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Tuesday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Lost, 6-1 @ Rochester,
7:05 p.m.		 Roark (4-12, 5.47) vs.
Martis (0-0, 17.18)
Harrisburg Won, 5-1 vs. New Hampshire,
7:00 p.m.		 Perry (1-1,1.63) vs.
Jenkins (4-9, 5.26)
Potomac Lost, 5-0 @ Lynchburg,
7:05 p.m.		 Grace (5-9, 5.82) vs.
Martin (10-6, 3.28)
Hagerstown Won, 5-4 vs. Lakewood,
10:35 a.m.		 Meza (5-1, 2.86) vs.
Stewart (4-8, 3.43)
Auburn Lost, 9-6;
Lost, 19-2		 @ Jamestown,
7:05 p.m.		 Mooneyham (0-0, 0.00) vs.
Milroy (1-2, 5.57)
GCL Nationals Lost, 9-2 @ GCL Marlins,
12:00 p.m.		 Hudgins (1-2, 2.16) vs.
Garcia (0-2, 4.79)
DSL Nationals Won, 7-6
(13 inn.)		 @ DSL Mets1,
10:30 a.m.		 Gomez (5-2, 2.98) vs.
Rosario (2-2, 2.70)

Norfolk 6 Syracuse 1
• Mandel (L, 1-3) 5IP, 9H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 2K, HR
• Atkins 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Rivero 2-3, R, 2B
• Tracy 1-3

Norfolk struck for five runs in the middle innings and cruised to a 6-1 win over Syracuse. Starter Jeff Mandel took the loss, touched for the five runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out two. Mitch Atkins threw two innings in relief two days after a start, which perhaps may indicate a shift to the bullpen or a rearrangement of the rotation. Carlos Rivero singled and doubled but the Chiefs could only muster four hits total. Roster moves: Jayson Werth, Chad Tracy assigned from Potomac (rehab), C James Skelton activated from DL, OF Corey Brown recalled to Washington.

Harrisburg 5 New Hampshire 1
• Wang (W, 1-1) 6⅓ IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 6K
• Davis 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Kobernus 3-4, 2R, BB, 3SB
• Hood 3-4, 2B, RBI

Facing the ninth-best offense in the ten-team Eastern League, Chien Ming-Wang tossed six and a 1/3rd shutout innings to get the win for Harrisburg, 5-1. Wang allowed two hits and walked none while striking out six. Jeff Kobernus and Destin Hood both went 3-for-4 for the Senators, with Kobernus swiping three bags to up his league-leading total to 38. Roster moves: RHP Chien-Ming Wang assigned from Potomac (rehab), RHP Kevin Pucetas activated from DL, RHP Rob Gilliam placed on the DL, retroactive to 7/20.Patriot-News beat writer Geoff Morrow is reporting that former Rule 5 pick Brian Broderick has been signed as a FA and will be assigned to Harrisburg after a stint in Viera.

Lynchburg 5 Potomac 0
• Ray (L, 3-7) 5IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, BB, 4K, WP, HBP
• Barrett 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, K
• King 1-3, 2B
• Sanchez 1-4, 2B

Gus Schlosser proved his last outing was no fluke, leaving Potomac as flat as a mackerel for a 5-0 shutout. Robbie Ray took the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four. Adrian Sanchez and Steven King both doubled to lead the offense, which was held to five hits total.

Hagerstown 5 Lakewood 4 (10 inn.)
• Schwartz 5⅓ IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 4K, 2HR
• Bates (W, 5-3) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, K
• Skole 3-5, 2R, BB, HR, 2RBI, SB
• Ramsey 3-5, R, RBI
• Burns 2-4, BB, RBI, SB

Matt Skole came off the DL and picked up where he left off, homering in the 5th (#22) and hitting the RBI walkoff single in the 10th for a 5-4 Hagerstown win over Lakewood. Starter Blake Schwartz couldn’t keep two of his mistakes in the yard but had an otherwise decent outing of three runs allowed on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Greg Holt let up an unearned run but delivered the game to Colin Bates with two and 2/3rds of one-hit, one-walk pitching. Bates got the “W” with two scoreless innings in the 9th an 10th innings. Caleb Ramsey matched Skole’s 3-for-5 mark while Billy Burns went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base (#34), but the offense struggled otherwise with a 4-for-20 mark with RISP and 14 runners LOB. Roster moves: OF Angelberth Montilla promoted from Auburn, 1B Brett Newsome placed on the DL, presumably to make room for Skole.

Jamestown 9 Auburn 6 — GAME ONE (Comp.)
• Jordan (L, 0-1) 1IP, 5H, 5R, 5ER, BB, K, 0HR
• Medina 4IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 2K, HR
• Renda 2-4, 2R, BB
• Martinez 2-4, 2B
• Ramos 2-3, R, BB

Jamestown held its three-run lead at the start of this completion for a 9-6 win. Since-promoted Taylor Jordan took the loss with five runs given up in the first inning on five hits and a walk on July 3rd. Silvio Medina, the de facto starter, gave up three on five hits and no walks. Tony Renda, Estarlin Martinez, and Wander Ramos each had two hits while Wes Schill hit a grand slam in the 8th to keep the came close.

Jamestown 19 Auburn 2 — GAME TWO
• Encarnacion (L, 2-1) 1+ IP, 6H, 7R, 7ER, 2BB, 0K, 0HR
• Smith ⅔ IP, 5H, 6R, 6ER, BB, K, HR, 3-3 IR-S
• A. Ramirez 1IP, 1H, 0R, BB, K
• Lopez 1-2, R, 2B, BB

When a team gets just four hits, odds are it’s a bad night. When a backup catcher is the most effective pitcher, it’s a nightmare. The Jamestown Jammers spread 13 runs on the Auburn Doubledays in the second inning alone in a 19-2 stomp in the second game. Pedro Encarnacion took the loss with seven runs allowed on six hits and two walks, with no strikeouts and no home runs. Carlos Lopez reached base twice with a walk and a double and scored once to lead the offense.

GCL Marlins 9 GCL Nationals 2
• Barrientos 4IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 5K, HR
• Mieses (L, 1-3) 6BF, 5H, 4R, 4ER, 0BB, 0K, HR
• Rendon 1-1, R, BB, HR, 2RBI
• Eusebio 1-2
• Jennings 1-3

A grand slam in the 5th broke up a 2-2 tie as the G-Marlins scored seven unanswered runs for a 9-2 win. Adalberto Mieses coughed up the killshot, facing six batters without retiring any of them to take the loss. Joel Barrientos started and went the first four innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five. Anthony Rendon’s first professional HR accounted for both G-Nats runs as the team was held to three hits and four walks total. Roster move: C Cole Leonida assigned from Hagerstown (rehab).

DSL Nationals 7 DSL Mets1 6 (13 inn.)
• De La Cruz ⅔ IP, 0H, 2R, 0ER, BB, 0K, HBP
• Valerio 5⅓ IP, 7H, 4R, 3ER, BB, 2K, HR, 1-0 IR-S
• Chavez (W, 1-0) 2IP, H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Abreu 3-5, R, 2-2B, BB, RBI
• Atencio 2-4, 2RBI

After coming back from deficits of 2-0 and 6-2, the D-Nats wasted numerous scoring chances before finally delivering the gamewinner in the last of the 13th for a 7-6 win. A walk, a hit batsman, a single, and another walk by Andres Martinez pushed across the deciding run. Starter Emmanuel De La Cruz faced just five batters, getting two out while giving up a walk and hitting a batter. Maximo Valerio was the first man out of the ‘pen and went the next five and a 1/3rd, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk. Four relievers followed, combining for seven shutout innings with Jose Chavez getting the win. They couldn’t steal first, but the D-Nats stole nine other bases (caught just once), inflating the denominator for the RISP figure of 4-for-27 with 21 LOB. Osvaldo Abreu led the hit column with a single and two doubles.

28 Commments

  1. It’s really discouraging that Skole was injured when he was. He’s been far more consistent than Souza this season, and is far more deserving of a promotion. Hopefully, they aren’t done with their mid season promotions….

    Conversely, it’s really encouraging to see Rendon swinging the bat. Do you think they’ll let him take it easy in FL for the rest of the season before playing in the AFL? Or will they promote him back to Potomac for some tougher ABs in August?

    1. As I’ve said previously, I think they’ll move Rendon up to Auburn and/or Hagerstown, which is when Skole will get the bump to Potomac.

      1. Thanks, must have missed those remarks. Do you also expect Rendon to play in the AFL?

        1. Maybe. That’s not as clear. The argument for is that he’s missed a lot of time and it gets him some meaningful ABs against high-level competition, the argument against is that it might be pushing him too hard and/or too fast.

          1. I spoke with Skole today. He says there is zero chance he will go to Potomac this year. Not sure why, but he was very definite about it.

          2. That may be how he feels, but even if Doug Harris told you that, I’d still take it with a pound of salt.

  2. Any chance Skole gets switched to 1B? In 145 career pro games, he has 30 errors. Combine that with having Rendon ahead of him, not to mention that guy at third at the big club, and it would seem his future likely lies elsewhere.

    Also, when do you see Rendon getting moved up?

  3. Interesting to reflect on the Ryan Perry — Collin Balester trade. Both are in the minors. Collin appears to be doin’ okay as a reliever for the Mudcats, after a rocky tour with the Tigers. … Ryan is being re-invented as a starter and it appears to agree with him. … Any insights re the Nats’ thinking re Perry? Did they plan to convert him to a starter from the beginning or was it a spur-of-the-moment decision? Maybe we’d have to attend a Nats’ strategy session to say. The re-acquisition of Rule 5er Broderick and other moves seems to suggest the Nats are long-range planners and don’t change their player evaluations easily. … Also, I’m wondering about Brad Myers and the Yankees’ ability to put (stash?) a Rule 5 guy on the long-term DL — doesn’t seem fair to the former team. Part of the DL game all teams play?

    1. Another interesting reflection is the Willingham trade.

      It’s looking like a huge fail on the Nats’ side, but with Brown now promoted we’ll finally get to see for sure. HRod is as erratic as ever. Yeah, he can throw 100 MPH, but as we’ve seen that doesn’t matter much if you can’t find the strike zone.

      Meanwhile, Willingham has the 24th most HR from 2011-2012 and put up a very Jayson-Werth-with-the-Phillies-esque line of .256/.352/.498, but is owed $105,000,000 less.

      To think of what we could have spent that money on…. (Visions of a Strasburg, Gonzalez, Greinke, Zimmerman, Detwiler rotation makes me weak in the knees).

      1. Willingham was a straight salary dump at the time, although you’ll never get the Nats F.O. to admit it.

    2. It’s important to remember that the Perry — Balester trade was all about options; Balester had none and the Nats figured they were going to lose him anyway after spring training when they tried to slide him to Syracuse.
      Perry’s like found money, him taking to being a starter is a big bonus for the Nats.

      The Yankees are going to have to put Meyers on the 25 man at some point……… or give him back to the Nats. His physical condition at this point is a big secret.

  4. Lost in the 19-2 Auburn implosion is McGeary’s ugly performance – 4 walks in one inning. Will he ever regain his once promising status?

    1. No. He’s never been successful in the minors through 6 seasons and never made it above low A.

      It’s actually quite incredible that people still think he has any value or promise. He’s 23 years old and failing in rookie league ball. There’s not much more that needs to be said.

  5. Thanks Will. I guess i’m still holding on to the failed notion that his huge signing bonus meant he had some big time potential that hasn’t been tapped into yet. It looks like he and JP Ramirez are million dollar busts.

    1. McGeary and Smoker are the poster children for “The PLAN that Never Was.”

      Interesting to note that AJ Cole has also imploded this year with the A’s. The bottom line is that no player’s pedigree or draft position means anything after several years of professional failure.

      1. it’s hard to be too critical of draft results from the early years. the organization we inherited from MLB was hardly a well running machine

      2. Clearly you haven’t been paying attention to Cole.

        4-2, 2.11 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 68 K’s in 59.2 IP since he was demoted to Burlington which is like Hagerstown.

        Giving up on a 20 year old is just as foolish as your post was.

        1. Beat me to it, but that’s a bit harsh. I don’t think bdrube was saying Cole was no longer a prospect, just that even the most highly touted ones can fail too (see Brandon Wood, Andrew Miller, Matt LaPorta, Brian Matusz, Justin Smoak, etc for some true big prospect busts).

          1. Yes. I apologize. That was a bit harsh on my part. Early morning grumblings, I suppose.

      3. Actually Cole started out slow, and was demoted to low A, but has been excellent since. He was still ahead of his age for high A, so his demotion, while discouraging, isn’t that bad. For comparison, Alex Meyer is almost exactly 2 years older than Cole, but didn’t pitch his first game in high A until last week.

        Cole is still very much a highly valued prospect, it just might take him a few months longer to reach the majors than expected.

        Brad Peacock, on the other hand…..

  6. In reference to Skole, remember at this point there is no room at the Inn(Potomac) for him. Thus the reason Jason Martinson started with Hagerstown this year, playing time and at bats.

    1. I understood how that was the case to start the season, when Rendon was occupying 3B, but ever since he went down in the second game of the season, that has simply not been the case.

      Every AB that Rendon was expected to get could have been replaced with Skole, but clearly management felt otherwise.

      I also don’t see how 25 year old Stephen King should be taking playing time away from anyone.

  7. Rendon with his 2nd HR of the year today.

    Wonder why he was pulled after 2 PA’s yesterday? Would think he could use the reps.

    Anderson is also starting… 2 K’s already in two innings!

    1. They’ve also been alternating him between 3B and DH. I would think that once he’s deemed ready to play in the field all game every game, he’ll be sent up north.

        1. Word? None.

          Guess? August 7th, if he’s assigned to Auburn or Potomac; August 8th, if he’s assigned to Hagerstown. Both dates are at the tail end of his rehab period (20 days).

    2. Well, it might show he’s healthy, getting his baseball legs back, which is great, but I can’t look into it more than that. In the GCL, a four grand slam day wouldn’t make me blink.

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