Skip to main content

Minor League Rundown: Hernandez, Biddle, Milner, Cutters Updates

It's another weekly rundown of the Phillies' minor leagues with details on some recent noteworthy performers...


Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs-

Cesar Hernandez w/ Reading in 2012
International League All-Star Cesar Hernandez is back in action after missing a few weeks with a wrist injury.  In three games since rejoining the Pigs' starting lineup, Hernandez has gone 3-for-9.  Overall this season, the switch-hitting 23-year-old has posted a .315 average with two homers, 35 RBI and 31 stolen bases in 95 minor league games.

Righty hurler Tyler Cloyd in his last seven starts has tallied a 4-1 record with a 0.77 ERA while striking out 32 and walking five in 47 innings.  In 12 big league starts, the 26-year-old is 4-4- with a 4.14 ERA.  Cloyd was the Phils' 18th round draft selection in 2008.


Double-A Reading Fightin Phillies-

Left-hander Jesse Biddle struck out seven and walked none while allowing three earned runs in six innings in his latest start on Sunday.  The 21-year-old has a 3.13 ERA in four starts this month after posting a 7.11 mark in five July outings.  Biddle was the Phillies' first round draft choice in 2010.

Third baseman Maikel Franco is 13-for-39 (.333 avg) with three doubles, a homer and eight RBI in his last 10 games.  Overall at two levels this season, the 20-year-old Dominican is batting .315 with 20 home runs and 90 RBI.  Franco, a righty batting slugger, represented the Phils in this year's MLB All-Star Futures Game.

In 15 games this month, All-Star first baseman Jim Murphy is batting .185 with a homer and seven RBI.  This season, the 27-year-old is batting .270 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI in 122 games.  Murphy was the Phillies' 17th round draft pick in 2008.


Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers-

Corner infielder Harold Martinez is 15-for-35 (.429 avg) with six doubles and three RBI in his last 10 games.  The right-handed hitting 23-year-old has a .269 average with two homers and 24 RBI in 78 games with the Threshers this year.  Martinez was the Phils' 2nd round draft pick out of the University of Miami in 2011.

Hoby Milner with Lakewood in 2012
In his last four starts, lefty Hoby Milner has a 2-1 record and a 1.88 ERA.  The 22-year-old, who was the Phils' 7th round pick in last year's draft, has an 11-6 record with a 3.94 ERA and a 6.73 K/9 mark in 24 games this year.

First baseman/outfielder Brock Stassi is 8-for-18 (.444 avg) with four RBI in his last five contests.  The lefty batting 24-year-old is batting .300 with three homers and 29 RBI in 76 games this season.  Stassi was the Phillies' 33rd round draft pick in 2011 out of the University of Nevada, Reno. 

Righty hurler Nic Hanson has a 7.90 ERA with 21 hits allowed in 13 2/3 innings over three starts with Clearwater since his promotion from Lakewood.  With the BlueClaws earlier in the season, the 21-year-old posted a 2-2 record with a 2.49 ERA.  Hanson was the Phils' 16th round draft selection last year out of Golden West College. 


Class A Lakewood BlueClaws-

Short stop J.P. Crawford was promoted to the BlueClaws from the Gulf Coast League this past weekend, but has not appeared in a game, as he was not in the lineup on Saturday and the team was rained out on Sunday.  During his time in the GCL, the 18-year-old, who was drafted this year as the Phillies' top pick, sported a .345 batting average along with eight doubles, three triples, a home run and 12 steals.


Class A Short-season Williamsport Crosscutters-

Outfielder Samuel Hiciano slammed a pair of round trippers and drove in eight runs while going 3-for-5 in the Cutters' win over Batavia on Saturday.  In 30 games this season, the 19-year-old Dominican Republic native is batting .240 with three doubles, a triple, six homers and 17 RBI. 

On Sunday, a trio of Cutters righty hurlers combined to toss a no-hitter in an 8-0 victory over Mahoning Valley.  Righty Yacksel Rios struck out six and walked three in six innings of work for his fourth win of the year.  21-year-old Mark Meadors, the Phillies' 21st round draft choice this year, worked the next three frames, while another 21-year-old Manaure Martinez closed out the landmark effort with an inning of work.


Rookie level Gulft Coast League Phillies-

Outfielder Wilmer Oberto is the league leader in batting with a .351 mark.  The lefty hitting 20-year-old is also tops in the league in RBI with 42. Oberto, a Venezuela native, was signed by the Phillies in June, 2010. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Eric B Needs to be Cut (and My Name is Rakim)

While the Phillies are on a hot streak this month, one player on the team is not. Eric Bruntlett is 1-for-12 in July. Since the start of May, Bruntlett's apex in batting average has been .167 on June 14th. Bruntlett's ineptitude can be tolerated no longer. Get rid of this guy NOW! Eric B. is the 2009 Endy Chavez. Remember Endy...the guy who in 2005 managed just 2 hits in his final 42 games played as a Phillie? That is about the sort of output the Phillies are getting from Bruntlett, and it's time to fix this void. Julio Lugo was designated for assignment last week by the Red Sox and is expected to become a free agent. The Metropolitans are rumored to be interested. Why wouldn't the Phillies be interested in a guy who could surely outhit Bruntlett? Lugo was hitting .284 through 37 games played this season with Boston. Suspended Lehigh Valley IronPig Pablo Ozuna is eligible to return next Wednesday. Ozuna is batting .294 through 51 games at triple A. Miguel Cairo is also...

5th spot, Wall, Old timers, Links

The race for the Phillies' fifth starter spot is still on. While it's not fully fair to compare Grapefruit League stats, when some of the pitchers have had "B game" and scrimmage outings mixed in, Kyle Kendrick and Carlos Carrasco look to be falling behind Chan Ho Park and "Jay" Happ. Happ added to his solid Grapefruit League stats (2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP in 4 games) today against the Rays. Pitching coach Rich Dubee had been displeased with Kendrick even before he surrendered 8 earned runs in 3 innings of work yesterday against the Braves. Park has been working on improving his change up, with (Coach) Jamie Moyer. Park noticed Moyer's location control on his change, so he sought out Moyer to teach him the grip and positioning of the ball. Moyer, of course, feels good about helping anyone on the Phils' staff. Park has been coached by greats like Nolan Ryan with the Rangers and Sandy Koufax with the Dodgers, so Moyer is in great company. Park is working h...

Yankees Fans Misled By Pepsi Promotion

**** Today, New York Yankees fans attended a Pepsi promotion in Times Square hoping for chances to win opening day tickets to the new stadium, but the tickets, which were difficult to track down due to poor organization on Pepsi's part, were actually for a game in June. Furthermore, the 250 pairs that were promised were actually only 100 pairs. The fans, who were made to sprint through traffic over multiple city blocks when locations for the promotion changed, quickly turned against the soda brand by pooring out their beverages and chanting anti-Pepsi phrases. Yankees fans are even threatening a boycott of Pepsi. An appearance by Yankee great Goose Gossage could not even settle the angry mob, as he had to be whisked away, as a precaution, according to the Daily News . Ooo , I'd hate to see what "the worst fans in sports" (Philadelphia fans) would have done to their free Pepsi cans and beloved reliever in that situation. Because this happened in a non-Philly city, th...