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Saturday’s News & Notes

Two out three Nats win. The other was rained out.

The Quick Rundown…

Team Yesterday’s Result Today’s Game Pitching Matchup
Syracuse Chiefs Won, 5-4 (10 inn.) @ Rochester, 7:05 p.m. Tom Milone (2-3, 4.21) vs.
Ryan Mullins (1st AAA start of ’11)
Harrisburg Senators Postponed @ Binghamton, 1:05 p.m. Brad Peacock (5-1, 2.13) vs.
Robert Carson (1-4, 3.96)
Potomac Nationals Won, 6-2 @ Lynchburg, 7:00 p.m. Trevor Holder (1-5, 5.57) vs.
Zeke Spruill (2-4, 2.88)
Hagerstown Suns Lost, 5-4 @ Greensboro, 7:00 p.m. Bobby Hansen (5-1, 3.53) vs.
Zachary Neal (3-2, 3.73)

Syracuse 5 Norfolk 4 (10 inn.)
• Meyers (ND) 5⅓ IP 7H 3R 3ER 0BB 3K 2HR
• Martin 2IP 0H 0R 0BB 3K
• Marrero 3-5, R
• Hulett 2-2, R, 2BB, RBI
• Frazier 2-4, R, RBI

Pinch-runner Yunesky Maya scored the gamewinner off the bat of Tug Hulett in the bottom of the 10th as the Chiefs won in extras, 5-4, and swept the four-game series with the Norfolk Tide. The win was the fifth straight for the Chiefs and the first four-game sweep since May 2010. Brad Meyers started and went the first five innings, but fell victim to the longball twice for solo shots and allowed three runs on seven hits overall. Chris Marrero led the hit parade with three singles in five at-bats to raise his average to .323 for the month of May and .278 overall.

Harrisburg-Binghamton — PPD
Aliens invaded a small town in upstate New York and hatched their evil plan to postpone yet another Senators ballgame. Well, maybe not. The game will be made up as part of doubleheader on Tuesday, June 7th.

Potomac 6 Lynchburg 2
• Clegg (W, 2-2) 7IP 4H 1R 1ER 2BB 2K
• Nelo 2IP 2H 1R 0ER 1BB 1K
• Souza 2-4, R, HR, 3RBI, SB
• Hood 2-5, 2R, 2B, 3B, RBI
• Perez 3-5, RBI, SB

The P-Nats were clicking on all cylinders, showing speed (five SBs) and power (five XBHs) on offense and limiting the Hillcats to just six hits in a 6-2 triumph in Lynchburg. Mitchell Clegg pitched a season-high seven innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out two. Destin Hood (double, triple) and Eury Perez (three singles) remain red-hot on offense, with Steve Souza phoning long distance over the centerfield wall for two of his three RBI on the night. Combined, the trio accounted for seven of the 11 Potomac hits.

Greensboro 5 Hagerstown 4
• Ray (ND) 6IP 7H 2R 1ER 0BB 4K
• Eusebio (L, 0-2) 1IP 4H 3R 3ER 0BB 2K
• Harper 2-3, R, 2B, BB, HR, SB, 3RBI
• Taylor 1-4, R, HR, RBI

A fifth-inning run ended Robbie Ray’s scoreless inning streak at 15, while a bullpen blowup denied him the chance for the win as the Greensboro edged Hagerstown, 5-4. Ray gave up two runs, one earned, on seven hits and no walks. Wilson Eusebio was torched for three runs on four hits, with a two-out double clearing the bases that had been loaded with singles. Bryce Harper drove in three with a double and a homer while Michael Taylor’s solo shot accounted for the fourth Sun run.

8 Commments

  1. This Hood/EuPerez OF combo are in stride together. Nice to see! Can’t wait to see Harper in the OF with those 2.

  2. It’s funny – although Hagerstown lost, I found myself enjoying reading about it. From the Nationals’ perspective, the important elements are Harper resuming his destruction of Sally League pitching and Robbie Ray’s suppression of Sally League bats. From the perspective of developing impact talent, the game was a curly W – although a loss.

  4. Good point on the MiLB level on player development which is why I scratch my head on guys who have donned the Curly W like Matt Stairs who is 43 and could actually qualify to be the father to most of the MiLB guys. I heard Matt Stairs is a great teammate and Coach so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back in the Minors, as a Coach.

  5. This Hood/EuPerez OF combo are in stride together. Nice to see! Can’t wait to see Harper in the OF with those 2.

    And what makes it even more interesting is that outfield might just be the best the Nats have from AAA down to the GCL. But is it better than the one the Nats have at the major league level? Have to know that question just might be asked before this season is done.

    Now if Kelso also gets promoted and you put him in the #2 spot after Perez … followed by Harper, Hood, etc? Potomac could be the hot spot as summer comes.

  6. the important elements are Harper resuming his destruction of Sally League pitching and Robbie Ray’s suppression of Sally League bats.

    I was a bit worried … not that Harper might be regressing but it occurred to me that the slump appeared to directly correspond with Rizzo’s pronouncement that Harper would not see the majors this year. Period.

    IMHO, that was a mistake. What he should have said was that there were certain parameters he needed to meet and if he met them perhaps … I laid out the
    2 minor league season in AA/AAA PCL that Ted Williams had as a rough example.

    Harper sees the struggles his ST teammates are having at the major league level and probably believes he can help. He is a hard and consummate worker and his thinking probably was that if he demolished a couple minor’s leagues he and his bat would get called to the majors to help out.

    On the other hand perhaps it was a good test to see how he handles that sort of adversity? He appears to have gotten over it … hopefully?

    1. Young Mr. Harper is just that – he has a lot of growing up to do before he is major league ready. While his passion for the game and for winning is commendable, there are other traits/skills necessary to be an all-around success in the bigs

  7. I’ve been thinking this for awhile (but keeping it to myself surprisingly enough …

    I believe its possible that Jhonatan Solano has moved ahead of Jesus Flores on the depth chart. I am fairly certain that Randy Knorr prefers Solano over Flores. Solano appears to have figure things out offensively and his defense has always been ahead of the game.

    I think I stated that Stephen Lombardozzi was the likely choice for promotion to help out positionally. But in the back of my mind I was thinking Solano. Why? He gives Riggleman more flexibility in the way he uses Pudge. For example, with Solano on the roster Riggleman could use Pudge at first base. Solano can also apparently play second base. The obvious “con”? Pudge needs 3000 hits but not just 3000 hits, 3000 hits at catcher. So, playing Pudge at another position is something Riggleman will likely not do.

    I admit it seems odd to be thinking this but …

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