Earning Their Stripes: 5/6/21

Day three of the Marlins minor league season would see the affiliates post a 4-1 record.

Since the start of the minor league regular season, Miami and their top four affiliates have posted an 11-4 record. They’ve done it collectively on pitching.

Triple-A

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 7, Norfolk Tides 1

Like a lot of Marlins’ minor leaguers, right-handed starting pitcher Cody Poteet hadn’t appeared in a live affiliated baseball game since 2019. The time off didn’t seem to hurt his game. With 3,458 in attendance at 121 Financial Ballpark, he struck out 10 batters in 5 ²⁄₃ innings, holding visiting Norfolk to one run on three hits and a pair of walks. He put 59-of-88 pitches over the plate and gave way to 25-year-old reliever Alexander Guillen, who earned a 10-out save without surrendering a hit and plating 23-of-37 offerings.

The Shrimp got out to a quick start with a first inning solo shot off the bat of Monte Harrison, his first of the year for Jacksonville. After Poteet returned the favor in the second, by giving up a solo shot to Rylan Bannon, Crustacean pitching held the line the rest of the game. Luis Marte connected on a solo home run in the fourth that would prove to be the eventual game-winner.

Catcher Brian Navarreto later also went deep for Jacksonville. He, Harrison, and Jesús Sánchez all collected multiple hits in the victory, the third in three games for the Shrimp to open the season.

Double-A

Pensacola Blue Wahoos 5, Mississippi Braves 1

Jake Eder made his professional debut for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in the first game of a planned seven-inning doubleheader against the Mississippi Braves, and it was worth the wait. Eder whiffed a dozen batters in five innings in front of 1,909 at Trustmark Park, getting 55-of-88 in the strike zone and allowing three walks and a single. Tanner Andrews relieved and allowed one hit, a solo home run. He also struck out four in two innings.

Offensively, Pensacola couldn’t get things going until the fifth inning, when Jerar Encarnacion knocked Victor Victor Mesa in with a double. J.J. Bleday scored on a wild pitch, then Peyton Burdick added a two-run shot for a 4-0 Wahoos lead. Encarnacion and Riley Mahan both collected multiple hits in the game.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos 6, Mississippi Braves 1

Jose Mesa Jr. got the start in the second game of the doubleheader, and struck out four while walking one over three no-hit innings. Zach Wolf followed with two innings, allowing a run and striking out two. Tyler Stevens got the last six outs in a non-save situation, striking out four and walking two but giving up zero hits and runs.

Pensacola got all of their runs in the sixth inning, on a two-run Lazaro Alonso single, a Riley Mahan sacrifice fly, a Connor Justus RBI-single, a J.J. Bleday RBI-single, and a wild pitch.

High-A

Beloit Snappers 5, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 3

On any other day, Kyle Nicolas would be the guy we’re all talking about. As it stands, his was one of four outstanding starts by Marlins minor league pitching. Nicolas struck out eight in five innings, and only allowed one hit and one run (he did walk four). Brady Puckett made his first game appearance since 2018, and Dylan Bice struck out four in 2 ¹⁄₃ relief innings. Zach Leban earned the save with a perfect ninth, striking out two.

Beloit jumped out to an early lead when Connor Scott opened the game with a leadoff homer. Bubba Hollins drove home a pair with a double later in the inning. Scott added an RBI-triple in the fifth for the eventual game winner.

Scott came up a double short of the cycle, while Hollins and Ricky Aracena finished with two hits each in front of 754 dedicated fans at Fox Cities Stadium.

Single-A

Jupiter Hammerheads 0, St. Lucie Mets 9

Cameron Barstad hit a pair of singles, and Dalvy Rosario doubled for the Jupiter Hammerheads in a game otherwise nearly devoid of high points for the good guys. With 870 on hand at Clover Park, Chris Mokma allowed six runs (five earned) over three innings, getting 43-of-75 pitches over the plate.

Josh Roberson did pitch two perfect relief innings, striking out three, and Josan Mendez whiffed the side in the eighth, allowing only a walk. Now 1-2, the Hammerheads will attempt to climb back to .500 tomorrow in the fourth game of their six game series against St. Lucie.

Checking in with the Top 30

1. Sixto Sánchez
2. J.J. Bleday (PEN) 1-for-6, 1 run, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SO, .833 OPS
3. Max Meyer
4. Edward Cabrera
5. Lewin Díaz (JAX) 1-for-5, 1.329 OPS
6. Jesús Sánchez (JAX) 2-for-3, 1 run, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2.022 OPS
7. Braxton Garrett (JAX)
8. José Devers (MIA)
9. Dax Fulton (JUP)
10. Nick Neidert
11. Victor Mesa Jr. (JUP) 0-for-4, 1 SO, .000 OPS
12. Peyton Burdick (PEN) 2-for-7, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, .933 OPS
13. Nasim Nuñez (JUP) 0-for-3, 1 BB, 1 SO, .377 OPS
14. Monte Harrison (JAX) 2-for-5, 1 HR, 1 run, 1 RBI, 2 SO, 1.200 OPS
15. Kameron Misner (BEL)
16. Connor Scott (BEL) 3-for-5, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 1.286 OPS
17. Kyle Nicolas (BEL) 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, 52-of-80 strikes
18. Griffin Conine (BEL) 0-for-3, 1 run, 1 BB, 2 SO, .606 OPS
19. José Salas
20. Yiddi Cappe
21. Jerar Encarnación (PEN) 3-for-5, 3 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 1 SO, .944 OPS
22. Jordan Holloway (MIA)
23. Zach McCambley (BEL)
24. Jake Eder 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 12 SO, 55-of-88 strikes
25. Eury Pérez
26. Evan Fitterer
27. Paul Campbell
28. Will Banfield (BEL) 0-for-4, 2 SO, .530 OPS
29. Jorge Guzman
30. Osiris Johnson (JUP) 1-for-3, 1 SO, 1.205 OPS

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