That Balls Outta Here
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Phillies Farm System Report: Lehigh Valley Getting Hot in May

By Mike Azzalina

Sep 20, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; From left to right Philadelphia Phillies general manager Matt Klentak and top prospects pitcher Ben Lively and outfielder Dylan Cozens and first baseman Rhys Hoskins prior to a game against the Chicago White Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 20, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; From left to right Philadelphia Phillies general manager Matt Klentak and top prospects pitcher Ben Lively and outfielder Dylan Cozens and first baseman Rhys Hoskins prior to a game against the Chicago White Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 17, 2017; Clearwater, FL, USA; A general view of Spectrum Field where the Philadelphia Phillies are playing the the Toronto Blue Jays . Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Clearwater, FL, USA; A general view of Spectrum Field where the Philadelphia Phillies are playing the the Toronto Blue Jays . Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Clearwater Threshers (22-15)

Clearwater remains a winning team, but this week seemed to be tough from time to time, especially on the pitching end winning only three of seven.

If we were to build a rollercoaster of pitching stats, the Clearwater staff would be the perfect prototype from which to build it. They had a couple of solid starts throughout the last week, a few middle of the road starts, and a few really bad outings.

Feb 20, 2017; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Alberto Tirado (75) poses for a photo during spring training at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2017; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Alberto Tirado (75) poses for a photo during spring training at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports /

Seranthony Dominguez was one of the bright spots of the week’s show. He had two starts in which he combined to toss 10.2 innings, allowed eight hits, five runs (four earned), five walks, and 14 strikeouts. The 22-year-old’s ERA now sits at an excellent 2.02 through his six starts.

Alberto Tirado turned in a pretty decent start after last week’s struggle. He allowed no runs over his five innings. His five walks are a bit concerning, especially paired with four hits. Nine baserunners in five innings is a bit much. It is a positive, however, that he was able to keep those runners away from scoring.

Cole Irvin had one of the more interesting starts this week. He, too, went five innings. He allowed nine hits and a walk, so the base runners were a problem for him as well. And he did pay for it when his shortstop, Emmanuel Marrero, had an error in the fourth costing Irvin three runs. His ERA remains below 1.50 though.

The most concerning start this week came on the right arm of Frankly Kilome. It is important to note that Kilome is on a 40-pitch count. He reached that number with only two outs in the first inning. He allowed only the two hits, but managed to walk four hitters.

It also did not help he struck out his only two outs, which probably required deep counts. I am not too concerned with this outing because Kilome had been really controlling pitches up until this start.

The Threshers are not much to write home about offensively. They have former first round pick Cornelius Randolph stuck in the middle of the order, but he is really struggling. The outfielder is currently only hitting .195, and the Phils hope he steps it up soon.

While Zach Coppola and Damek Tomscha are both hitting well over .300 right now, they are both playing right at or above the average age of high-A. Keep an eye on the pitching here because there are many intriguing names.

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