Monday’s News & Notes

Scranton/WB 7 Syracuse 2
• Wang (L, 0-1) 5IP, 8H, 5ER, BB, 5K, 3R HR
• Tatusko 1⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Hulett 2-4, R, HR, RBI
• J Valdez 1-3, 2B, RBI
Chien-Ming Wang was hit hard in a 7-2 loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He gave up a single, a walk, and a three-run homer to Gustavo Molina in the second. In the fourth, he gave up a two out RBI double to Luis Nunez, and in the fifth Jesus Montero doubled and came in to score on a sac fly to make the score 5-1. Wang threw 96 pitches through 5 innings, 63 for strikes. He had five groundouts to four flyouts. Syracuse squandered an opportunity for a big inning in the first. Steve Lombardozzi was caught stealing after leading off with a walk. After a walk by Brian Bixler and a single by Michael Aubrey, Chris Marrero popped out. Jesus Valdez doubled in Bixler, but Aubrey was thrown out at home on the play trying to score. Syracuse’s only other run would be a Tug Hulett homer in the seventh. J.D. Martin gave up two runs in one and 2/3rds inning of relief and Ryan Tatusko got the last out of the 7th and pitched a scoreless 8th. With the 7-2 loss, Syracuse falls to 44-56, 14 games back of Lehigh Valley for first place.

Richmond 4 Harrisburg 1 — GAME ONE
• Bronson 4IP, 5H, ER, 2BB, K
• VanAllen (L, 3-2) 2IP, 3H, 3ER, BB, HR)
• Jo. Johnson 1-3
• Pahuta 1-1, RBI
Harrisburg continued to struggle in a doubleheader sweep at the hands (wings?) of the Richmond Flying Squirrels. In game one, the offense could only manage three singles and two walks. The lone tally was a Tim Pahuta two-out, pinch-hit RBI single scoring Devin Ivany, who had reached on a single. Starter Evan Bronson acquitted himself well in his first Eastern League appearance, giving up one run on an RBI double in the fourth. His defense helped him out of a runners-on-second-an-third-with-one-out jam when Adam Fox gunned down Johnny Monell at home plate trying to score. Corey Van Allen took the loss when he gave up a solo shot in the fifth to Roger Kieschnick and two runs on a triple, an intentional walk, a double, and a squeeze bunt.

Richmond 7 Harrisburg 5 — GAME TWO
• Martis (L, 7-4) 5IP, 5H, 4ER, 3BB, 8K
• Lehman 1IP, 3H, 3ER, BB, 0K
• Norris 2-4, 2R, 2B, RBI
• T Moore 2-3, R, 2R HR, 3RBI, BB
Shairon Martis took the loss in a 7-5 defeat to Richmond in game two of the doubleheader. Harrisburg jumped out to a brief lead with one out singles by Derek Norris, Bill Rhinehart, and Tyler Moore. Unfortunately, Moore all but killed the rally when he was thrown out trying to advance to second to make the second out. Bryce Harper would ground out and that would be the end of Harrisburg’s offense until the seventh inning. Richmond scpred on Shairon Martis early with two doubles and two singles to take a 2-1 lead after one. Martis gave up leadoff walks in the 6th before Pat Lehman came in for relief. Lehman allowed both inherited runners to score on a bunt single and an RBI single followed by a bases-loaded walk, a sac fly, and a two RBI singles before finally escaping the disastrous frame with a sharp double-play lineout to shortstop. Harrisburg mounted a furious four-run rally in the final seventh inning, but fell short after a two-out Tyler Moore two-run homer. After being swept by Richmond, Harrisburg falls to 57-45 and its lead over Bowie is down to just a half game.

Potomac 6 Winston-Salem 3
• Selik (W, 4-6) 5⅓ IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 4K
• Nelo (S, 13) 1⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, BB, K, 1-1 IR-S
• Kobernus 3-5, 2R, 2B, SB
• Hood 3-3, R, 2BB, RBI
• Souza 1-3, R, BB, 3RBI

The P-Nats built a 4-0 lead in the middle innings and held on for a 6-3 win over the Winston-Salem Dash. Cameron Selik tossed five and a 1/3rd solid innings for his fourth win, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. The trio of Destin Hood, Jeff Kobernus and Steve Souza combined for four runs, three walks, seven hits, and four RBI as Potomac collected 11 hits total. Joe Testa and Hector Nelo held the Dash to one run over the last three and 2/3rds to earn the hold and save, respectively. The win snapped a three-game losing skid and kept pace with the first-place Frederick Keys, which Potomac still trails by two games in the Carolina League North.

Hagerstown 7 Greenville 2
• Grace (W, 10-5) 6⅓ IP, 1H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 3K
• Esuebio (S, 5) 2⅔ IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Taylor 2-3, 3R, 3B, HR, BB, RBI
• W Moore 2-4, 3B, 2RBI

Matt Grace became the second 10-game winner in the minors (Peacock) with Hagertown’s 7-2 victory over the Greenville Drive. The lefty from UCLA had a no-hitter through six and a third innings, but lost it on a double and was lifted with a 3-0 lead after giving up a walk to the next batter. Greenville took advantage of a Wade Moore error to score two and pull within one at 3-2, but the Suns rallied for two runs in bottom of the 7th and 8th innings to put this one away. Wilson Eusebio finished the game for his fifth save. Michael Taylor tripled and homered and scored three runs to lead the Suns offense. The win improves Hagerstown’s record to 16-13, two games behind Hickory in the Sally North.

Auburn 8 Lowell 4
• Bates (W, 3-1) 5IP, 3H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Mirowski (H, 2) 1⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 0K
• Nieto 3-4, R, BB, SB, RBI
• Mayo 2-3, 2R, HR, RBI
• J Miller 2-4, 2R, 3B, BB, RBI

The Doubledays made the most of their offensive opportunities, scorin eight runs on 10 hits and six walks to double up the Spinnners, 8-4. Auburn went 4-for-11 with RISP and left just six runners on base, scoring four in the first, two in the 2nd and single runs in 5th and 6th innings. Lowell made some hay with the middle relievers, pummeling Chad jenkins and Manuel Rivera for four runs in the bottom of the 7th. Richie Mirowkski inherited three runners but allowed just one to score to earn the hold. Adrian Nieto led the Doubleday hit parade with a walk, three singles, a stolen base, scoring a run and driving in a run. Auburn returns to second place, a game behind Mahoning Valley in the bunched-up (five teams within two games of first place) Pinckey Division of the New York-Penn League.

GCL Astros 8 GCL Nationals 7
• King 4⅓ IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 5K, WP
• Holder (BS, 1)(L, 0-1) 1⅔ 5H, 4R, 4ER, 0BB, 3K, HR
• Mesa 5-5, 2R, 2-2B, HR, RBI
• Peguero 2-4, R

A three-run home run highlighted a four-run seventh, sending the GCL Nationals to an eventual 8-7 defeat. The G-Nats couldn’t hold an early 4-1 lead, as Trevor Holder was touched for all four runs and the big fly to get the blown save and the loss. Brandon King went the first four and a 1/3rd innings and gave up three runs on five hits and a walk, striking out five. Narciso Mesa had a career day, gong 5-for-5 with two doubles and a solo home run to lead the G-Nat offense. The loss was the second straight and reduces the G-Nat elimination number to 20 with an 11-18 mark for the season, 8½ games behind the G-Marlins.

DSL Nationals — OFF DAY
The American League defeated the National League in the DSL All-Star game by a score of 5-3. Dionicio Rosario (0-for-1), Yermin Mercedes (0-for-2) came off the bench while Ivan Pineyro pitched 2/3rds of an inning in relief.