Wednesday’s News & Notes

Syracuse — All-Star Break
As you see in the italics below, there’s one less Chief who’ll play tonight in Durham, North Carolina where the International League will match up against the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A All-Star Game. Jhonatan Solano and Steve Souza are the starters at catcher and in the outfield respectively while Aaron Laffey will be among the pitchers available in relief.
Roster move: RHP Taylor Hill placed on the 7-Day DL, retroactive to July 14.

Harrisburg — All-Star Break
In Altoona, it’ll be Michael Taylor, Colin Bates, and Kevin Keyes representing Harrisburg for the Western Division in the Eastern League All-Star Game tonight. Last night, it was fun and festivities, where folks were treated to something other than a HR derby.
Mick Reinhard has the story.

Potomac — OFF DAY
It’s back to the grind tonight as the P-Nats and Blue Rocks, who play each other 14 times in the second half, begin the first of four-plus games in three days with a doubleheader tonight. Tomorrow, it’s a completion of the game suspended last Thursday, followed by a nine-inning game, then the regularly scheduled game on Friday.

Hagerstown 8 West Virginia 4
• Estevez 4IP, 6H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, K
• Mooneyham (W, 2-0) 3⅓ IP, 3H, R, ER, 4BB, K, 3WP
• Kieboom 3-4, 2R, 3B, 2RBI
• Wooten 3-4, R, 2B, 2RBI
• Ballou 2-4, R, 3B

Like singles night in a trailer park, the Suns three-run 6th wasn’t pretty: just two hits, neither resulting in an RBI. But Hagerstown took advantage of West Virginia’s pitcher miscues (BB, HBP) to score once on a wild pitch and twice on sacrifice flies to break open a 3-2 game as they took the opener, 8-4. Wirkin “For The Weekend” Estevez made his first start for the Suns since the 2012 playoffs. He went four frames, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks while setting down one on strikes. Brett Mooneyham got his second win with three and 1/3rd uneven innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits and four walks with one strikeout and three wild pitches. Isaac Ballou (2-for-4) and Spencer Kieboom (3-for-4) went back-to-back with triples in the 7th while John Wooten’s third hit of the night plated Kieboom as Hagerstown pounded out 13 hits total.
Roster moves: RHP Lucas Giolito activated from the 3-Day TIL; OF John Wooten activated from the 7-Day DL; LHP Joseph Webb placed on the 7-Day DL.

Auburn — OFF DAY
At eight and a half games back with nine games left against division leader State College, the odds are better for Auburn to make it to the crapshoot that is the New York-Penn League playoffs as the wild card. In that race, the Doubledays trail by just three games but have five teams in front of them. Two of them are in their division — Batavia and Williamsport — which means they have plenty of chances to catch them. The other three — Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Connecticut — they play just one series against, on the road. They’ve already swept Connecticut, and play the NYC contingent beginning two weeks from today. The month of August could make for some serious scoreboard watching.
Roster moves: OF Brian Langlois reassigned from Hagerstown.

GCL Nationals 7 GCL Cardinals 5 (7½ inn.)
• Reyes 4+ IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, BB, K
• Perry 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, K
• G. Ramirez 2-4, R, SB
• Keniry 2-4, R, RBI
• Rosario 3-4, 3R, 2B, HR, 3RBI

Dionicio Rosario’s three-run HR highlighted a four-run 5th as the G-Nats beat the G-Cards, 7-5 for their sixth straight win. Luis Reyes got the start but was smoked for three runs on three hits and a walk over four innings. D.J. Jauss was awarded the win but was ineffective, letting in two runs (one inherited) in the top of the 5th. Likewise, McKenzie Mills was credited with the save thanks to the rain, with one run allowed on four hits and two walks over an inning and 2/3rds. Rosario was 3-for-4 overall with a double and three runs scored as the G-Nats notched 11 hits over seven turns at bat.
Roster moves: RHP Ryan Perry assigned from Harrisburg for minor-league rehab.

DSL Red Sox 8 DSL Nationals 3 (11 inn.)
• Fuentes 5IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, BB, 6K, 2HBP
• M. Pena (BS, 1) ⅓ IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 0K
• Charlis (L, 3-2) 2IP, 2H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, K, HR, HBP
• Agustin 2-4, 2R, 2-2B, SB
• Mota 2-5, PO at 3B
• Franco 2-5, 2-2B, 2RBI

A 3-1 lead was too small a lead for the D-Nats ‘pen to hold as they coughed up two in the 6th and five in 11th in an 8-3 loss to the D-Red Sox. Starter Steven Fuentes let in an unearned run on three hits and a walk over his five innings of work for his second no-decision in four starts. The loss went to Fiyeral Charlis, who was torched for a three-run homer and five runs total in the 11th. Telmito Agustin and Anderson Franco both doubled twice while Israel Mota singled twice but was picked off third in the 7th for what might have been the game-winning run.