Saturday’s News & Notes

Syracuse 7 Louisville 3
• Atkins (W, 5-5) 6⅓ IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 6K, HR; 1-3, R, HR, RBI
• Pena (H, 3) 1⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Teahen 3-4, 2B
• Rivero 2-2, 2BB, HR, 2RBI
• Brown 1-5, R, HR, 4RBI

Corey Brown’s 15th HR was a grand slam that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 6-3 lead as the Chiefs used the long ball to saw the Bats, 7-3. Starter Mitch Atkins was one of the three Syracuse hitters to go long (the first Chiefs pitcher to do it in 37 years), with Carlos Rivero being the third. Atkins would get the win with all three Louisville runs allowed on eight hits and two walks over six and a third innings pitched. Mark Teahean led the hit column with a 3-for-4 night, including a double.

Harrisburg 9 Reading 0
• Pucetas (W, 4-1) 7IP, 5H, 0R, 0BB, 5K
• McCoy 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Frias 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Van Ostrand 2-3, 2R, HR, BB, 2RBI, SF
• Mayorson 4-5, R

Every position player got a hit, and five got two or more as Harrisburg pounded out 17 hits in a 9-0 win over Reading. Kevin Pucetas, Pat McCoy, and Marcos Frias combined on the five-hit, no-walk shutout, with Pucetas allowing the hits and striking out five, and the relievers both striking out two in their single inning of work. Manny Mayorson led the hit parade with a 4-for-5 night, while Jimmy Van Ostrand went deep. As feared/expected, C Beau Seabury becomes the latest backstop to get hurt, placed on the 7-Day DL and replaced on the Senators roster with recently acquired C Kris Watts.

Potomac 5 Salem 4 — GAME ONE
• Ray (W, 3-2) 5IP, 3H, R, ER, 4BB, 6K
• Testa 2IP, 4H, 3R, 2ER, BB, 0K
• Bloxom 1-2, R, HR, 3RBI
• Marrero 2-3, RBI
• Walters 1-3, R, 2B, RBI

Justin Bloxom’s 10th HR put the P-Nats up 4-1 early and Joe Testa turned in two innings of shaky relief as the P-Nats held on 5-4 for the win in Game One of the doubleheader. Robbie Ray struggled with his command early, but gave up just a single run on a bases-loaded walk in the 2nd as the southpaw labored through five innings and walked four but also struck out six. Rehabbing Chris Marrero went 2-for-3 with an RBI as the DH while Zach Walters continued his hot hitting with an RBI double.

Potomac 4 Salem 2 — GAME TWO
• Hansen (W, 2-2) 6IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 2K, HR
• Barthmaier (SV, 2) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Ramirez 1-3, 2B, 2RBI
• Taylor 1-3, R, 2B, RBI

If Bobby Hansen Jr. wants to return to the starting rotation, he made his case in the nightcap, which the P-Nats took 4-2 for the doubleheader sweep and their 20th home win in 30 games. The 6’6″ southpaw turned in his best outing of the year with two runs given up on three hits (though all went for extra bases) over six innings with just a single walk. Offensively, Michael Taylor and J.P. Ramirez smacked back-to-back doubles to in the three-run third as Potomac made the most of its limited chances with four runs on four hits and two walks (a couple errors and wild pitches didn’t hurt 😉 As a Braves affiliate, Lynchburg is doing their best imitation of Atlanta’s 2011 September, as they dropped two to Frederick last night — their 8th loss in the last 10 games. Combined with Wilmington’s third straight loss, Potomac is back in second place, two games behind the Hillcats.

Hagerstown 6 Kannapolis 4
• Turnbull (ND) 6IP, 6H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 3K
• Eusebio (W, 1-0) 2+IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 0K, HR
• Holt (SV, 1) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Jimenez 2-4, R, HR, 3RBI
• Miller 2-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI
• Burns 1-3, R, BB, 2SB

Hendry Jimenez’s three-run HR highlighted a four-run 9th that gave Hagerstown its sixth straight win, 6-4 over Kannapolis. Wilson Eusebio got the win despite coughing up two-run shot in the Intimidator’s last ups. Greg Holt nailed it down by getting the next three batters for his first save. Jimenez and Justin Miller both went 2-for-4 with a HR to lead the Suns offense. Combined with first-place Greensboro’s fourth straight loss, the second-place Suns are just 2½ back in the Sally North with 10 games left in the half. Roster move: LHP Bobby Lucas was activated from the 7-Day DL

DSL Giants 6 DSL Nationals 1
• Silvestre 5IP, 2H, 0R, 3BB, 6K
• Moscat (L, 0-1) 2⅓ IP, 2H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 3K
• Novas 3-4, SB
• Read 2-4

The D-Nats ‘pen couldn’t hold a 1-0 lead, letting in all six D-Giants run in the last of the 8th for a 6-1 loss, their third straight. Hector Silvestre turned in five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out six. The clutch was stuck in choke for most of the game as the D-Nats left on eight, five with two outs, as the offense went just 1-for-13 with RISP and hit into three double plays. Randy Novas and Raudy Read combined for five of the eight hits.