Phillies Prospect Watch: Devin Saltiban Hits Game-Tying Blast

Phillies affiliates went 1-2 on Friday, May 8 with spark plug plays from top prospects like Dante Nori and Devin Saltiban, the latter of whom hit a game-tying three-run home run in the eighth, but shaky bullpen performances ultimately doomed them to a pair of losses.

Triple-A Lehigh Valley won 4-0 on the strength of their fringe major leaguers: Bryan De La Cruz knocked in three runs, while 30-year-old starting pitcher Tucker Davidson fired six scoreless innings.

Double-A Reading lost 6-5 after their bullpen conceded five runs across the sixth and seventh innings. Alex McFarlane pitched a scoreless ninth, keeping the Fightin Phils within striking distance, but they couldn’t scratch the tying run across.

Nori tripled, shortstop Bryan Rincon homered, and Alex Binelas and Bryson Ware both doubled to account for all the Fightin Phils’ extra base hits. 2023 16th round pick Luke Russo compiled five innings of one-run ball, striking out six batters and drawing a trio of double plays.

High-A Jersey Shore rounded out the slate — Single-A Clearwater saw their game rained out — with an 11-10 loss in 11 innings. After Saltiban’s blast, Jose Colmenares put the BlueClaws in front with a two-run bomb in the 11th, but two blown saves doomed Jersey Shore.