Reds Minor League Game Thread for Wednesday, June 23, 2021

[texasdave]

Louisville - 7:00 PM EDT - 15-27 - Hunter Greene (9.00) is back in action, making his second AAA start. This outing should provide a much clearer picture of where Hunter's development stands. His first time facing AAA players was played in less-than-ideal conditions. He topped out at 104.3 in his intial game. That figure has only been topped by Aroldis Chapman and Jordan Hicks, both relievers. Greene will also get a chance to swing the stick in a game for the first time since 2017. That should prove an interesting sidebar. Still no update on the Sanmartin Affair. The umpires came out and checked his hat, and left the game after that. Not sure of what is transpiring there. Tj Friedl leads the team in homers (5), runs scored (25) despite hitting at or near the bottom of the lineup all season, HBP (4), stolen bases (5) and triples (2). Beau Taylor has worked 6 bases on balls in his last 5 games. He has also posted an .888 OPS during the month of June. Sidenote: The Rochester Red Wings have lashed out 1 triple in 43 games. Alfredo Rodriguez has pulled himself out of his freefall, batting 6 for 11 over his last 3 contests. Today is Sluggeria Wednesay, and they will be serving shots Number Juan Tequila for Cinco Dollares. Number Juan Tequila is made from agave fields nestled in the rich & fertile lowland valley of Amatitán, Jalisco, where many say that God himself kissed the Earth. It is the tequila of choice of Ron White. More about this at a later date.

[texasdave]

Daytona Postponed - The Tortugas-Threshers struggle has been postponed due to rain.

[texasdave]

Chattanooga - 7:15 PM EDT - 23-19 - The Lookouts kicked one last night, falling 5-2. The game was tied going into the 8th when Chattanooga pitchers walked five in the innings. Toss in an error and a passed ball, mix well, and you have yourself an ugly defeat. Diomar Lopez made his Chattanooga debut but tossing a scoreless inning out of the pen. Lopez is a 24-year-old (but looks much older) righthander out of Larreynaga, Nicaragua. Larreynaga is adjacent to Cerro Negro, an active volcano. That would provide appropriate incentive to get out. The Reds traded Matt Wisler to pluck Diomar out of the Padres organization. He actually has some pretty solid career minor league numbers: 9.3 K9, 2.22 BB/9 and 0.58 HR/9. Graham Ashcraft has been promoted from Dayton to Chattanooga. Ashcraft had not given up an earned run over his last four starts (23 IP) for the Dragons. He may be the likely starter tonight for Chattanooga, since he last pitched on 6/17. And, one look at the Lookouts Twitter account confirm that Ashcraft will make the start. John Ghyzel was demoted to Dayton. Mike Byrne is silently having a very good year: 1.00 ERA, 2 BB, 15 K, 0 HR, .141 BAA and 0.61 WHIP.

[texasdave]

Dayton - 7:05 PM EDT - 25-18 - Dayton lost their ace, Graham Ashcraft, to Chattanooga. Ashcraft was scheduled to start tonight for the Dragons. It looks like a bullpen contest then. Jacques Pucheu (6.16) is being handed the ball. Pucheu has made a handful of starts in his career, but has mainly worked out of the bullpen. Up and down does not begin to describe his season so far. He rolled with a spotless ERA over his first five appearance. Over his last six games, Pucheu has posted an ERA over 12. Francisco Urbaez is whacking the ball at a .375 clip over his last 18 games. Urbaez is in his first year of professional baseball, and to start it off in High-A is promising. Andy Fisher over his last four appearances has tossed nine innings, allowing just one run on five hits with 13 strikeouts. I am guessing that we see Fisher tonight as well. Jacob Hurtubise leads the league in OBP at .456. Hurtubise is also in his first season of pro ball, and is also starting out in High-A. Dayton has the best record of any of the Reds farm clubs, and is leading their division by 2.0 games.

[texasdave]

Louisville - Hunter Greene with a 1-2-3 first. One strikeout.

In the home half of the first, Alejo Lopez singles with one out. Narciso Crook doubles him to third. And then a Logan Morrison triple clears the bases.

2-0 Bats as they are still batting in the bottom of the first.

Alfredo Rodriguez lifts a sac fly to make it 3-0.

[Tom Servo]

After 3 perfect innings Hunter got into some trouble in the 4th with two singles and a walk to load up the bases but he got a popup to escape the inning.

[texasdave]

Louisville - The Bats lead 4-0 in the top of the 6th.

Hunter Greene was outstanding: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.
RJ Alaniz is working in the 6th.

Louisville got their 4th run on a HBP (Crook), and singles by Morrison and Rodriguez.

Logan Morrison is now OPSing 1.246. If the Reds have any plans of bringing him to the big club, I am not sure what they are awaiting.

[texasdave]

Chattanooga - The Lookouts are romping 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth. They are still up at the plate.

Graham Ashcraft has been perfect through 5 innings. No hits, no walks, no nothing. He has fanned 5. He stands at just 60 pitches.

It is now 7-0 as Brian Rey goes deep (1).

Jose Barrero (6), Mark Kolozsvary (3) and Chuckie Robinson (3) have all launched the ball deep for 'Nooga so far this inning.

[membengal]

So...all the people freaking out over his debut in a joke ballpark last week - all good with Hunter Greene again?

[texasdave]

Dayton - The Dragons have just 2 hits through 6 innings, but it appears to be enough. They lead 2-1.

Correction: Quincy McAfee leads off the top of the 7th with his fourth home run on the season. Dragons up 3-1.

Jacques Pucheu went the first four, allowing 1 earned run.

Pedro Garcia has added 2 shutout frames.

[texasdave]

Chattanooga - Ashcraft makes easy work of the Trash Pandas on just 8 pitches. Still perfect. 68 pitches through 6.

[thorn]

Chattanooga - The Lookouts are romping 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth. They are still up at the plate.

Graham Ashcraft has been perfect through 5 innings. No hits, no walks, no nothing. He has fanned 5. He stands at just 60 pitches.

It is now 7-0 as Brian Rey goes deep (1).

Jose Barrero (6), Mark Kolozsvary (3) and Chuckie Robinson (3) have all launched the ball deep for 'Nooga so far this inning.

Ashcraft is doing some things down in Chattanooga tonight. Damn.


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[texasdave]

Chattanooga - A trickler down the third base line ends the perfecto. He hit it so poorly he got on. The third baseman hesitated on the throw. But it is ruled a base hit.

Graham gets the next three, one on strikes. 78 pitches through 7. Maybe he goes on for that rare complete game.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Crazy good pitching across all three games tonight.

Nice to see Greene bounce back, as it were. Two hits, 3 BB, and six K across five IP and 90+ pitches will work.

Ashcraft's AA debut was certainly eventful. Has he done enough to engender top 10 status among Red prospects? Perhaps so. Two leagues and in AA by 23 is certainly eye-opening, as is his stuff. I suspect he may be a fast mover. We will see.

Braxton Roxby had another phenomenal outing tonight. For those in the know, is it just the frisbee slider that's giving low level minor leaguers fits? Is that something that hitters will wise up to eventually?

[texasdave]

Chattanooga Recap - If you were at the game tonight, you witnessed a rarity. Graham Ashcraft has just polished off a complete game shutout. The offense did themselves proud as well in a 11-0 laugher.

Graham Ashcraft: I have a sneaking suspicion that he has just earned himself a MiLPotD Award: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 8 K. The two hits? A dribbler down the third-base line, and a pop up to second base. That's all, folks. That was more fun than your first funicular ride.

Jose Barrero singled, homered (6), stole a base (7).
Lorenzo Cedrola singled twice, and threw a runner out from centerfield.
Yoel Yanqui singled and walked twice.
Mark Kolozsvary normally would have made a run at being the MiPotD tonight. He singled, homered (3), walked, was hit by a pitch, scored three runs and drove in three more. That's honorable mention material.
Wilson Garcia singled twice and doubled.
Brian Rey singled and homered (1).
Chuckie Robinson homered (3) and walked.