Phillies MLR 6/5/17: Nick Williams hot streak continues, Tom Eshelman dominant

Today’s Probables:

LHV: Cesar Ramos
REA: Tyler Viza
CLR: Alberto Tirado
LWD: Ranger Suarez

Lehigh Valley 12, Buffalo 1

Tom Eshelman - 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 K, 7 GB, 5 FB
Jesen Therrien - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Cam Perkins - 3 for 4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB
J.P. Crawford - 2 for 4, 2 R, RBI, BB, K
Rhys Hoskins - 1 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
Dylan Cozens - 1 for 5
Nick Williams - 3 for 5, 2 R, 3B, 2 RBI
Jiandido Tromp - 0 for 4, K

Tom Eshelman keeps on doing the impossible, throwing up career best numbers at the highest level of the minors. He has 31 strikeouts to 4 walks in 45.2 innings AND holds a 1.38 ERA / 0.79 WHIP. I still think the ceiling remains at a #3 if everything breaks right, but all this seems encouraging regardless. That Nick Williams doesn’t seem to be slowing down either. Since May 2 (122 at-bats), he is batting .295/.336/.557 with 9 HR and 2 SB. The strikeouts (41) and walks (6) aren’t great in that span, but the kid is hitting the cover off the ball. If you narrow the sample size even smaller, he is OPSing 1.173 in his last 19 games alone. J.P. Crawford breaks out of yet another slump with a multi-hit effort. Dylan Cozens DH’d last night and even had a pinch runner for him (Hoby Milner of all people).

Charlotte 1, Clearwater 0 (GM1 of DH, 7 innings)

Franklyn Kilome - 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 4 K, 8 GB, 2 FB
Tyler Gilbert - 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB
Herlis Rodriguez - 0 for 3, 2 K
Cornelius Randolph - 0 for 3, 2 K
Deivi Grullon - 0 for 3, 2 K
Jan Hernandez - 0 for 2, K
Jose Pujols - 0 for 2, K

What a weird game, huh? The contest featured more walks (8) than hits (3). Kilome being responsible for 5 of those free passes, has a 15 innings scoreless streak going in which he has only given up 9 hits, walked 5 and struck out 11. The Threshers only hit came from Emmanuel Marrero, who had a 1-out single in the 6th inning.

Charlotte 3, Clearwater 2 (GM1 of DH, makeup of 6/4 ppd, 12 innings)

Cole Irvin - 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, BB, 7 K, HBP, 11 GB, 0 FB
Matt Hockenberry - 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K
Jeff Singer - 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K
Harold Arauz - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Luke Leftwich - 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, BB
Mark Laird - 2 for 6, 2B, K, SB, CS
Drew Stankiewicz - 1 for 3, R, 2 BB, 2 K, SB, HBP (throwing error)
Wilson Garcia - 1 for 3, K
Herlis Rodriguez - 0 for 3, R
Cornelius Randolph - 0 for 5, 2 K
Austin Bossart - 1 for 5 (catcher’s interference error)
Cord Sandberg - 0 for 4, BB, 2 K
Jan Hernandez - 2 for 5, 2 RBI (fielding error)
Jose Pujols - 0 for 4, BB, K
Grenny Cumana - 1 for 5 (throwing error)

Cole Irvin pitched fairly well, but was the recipient of some bad luck in the 6th where both of his runs scored. A Jan Hernandez fielding error allowed the lead-off runner to get on base. Even after getting the next two batters out, Irvin gave up a triple and double to relinquish the lead. Hernandez made up for his mistake by delivering a two RBI-double in the bottom of the 6th to tie the game. Credited with the loss and the earned run, Luke Leftwich also fell into some unfortunate events. Leftwich allowed a lead-off triple in the 12th that came around to score on the same play after a Drew Stankiewicz throwing error.