May 052011
 

The Quick Rundown…

Team Yesterday’s Result Today’s Game Pitching Matchup
Syracuse Chiefs OFF DAY @ Durham, 7:05 p.m. TBD vs. TBD
Harrisburg Senators Lost, 2-1 @ Bowie, 11:05 a.m. Shairon Martis (0-1, 5.40) vs.
Alfredo Simon (rehab)
Potomac Nationals Lost, 3-0 @ Kinston, 7:05 p.m. TBD vs.
Brett Brach (2-1, 1.17)
Hagerstown Suns OFF DAY vs. Lexington, 6:35 p.m. TBD vs. TBD

Syracuse — OFF DAY
The Syracuse Chiefs had an off day yesterday. They now begin an eight-game roadtrip, with four against Durham and four against Norfolk before returning to New York next Friday.

Bowie 2 Harrisburg 1
• Meyers 7IP 8H 2R 2ER 0BB 7K
• Pena 1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K
• Rhinehart 1-3, R, HR, RBI
• Lombardozzi 2-5, 2B, SB

Bowie scored a single run in the first to break up the string of 18 scoreless innings by the Harrisburg pitchers and a single run in the sixth to overcome Rhinehart’s fourth home run of the season as the Senators lost by a score of 2-1. Starting pitcher Brad Meyers had yet another quality start, pitching seven complete innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits while striking out seven. Bowie’s Jose Diaz pitched the ninth, allowing only one hit, to earn his Eastern League-leading tenth save of the season.

Myrtle Beach 3 Potomac 0
• Holder (L, 1-3) 5+ IP 5H 2R 2ER 0BB 3K
• Testa 1IP 0H 0R 1BB 1K
• Ramirez 1-4, 2B
• Perez 1-3, 2SB

See Sue’s take in Last Night In Woodbridge

Hagerstown — OFF DAY
The second-place Suns return home for eight games, four against the Lexington Legends and four against the Delmarva Shorebirds.

May 042011
 

The Quick Rundown…

Team Yesterday’s Result Today’s Game Pitching Matchup
Syracuse Chiefs Postponed OFF DAY N/A
Harrisburg Senators Won, 3-0 @ Bowie, 7:05 p.m. Brad Meyers (3-1, 2.45) vs.
Mitch Atkins (0-0, 9.00)
Potomac Nationals Lost, 20-6 vs. Myrtle Beach, 7:05 p.m. Trevor Holder (1-2, 6.75) vs.
Joe Wieland (1-2, 2.52)
Hagerstown Suns Won, 8-2 OFF DAY N/A

Syracuse-Rochester — PPD
Oh, look: A rainout! The fifth postponement of the season for Syracuse will force this game to be made up as a doubleheader on Saturday, June 25.

Harrisburg 3 Bowie 0
• Peacock (W, 4-1) 7IP 2H 0R 1BB 8K
• McCoy (H, 3) 1IP 0H 0R 0BB 1K
• Mattheus (S, 4) 1IP 0H 0R 0BB 1K
• Johnson 3-5, 2-2B,
• Lombardozzi 2-5, RBI
• Tucker 3-4, SB

Stellar pitching and solo HRs from Derek Norris and Bill Rhinehart carried the Harrisburg Senators past the Bowie Baysox, 3-0. Brad Peacock, Pat McCoy, and Ryan Mattheus combined for a two-hit shutout, the second in as many nights, with Peacock lowering his ERA to 1.16 and raising his strikeout tally to 36 — both second-best in the Eastern League. The longballs helped mask a poor performance in the clutch as the Sens were just 1-for-12 with RISP and left nine men on base.

Myrtle Beach 20 Potomac 6
• Clegg (L, 1-2) 3⅔ IP 13H 11R 7ER 1BB 1K 1HR
• Demmin 3⅓ IP 2H 1R 1ER 1BB 3K 1HR
• Higley 3-3, R, 2B, BB, RBI
• Leon 2-4, R, 2B, 3-3 SB-CS

See my take on yesterday’s debacle. Or not. We won’t blame you.

Hagerstown 8 Rome 2
• Jordan (ND) 2⅓ IP 3H 1R 1ER 0BB 0K
• Applebee (W, 1-1) 3⅔ 2H 1R 1ER 0BB 0K 1HR
• Graham 2IP 0H 0R 0BB 1K
• Harper 2-5, R, RBI, SB
• Taylor 2-4, 2R, 2-2B, 2RBI

RHP Taylor Jordan’s bid for win #6 was derailed by a line drive off his left elbow, but a five-run 7th secured an 8-2 victory for the Hagerstown Suns, capping another four-game sweep and and winning the season series 8-0. Bryce Harper sparked the rally with bunt single, took second on a walk, and stole third. He came home on a groundout, finishing the game at 2-for-5, which raised his average to .358. Michael Taylor also doubled twice and drove in two and scored two runs. Paul Applebee got the win with one run allowed on two hits and walks over three and 2/3rds innings of relief.

May 032011
 

The Quick Rundown…

Team Yesterday’s Result Today’s Game Pitching Matchup
Syracuse Chiefs Won, 3-2 vs. Rochester, 2:00 p.m. Tom Milone (1-3, 5.40) vs.
Andy Baldwin (2-2, 7.25)
Harrisburg Senators Won, 2-0 @ Bowie, 7:05 p.m. Brad Peacock (3-1, 1.50) vs.
Steve Johnson (1-0, 0.90)
Potomac Nationals Won, 3-2 vs. Myrtle Beach, 11:05 a.m. Mitchell Clegg (1-1, 4.60) vs.
Robbie Ross (2-1, 2.61)
Hagerstown Suns Won, 5-0 @ Rome, 10:30 a.m. Taylor Jordan (5-0, 2.25) vs.
Carlos Perez (2-2, 4.68)

Syracuse 3 Rochester 2
• Martin (ND) 5⅓ IP 5H 2R 0ER 1BB 1K
• Balester (W, 1-0) 2IP 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 3K
• Bernadina 1-3, 2BB, CS
• Marrero 1-4, BB, RBI

While the Red Wings were able to take a 2-0 lead into the 8th, courtesy of a two-spot on the board in the sixth, the Chiefs fought back scoring one run in the 8th and a pair of runs in the 9th inning. Chris McConnell’s RBI bases-loaded single won the game in walkoff fashion by a score of 3-2. After J.D. Martin allowed six earned runs in his last start, he improved dramatically last night, allowing two runs, both unearned, on five hits and a walk over five and a 1/3 innings. Josh Wilkie and Collin Balester pitched in relief, collectively pitching three and 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five. With three errors committed by Rochester and one by the Chiefs, all five runs of the game were unearned.

Harrisburg 2 Bowie 0
• Tatusko 6⅔ IP 2H 0R 3BB 9K
• VanAllen (H, 2) 1IP 1H 0ER 1BB 2K
• Mattheus (S, 3) 1⅓ IP 1H 0R 0BB 4K
• Tucker 1-3, R, HR, RBI
• Lombardozzi 2-4, 2B
• Valdez 1-4, R, HR

Solo home runs by Jesus Valdez in the fourth and Jonathan Tucker in the fifth, gave the Harrisburg a 2-0 lead and three Sens pitchers combined to keep it that way to defeat Bowie. While Ryan Tatusko allowed four runs in his last start, he kept Bowie off the board, pitching six and 2/3rd scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, three walks and striking out nine. Ryan Mattheus also pitched a great game, earning his third save while pitching one and a 1/3rd innings, allowing only one hit and striking out four. Steve Lombardozzi had another stellar game, going 2-for-4 at the plate and hitting his 6th double of the season. He has now raised his season to .306.

Potomac 3 Myrtle Beach 2
• Rosenbaum (ND) 7IP 3H 0R 3BB 4K
• Wort (H, 1) 1IP 0H 0R 1BB 2K
• Olbrychowski (BS, 2) ⅔ IP 2H 2R 2ER 0K 1HR
• Kobernus 1-4, BB, 2SB
• Hood 1-3, BB, RBI

See Sue’s take in the long-awaited return of Last Night In Woodbridge

Hagerstown 5 Rome 0
• McKenzie (W, 2-3) 7IP 4H 0R 1BB 2K
• Eusebio 1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K
• Harper 3-3, R, 2B, 2BB
• Freitas 3-4, R, 2RBI
• Kelso 2-4, 2R, BB, SB, CS

Bounceback outings was the theme of the night for the starters and Chris McKenzie, who had given up 18 runs in his last three starts over just six innings, was no exception. He threw seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out two. The Suns would provide him plenty of support with five runs and eleven hits, nine of which were collected by Bryce Harper, David Freitas and Blake Kelso. Wilson Eusebio and Matt Swynenberg each threw a scoreless inning to complete the shutout, which was the sixth thrown by Suns pitchers this season.

May 022011
 

The Quick Rundown…

Team Yesterday’s Result Today’s Game Pitching Matchup
Syracuse Chiefs Lost, 9-6 vs. Rochester, 7:00 p.m. J.D. Martin (0-2, 7.62) vs.
Scott Diamond (1-1, 3.48)
Harrisburg Senators Lost, 8-7 @ Bowie, 7:05 p.m. Ryan Tatusko (0-2, 7.71) vs.
Wynn Pelzer (1-1, 0.95)
Potomac Nationals Won, 5-2 vs. Myrtle Beach, 7:05 p.m. Danny Rosenbaum (1-1, 2.82) vs.
Barret Loux (2-1, 3.72)
Hagerstown Suns Won, 4-0 @ West Virginia, 10:30 a.m. Chris McKenzie (1-3, 12.46) vs.
TBD

Rochester 9 Syrcause 6
• Detwiler (L, 2-1)2⅔ IP 9H 7R 7ER 2BB 0K
• Mandel 2IP 0H 0R 0BB 1K
• Marrero 2-4, 2R
• Flores 2-4, 2B, RBI
• McConnell 2-4, 2B, 2RBI

A six-run third spelled doom for Ross Detwiler and the Syracuse as the Chiefs went down 9-6 to Rochester. Detwiler was chased with two outs in the third, charged with seven runs on nine hits and two walks. The Syracuse ‘pen allowed just two runs the rest of the way, but the offense couldn’t dig out from the 7-3 hole after three. Chris Marrero, Jesus Flores and Chris McConnell each went 2-for-4 to pace the 10-hit attack.

New Britain 8 Harrisburg 7 (10 inn.)
• Davis (ND) 5IP 10H 6R 5ER 1BB 5K
• Arnesen 3IP 2H 1R 1ER 0BB 3K
• Rahl 3-6, R, 2B
• Valdez 3-5, R, 2B, RBI
• Fox 2-5, 2RBI

Harrisburg built a 6-1 lead early, rallied to tie in the 9th, but fell in the botom of the 10th by an 8-7 count. Starter Erik Davis saw his ERA balloon from 1.15 to 3.05 as the spring-training pickup was knocked for six runs on 10 hits and a walk over the first five innings. Five Senators collected multiple hits as Harrisburg pounded out 14 hits, led by leadoff hitter Chris Rahl’s 3-for-5 effort. On three days’ rest from a spot start at Syracuse, Erik Arnesen threw three innings to follow Davis, giving up the go-ahead run. Devan Ivany’s two-out single in the top of the ninth forced extras but New Britain would touch Pat McCoy for a leadoff double in the 10th, then pushed in the gamewinner with a sacrifice and a fielder’s choice.

Potomac 5 Salem 2
• Bronson (W, 1-0) 5IP 2H 1R 1ER 2BB 4K
• Lehman (S, 6) 2IP 0H 0R 2K
• King 2-4, R, 2B
• Peacock 2-4, 2RBI

Potomac jumped out to a 4-0 lead early and cruised to 5-2 win on Sunday, finishing their prolonged 17-game road trip at 7-10. Evan Bronson got the win with five solid innings in his first start of the season, allowing one run on two hits and two walks. Pat Lehman came on with runners on second and third in the eighth and stranded them both, retiring six straight batters for his sixth save of the season. Stephen King and Brian Peacock both went 2-for-4 to lead the Potomac offense. King went 6-for-11 in the series with three doubles.

Hagerstown 4 Rome 0
• Grace (W, 2-3) 6IP 2H 0R 3BB 3K
• McCatty (H, 2) 2IP 1H 0R 1BB 1K
• Manno 1IP 0H 0R 1BB 2K
• Kelso 2-4, R, 2B
• Oduber 1-4, RBI, SB

Like Bobby Hansen two nights before, Matt Grace rebounded from a terrible outing, combining with Shane McCatty and Chris Manno on a three-hit shutout in a 4-0 Hagerstown win over Rome. Grace allowed just two hits and three walks over six innings for his second win, with McCatty tossing two scoreless innings for his second hold. Chris Manno pitched the ninth and struck out two. The great pitching helped mask a mediocre offensive output, as the Suns were just 3-for-16 with RISP. Blake Kelso led the eight-it attack with a single and a double in four at-bats.

May 012011
 

The Quick Rundown…

Team Yesterday’s Result Today’s Game Pitching Matchup
Syracuse Chiefs Won, 3-0 vs. Toledo, 2:00 p.m. Ross Detwiler (2-0, 2.22) vs.
Kyle Gibson (0-1, 3.15)
Harrisburg Senators Lost, 5-2 @ New Britain, 1:35 p.m. Eik Davis (1-0, 1.15) vs.
Santos Arias (1-0, 6.00)
Potomac Nationals Lost, 7-0 @ Salem, 4:00 p.m. Evan Bronson (0-0, 0.00) vs.
Chris Hernandez (2-0, 0.64)
Hagerstown Suns Won, 4-2 @ Rome, 2:00 p.m. Matt Grace (1-3, 6.63) vs.
Ronan Pacheco (0-1, 4.66)

Syracuse 3 Rochester 0
• Maya (W, 1-2) 8IP 3H 0R 1BB 6K
• Kimball (S, 4) 1IP 0H 0R 1BB 0K
• Bernadina 2-4, R, 2B, SB
• Bynum 1-3, BB, RBI

Yunesky Maya and Cole Kimball combined on a three-hit shutout, as the Chiefs clipped the Red Wings, 3-0 and stopped a six-game losing streak. Maya turned in his best outing of the year, laying eight goose eggs on the bottom of the scoreboard with just three hits surrendered, one walk allowed, and six strikeouts. Cole Kimball followed suit with a scoreless ninth for his fourth save of the season. Roger Bernadina, fresh off his fill-in stint for Ian Desmond, went 2-for-4 with a double and stolen base to pace the Syracuse offense.

New Britain 5 Harrisburg 2
• Martis (L, 0-1) 4⅓ IP 8H 3R 0ER 3BB 5K
• Martinez 1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K
• Gilbert 1-3, R, HR, RBI, BB
• Lombardozzi 1-3, BB, SB
• Norris 0-2, R, 2BB, 2K

When the offense is struggling, every error by the defense is magnified, if not multiplied. That was the case on Saturday night in New Britain as the two Harrisburg errors rendered all five Rock Cats run unearned in a 5-2 loss. A solo HR in the 8th by Archie Gilbert and RBI single by Chris Rahl were the extent of the Sens’ offense, which managed just five hits total. Starter Shairon Martis was less than sharp, allowing three unearned runs on eight hits in four and a 1/3rd innings and walking three. He did strike out five.

Salem 7 Potomac 0
• Demny 5IP 3H 0R 3BB 1K
• Testa 1IP 0H 0R 1BB 1K
• Kobernus 1-3, 2B, SB
• King 1-3

Salem’s Ryan Pressly needed just 62 pitches to get through his six innings against the P-Nats, who were blanked on two hits in a 7-0 loss. Potomac starter Paul Demny was nearly as good, with five scoreless frames and six baserunners allowed (three hits, three walks) but the bullpen wasn’t. The Red Sox walloped Rob Wort for a two-run shot in the sixth, and torched Ryan Demmin for five runs, all via the longball, in the seventh. Steven King broke up the no-no bid in the fifth with a single to center while Jeff Kobernus stole his 10th base in the fourth and doubled in the ninth, as those two were the only P-Nats to reach base for the game.

Hagerstown 4 Rome 2
• Selik (W, 3-0) 6IP 8H 1R 1ER 0BB 7K
• Brown (S, 2) 3IP 1H 1R 1ER 1BB 2K
• Martinson 2-4, R, 3B, RBI, E
• Harper 1-3, R, HR, RBI
• Taylor 1-4, 2 OF assists (2B, HP)

Cameron Selik saw his scoreless inning streak stopped at 26 with a fourth-inning run by the Rome Braves, while Bryce Harper went deep for his organization-best sixth HR as the Suns beat the Braves 4-2. Harper’s big fly was the first peg in the picket fence the Suns posted on the scoreboard from the 6th to 8th innings, turning a 1-1 tie into a 4-1 lead. Every Hagerstown batter had a hit as the Suns pounded out 10 for the night and left only five men on base. Michael Taylor gunned down runners at second base and home plate as the RF while Harper played CF for the fifth time this season, collecting his 9th putout in as many chances.

Apr 292011
 

The Quick Rundown…

Team Yesterday’s Result Today’s Game Pitching Matchup
Syracuse Chiefs Lost, 7-2 vs. Toledo, 7:00 p.m. Craig Stammen (1-0, 1.93) vs.
Adam Wilk (0-2, 2.95)
Harrisburg Senators Won, 6-2 @ New Britain, 7:00 p.m. Brad Meyers (3-1, 2.95) vs.
Steve Hirschfeld (1-0, 2.40)
Potomac Nationals Won, 8-6 @ Salem, 7:05 p.m. Evan Bronson (0-0, 0.00) vs.
Pete Ruiz (0-0, 9.69)
Hagerstown Suns Lost, 14-2; Won, 3-2 @ West Virginia, 7:05 p.m. Bobby Hansen (1-1, 6.17) vs.
Zack Von Rosenberg (0-0, 7.24)

Toledo 7 Syracuse 2
∙ Milone (L, 1-3) 3⅔ IP 10H 7R 7ER 1BB 2K
∙ Mandel 2⅓ IP 2H 0R 0BB 2K
∙ Whiting 2-5, R, CS (5)
∙ Marrero 1-4, R, 2B

The curse of the GBI may be alive and well as Tom Milone suffered his worst outing of the year as the Chiefs fell for the fifth straight time, 7-2 to Toledo. A five-run third chased Milone, who only had one scoreless inning out of his three and 2/3rds, allowing all seven runs on 10 hits and one walk. The ‘Cuse bullpen held Toledo down the rest of the way, but the Chiefs offense was held to just eight hits, leaving eight men on base. Boomer Whiting went 2-for-5 but was caught for the fifth time this year against just two steals. Lee Hyde cleared waivers and rejoined the team, pitching a scoreless 7th inning.


Harrisburg 6 Altoona 2

∙ Peacock (W, 3-1) 7IP 5H 1R 1ER 1BB 7K 1HR
∙ Mattheus (S, 2) 1⅓ 0H 0R 0BB 1K
∙ Moore 2-4, 2R, 2HR, 3RBI
∙ Rhinehart 1-2, R, HR, BB, RBI

The Sens went yard three times, with Tyler Moore’s second longball capping a three-run eighth as the Senators flattened the Curve, 6-2. Brad Peacock won his third game with seven strong innings, with just one run allowed on five hits and one walk, and seven strikeouts to jump to 2nd place in the Eastern League with 28Ks in 24 innings. “Dolla” Bill Rhinehart and Moore went back-to-back in the third inning as the Sens scored six runs on just six hits.
Ryan Mattheus got the last four outs fir his second save of the season.

Potomac 8 Myrtle Beach 6
∙ Holder (W, 1-2) 6IP 8H 4R 3ER 2BB 3K
∙ Lehman (S, 5) ⅔ IP 1H 0R 0BB 1K
∙ Dykstra 3-6, 2R, 2-2B, RBI, SB
∙ King 3-5, R
∙ Ramirez 3-5, R, 2B, 2RBI

The P-Nats bats came alive last night, peaking with a five-run third, as they smacked 15 hits in an 8-6 win over Myrtle Beach. Steven King, Cutter Dykstra, and J.P. Ramirez each collected three hits, as the trio combined for four runs, three doubles, and three RBI. Starter Trevor Holder earned his first win with a four-run, six-inning outing with eight hits and two walks allowed. He also struck out three. Pat Lehman was summond for the second straight night to put out a late Pelican rally to earn his fifth save.

West Virginia 14 Hagerstown 2 — GAME ONE (Completion of Suspended 4/27 game)
∙ McKenzie (L, 1-3) 1⅓ 4H 7R 6ER 4BB 1K 1HR
∙ Kelso 2-5, R
∙ Harper 2-3, R, HR, RBI, BB

The beating from Wednesday night continued on Thursday as the West Virginia Power piled on another seven runs and doubled up the second-inning score of 7-1 to 14-2. Every Suns pitcher was roughed up, much of it self-inflicted, as the four pitchers combined for nine walks. Bryce Harper’s first-inning home run highlighted the eight-hit output from the Hagerstown offense.

Hagerstown 3 West Virginia 2 (7 inn.) — GAME TWO
∙ Jordan (W, 5-0) 5IP 5H 1R 1ER 2BB 4K
∙ Manno (S, 3) 1⅓ 0H 0R 1BB 2K
∙ Harper 2-3, 2B, 2RBI, SB
∙ Sanchez 2-3, 2B
∙ Kelso 2-4, 2R, 2B

Game two of the doubleheader was much more even, as the Suns edged the Power 3-2. Bryce Harper, who was involved in a much ballyhooed exchange of words on Tuesday night, led the offense with a 2-for-3 night and 2 RBIs. Since the incident, Harper has gone 4-for-8 with a double, a homer, a walk, a stolen base, and three RBI. Starter Taylor Jordan went to 5-0, pithcing five innings and allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out four. Blake Kelso and Adrian Sanchez joined Harper on the hit parade as the 1-2-3 bats went 6-for-10 with three doubles on the evening. Chris Manno struck out two while nailing down his third save.

Apr 282011
 

The Quick Rundown…

Team Yesterday’s Result Today’s Game Pitching Matchup
Syracuse Chiefs Lost, 6-2;
Lost, 3-1 (6 inn.)
vs. Toledo, 6:00 p.m. Tom Milone (1-2, 3.00) vs.
Adam Wilk (0-2, 2.95)
Harrisburg Senators Lost, 6-5 vs. Altoona, 10:30 a.m. Brad Peacock (2-1, 1.59) vs.
Mike Crolla (1-0, 4.00)
Potomac Nationals Lost, 6-3;
Won, 4-3
@ Myrtle Beach, 7:05 p.m. Trevor Holder (0-2, 7.56) vs.
Joseph Wieland (1-1, 0.95)
Hagerstown Suns Suspended,
Bot. 2nd, Down 7-1
@ West Virginia, 6:05 p.m. Taylor Jordan (4-0, 2.37) vs.
TBD

Toledo 6 Syracuse 2 — GAME ONE
∙ Martin (L, 0-2) 4⅔ IP 6H 6R 6ER 0BB 0K 3HR
∙ Chico 2⅓ IP 2H 1R 0ER 0BB 1K
∙ Marrero 2-3
∙ Frazier 1-3, R, HR, RBI
∙ Whiting 1-3, CS (4)

Toledo’s Charlie Furbush got the complete-game win as the Chiefs mustered only two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out eleven times, as the Mud Hens plucked the Chiefs, 6-2 in the first game of the double-header. Syracuse’s J.D. Martin served up three home runs to earn his 2nd loss of the season, pitching four and 2/3rds innings, allowing six earned runs on six hits with no walks and no strikeouts. Matt Chico kept the damage to a minimum, pitching two and a 1/3rd innings of scoreless relief, giving up two hits and no walks while striking out one. Jeff Frazier got the biggest hit of the game for Syracuse in the top of the seventh, a solo home run, his second longball of the season.

Toledo 3 Syracuse 1 — GAME TWO (6 inn.)
∙ Arnesen (L, 0-1) 5IP 8H 3R 3ER 0BB 4K 1HR
∙ Balester ⅔ IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K
∙ Aubrey 1-1, 2BB
∙ Bynum 1-3 1RBI

Syracuse mustered only five hits in a 3-1 loss to Toledo in the second game of the doubleheader. Erik Arnesen, recently promoted to backfill Roger Bernadina’s callup to Washington, took the loss. He pitched five complete innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out four. Collin Balester retired both batters he faced in the top of the sixth before the game was called due to rain. With the doubleheader loss, the Chiefs have now lost four in a row.

Altoona 6 Harrisburg 5 (11 inn.)
∙ Tatusko 5⅔ IP 9H 4R 4ER 1BB 4K
∙ VanAllen 2IP 0H 0R 2BB 4K
∙ Pena (L, 0-1) 1⅔ IP 3H 1R 1ER 0BB 2K
∙ Valdez 2-5, 2B, RBI
∙ Lombardozzi 2-5, 2R, 2B, RBI
∙ Johnson 2-4, R, 2RBI, 2BB
∙ Tyler Moore 2-5, 2 fielding errors (5)

An ugly, ejection-filled 11th inning took the shine off a furious four-run rally in the ninth to tie the game, as the Altoona Curve got past the Senators 6-5. Beat writer Geoff Morrow describes the series of events here. Starting pitcher Ryan Tatusko went the first five and 2/3rds of inning, allowing four earned runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out four. Hassan Pena, the third man out of the ‘pen, took the loss after pitching one and 2/3rds innings, allowing one runs on three hits while striking out two and a hit batsmen that prompted his ejection. Offensively, the Sens pounded out 13 hits, with the top third of the lineup — Steve Lombardozzi, Josh Johnson, and Jesus Valdez — collectively going 6-for-14, with three runs scored, two doubles and four RBI.

Myrtle Beach 6 Potomac 3 — GAME ONE
∙ Clegg (L, 1-1) ⅔ 7H 5R 2ER 3BB 3K 1HR
∙ Wort ⅓ 1H 1R 1ER 0BB 0K 1HR, WP, 2-2 IR-S
∙ Kobernus 1-3, 2SB, E
∙ Souza 1-2, R, 2SB
∙ Leon 2-2, BB

Pelican home runs in the 5th and 6th innings broke open a 1-0 game and sent the Potomac Nationals to a 6-3 loss in the first game of the doubleheader. Starter Mitchell Clegg held Myrtle Beach to a pair of doubles through the first four and 2/3rds before giving up hits or walks to six of nine batters before giving way to Rob Wort, who threw a wild pitch, and gave up a home run to allow both runners he inherited to score before getting the one out he needed to escape the jam. Potomac rallied for two runs in the seventh, taking advantage of Pelican walks and wild pitches and a hit batsman.

Potomac 4 Myrtle Beach 3 — GAME TWO
∙ Rosenbaum (ND) 5IP 4H 3R 3ER 2BB 6K HR
∙ Testa (W, 1-0) 1IP 0H 0R 2BB 1K
∙ Lehman (S, 4) 1IP 1H 0R 0B 1K
∙ Kobernus 3-4, 2B, RBI, E
∙ Dykstra 2-4, 2R, BB
∙ Souza 2-3, BB, RBI, SB

Jose Lozada’s two-out single in the top of the 7th broke a 3-3 tie to give the P-Nats a split of the doubleheader. It was just the fourth hit with RISP, as the P-Nats collected ten hits, drew six walks, and stole three bases but left 12 runners on base. Starter Danny Rosenbaum went the first five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks, while striking out six. Joe Testa got the win in his first appearance of ’11 while Pat Lehman weathered a leadoff single to earn his fourth save of the year.

West Virginia 7 Hagerstown 1, suspended, Bot. 2nd

The first matchup of the top two picks in the 2010 draft was reduced to a five-pitch walk in the the top of the first, thanks (well, no, not really) to yet another game affected by rainfall. West Virginia took batting practice a 7-1 lead against Suns’ starter Chris McKenzie who walked four of the 13 batters he faced and gave up four hits, including a two-run home run with two outs in the second that chased him from the game. Wilson Eusebio walked a batter and allowed a double before play was halted. The game will be resumed today and completed to the regulation nine innings, with a seven-inning game to follow.

Apr 252011
 

The Harrisburg Senators announced this afternoon that RHP Shairon Martis has been assigned from XST to Harrisburg, taking the place of Buck Coats, who was placed on the DL. Martis will be starting tonight’s game against Altoona, with Erik Davis expected tomorrow, and Ryan Tatusko slated for Wednesday.

Earlier today, the Hagerstown Suns’ Cameron Selik and Harrisburg’s Brad Peacock were named pitcher of the week for the South Atlantic League and Eastern League respectively. Selik, who will be starting tonight against the West Virginia Power, got the nod with his five shutout innings with 11Ks last Monday. Peacock’s nine-strikeout, seven and 1/3rd innings shutout innings this past Friday led to the award.

Apr 252011
 

The Quick Rundown…

Team Yesterday’s Result Today’s Game Pitching Matchup
Syracuse Chiefs Lost, 3-2 @ Scranton-W/B, 1:05 p.m. Ross Detwiler (2-0, 2.50) vs.
David Phelps (1-2, 5.51)
Harrisburg Senators OFF DAY vs. Altoona, 7:00 p.m. Erik Davis (0-0, 1.86) vs.
Jeff Locke (0-2, 2.30)
Potomac Nationals Lost, 11-4 @ Myrtle Beach, 7:05 p.m. Paul Demny (0-1, 4.66) vs.
Robbie Erlin (1-0, 4.20)
Hagerstown Suns OFF DAY @ West Virginia, 7:05 p.m. Cameron Selik (1-0, 0.00) vs.
Zack Dodson (1-1, 4.85)

Scranton/WB 3 Syracuse 2
∙ Maya 7IP 3H 3R 3ER 0BB 9K 1HR
∙ Kimball 1IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K
∙ Bernadina 1-4, R, 2B
∙ Bynum 1-3, R, HR, 2RBI

Despite an early first inning 2-0 lead, thanks to Seth Bynum’s second homerun of the season, the Yankees were able to fight back, scoring two runs in the fourth inning and one run in the fifth to win the game by a score of 3-2. Starting pitcher Yunesky Maya was perfect through three and 2/3rds, but took his second loss, pitching seven complete innings, allowing three runs on three hits. Impressively, he had good command of the strike zone, walking none and striking out nine. Kimball pitching a perfect inning of scoreless relief without allowing a Yankee player to reach base.

Harrisburg Senators — OFF DAY

The Senators had an off day but will continue their homestand today with the first game of a four-game series against the Altoona Curve. The Senators’ three-game winning streak has put them atop the Eastern League Western division with an 8-7 record and a ½ game lead over Bowie.

Salem 11 Potomac 4
∙ Caldera (L, 0-1) 2IP 5H 5R 5ER 1BB 3K 2HR
∙ Bronson 3IP 1H 0R 0ER 3BB 2K
∙ Lozada 2-4, R, RBI
∙ Kobernus 0-2, BB, RBI, 2SB

Spot starter Alex Caldera’s struggles continued with yet another multi-run appearance as the journeyman was blasted for five runs on five hits over two-plus innings in an 11-4 Potomac loss to Salem. His ERA stands at 16.71 with 5HRs, 16 hits, and 13 runs given up in seven innings over three appearances. Potomac’s offense was only marginally better, held to just six hits and two walks with six runners left on base.

Hagerstown Suns — OFF DAY

After a losing homestand (4-5), Hagerstown takes to the road for the second time this season with five against the West Virginia Power and four against the Rome Braves. The Suns were 6-2 in the first road trip and are now 10-7, tied for third place, 2½ games behind Kannapolis in the Sally League Northern division.

Apr 232011
 

The Quick Rundown…

Team Yesterday’s Result Today’s Game Pitching Matchup
Syracuse Chiefs Postponed @ Scranton-W/B, 1:05 p.m. Tom Milone (1-1, 2.08) and
Craig Stammen (0-0, 3.09) vs.
Kevin Millwood (rehab) and
D.J. Mitchell (0-1, 5.40)
Harrisburg Senators Won, 3-2 vs. Trenton, 7:00 p.m. Brad Meyers (2-1, 3.07) vs.
Steve Garrison (0-1, 4.38)
Potomac Nationals Lost, 6-4 @ Salem, 6:05 p.m. Marcos Frias (1-1, 0.71) vs.
Pete Ruiz (0-0, 9.00)
Hagerstown Suns Won, 17-1 vs. Hickory, 6:35 p.m. Bobby Hansen (1-0, 1.64) vs.
TBD

Syracuse-Scranton/Wilkes-Barre — PPD
Twice this past week, Syracuse was the sole affiliate to get in a game, but the rains got them last night. Thus, there’s a doubleheader in Scranton-Wilkes/Barre this afternoon.

Harrisburg 3 Trenton 2
∙ Peacock 7⅓ IP 2H 0R 0BB 9K
∙ VanAllen ⅔ IP 0H 0R 1BB 0K, IR-S: 1-0
∙ Valdez 3-4, R, 2B, RBI, SB
∙ Norris 1-3, R, 2B
∙ Moore 1-4, 3B, RBI

While Trenton tried to come back in the 9th inning, scoring a pair, it was not enough to overcome the three runs that the Senators put on the board in the first three innings. The three runs came collectively from an RBI single from Jesus Valdez in the 1st inning, back-to-back doubles from Derek Norris and Tim Pahuta in the 2nd, and a Valdez double and Tyler Moore triple in the 3rd. Starting pitcher Brad Peacock won his second game of the season, pitching seven and 1/3 innings allowing only two hits with no walks, while striking out nine. Pena earned the save, but it was not an easy one, pitching the ninth inning, allowing two hits and two earned runs off a Bradley Suttle home run.

Salem 6 Potomac 4
∙ Holder (L, 0-2) 5IP 9H 5R 5ER 0BB 3K
∙ Wort 2⅔ IP 2H 0R 2BB 3K
∙ Kobernus 3-5, RBI
∙ Leon 2-5, R, 2B
∙ Higley 1-3, 2B, 2RBI

Both teams got 13 hits on the night, but Salem came through in the clutch, scoring five times with two outs in a 6-4 win. Potomac got runners into scoring position 20 times but collected just three hits and left 13 men on base. Starter Trevor Holder struggled once again, allowing five runs in five innings on nine hits, but managed to keep the ball inside of Lewis-Gale Field. Jeff Kobernus led the hitters with a 3-for-5 night, followed by Sandy Leon’s 2-for-5 effort.

Hagerstown 17 Hickory 1
∙ Jordan (W, 4-0) 6IP 4H 0R 1BB 3K
∙ Swynenberg 1IP 1H 0R 0BB 1K
∙ Harper 3-3, 3R, 2B, HR, 2BB, 6RBI, SB
∙ Kelso 3-4, R, 2B, 2BB, 4RBI
∙ Moore 2-4, 2R, 2B, 2BB, 3RBI
Oduber 0-6, R, BB, 5K

Bryce Harper put any doubts about his health to rest with a career night of 6RBIs, two coming off a 4th-inning HR that cleared everything in right-centerfield, as Hagerstown blasted Hickory 17-1. Starter Taylor Jordan flirted with perfection, retiring the first 14 batters before allowing a two-out single in the 5th. He would leave after six scoreless innings, with four hits and one walk allowed and three strikeouts. Blake Kelso and Wade Moore also shined in the laugher, going 3-for-4 and 2-for-4 respectively and both doubling and drawing two walks.