Minor League Notes: Asche, Gonzalez, Milner & More

re’s our weekly rundown of top performers and those players that have cooled off as of late.  Stats and notes current through games played on Saturday.

Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs…

Who’s hot-

Third baseman Cody Asche is 13-for-34 (.382 avg) with two doubles, a triple, a homer and three RBI in his last nine games.  Asche, a lefty batter, was the Phillies’ 4th round draft pick in 2011.  The 22-year-old is batting .281 with seven home runs and 40 RBI in 65 games this year.

Upon making his Triple-A debut, catcher Cameron Rupp went 4-for-11 (.367 avg) with three RBI in his first three contests.  Rupp, 24, was the Phillies’ 3rd round draft choice in 2010 out of the University of Texas.

Who’s not-

In his last nine games, outfielder Leandro Castro is 6-for-35 (.171 avg) with a double, a triple and four RBI.  The Dominican native celebrated his 24th birthday this weekend.  Overall, Castro is sporting a .264 average with six homers in 59 games this season.

Double-A Reading Fightins…

Who’s hot-

Righty starter David Buchanan has tallied a 2.98 ERA while sporting a 2-4 record over his last seven starts.  Overall, in 14 starts, Buchanan has a 3-7 record with a 4.65 ERA.  The 24-year-old was a 7th round draft pick of the Phils back in 2010.

Who’s not-

Outfielder Tyson Gillies is 4-for-28 (.143 avg) with one RBI in his last 10 games.  Gillies, 24, batted .148 in 18 games with Lehigh Valley this year.

First baseman Jim Murphy has no homers and no RBI in 11 June games after slugging eight home runs and knocking in 21 runs in 30 May games.  Murphy, 27, was a 17th round pick in 2008.

Class A Advance Clearwater Threshers…

Who’s hot-

In his last seven appearances, righty reliever Colby Shreve has thrown 11 1/3 scoreless innings, while allowing no runs, striking out eight, with three walks and giving up four hits. Shreve, 25, had a short stint with Reading earlier this season and should earn another promotion if he continues pitching like this.

Panamanian righty Severino Gonzalez in nine games with the Threshers- 27 K, 2BB, 22 2/3 IP, 1ER, 0.40 ERA.  The 20-year-old was signed as an amateur free agent in April, 2011.

Lefty starting pitcher Hoby Milner has gone 6-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his last 10 starts for the Threshers. Overall, Milner is 6-2 with a 3.36 ERA.  The 22-year-old was a 7th round draft pick last year out of the University of Texas.

Who’s not-

Harold Martinez, the Phils’ 2nd round draft pick from 2011, has gone 2-for-13 (.154 avg) in four games this month.  Overall, the 23-year-old first baseman/third baseman/designated hitter is batting .205 with one home run in 34 games this season.

Class A Lakewood BlueClaws…

Who hot-

Larry Greene Jr. hit his 1st HR of the season for Lakewood in Hagerstown on Saturday.  The 21-year-old Greene, last year’s supplementary 1st round pick, is batting .187 in 45 games with the BlueClaws.

Willie Carmona went 10-for-19 (.526 avg) with a homer and five RBI over a six-game hitting streak this past week.  The 22 -year-old has a .282 average with two home runs and 22 RBI in 54 games overall this year.  The first baseman/third baseman/designated hitter was the Phils’ 11th round draft choice out of Stony Brook University last year.

Who’s not-

All-Star catcher Chace Numata has cooled off lately, as has gone 3-for-26 (.115 avg) in his first eight games this month.  Overall, the 20-year-old Hawaii native is batting .248 with two homers and 23 RBI in 48 games this year.