Phillies Nation has been honored to have Larry Shenk join the ranks of our regular contributors in this 2019 season.
“The Baron” is the former Philadelphia Phillies head of community relations, a role in which he served the organization for more than four decades. Larry is also a 2018 inductee to the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame.
In addition to the Phillies alumni and history work which Larry shares with readers here at Phillies Nation, his “Minor League Report” appears on an almost daily basis during the season.
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Lehigh Valley, International League North Division
**IronPigs (52–55) unleashed a 20-hit attack in posting an 11–7 win over the Buffalo Bisons at Coca-Cola Park. LV has tallied 41 hits over the last 4 games, including a 5-hit game on Tuesday . . . Two-game series ends at 7:05 tonight.
Hitting: Everyone in the order had at least 1 hit . . . SS Malquin Canelo, 4–5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, stolen base . . . RF Ali Castillo, 4–6, run, 2 RBI . . . RF Jose Pirela made his LV debut, 3–5, run . . . DH Logan Morrison, 2–5, 2 runs, HR (17), RBI.
Pitching: Cole Irvin was starter, 3.2–7–4–4–2–2, 2 HR, 2 wild pitches . . . WP: Austin Davis (3–1), 1.2–3–0–0–1–3 . . . Tyler Gilbert, 1.2–0–0–0–0–2 . . . Josh Tols, .2–2–3–0–0–1 . . . SV: Edgar Garcia (4), 1.1–0–0–0–0–2.
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Reading, Eastern League Eastern Division [39–28, 2nd place, 1st half]
**Fightin Phils (25–18) scored 2 runs in T11 on a potential game-ending double play throwing error by ex-Phillie 2B Jesmuel Valentin for a 3–1 win over the Baysox in Bowie . . . Day off today . . . Six-game homestand starts tomorrow night . . . Increased lead over second-place Binghamton to 4 games . . . Fightins have the best overall record in the league, 64–46.
Hitting: Offense had 7 singles plus a double; 3–17 with RISP; LOB, 12 . . . 2B Jose Antequera
, 1–5, double, 2 RBI . . . RF Luke Williams, 2–6.Pitching: Colton Eastman, in his second AA appearance and first start, 7–4–1–1–0–5 . . . Jakob Hernandez, 1–1–0–0–1–1 . . . WP: Addison Russ (3–5), 2–0–0–0–0–2; retired 2 batters with the winning run on third and 1 out in B10 . . . SV: Jeff Singer (3), 1–1–0–0–1–0; snared a line drive with bases loaded and turned it into a 1–3 game-ending double play.
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Clearwater, Florida State League North Division [36–30, 2nd place, 1st half]
**Threshers (19–22) were postponed in Kissimmee because of inclement weather . . . 11 doubleheader this morning vs. the Florida Fire Frogs (7-inning games) . . . Back home tomorrow night for 6 games, 3 each with the second-place Tampa Tarpons and the first-place Dunedin Blue Jays. Third-place Threshers trail the Blue Jays by 3 games; Tampa 2.5 games back. Dunedin won the first half.
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Lakewood, South Atlantic League North Division [29–41, 1st half]
**BlueClaws (16–21) scored 4 in T6 to take a 7–3 lead but wound up losing, 8–7, to the GreenJackets in Augusta. Loss ended a 4-game winning streak . . . Game 2 at 7:05 tonight.
Hitting: 3B McCarthy Tatum, 2–3, walk, 3 RBI . . . RF Ben Pelletier, 2–3, walk, 2 runs, triple, RBI.
Pitching: Francisco Morales started, 4.2–4–3–3–2–4, HR, wild pitch . . . Omar Maldonado, .l . . . Followed by piggyback starter, Victor Santos, LP (4–8), 3–6–5–4–0–3, 2 HR, wild pitch.
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Williamsport, New York-Penn League Pinckney Division
**Crosscutters (15–29) ended an 8-game losing streak in Norwich with a 6–2 win over the Connecticut Tigers. Win was first there since 2011; fifth win in last 7 games . . . Three hurlers combined to strike out 16 Tigers . . . Rubber game of the 3-game set, 7:05 tonight.
Hitting: 3B Kendall Simmons, 1–3, walk, run, HR (5), 2 RBI; third homer in last 4 games . . . CF Johan Rojas, 2–4, walk, triple, 2 runs.
Pitching: Tyler Burch started, 3.2–4–0–0–0–6, hit batter, balk . . . WP: Leonel Aponte (1–1), 3.1–1–0–0–0–6 . . . Alejandro Made, 2–2–2–2–1–4.
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Gulf Coast League (Phillies have 2 teams, both in the North Division)
**Phillies West (16–10). Had day off . . . Today: Yankees West, 12 noon at Carpenter Field.
Phillies East (13–11). Split a 10 a.m. doubleheader vs. Yankees East in Tampa . . . Today: day off.
Game # 1: 11–0 spanking. LF Jevi Hernandez 2 of 5 singles . . . LP: Rafael Marcano (0–1), .2–1–1–1–2–1, wild pitch.
Game #2: 4–3 win on walk-off sacrifice fly in B7 by DH Jose Tortolero following a hit batter and 2 singles (Phillies were the home team as the game was a make-up of a July 23 postponement in Clearwater) . . . SS Wilfredo Flores, 2–3, run; raised average to .422, tops in the GCL . . . Solid pitching from Gabriel Yanez, 4–2–1–1–1–3; Brendan Bell, 1–0–0–0–0–1; WP: Carlos Francisco (2–1), 2–2–2–2–0–4.
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Lehigh Valley: Dan Straily, acquired in trade with Orioles.
Reading: RHP Colton Eastman, assigned from Clearwater.
(Transactions, courtesy phuturephillies.com and Steve Potter)
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