Last Night in the Minors

The Phillies four minor league teams in season right now all took their lumps last night - an 0-4 night isn't pretty, but we'll let it slide because of the big league team (you know, the one that actually matters) has been playing so damn well of late. More on that later...for now, here is last night in the minors...

AAA Scranton-WB

• Carlos Ruiz: 3-5, 2 RBI
• Chris Roberson: 2-4, R, HBP, SB
• Josh Kroeger: N/A
• Danny Sandoval: 1-5, 2 K
• Brennan King: 1-5
  
• Angel Chavez: 1-4, 2B, K
• Chris Coste: 1-5
  

King was moved up in the lineup tonight, he is now hitting fourth for the Red Barons...Ruiz needs to be called up now, it's official...

• Chris Booker: 2 IP 1 H 0 ER 0 BB 1 K
  

Nice two inning performance from Chris Booker, though this little blurb in yesterday's Daily News seemed a bit oddly timed...

The Phillies might keep righthander Chris Booker on the disabled list past May 11. Booker, a Rule 5 draftee, lately has suffered stiffness in the surgically repaired left knee that delayed his spring and landed him on the DL. When healthy, he must be offered back to the Nationals or be placed on the Phillies' 25-man roster.

I don't know about Chris Booker's left knee. I have no reason to doubt that he really has experienced all kinds of stiffness in it over the past 6 weeks. That said, I can't help but be a little suspicious about the way Booker and the Phillies are working the Rule 5 injury provision system right about now. Seems like Booker is not going to be entirely healthy until the Phillies have made up their mind on his future...it's not breaking the rules, but it sure is bending them. I like it.

• Franklin Gutierrez (Indians): 1-4, R
• Ben Francisco (Indians): 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, R, 2 K
• Andy Marte (Indians): 2-4, 2B
  
  
• Jeremy Sowers (W, 3-1): 5.1 IP 7 H 2 R 1 ER 3 BB 2 K
• Steve Karsay (Indians): 2.2 IP 1 H 0 ER 0 BB 2 K

Marte is the top hitter in the Cleveland system, Sowers is the top pitcher. Both could see major league action this season at some point if for no other reason than to get their feet wet for expanded roles in 2007 - Marte should be the everyday third baseman by then and Sowers could be a member of the starting rotation. The future of the Indians is very bright...and so is the present for that matter. Gutierrez was the key player in the Milton Bradley trade a few years back, Francisco is another one of those young outfielders that looks to be blocked as he advances (great trade target for a team in need of OF depth), and Karsay is a former major leaguer looking to make his way back to the show.

AA Reading

• Michael Bourn: 1-2, RBI, R, BB, SB
• Tim Moss: 0-2, BB, K
• Jason Jaramillo: 0-3, BB, E, picked a guy off second
• Bryan Hansen: 0-4
  

High A Clearwater

• Mike Costanzo: 1-4, R, BB, K (.236)
• Brad Harman: 2-4, R (.245)
• Tuffy Gosewisch: 0-2, BB, HBP, K
  
  
• Andrew Baldwin (L, 0-3): 5 IP 7 H 6 R 5 ER 2 BB 2 K
  
  
• Marcos Vechionacci (Yanks): 2-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, K, E
• Tim Battle (Yanks): 1-3, R, BB, CS

Harman has finally overtaken Costanzo in their little batting average battle (the one they are probably unaware of, but I created for them). Harman has been moderately hot over the past two weeks or so, while Costanzo has really been in a funk. Vechionacci and Battle both get mentioned because they are decent Yankee prospects who I just so happened to see play last season when they were at Charleston.

Low A Lakewood

• Greg Golson: 1-4, R, BB, 2 K, SB
• Welinson Baez: 0-4, BB, 3 K, E
• Lou Marson: 0-3, HBP, picked off two guys (one at second)
• Jeremy Slayden: 1-5, 2B, RBI
• Clay Harris: 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, R, BB
• Sean Gamble: N/A

• Josh Outman: 5 IP 6 H 2 R 1 ER 1 BB 8 K

Outman had the pressure (again, this is just imaginary pressure I've made up for him) of being the only legit Phillies prospect pitching for the night - it's been rare to have only one quality arm going on any one given night, a sure sign that the pitching depth in this organization is coming together. Anyway, Outman did not disappoint as he struck out 8 in just 5 innings and generally pitched well enough for the win.