Thursday’s News & Notes

Syracuse 8 Charlotte 6
• McGregor (W, 1-0) 7IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 5K
• Martin (SV, 5) 1IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Burriss 2-5, R, 2B, 3B, RBI
• E. Perez 3-4, 2R, 2B, 3B, RBI

Syracuse’s offense outlasted the Charlotte Knights in an 8-6 victory last night. Emmanuel “Bigger than Webster” led off the Chiefs onslaught with a double, advanced on a wild pitch by former Chiefs’ farmhand Chien-Ming “Ain’t No Thing” Wang, and scored on a Brandon Laird RBI groundout. After the Knights countered with two runs in starter and winner Scott McGregor’s toughest inning, Syracuse immediately took the lead for good in the bottom of the 2nd with consecutive singles by Will “Ain’t No Busta” Rhymes, Eury Perez, and Greg “Hobbit” Dobbs followed by back to back RBI groundouts. After a Eury Perez triple, Syracuse scored two more in the 4th. The Chiefs would need the insurance runs that they scored in the 5th and 6th because Ryan Mattheus’ alarming season continued with a three-run homer by Matt Davidson. Thankfully, Rafael Martin emerged unscathed and maintained his perfect ERA despite allowing two hits while earning his fifth save.

Reading 8 Harrisburg 4 — GAME ONE
• Kroenke (L, 2-6) 4IP, 7H, 8R, 4ER, 3BB, 5K, HR, WP
• Dupra 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K, HBP
• Martinson 2-4, R, BB, HR, RBI
• Vettleson 1-2, R, HR, RBI

The Harrisburg Senators won Home Run Derby 4-1 versus the Reading Fightin’ Phils but lost the actual game 8-6. Starter and loser Zach Kroenke gave up two runs in the 1st on a walk and three singles. Quincy “The Dude” Latimore countered with a solo home run. Harrisburg then ignited the home crowd with back-to-back home runs by Jason Martinson and Drew Vettleson in the 2nd. Ric Flair shouted “WOO!” for a strikeout of Aaron “Not There!” Altherr during the happy scoreless 3rd. In the 4th, Harrisburg gave up six runs. Following a Kevin “Not Alica’s Bro” Keyes fielding error on a squeeze bunt by Aaron “Jambalaya” Nola that scored a run, five additional runs would score including two on triple by Kelly Dugan and two homer by Jake “Don’t Call Me Crazy” Fox. Matt Skole eased the pain slightly with a solo shot in the 5th off reliever and winner Seth “Bag” Rosin.

Harrisburg 9 Reading 6 — GAME TWO
• Kroenke (L, 2-6) 4IP, 7H, 8R, 4ER, 3BB, 5K, HR, WP
• Dupra 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K, HBP
• Martinson 2-4, R, BB, HR, RBI
• Vettleson 1-2, R, HR, RBI

The Harrisburg Senators made a case for reelection in 2015 with a dramatic come-from-behind 9-6 win in Game Two. Aaron “Right Herr” Altherr made Ric Flair shout “BOO!” instead of “WOO!” with a three-run homer to left that gave Reading a 4-0 lead after the 1st half inning. Undaunted Matt Skole answered with a three-run clout for his eleventh homer of the year. A KC “Not Me” Serna fielding error at short ignited a six-run rally in which ten Senators addressed the floor in the bottom of the 6th. Robert Benincasa was pulled after a disastrous start to the 7th before Tyler Herron recorded the final two outs without incident in his fifth save.
Roster move: RHP Austin Voth placed on the 7-Day DL.

Salem 6 Potomac 3 — GAME ONE
• Silvestre (L, 1-1) 5IP, 7H, 5R, 5ER, BB, 7K, 2HR
• Henke 2IP, 1H, R, ER, 0BB, K, HR
• Renda 2-4, 2B, RBI
• Severino 2-3, R, 2B

The Red Sox showed no signs of a layoff, the P-Nats barely showed signs of life in a 6-3 loss in the opener. Salem smacked three homers and scored in five of seven innings, collecting eight hits total. The P-Nats posted a picket fence with a single runs in the final three at-bats and matched Salem’s hit total, but went 2-for-12 with RISP.

Salem 9 Potomac 6 — GAME TWO
• Bacus 4IP, 8H, 4R, 4ER, 3BB, 4K
• Turnbull 2IP, 1H, 0R, BB, K
• Mendez (BS, 2; L, 6-4) 1IP, 5H, 5R, 5ER, BB, 2K
• S. Perez 2-3, 3R, BB, HR, RBI
• Norfolk 2-3, R, 2B, RBI
• E. Martinez 2-4, R

Potomac fell behind 4-1 midway through, rallied in three straight “ups” to take a 5-4 lead after six, then collapsed in the 7th to lose the nightcap, 9-6. Gilberto Mendez blew his second save and lost for the fourth time with five runs let in on five hits (no homers) and a walk. Stephen Perez (single, HR), Khayyan Norfork (single, double) and Estarlin Martinez (two singles) each had multiple hits as the P-Nats registered 11 total.

Hagerstown 2 Delmarva 1 (10 inn.) — GAME ONE
• R. Lopez 6IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 5K
• Johns (BS, 2) 2IP, 2H, R, ER, 2BB, 2K, HBP, WP
• Napoli (W, 2-0) 2IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 0K
• Ward 2-3
• Bautista 2-5, R, 2B

The Suns ‘pen blew another save, but a Wilman Rodriguez homer bailed them out to take the first game, 2-1 in 10 innings. Reynaldo Lopez tossed six shutout frames, giving up just two hits while striking out five. Samuel Johns was charged with the blown save for giving up the equalizer in the last of the 7th while David got the win with two scoreless innings in the 9th and 10th.

Hagerstown 6 Delmarva 2 — GAME TWO
• Swynenberg 4IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Valdez (W, 1-0) 1⅔ IP, 2H, R, ER, 2BB, 3K, HR
• Difo 3-4, R, 2RBI, SB
• Ward 2-4, 2RBI
• Bautista 1-3, 2R

Hagerstown dropped Jeffersons in the first three frames en route a 6-2 win in the second game. Matt Swynenberg gave up just a hit and a walk over four scoreless in his first 2014 start. Phillips Valdez was credited with win in relief. Wilmer Difo went 3-for-4 with a run scored, two RBI and a stolen base to lead the offense.

Auburn vs. Jamestown — PPD
More rain spared us another doubleheader to write up reduced the three-game series between the Jammers and the Doubledays to two. They’ll try again tonight in the final meeting between the two teams.

GCL Mets 4 GCL Nationals 0
• Reyes 5IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 6K
• Mancini (L, 0-1) 2IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 3K
• Tillero 1-4
• Reetz 1-4, 2B, 3K

The G-Mets broke up a 0-0 tie with two in the 6th and got two more in the 8th as they shut out the G-Nats, 4-0. Starter Luis Reyes matched his counterpart Jose Celas with five innings of no-run, one-hit ball. Domenick Mancini was knocked around for two over two innings to suffer the loss. The G-Nats were held to just two hits by Jorge Tillero (single) and Jakson Reetz (double).

DSL Nationals 5 DSL Yankees1 0
• W. Pena (W, 4-4) 5IP, 1H, 0R, 3BB, 3K, 2HBP
• Cespedes (SV, 9) 1 ⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, K, 3-0 IR-S
• Rojas 3-3, R, 3B, BB
• A. Martinez 3-4, R, RBI

The D-Nats pounded out 13 hits while four pitchers combined on a three-hit, 5-0 shutout of the D-Yankees1. Dany Rojas led the onslaught with two singles, a triple, and a walk. Wilber Pena evened up his won-loss mark at 4-4 with five scoreless innings, though he put on six runners with three walks, two hit batsmen, and a single in the 2nd. Angher Cespedes qualified for the save at the barest minimum. He came on with one out in the 8th and the bases loaded and left the tying run on deck with a strikeout and a groundout to preserve the 5-0 lead, then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.