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Friday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Won, 11-6 @ Charlotte,
7:05 p.m.		 Laffey (11-3, 2.82) vs.
Heath (5-1, 3.22)
Harrisburg Lost, 11-1 vs. Altoona,
7:00 p.m.		 Dupra (1-3, 5.01) vs. TBD
Potomac Won, 4-3;
Tied 1-1 (susp.)		 @ Frederick,
7:00 p.m.		 Voth (1-0, 0.47) vs.
Kline (5-3, 3.83)
Hagerstown Won, 6-4 @ Lexington,
7:05 p.m.		 Pivetta (10-5, 4.20) vs.
Reed (2-6, 5.93)
Auburn Won, 4-1 @ Connecticut,
7:00 p.m.		 Bourque (0-0, 5.68) vs.
Edwards (3-1, 2.40)
GCL Nationals Won, 7-5;
Won, 6-4		 @ GCL Mets,
11:00 a.m.		 TBD and TBD vs.
TBD and TBD
DSL Nationals Won, 4-2 @ DSL Orioles2,
10:30 a.m.		 Jo. Baez (2-1, 1.56) vs.
LeFranc (0-1, 12.91))


Syracuse 11 Gwinnett 6
• Treinen (W, 5-0) 5IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 4K, HR
• Grace (H, 3) 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, K
• Souza 4-5, 2R, 3-2B, 2RBI, SB
• Moore 2-4, 2R, BB, HR, 2RBI
• Hood 1-3, 2R, 2BB, HR, 2RBI

Five innings of mediocre pitching from starting (and winning) pitcher Blake Treinen (5-0) was enough for Syracuse because the lineup mashed out 15 hits and 26 total bases against the lowly (38-56) Charlotte Knights. Three straight 1st inning singles and a Jordan Danks RBI groundout to start off the game led to an ominous first inning run. Steve Souza tied it up in with an RBI in the form of Jeff Kobernus, who had doubled earlier and stolen third. A single by Tyler Moore and a groundout from Walters plated Souza and gave Syracuse a 2-1 lead at the end of four. Syracuse Manager Billy Gardner pulled Treinen after he gave up two runs in the bottom of the 5th. In this crucial fifth, Blake Tekotte of Charlotte committed Blake on Blake crime with a leadoff homer. A subsequent single, walk, and another single set up the pivotal play. Walters made an error on second but recovered his wits enough to gun down greedy Carlos Sanchez at home for the second out and Treinen escaped further harm with a clutch groundout by Matt Davidson. Syracuse was so relieved to escape that they scored in every remaining inning to extend their record to a mighty 55-37.

Bowie 11 Harrisburg 1
• Kroenke (L, 2-3) 2⅔ IP, 10H, 6R, 6ER, BB, 0K, 0HR,
• Brach 4⅓ IP, 7H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 3K, 2-0 IR-S
• Vettleson 2-4, OF assist at HP
• Keyes 1-3, R, BB

Four “pitchers” emerged from the bullpen of the Harrisburg Senators last night. All four of them gave up runs. Tyler Herron did the least harm. He allowed one earned run in the bottom of the 9th. That run, a sacrifice fly by Ronald Bermudez scored David Adams who had doubled to lead off the inning, and also resulted in a final score of 11-1 in favor of the Bowie BaySox. Starter Anthony Vazquez didn’t have it, and gave up six unanswered runs in the first three innings. I think Ric Flair even turned on the team. Rumor has it he sarcastically shouted “WOO!” during Michael Taylor’s 114th and 115th strikeouts of the season but did cheer his leadoff single when the outcome was still in doubt in the 1st inning.

Potomac 4 Wilmington 3 — GAME ONE
• Bacus 6IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 4BB, 1K
• Mendez (W, 5-3) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• E. Perez 2-3, 2R, 2SB, SAC
• S. Perez 0-1, 3BB
• Renda 1-2, 2SF, 3RBI

In the opener, both teams traded runs with Potomac scoring twice in the 1st and once in the 2nd, and the Wilmington answering in reverse in the 2nd and 3rd innings to create a 3-3 tie. As the pitchers took over, both teams managed just a single over the next three and a half innings before Potomac played a little small ball. Pedro Severino led off with a single, took second on a Eury Perez sacrifice, took third on a passed ball, and trotted home on Tony Renda’s RBI single for the walkoff win.

Wilmington 1 Potomac 1 — GAME TWO (SUSP., BOT 6TH)
• Schwartz 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Rauh 1IP, 1H, R, ER, 0BB, 0K
• Norfork 1-2, R
• Martinez 1-2, RBI

Blake Schwartz lost his perfect-game bid with a two-out single in the top of the 5th while Khayyan Norfork broke up the Wilmington’s
combined no-hitter with one out in the bottom of the 5th. Following a walk to Mike McQuillan, Estarlin Martinez cashed in the first Potomac scoring chance for a 1-0 lead. The Blue Rocks got it right back with a bunt single, steal, a groundout to the right side and a sac fly. Shawn Pleffner and Oscar Tejeda both singled with two outs before the rains came and suspended play. They’ll pick this one up next Wednesday when Wilmington returns to Potomac.

Hagerstown 6 Lexington 4
• Silvestre (W, 5-6) 8IP, 7H, 4R, 1ER, 0BB, 3K, HBP
• Cooper (S, 1) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Bautista 4-5, 3R, BB, RBI, 2SB, OF assist at HP
• Kieboom 3-5, RBI
• Difo 2-5, R, RBI, SB

Hector Silvestre turned a career-high eight innings as the Suns took the series opener, 6-4. The 21-y.o. southpaw was dinged for three unearned runs and four hits in the 1st but settled down to only give up one more run and three hits over the next seven. He walked none and struck out three in his fifth win. Andrew Cooper pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save, his first. Rafael Bautista was a force from the leadoff spot, reaching base five times, scoring three times, and stealing two more bags to increase his Sally League-leading tally to 48.

Auburn 4 Connecticut 1
• Ott 4IP, 2H, R, ER, 6BB, 1K
• Ramos (W, 1-0) 3IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Mapes (SV, 1) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Carey 2-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI, SB
• Marmolejos-Diaz 2-4, BB, RBI

The Doubledays pitchers flirted with disaster by walking seven over the first seven innings but scored two runs late to escape with a 4-1 win over the Tigers. Travis Ott walked six of them over his four innings, giving up the lone Connecticut run on two hits and striking out one. David Ramos turned in three goose eggs for the win while Tyler Mapes tossed two scoreless for the save. Dale Carey’s two-run homer in the 2nd turned out to be enough, but he singled in the 9th, stole second and scored on “Orange” Marmolejos-Diaz’s second single of the night as Auburn got two insurance runs [insert Hartford joke here] for the 4-1 final.

GCL Nationals 7 GCL Mets 5 (12 inn.) — GAME ONE
• Encarnacion ⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, HBP (pitched on 7/1)
• A. Martinez 4⅓ IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, HBP
• Valerio (BS, 1; W, 1-0) 3IP 2H, R, ER, 4BB, 3K, BK
• Alvarez 2-5, R, 2B, 3B
• Rosario 2-6, R, 3B, 3RBI
• Ripken 2-5, RBI

Picking up where they left off on the 1st, the G-Nats built a 5-0 lead through four only to give it away with five runs in the last four innings (no idea why it wasn’t called after seven). Andres Martinez was the de facto starter and threw four and a 1/3rd scoreless with two hits and no walks allowed with two strikeouts. Maximo Valerio coughed up the lead with a run in the 9th but stayed on to pitch the 10th and 11th and got the blown-save-win as the G-Nats rallied for two in the top of the 12th. Jean Ramirez pitched a scoreless 12th for the save. Dionicio Rosario tripled, scored a run, and drove in three to pace the 11-hit, three-walk attack.

GCL Nationals 6 GCL Mets 4 — GAME TWO
• Dickey 2⅔ IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, BB, K
• Mills (W, 1-0) 2IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 4K
• Gutierrez 1-3, R, 2RBI
• Tillero 1-3, 2B, 2RBI
• Ortiz 1-2, R, BB

The G-Nats dug themselves out from a 4-1 hole with a five-run 6th as they completed the doubleheader sweep with a 6-4 win. Robbie Dickey was charged with all four runs on six hits over two and 2/3rds with one walk and one whiff. The win went to McKenzie Mills for two scoreless innings in the 5th and 6th innings. Cole Plouck set ’em down in order in the 7th for his first professional save.

DSL Nationals 4 DSL Orioles2 2
• Bermudez 5IP, 1H, R, ER, BB, 5K, HR
• Cespedes (BS, 3; W, 4-0) 1⅔ IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, 2K, WP
• Pimentel 1-2, R, 2BB, HR, RBI
• Guerrero 2-3, R, 3B, RBI, SB
• Pilier 2-3, R, BB

Angher Cespedes “earned” his third blown-save-win in a week as his teammates bailed him out again with two runs in the bottom of the 8th for a 4-2 D-Nats win over the D-Orioles2. Starting pitcher Juan Bermudez “Shorts” made just one mistake, a solo HR to lead off the game, as he walked one and struck out five over five innings. 17-y.o. Davinson Pimentel homered for the third straight game and walked twice to lead the D-Nats eight-hit, eight-walk offense.

11 Commments

  1. Souza’s numbers are nothing short of incredible. Luke, what are you hearing about him amongst scouts and talent evaluators? I know he’s a little old and comes with a checkered past, but it is a year and a half he’s been playing like this and you can’t simply chalk it up to him being older or playing in a hitters park.I know some other guys are having oustanding years in the minors and are younger and come with higher pedigrees (1st round picks) but Souza has got to at least be in the discussion for minor league player of the year, irght?

    1. Souza’s numbers are miraculous, and I imagine that he’d eagerly say that and credit Jesus. That young man is AAA Josh Hamilton, and I want to see if he can take his act to The Show ASAP. I think he’s better than Jayson Werth in the field and on the basepaths immediately. I knew that contract was going to be problematic for the Nats. If it means Taylor or Souza gets traded for other assets, I’m going to be an unhappy camper. A Taylor trade would lead me to reduce my support for the Big Nats even more. At least my man Derek Norris is heading to the All Star Game. Dare I say I might make Oakland my primary team at the MLB level if they do a better job of keeping Nats prospects than Rizzo does with his big cash and jones for Scotty Boras.

    2. At 25 and playing in AAA, Souza is really not that old. I’d love to see what he could do given regular ABs with the big club.

      Next year’s CF decision is going to be interesting. The team holds an option on Span for a relatively reasonable $9 million. Souza plays CF, but is not a natural there, but the potential of his bat has to be intriguing. Michael Taylor is having a great year, but his continued high K rate is a cause for concern about whether he’ll be able to hit big league pitching. And mean while, the “heir apparent,” Goodwin, has proven that at best he needs another year or two of seasoning.

      1. If Rizzo was administered truth serum, he would acknowledge that Souza is likely to be more productive over the next 3 years than Worth at a fraction of the cost. Regardless, the Nats are bound by Werth’s contract (which no other team would take right now); so, the options are to play either Souza or Harper out of position (at CF) or to trade Souza and/or Taylor. The Nats are overstocked with stud right-handed hitting OFs and have major needs at SS and for a left-handed bat at any position. I would expect a trade in the off-season (which could also include Tyler Moore) to even out the distribution of talent, unless the Nats can dump Werth (which I don’t see happening).

        1. They could demote Werth to part-time / 4th outfielder. It has to happen sooner or later and even Werth realizes that. Sure a 21 million bench player on top of a 19-20 million third baseman, who can no longer play third after sacrificing his shoulder for his franchise, is like a mighty tsunami wall in front of Rizzo’s waves. But Souza is sure doing everything he can to overwhelm that wall and cause a front office and ownership melt down.

  2. Apparently H-Rod’s line succumbed to the editorial axe in the Syracuse writeup, but Ric Flair survived for another day as he continues to be the Strikeout Ombudsman for Harrisburg. H-BBRod’s line: 0.1 IP 3H 3R 3ER 0HR 4BB 0K. Don’t blame Luke for axing that noxious line and thanks to The rZo for cutting bait. That said, H-Rod has still pitched 1.2 MLB innings this year. He is like velocity [adult products] for GMs this year, I suppose.

  3. Add Bermudez and Angher to that list of impressive
    Latin arms
    Nice effort by suns after hot/ crazy game on Wednesday
    Then that bus ride to Lexy. Raffie is doing everything
    Including forget the weird line drive Wednesday which
    Faked him out for a double .
    Who knows who will pitch in Frederick or Aberdeen
    For nats clubs. Weekend dilemma.
    Fred Friday. Aberdeen on Saturday with Jefry Rod
    Or Dutch Duke Drew.

  4. Interesting tactic on Pedro Encarnacion
    Rehab
    Third outing in a row in GCL
    Hmmm
    Getting him ready for hags when pivetta
    Promoted??

  7. 7th round pick DK Carey definitely starting to heat up in Auburn after a slow start. He could be one to watch.

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