Pirates Prospects Continue Bulking Resume in AFL
A trio of Pittsburgh Pirates prospects delivered strong performances in the Scottsdale Scorpions' 10-9 loss to the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League.
Pirates No. 3 prospect Termarr Johnson tallied an RBI single and finished the day going 1-5 with a run scored and three strikeouts. Outfield prospect Sammy Siani continued his strong outing in the AFL, going 3-4 with two runs scored and a walk.
On the mound, Eddy Yean took the loss. He pitched 1.1 innings and allowed one run on four hits and a walk and he struck out one batter. His teammate Valentin Linarez fared much better, pitching two shutout innings and allowing just one hit and one walk and he struck out two batters.
The loss was the Scorpions' third in a row.
Johnson, who's the No. 75 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, grounded out to lead off the game and then he struck out in his second plate appearance. He had his third at-bat in the top of the fourth inning and drove in a run on a single to center field to extend Scottsdale's lead to 4-2. The Pirates' No. 3 prospect struck out swinging in his final two at-bats.
Siani doubled to center field in his first at-bat in the top of the second inning and then he reached base again on his second plate appearance in the fourth with a single to right field. Siani's single set the table for the Scorpions to tie the game 2-2 on an RBI single from San Francisco Giants infield prospect Charlie Szykowny and they went on to score six runs to take a 7-2 lead.
Siani walked in his third at-bat to lead off the top of the fifth inning then promptly scored on a two-run home run from Szykowny. The Pirates outfield prospect grounded out in the seventh and then he came up as the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning with a runner on first base. Siani got a base hit to right field to extend the game and put the game-tying run in scoring position.
Scottsdale ultimately couldn't capitalize, though, as Szykowny struck out to end the game.
Linarez entered the game in the second inning and worked around an error and a walk with a pair of strikeouts, including one of Kansas City Royals prospect and No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft Jac Caglianone to escape the jam. The Pirates' right-handed pitching prospect got a pair of groundouts and a fly out in his second and final inning of work.
After Detroit Tigers' left-handed pitching prospect Jake Miller gave up seven runs in 1.1 innings, Yean entered the game with Scottsdale up 9-7 and with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning and gave up a two-run single to tie the game.
A walk followed by back-to-back singles gave Surprise a 10-9 lead before Yean escaped without allowing another run after getting a strikeout and New York Mets infield Jett Williams throwing a runner out at home on a single from Houston Astros outfield prospect Quincy Hamilton.
Scottsdale will look to snap its three-game losing streak on Saturday when it faces the Saguaros (10-5) for a second straight matchup at 3:30 p.m. ET.
