Friday’s News & Notes

Syracuse 7 Indianapolis 3
• Jordan 6IP, 6H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 9K, HR
• Jackson (BS, 3) ⅔ IP, 2H, R, ER, 0BB, 0K
• Mattheus (W, 1-1) 1⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, BB, K
• Moore 2-4, 2B, HR(GS), 4RBI
• Souza 1-2, R, 2BB
• Burriss 1-3, R, RBI

Tyler Moore’s grand slam in the bottom of the 7th snapped a 3-3 tie to lead Syracuse to 7-3 win over Indianapolis. The big fly, which was third of the game for the Chiefs, made a winner out of Ryan Mattheus as the pitcher of record by getting the last out of the 7th. Taylor Jordan got the start and posted a quality start with two runs allowed on six hits and three walks while striking out a season high of nine batters. Zach Jackson followed him in the 7th but was dinged for a run on two hits in 2/3rds of an inning. As aforementioned, Jhonatan Solano and Brian Goodwin also homered while Steve Souza maintained his (commanding) I.L. leads in BA (.371) and OBP (.476) with a single and two walks in four PA.

Harrisburg 8 Reading 7 (12 inn.)
• Simmons 5⅓ IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, 3BB, 6K
• Dupra 3IP, 3H, R, ER, 2BB, 4K
• Espino (W, 2-3) 1IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, K
• Skole 2-3, 2R, 2B, HR, 3RBI
• Taylor 2-5, R, 2B, BB, 2RBI, SB
• Latimore 3-5, R, BB, HR, 2RBI

Matt Skole managed to do what few can do in the minors — upstage the Cowboy Monkeys — with a two-out, three-run bomb in the 12th to turn a 7-5 loss into an 8-7 walkoff win for Harrisburg. Skole also doubled in the 9th as a pinch-hitter to key a three-run rally that sent the game into extras. James Simmons started but was knocked around for four runs on seven hits and three walks in five and a 1/3rd innings. The win went to Paolo Espino despite giving up two runs on four hits in the top of the 12th. Quincy Latimore led the Sens’ 13-hit parade with a 3-for-5 night, homering in the 6th to score the first two Harrisburg runs. The Eastern League named Michael Taylor as its Player of the Month for May, an honor not bestowed on a Senator since Stephen Strasburg in April 2010.

Potomac 3 Wilmington 2
• Bacus 6IP, 6H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 4K
• Suero (W, 2-1) 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K, 2-0 IR-S
• Mendez (SV, 3) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Perez 2-4, R, 2B, SB(15)
• Pleffner 2-4, 2B, RBI

All-Stars Stephen Perez and Shawn Pleffner struck for doubles in the 9th while an error plated what proved to be the gamewinner as Potomac rallied for two in the 9th for a 3-2 win over Wilmington. The rally made a winner out of Wander Suero, who stranded a pair of inherited runners with no outs in the 7th and pitched two perfect innings of relief. Gilberto Mendez bounced back from his poor showing on Tuesday with a three-up, three-down, two-K ninth for his third save. Perez and Pleffner both went 2-for-4 to lead the P-Nats offense, which managed seven hits total. Potomac now leads the C.L. North by 2½ games, thanks to Lynchburg’s fourth straight loss. Their magic number now stands at nine with 11 games left to play in the first half.

Hagerstown 9 Greensboro 4
• Johansen 4IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 5BB, 2K
• Ullmann (W, 2-0) 3⅔ IP, 3H, 2R, 1ER, 3BB, 0K
• Ward 3-5, R, 2-2B, 2RBI, E(13)
• Difo 3-5, 2R, RBI
• Bautista 2-4, 2R, 2B

A four-run 5th broke a 2-2 deadlock as the Suns scorched the Grasshoppers for a 9-4 win and reduced their magic number to clinch the Sally North first-half title to five. Jake Johansen struggled again with his control, walking five for the second time in three starts as he only went four innings, giving up two runs on five hits. He struck out just two in his fifth no-decision in 11 starts. Drew Ward doubled twice and drove in two while going 3-for-5 as Hagerstown lit up the scoreboard for 14 hits total. The win went to Ryan Ullman, who gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks over three and 2/3rds innings.
Roster move: UT Jeff Kobernus assigned for MLB rehab.

DSL Giants 4 DSL Nationals 1
• Bermudez (L, 0-1) 4⅔ IP, 4H, 2R, 0ER, BB, 6K
• Rosario 2⅓ IP, 1H, 2R, 0ER, BB, 0K
• Franco 2-3, 2B, BB
• Robles 2-4, SB

All four runs scored by the D-Giants were unearned, but they count just the same on the scoreboard as the D-Nats fell, 4-1. The loss snapped a three-game win streak by the D-Nats. Starter Juan Bermudez took the loss, charged with two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six over four and 2/3rds innings. Sixteen-year-old 3B Anderson Franco singled, doubled, and walked to lead the D-Nats attack.

In Day 1 of the Rule 4 Draft, the Nationals took a pitcher who had TJ surgery. On Tuesday. Mark Zuckerman has the story on Erick Fedde, who hopes to become the second high-round, injury-risk pick to make the big club out of the past five drafts.

With the 57th pick, the line between arrogance and confidence was broached again with another injury-history selection in LHP Andrew Saurez. Baseball America led with him in its Top 100 College Players story from last December.