Saturday’s News and Notes
The Senators win, the rest don't
The Quick Rundown…
| Team | Yesterday’s Result | Today’s Game | Pitching Matchup |
| Syracuse Chiefs | Lost, 2-1 | @ Scranton/W-B, 5:05 p.m. | Shairon Martis (6-6, 4.42) vs. Zach McAllister (7-7, 4.82) |
| Harrisburg Senators | Won, 10-0 | @ Portland, 2:00 p.m. | Aaron Thompson (4-11, 5.38) vs. Alex Wilson (3-3, 6.46) |
| Potomac Nationals | Lost, 5-1 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Hagerstown Suns | Lost, 5-4 | @ Greensboro, 4:00 p.m. | Evan Bronson (1-0, 4.50) vs. Erick Carrillo (3-5, 5.11) |
| Vermont Lake Monsters | Lost, 4-3 | @ Lowell, 1:35 p.m. | Bobby Hansen (3-2, 3.11) vs. Hunter Cervenka (0-2, 3.72) |
| GCL Nationals | Lost, 7-3 | @ GCL Mets, 12:00 p.m. | TBD vs. TBD |
| DSL Nationals | Lost, 11-1 @DSL Yankees1 |
OFF DAY | N/A |
Syracuse Chiefs L, 2-1 @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Starting Pitcher: Arnesen (L, 3-7) 7IP 6H 2R 2ER 1BB 2K
Pitching Star: Bisenius 1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K
Hitting Star: Davis 1-2, R, HR, RBI
Notes: Former National Tim Redding stifled the Chiefs, allowing just one run (a Leonard Davis HR) on four hits as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre edged Syracuse 2-1. Starter Erik Arnesen was nearly as good, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk.
Harrisburg Senators W, 10-0 vs. Portland
Starting Pitcher: Zimmermann 4⅔ IP 1H 0R 2BB 3K
Pitching Star: James (W, 6-0) 3IP 1H 0R 2BB 4K
Hitting Star #1: Johnson 3-4, 3R, 2B, HR, 3RBI
Hitting Star #2: Martinez 2-3, 2RBI
Notes: Three pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout as the Harrisburg Senators blanked the Portland Sea Dogs 10-0. Josh Johnson singled, doubled, and homered and drove in three to lead the offensive onslaught. Jordan Zimmermann, recently activated and assigned to Harrisburg, started the game and went 4⅔ innings, allowing one hit and two walks. Chuck James got the win in relief, his sixth against no losses for Harrisburg this season.
Potomac Nationals L, 5-1 vs. Frederick
Starting Pitcher: Rosenbaum 5IP 3H 1R 1ER 2BB 3K
Pitching Star: VanAllen 1IP 0H 0R 0BB 1K
Hitting Star: Lombardozzi 1-3, 2B, BB
Notes: Perhaps the catch of the year was made Last Night In Woodbridge
Hagerstown Suns L, 5-4 @ Greensboro
Starting Pitcher: Smoker 3IP 5H 3R 2ER 3BB 1K 1HR
Pitching Star: Wort 1IP 0R 0H 0BB 2K
Hitting Star #1: Hague 2-5, R, RBI
Hitting Star #2: Bloxom 2-4
Notes: The Suns took an an early 1-0 lead in the 1st but the Grasshoppers leapt past them with a two-run rally in the 2nd and a single run in the 3rd to go up 3-1. Hagerstown tied it in the 4th with an infield single and an RBI ground out, but Greensboro answered those two runs with two of their own in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-3 lead. Greensboro would give one run back on an error and a run coming in on a double play, but otherwise the Grasshopper bullpen was stifling, allowing just two hits over four innings while striking out eight. Starter Josh Smoker’s generosity to the opposition continued with three runs allowed on five hits, including a home run. He walked three and struck out one.
Vermont Lake Monsters L, 4-3
Starting Pitcher: Bates (L, 2-2) 5IP 11H 4R 2ER 0BB 4K
Pitching Star: Holland 3IP 0R 0H 1BB 4K
Hitting Star #1: Rowe 2-4, R, HR, 2RBI; OF assist at HP
Hitting Star #2: Jimenez 2-5, 2B, RBI
Notes: Connor Rowe’s two-run HR gave Vermont an early lead at 2-0 in the top of the 3rd. Two errors and a string of singles by the Spinners led to three runs to put the Lake Monsters down 3-2. Lowell would extend the lead to 4-2 in the 4th. Vermont could only muster an unearned run in the 7th as Lowell won 4-3. Starter Colin Bates was stung for 11 hits over his five innings, allowing four runs (two earned) in the loss.
GCL Nationals L, 7-3 vs. GCL Cardinals
Starting Pitcher: Ryan Mattheus 1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K
Pitching Star: Randy Mower 1IP 1H 0R 1BB 1K
Hitting Star: Adrian Sanches 3-3, 2B, SB, RBI
Notes: With two runs in the 3rd and three runs in the 4th, the GCL Cardinals went up 5-2 after four full innings and were in control the whole way, as the GCL Nationals fell to them 7-3. The GCL Nationals only left three runners on base, but only the starting and finishing pitchers were untouched as the GCL Cardinals rapped out 10 hits.
DSL Nationals L, 11-1 @ DSL Yankees1
Starting Pitcher: Antonio Guzman (L, 3-3) 5IP 8H 6R 6ER 2BB 4K
Pitching Star: Luis Matos 1IP 1H 0R 1BB 1K
Hitting Star: Victor Chavez 1-3, BB
Notes: The DSL Nationals pitchers were pounded for 13 hits, while the batters were held to just five hits as the DSL Yankees1 won handily 11-1. Starter Antonio Guzman took his third loss, allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks.
Chuck James seems to have taken to pitching out of the bullpen well. My guess is that Harrisburg needed a lefty in the pen and that was why he was sent down? If that is true do you think that he might get a September call-up. There was a time when he was considered a real prospect. Also any reason why Zimmermann pitched 4 2/3 instead of 5 innings? Thanks
@David – Randy Tomlin is developing a reputation as a fix-it man for pitchers and I think it’s a combination of being under his wing as well as the decision to make James a reliever (both starts for Harrisburg were during doubleheaders).
September call-ups are going to be tough to call this year with the bevy of hurt pitchers (eight by my count).
As for Zimmermann, it had to have been that he hit his pitch count. Unfortunately, MiLB.com only does pitch counts for AAA.
A Ryan Mattheus sighting – Finally. Another TJ surgery on the possibly long road to recovery.
Glad to see Hague is still hitting…i had high hopes for him when they drafted him. I’ll be real interested to watch as these four new players fit in with their respective clubs these next few weeks. Hopefully Ramos is the real deal.
I agree, for a long time it seems all the good stories were only coming with the pitching, which to be honest had been the major focus of the front office. Now, we have lots of hitting stories such as Hague, Freitas, Eury Perez, and Oduber are all great stories, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re all in Potomac next year. They’re coming, Sue.