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Friday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Won, 4-0; Won, 5-4 vs. Pawtucket,
7:00 p.m.		 Clay (3-2, 2.44) vs.
Ranaudo (1-0, 0.00)
Harrisburg Won, 4-1 @ Altoona,
7:00 p.m.		 Gilliam (3-6, 4.38) vs.
Hollingsworth (6-4, 3.20)
Potomac Lost, 7-6 (11 inn.) @ Myrtle Beach,
7:05 p.m.		 Purke (2-3, 6.35) vs.
Luis Parra (A+ debut)
Hagerstown Lost, 5-1 @ Lexington,
7:05 p.m.		 Turnbull (5-4, 4.58) vs.
Simmons (1-3, 3.51)
Auburn Cancelled vs. Connecticut,
7:05 p.m.		 Pivetta (SS-A debut) vs.
Pritcher (3-1, 2.61)
GCL Nationals Won, 6-2 @ GCL Mets,
12:00 p.m.		 Valdez (3-0, 3.15) vs.
Nuez (1-1, 5.26)
DSL Nationals Lost, 11-3 (8 inn.) @ DSL Pirates2,
10:30 a.m.		 Reyes (4-2, 2.12) vs.
Vera (0-0, 1.99)



Syracuse 4 Pawtucket 0 — GAME ONE
• Mandel (W, 2-7) 6IP, 4H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Crotta 1IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 0K
• Moore 2-3, 2B, 3RBI
• Walters 1-3, R, HR, RBI

Two Syracuse pitchers combined on five-hit shutout for a 4-0 win over Pawtucket in the opener. Jeff Mandel turned in six scoreless innings on three days’ rest, allowing four hits, no walks and striking out two for his second win. Zach Walters (1-for-3) smacked a solo shot in the 2nd to start the ball rolling while Tyler Moore (2-for-3) singled in two runs in the 3rd and doubled in one in the 5th to power the Chiefs offense.

Syracuse 5 Pawtucket 4 — GAME TWO
• Hill 4⅔ IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 4K
• Cedeno (BS, 3; W, 2-0) ⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 2K, 1-1 IR-S
• Davis (SV, 13) 1IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Johnson 2-2, R, BB, RBI
• Marrero 2-3, 2B, 2RBI

Eury Perez’s RBI single in the bottom of the 6th broke a 4-4 tie as the Chiefs held on in the 7th for a 5-4 win to sweep the doubleheader from the PawSox. Taylor Hill gave up three runs on eight hits and no walks over four and 2/3rds in his AAA debut. He struck out four. Xavier Cedeno let in a run and got the benefit of the sixth-inning rally for the blown-save-win. Four Syracuse batters collected multiple hits as the Chiefs racked up 10 in six turns at bat.

Harrisburg 4 Reading 1
• Karns 7IP, 5H, R, ER, 3BB, 5K, 2WP
• McCoy ⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Barrett (SV, 21) 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, WP
• Burns 2-3, 2BB, 2RBI, SB
• Hood 1-3, R, BB, RBI

Harrisburg threatened in six of seven innings before breaking out in the 8th for a 4-1 win over Reading. Starter Nathan Karns moved up a day to replace Taylor Hill and pitched seven innings of one-run ball, giving up five hits and walking three but got a no-decision. Pat McCoy got the win in relief while Aaron Barrett pitched a scoreless 9th for his 21st save. In addition to walking eight batters on the night, the Fightin’ pitchers plunked two in the 8th and wild-pitched in the tying run. Destin Hood (1-for-3) drove in the go-ahead run while Billy Burns (2-for-3) singled two insurance runs to complete the four-run rally. Roster move: RHP Pat Lehman activated from the 7-Day DL.

Myrtle Beach 7 Potomac 6 (11 inn.)
• Rauh 6IP, 7H, 0R, BB, 5K
• Martin (BS, 1) 1⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 3BB, 2K, 3-3 IR-S, 2WP
• Dupra (L, 0-5) ⅓ IP, 2H, R, ER, BB, K, WP
• 4H, 9BB, HBP, 3WP for ‘pen in 4⅓ IP
• Keyes 2-5, 2R, HR, 2RBI
• Miller 2-5
• Gilmartin 1-4, R, HR, 3RBI

Six scoreless innings from the starter, five runs on two home runs, a 6-0 lead going into the 9th. What could possibly go wrong? Pretty much everything. Three Potomac relievers coughed up six runs in the bottom of the 9th to send it to extras, then gave up the gamewinner on a wild pitch for a 7-6 loss in 11 innings to Myrtle Beach. Brian Rauh scattered seven hits and a walk in six scoreless innings, striking out five — including the side in the 3rd when he loaded the bases on three singles and stranded ’em all. Kevin Keyes hit the scoreboard (again) with his 11th big fly in the 2nd while Mike Gilmartin’s three-run shot in the 6th highlighted the four-run rally that built the P-Nats 6-0 advantage.

Lexington 5 Hagerstown 1
• Lee (L, 4-3) 4⅔ IP, 2H, 4R, 4ER, 5BB, 9K, HR, 2WP
• Pena 3⅓ IP, 5H, 1R, 0ER, BB, 4K, 3-2 IR-S
• Martinez 1-4, OF assist at 3B
• Manuel 1-3

Hagerstown took a 1-0 lead after the top of the 1st and were stifled for the next eight innings as Lexington won, 5-1. Nick Lee took the loss, knocked from the box with two outs in the 5th after giving up two hits and five walks and striking out nine. Ronald Pena let in two of three inherited runners in the 5th to charge Lee with four runs. He finished out the game, allowing an unearned run on five hits and a walk while fanning four. The Suns were held to just five hits and a walk, with no batter reaching base twice.

Auburn vs. Aberdeen — CNCLD
Late-afternoon storms soaked Falcon Field, forcing the cancellation of the series finale between the Ironbirds and Doubledays.

GCL Nationals 6 GCL Marlins 2
• Derosier 3IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 4K, HR
• Ott (W, 1-0) 4IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 4K
• R. Encarnacion 3-4, 3R, 2-2B, HR, 2RBI
• Read 2-4, 2-2B
• Ruiz 2-4, R, 2B, RBI

A three-run 7th erased a 2-1 deficit as the G-Nats fileted the G-Marlins, 6-2 for their 12th straight victory and clinched a tie for the GCL East title. Matt Derosier got the start and gave up both G-Marlins runs on home run in the 1st and three hits total. He walked two and struck out four. Travis Ott won the game in relief, turning in four scoreless frames with two hits allowed, no walks and four strikeouts. Randy Encarnacion doubled twice, homered once, and scored three times while driving in two, leading the G-Nats 11-hit attack.

DSL Tigers 11 DSL Nationals 3 (8 inn.)
• Valerio 2IP, 2H, 2R, 0ER, BB, 3K
• Reynoso (L, 0-1) 2⅓ IP, 5H, 5R, 1ER, 0BB, 3K
• Florentino 2-4, 2B, RBI, CS
• Alvarez 1-3, BB, RBI

Rain mercifully shortened this one to eight innings as the D-Tigers pounded the D-Nats, 11-3. Five errors rendered seven of the 11 runs unearned, but explaining away 14 hits isn’t so easy. Maximo Valerio started and went two innings, giving up two unearned runs on two hits and a walk while striking out three. Yorlin Reynoso took the loss, charged with five runs (one earned) on five hits over two and a 1/3rd innings. Tablesetters Darryl Florentino and Thomas Alvarez combined to go 3-for-7 with a double and two RBI as the D-Nats managed just six hits total.

24 Commments

  1. Tyler Moore in 138 AB’s in AAA has an OPS of .960.
    Time to bring him back up to the 28th best hitting club in baseball.

    1. He needs to START EVER SINGLE NIGHT just like Harper. He’ll likely hit better than Harper who shows a pronounced weakness against left-handed pitching whereas Moore has no problem with right-handers. Time to start sitting 30+ LaRoche and Span in favor of Moore every night.

      1. It is time to recognize the meaningful part of the season is over. Tyler Moore needs to start at first and Kobernus and Walters need extensive playing time. The same should happen in the outfield where Span is ineffective and Werth and Harper need time off to prevent further injuries.
        Cavey should step down “voluntarily” and let Randy Knorr have an audition for next year.This way the team can make real fact based decisions on personnel.

      2. Peric, do you even read what you type? Moore will likely hit better than Harper? Harper is OPSing .894 (144 OPS+) in the major leagues, and it’s no fluke. During his hot run last year, Moore’s MLB OPS was .840; this year it was a mind-boggling (and not in a good way) .478. Tyler Moore is six years older than Harper. I’m a Tyler Moore fan, and hope that he makes it – but geez.

        You keep using that word “likely” – I do not think it means what you think it does.

        1. I think he means against LHPs… that point’s been brought up lately by the beat writers, that any other 2nd-year MLB player would probably be platooning with a line of .175/.272/.288 vs. lefties.

          2. Fair enough – on its face it was a silly comment, but limited to the concept of LHP it is at least defensible. Oddly, I noticed that Moore has a reverse split at the MLB level. He is .231/.290/.455 against RHP, .206/.261/.390 against LHP. I couldn’t find his splits at the minor league level so I don’t know if that’s an aberration.

          3. http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/38962/where-did-the-nationals-go-wrong

            I’m not the only one saying it.

            Tyler Moore, just like Harper and Rendon, needed to play every day. Trying to fit him into a very part-time bench role basically was a huge flop a mistake. And his numbers in AAA seem to corroborate that in spades. He is hitting more like the Tyler Moore of 2012. That was poor management selecting a Denard Span over a Michael Morse or Tyler Moore in left field.

  2. So, I just noticed that the G-Nats are 36-6! How much does the record at that level reflect the talent, though? I mean, I am sure it is much better to be 36-6 than 6-36, but are teams really focusing on winning in the rookie league, or are they more trying to teach fundamentals and work on other things?

    1. It is younger than in years past, but as is always the case with short-season leagues, a pound of salt needs to be taken. Plus, with the same three opponents over and over again, one cannot help but wonder if this is merely what would happen if, say, the Orioles played the White Sox, Astros, and Twins over and over again.

      1. Normally I’d be also dubious of anything going on in the GCL, particularly on a team basis, but those teams are stocked with international signings and the Cardinals, Marlins, and Mets are not pushovers in that department. The Nats team is basically their Dominican signings plus Drew Ward. For the level of dominance to be so high, it says there now may be more to the Nats Dominican operation than most would have previously thought.

  3. Luke, who do you think will be the 40 man roster call ups once the time hits? If the wheels fully fall off the Nats bumpy bus ride, would Rizzo or Davey ever try and get as many young guys some more serious PT?

    0% or 1% chance the Nats would replace Chad Tracy with someone else before the season ends? (using the patented Rizzo phantom injury maneuver)

      1. I’m talking sparks flying off the rims or bottom of the bus type of “wheels falling off” stuff. Slash and burn where we’re trading Haren for a single A scrub, or trading Tracy for cash (who on Earth would take him?) type stuff.

        I just don’t see Davey ever really giving up on “his guys” and killing the whole bench so that Walters or Kobernus etc could get 50+ ABs.

        1. Unfortunately, I tend to agree… watching Johnson manage this year has been like watching Steve Carlton pitch in 1987.

          1. Yes, I think Rizzo’s handling of Eckstein took all the air out of Davey’s balloon. There’s nothing left there but fond remembrances and wistful thinking about his trip to Bora Bora.

    2. Will be really interesting to see if Espinosa is a September call-up. I know Davey loves him, but Espinosa would not react well to sitting. With that said, the Nats need a someone else on the roster who can play SS in case Desi needs a rest, so either Espinosa or Walters will get called up. Tyler Moore is a lock to get called up. Would also guess that Eury Perez will get recalled to pinch run, and Corey Brown will get called up as a left-handed bench bat. Finally, the Nats

      Unless Ohlendorf is ready to be the 5th starter (or unless Detwiler is ready to pitch), Nathan Karns is the only starting pitcher on the 40 man roster not already in the bigs. So, Karns will get called up to be the 5th starter (Maya is no longer on the MLB roster). Storen will get recalled, and maybe one other pitcher depending on Ohlendorf’s status.

      BTW, this morning, the Nats claimed LHP reliever Tyler Robertson off waivers from the Twins and placed him on the roster. So, the Nats now have another left-handed reliever after deciding they only needed Zach Duke to start the year.

      1. BTW, Tyler Robertson was picked up the Nats in June. Little off on my dates on that one. My bad.

  4. If Billy Burns keeps it up, could he see the majors next year, particularly if Span keeps struggling?

  6. Finally got a chance to see Harrisburg in the (relatively) new stadium. Last time I’d been up there, they’d just completed the Boardwalk. It’s a really nice park, although I was sad that I couldn’t bring my backpack in like I usually do for Nats Park.

    Some notes on the game. When Biddle was in the zone, Harrisburg really struggled off of him. I know that he was Philly’s no. 1 prospect heading into the season. It almost seemed like he was working on breaking stuff deliberately and couldn’t get it over sometimes. Harrisburg only managed three hits off of him and one of those hits was a “you got it!” ball that fell in between the third baseman and shorstop on a popup. Missing Souza and Goodwin, Harrisburg didn’t have a whole lot of thump.

    Billy Burns was interesting to me. I really think he can’t bunt his way to the show, but he did have quality ABs and drew two walks. Once he was on base you knew he was going to steal and he stole easily. Of his two hits, one I had marked an error at first because the third baseman struggled and his other was a dunker. Small sample size, but I don’t know where the pop is going to come from. Still that speed is tantalizing.

    Hood’s RBI hit was kind of a misplay on the third baseman. It was a hit but it bounced over his glove trying to backhand it. Not great contact from Hood all night.

    Karns pitched well. His fastball generated consistent swings and misses. He was the beneficiary of some good fortune. There was a play at the plate that it looked like the ump might have missed and Reading ran themselves out of one inning with a caught stealing. It was nice to see Barrett have a strong shut down inning in the 9th. Seems like he has some quality heat and will do some good things in AAA next year.

    I’m not a scout or totally experienced prospect watcher, but it was nice to see two top arms go at it, although it was definitely a perplexing night from Biddle.

    1. Watched the same game on MiLB.com and have to say you are dead on. Have watched about 15 Harrisburg games and have to say that without Goodwin, Skole and Souza, this team couldn’t be more boring to watch. Burns has at least added some form of life. But, I think it is time to move half of the Potomac team up there. I think you could easily add Taylor, Nieto and Dykstra to make it interesting.

    2. The Harrisburg lineup is almost 100% depth players, other than Burns and Hague I really don’t think anyone in that lineup could be considered a “prospect” The pitching is at least promising with Ray, Cole, Karns, and until yesterday Hill, to go with some nice relievers in Holland, Barrett, Mirowski, Swynenberg, and Grace.

      1. They’re injured but Goodwin and Souza have looked pretty good.

        Best hitter bar none in the system is Tyler Moore if that’s what they are looking for. I don’t see anyone else who is at the same level in terms of their offense.

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