Phillies Minor League Roundup April 29 - May 1, 2016

Howdy, everyone... filling in for your favorite minors coverage man Jay for the week and trying my best to not mess this up for all of you. Lots of pressure. A bit of a light weekend with some rainouts thrown in, but let's get to it.

Monday's Probables:

Lehigh Valley: David Buchanan vs. Pawtucket

Reading: Anthony Vasquez @ New Hampshire

Clearwater: Will Morris @ Tampa

Lakewood: Jose Taveras (Gm. 1) / Franklyn Kilome (Gm.2) in doubleheader vs. Greenville

Lehigh Valley

Friday 4/29: Buffalo 2, Lehigh Valley 1 [box]

Saturday 4/30: Lehigh Valley 3, Buffalo 2 [box]

Sunday 5/1: Postponed, day-night doubleheader 6/18

Mark Appel went 5 1/3 innings Friday night in a no-decision, walking four in the process. It was his second shortest outing of the year, but he still has a 1.64 ERA through four starts.

Some roster shifting brought Adam Morgan to the Phillies and Luis Garcia back to the Pigs. Dalier Hinojosa, who took a line drive off the hand Thursday against the Nats, was placed on the 15-day DL, meaning Colton Murray got the call from AAA on Saturday. Murray had 14 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings for the Pigs thus far, but did have a 6.10 ERA, mostly due in part to allowing six runs in a game on April 14.

After an 0-for-4 night on Friday, Taylor Featherston went 2-for-3 with a walk Saturday, and may be forcing the Phillies' hand soon if Emmanuel Burriss continues at his current pace.

Alec Asher had his first AAA start of the season after four solid starts in Reading and went 8 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits and two unearned runs while striking out five. An impressive start in Lehigh for Asher to say the least.

Reading

Friday 4/29: Reading 14, Portland 3 [box]

Saturday 4/30: Portland 6, Reading 3 [box]

Sunday 5/1: Portland 7, Reading 6 [box]

Friday's rout saw the Fightin Phils' top three hitters go 7-for-14 with a triple, homer and seven runs scored. Rhys Hoskins had three of those hits, including the homer, and drove in five. Angelo Mora had three hits, including a pair of doubles. The Fightins actually walked 12 batters, but managed to win by 11. Can't say that happens too often.

The Fightins walked just two on Saturday, but lost 6-3, so go figure that one. Nick Pivetta went six innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs while striking out eight and walking just one. Roman Quinn had two hits (he went 7-for-13 this weekend with 4 BB, 2 SB, 2 3B, and 2 RBI), and you can only hope his bat stays hot as he gets his first real good stretch of the season going.

Edubray Ramos and Jeremy Bleich both blew saves in the 9th and 10th innings respectively in a 7-6 loss Sunday.

Clearwater

Friday 4/29: Lakeland 11, Clearwater 4 [box]

Saturday 4/30: Lakeland 4, Clearwater 0 [box]

Sunday 5/1: Clearwater 4, Lakeland 2 [box]

Chace Numata was 4-for-4 in a 11-4 blowout loss Friday, a game in which Michael Mariot, on rehab assignment, got shelled for six earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings of work. Mariot, claimed off waivers from Kansas City this past off-season, had been out since the beginning of spring training with an ankle injury.

Kyle Martin continued his hot stretch, and is now hitting .301/.363/.527 for the season. The Phillies' 2015 fourth-round pick out of South Carolina homered Friday and added an RBI double Sunday.

Tyler Viza was impressive again for the Threshers on Sunday, striking out 11 Lakeland batters in 6 1/3 innings. After having not allowed a run in his previous two starts, Viza allowed just one Sunday. He is now 4-0 on the year with a 1.14 ERA, with 28 strikeouts and just four walks in 23 2/3 innings.

Lakewood

Friday 4/29: Lakewood 2, Greenville 1 [box]

Saturday 4/30: Lakewood 10, Greenville 7 [box]

Sunday 5/1: Postponed, doubleheader today

Jiandido Tromp had a three-hit effort Friday, driving in a pair in the Blue Claws' 5-1 victory over Greenville, just their fifth of the season. Luke Leftwich, Luis Morales and Robert Tasin combined to allow the lone run, with Leftwich striking out 11 in the process over six innings.

Lakewood won again Saturday, a 10-7 victory. Tromp homered, walked twice and scored twice, while Jose Pujols added a three-run homer. Wilson Garcia had three hits.

And of course, just as they were trying to put a little streak together, Sunday's affair against Greenville was rained out. The two teams will play a doubleheader later today.