakewood offense outhits Lexington 11-8 behind a huge day from catching prospect Deivi Grullon, who hits his first HR of the season. He fell a triple short of the cycle. Grullon is very much a defense-first catcher and could become much more than that if his bat improves. 2015 1st Round draft pick Cornelius Randolph gets his first full-season base hit. I'm going to boldly predict he will get a lot more this season.