Phillies MLR 4/23/19: Spencer Howard strikes out 11 batters, Deivy Grullon powers Lehigh Valley

Today’s Probables:

LHV: Cole Irvin
REA: Bailey Falter
CLR: Damon Jones
LWD: Kevin Gowdy

Lehigh Valley 9, Pawtucket 4

Nick Pivetta - 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, HR, 8 GB, 1 FB
Dylan Cozens - 1 for 4, HR, 3 RBI, BB, 3 K, SB
Deivy Grullon - 2 for 4, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB, K
Malquin Canelo - 1 for 2, 2 R, RBI, BB

Nick Pivetta’s first AAA start was somewhat of a success if you don’t include the 1st and 5th innings. From innings 2-4 he allowed no hits, no walks and struck out four. He gave up a three-run homer to former Red Sox prospect Rusney Castillo in the 5th. Dylan Cozens hit a three-run blast for his 6th HR of the early season, but is sadly batting below .200 (.192 to be exact). The improbable offensive surge from Deivy Grullon continued last night, with his 3rd homerun and improved his season line to .405/.468/.667.

Reading 5, Richmond 2

David Parkinson - 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, WP, 7 GB, 4 FB
Mickey Moniak - 1 for 4, 2 K (fielding error)
Adam Haseley - 1 for 3, R, 2 BB
Austin Listi - 0 for 5, 2 K
Darick Hall - 2 for 4, R, 2B, 2 K
Luke Williams - 0 for 4, 3 K

David Parkinson was cruising until he hit the 6th inning of a 3-0 game, where he then gave up a leadoff walk, then allowed a single, a wild pitch and then a double (scoring two runs in the process). JD Hammer, Luke Leftwich and Addison Russ pitched 3.1 innings of shutout relief with five strikeouts. The offense scattered nine hits in the game, but were just 2 for 7 with RISP. Austin Lisit’s season average has dropped down to .087.

Clearwater 1, Florida 0

Spencer Howard - 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 11 K, 6 GB, 0 FB
Nick Maton - 1 for 4, 2B, RBI, 2 K
Simon Muzziotti - 1 for 4, 2B
Matt Vierling - 0 for 3, BB
Madison Stokes - 1 for 4, K
Jhailyn Ortiz - 0 for 3, 2 K
Edgar Cabral - 0 for 3
Colby Fitch - 1 for 2, BB, K
Dalton Guthrie - 0 for 3, R, K
Jose Gomez - 1 for 3

Folks, this is what Spencer Howard is capable of and also what makes him possibly the most interesting pitching prospect in the system. The 11 strikeouts were a career-high in a single game and his first double-digit strikeout performance this season. He had two of those last year in 23 starts. The organization is still keeping him right around a 80 pitch-count in the early season. It will be interesting if they let him go longer as he becomes stretched out over the course of the summer. The Clearwater offense did just enough to squeak out a victory, with the single run coming off a RBI-single from Nick Maton in the bottom of the 6th.

Lakewood 3, Rome 2

Victor Santos - 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 4 GB, 0 FB
Francisco Morales - 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 GB, 1 FB
Luis Garcia - 0 for 4
Rafael Marchan - 3 for 4, R, 2B, K (throwing error)
Alec Bohm - 0 for 3, BB
Malvin Matos - 0 for 4
Carlos De La Cruz - 2 for 3, R, BB
Cole Stobbe - 2 for 2, R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, CS
Jake Holmes - 1 for 4, 2 K
Jonathan Guzman - 1 for 4, RBI, CS

Victor Santos has been surprisingly really good in the early season. He has a 2.50 ERA while allowing 17 hits, 3 walks to 16 strikeouts in 18 innings. Francisco Morales dished out his best performance of the season while being the piggyback starter in this one. Lets hope he can build off this (because it hasn’t been pretty otherwise). Alec Bohm ended his three-game hitting streak, but still has a 16-game on-base streak going. Rafael Marchan has been on a tear and has seen his season line go up to .316/.422/.474 in 38 at-bats. Meanwhile, Luis Garcia’s season average has plunged to .194 in 62 at-bats.