Pirates Prospect Watch: Rodriguez, Williams Continue to Push for Promotion

With Triple-A Indianapolis, a pair of Pittsburgh Pirates’ prospects in Endy Rodriguez and Alika Williams had big games as they both seemingly come closer to their first big league call up.

After Rodriguez hit a grand slam on Friday night and tied a career-high with five RBIs, he doubled twice and reached base three times for the Indians on Saturday.

As for Williams, he has been great since the Pirates acquired him from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for right-hander Robert Stephenson earlier this season.

With the Pirates continued struggles, it may not be long before we see one or both of Rodriguez and Williams in Pittsburgh.

Here are all the Pirates’ prospects who stood out on Saturday.

Indianapolis (41-47)

2B Alika Williams

• Game stats: 3 for 4, one home run, one RBI, one run
• Season stats: .301/.387/.505, six doubles, five home runs, 13 RBIs, three steals, 29 games

C Endy Rodriguez

• Game stats: 2 for 4, two doubles, one run, one walk
• Season stats: .268/.356/.415, 16 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 38 RBIs, four steals, 67 games

Despite the big games from Williams and Rodriguez, Indianapolis fell 8-3 to the Omaha Storm Chasers on Saturday.

Aaron Shackelford went 1 for 4 with an RBI for the Indians.

Altoona (39-41)

GAME SUSPENDED IN THIRD INNING — WILL RESUME ON 7/16. 

Greensboro (39-41)

1B Will Matthiessen

• Game stats: 1 for 4, one triple
• Season stats: .238/.337/.425, nine doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 36 RBIs, one steal60 games

RHP Jaycob Deese

• Game stats: 2.0 innings, two hits, no runs, one walk, two strikeouts
• Season stats: 2-2, 5.32 ERA, 28er/47.1ip, 50 hits, 11 walks, 40 strikeouts, 21 appearances/ three starts

Greensboro was shutout 3-0 by the Brooklyn Cyclones, but Matthiessen did triple and Deese had a couple solid innings out of the pen.

Mike Jarvis (19th stolen base) and Tres Gonzalez (17th) continued to showcase their impressive speed in the loss.

Bradenton (47-35)

CF Shalin Polanco

• Game stats: 1 for 3, one double, one RBI, one run, one sac fly
• Season stats: .243/.324/.447, 16 doubles, 12 home runs, 44 RBIs, 16 steals, 67 games

RHP Owen Kellington

• Game stats: 3.2 innings, three hits, two runs (one earned), one walk, five strikeouts
• Season stats: 0-2, 4.59 ERA, 25er/49.0ip, 41 hits, 32 walks, 57 strikeouts, 15 appearances/11 starts

Polanco and Kellington helped carry Bradenton to a 5-4 walk-off win over the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Deivis Nadal stole second in the bottom ninth and scored on a pair of errors committed by Dunedin. Pirates prospect Josiah Sightler drove in a pair.