Thursday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Probable Pitchers |
| Syracuse | Lost, 10-7 | vs. Columbus, 7:00 p.m. |
Maya (1-4, 5.70) vs. C. Carrasco (1-0, 1.88) |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 7-6 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Potomac | Won, 9-6 | vs. Wimington, 7:05 p.m. |
Hill (3-1, 2.21) vs. Zimmer (0-2, 4.09) |
| Hagerstown | Won, 6-0 | @ Kannapolis, 7:05 p.m. |
Turnbull (2-1, 7.07) vs. Brennan (1-5, 8.42) |
Columbus 10 Syracuse 7
• Young (L, 1-2) 4⅔ IP, 11H, 9R, 8ER, 4BB, 1K, 3HR
• Tatusko 4⅓ IP, 2H, R, ER, 3BB, 5K, 1-0 IR-S
• Rahl 5-5, 2R, 2-2B
• Rhymes 2-4, R, BB, RBI
Chris Young’s struggles continue as the 33-y.o. veteran was pounded for nine runs on 11 hits, including home runs nos. 6, 7, and 8 as Syracuse fell to Columbus, 10-7. He walked four and struck out just one over four and 2/3rds. Ryan Tatusko turned in a terrific long outing, stranding a runner in the 5th and giving up just one run over the final four innings, with three walks and five strikeouts. Chris Rahl had a career night, going 5-for-5 with two runs and two doubles to lead the 13-hit attack that saw eight of the nine batters in the starting lineup hit safely. Roster move: C Jhonatan Solano activated from 7-Day DL (just in time to take a plane to the West Coast?)
Richmond 7 Harrisburg 6
• Clay 4⅓ IP, 6H, 6R, 6ER, 3BB, 3K, HR
• Swynenberg 1⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Head 3-5, R
• Hague 2-3, R, BB
• Leon 2-4, 2R
The Senators rallied for four runs in the bottom of the 6th to tie it at 6-6 only to see the Flying Squirrels reclaim the lead in the 7th. Richmond held on for a 7-6 win and took the series 2-1. Caleb Clay was rocked for the third straight start, giving up six runs on six hits and three walks over just four and a 1/3rd innings. Jerad Head and Ricky Hague both reached base three times to pace the Harrisburg offense, which pounded out 12 hits total but went just 3-for-12 with RISP.
Potomac 9 Wilmington 6
• Cole 5+ IP, 6H, 6R, 6ER, 2BB, 3K, 2HR
• Holt (W, 1-0) 2IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Taylor 2-2, 2R, 2B, BB
• J. Miller 2-3, R, HR, 2RBI
• Martinson 2-4, R, 2B, BB, RBI
A five-run 7th propelled a 9-6 win Last Night In Woodbridge.
Hagerstown 6 Greensboro 0
• Pena 5IP, 5H, 0R, BB, 0K
• Fischer (W, 1-0) 3IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Benincasa 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Pleffner 2-4, R, HR, 2RBI, BB
• Perez 2-4, 2R, 2-2B, 2RBI
Pitching on just two days’ rest, Ronald Pena combined with two relievers on a six-hit shutout as the Suns eclipsed Greensboro, 6-0. Pena walked one, struck out none, and allowed five hits over five innings. David Fischer got the win in relief, allowing the sixth hit and walking one but striking out two. Robert Benicasa pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the game. Shawn Pleffner and Stephen Perez both went 2-for-4 with two RBI as Hagerstown scored all six runs in the final three innings.
Roster moves: C Craig Manuel reassigned from Harrisburg, C Erick Fernandez reassigned to XST, RHP David Fischer promoted to Potomac, LHP Nick Lee reassigned from XST.
Anybody know what has happened to Estarlin Martinez? He has disappeared since hitting the 7-day DL almost a month ago.
Standard operating procedure for the Nats is to divulge nothing about a player unless in the context of a very team-friendly interview. We cannot be certain if, in fact, he was actually hurt because the Nats (and other teams) use the D.L. as a parking lot. Martinez, for example, was not taken out of the last game in which he played (April 23) and there is no mention of an injury in either the gamer or the local newspaper.
This would probably never happen, but I would love if Rizzo thinned out the DSL a little and saw what they could do, not by cutting those guys but by cutting the underperforming older players in some of the upper levels that aren’t producing and “bumping up” all the younger players who are performing.
For example,
I would cut Mike Constanzo (AAA 3B batting .214 30 year old) and promote Rendon to AAA (.348 in AA 23 year old)
The same goes to Jose Lozada, and bumping up Martinson, while moving Josh Johnson to 3B (filling the void for Rendon) .
I think I would also really consider swapping Keyes and Pleffner. Although Kevin seems to be warming up now, I question how much ceiling is really there. I personally don’t see him a much more than a .225 hitter with power.
I’d love to see Billy Burns get rewarded for his first part of this season and bump him to AA..
I would rather make a shift now to see what the young guys in Hagerstown could do in Potomac and what the guys in the DSL could do in Low A.
While the Nats have moved some pitchers, when do you think they will move some of the position players?
This bothers a lot of people, but the new world order is a level per year below AA. Even then, most of the non-injury-related position player moves happen no earlier than June, some in July, most in August.
Aside from Rendon, however, there isn’t any position player who has merited a promotion this early in the season (yes, it’s still early) and that includes all the players mentioned.