Esch among top prospect performers Thursday

A pair of Phillies’ top prospects had three-hit games in Lehigh Valley’s win over Pawtucket. J.P. Crawford, the No. 3 overall prospect (Phillies’ No. 1), scored a pair of runs in the game, but more importantly, he found his stroke offensively. Since he was promoted to Triple-A, Crawford got off to a bit of a slow start. The shortstop went 3-for-15 over his first four games, but on Thursday night everything was clicking as Crawford went 3-for-5.

But Crawford wasn’t the only Phillies’ farmhand to have a good night at the plate. Nick Williams, Philadelphia’s No. 3 prospect, was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and raised his average to .279.

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Thursday:

• Brendan Rodgers is back. In Rodgers’ first game back from the DL, the No. 10 overall prospect (Rockies’ No. 1) hit a game-winning three-run homer in the top of the 11th. The homer was Rodgers’ eighth this year and the 19-year old is hitting .338 in his first full season of pro ball.

• Tim Anderson continues to swing a hot bat as the White Sox No. 2 prospect went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI in Charlotte’s win over Syracuse. Anderson, the No. 42 overall prospect, has a nine-game hitting streak, including multi-hit efforts in each of the last four.

“I try not to pay too much attention to the numbers,” Anderson told MiLB.com. “Every time at bat, I just feel very confident and I believe in myself. Every time I go up there, I feel like I’m going to get a hit or do something positive. I feel real great in the box.”

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