Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2024 No. 1 pick Konnor Griffin getting promoted to Altoona Curve
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RICHMOND, Va. -- The Altoona Curve lost to Richmond, 6-5, on Sunday night, but extra help is on the way as the Curve look to win the second half Eastern League Southwest Division championship.
Sources confirmed to the Altoona Mirror that the Pittsburgh Pirates' No. 1 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, Konnor Griffin, will be promoted to Altoona ahead of its series this week against the Reading Fightin' Phils.
Griffin, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has hit at every level of play this season and has appeared in 101 games between Bradenton and Greensboro where he slashed .332/.414/.524 with 16 home runs, 59 stolen bases, 21 doubles, four triples and 72 RBIs.
It is expected he will be activated ahead of Tuesday night's game. Altoona holds a 1¢-game lead in the Southwest Division with 24 games remaining.
Richmond built a 4-0 lead Sunday through four innings before Altoona began its comeback bid. Javier Rivas smacked his first Double-A homer in the top of the fifth to make it a 4-2 game.
Altoona got an RBI single from Omar Alfonzo in the sixth to make it a one-run game.
In the top of the eighth, Duce Gourson walked with one out before Nick Cimillo stepped into the batter's box and smashed a 2-2 offering off Tyler Myrick over the wall in center to take a 5-4 lead for the Curve.
Richmond rallied with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI double from Sabin Ceballos and won the game on an RBI single from Scott Bandura in the bottom of the ninth.
On the mound, Antwone Kelly started for the Curve and allowed two runs in 2• innings. Valentin Linarez and Brandon Bidois each tossed scoreless innings in relief, and Jaden Woods was charged with the loss as he worked the eighth and ninth inning.
Cimillo finished off a brilliant week at the plate, he leads all Double-A players in extra-base hits (17) since the All-Star break (July 19).
Saturday's game
Esmerlyn Valdez drove in both runs of Altoona's 2-0 win over the lying Squirrels on Saturday night at The Diamond.
Four Curve pitchers -- Blake Townsend, Po-Yu Chen, Mike Walsh and Tyler Samaniego -- combined on a four-hit shutout. Townsend retired eight straight hitters to begin his outing, covering 3• innings. Chen earned the victory with 2ª scoreless innings of relief, scattering five baserunners in his outing.
Walsh, making his second relief appearance with the Curve, hit the first batter he faced then proceeded to sit down six straight hitters to cover the seventh and eighth inning. Samaniego tossed a dominant ninth inning to earn the save, his first since June 7, 2024 at Richmond, tossing each of his 13 pitches for strikes.
Altoona took the lead four batters into the game as Mitch Jebb singled and moved up to second on Duce Gourson's walk. After a fly out by Cimillo, Valdez drove in Jebb with a solid single to left.
The same combination, Jebb, Gourson and Valdez, plated the Curve's second run of the game in the fifth inning against reliever Evan Gates. Jebb walked to start the inning and then flew around the bases to third on Gourson's single to put men at the corners. Valdez drove in Jebb with another solid swing to the outfield to take a 2-0 lead.
Gourson picked up two hits in the victory and P.J. Hilson tripled to round out the day offensively for Altoona.
Next up
Altoona returns to Peoples Natural Gas Field on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. to host the Reading Fightin Phils. LHP Dominic Perachi is slated to start the series opener for the Curve.