Monday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Probable Pitchers |
| Syracuse | Lost, 6-4 | @ Pawtucket, 6:15 p.m. |
Cole (0-0, 2.40) vs. B. Johnson (2-1, 0.56) |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 4-3 | vs. New Britain 6:30 p.m. |
Rauh (1st Career AA start) vs. Carle (3-0, 3.26) |
| Potomac | Lost, 6-5; Lost, 6-3 |
vs. Lynchburg, 7:05 p.m. |
Pivetta (1-1, 0.53) vs. Peoples (0-1, 3.48) |
| Hagerstown | Won, 3-2 | OFF DAY | N/A |
Rochester 6 Syracuse 4
• Jordan (L, 1-2) 2⅔ IP, 5H, 4R, 4ER, 3BB, 2K
• Runion 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Gwynn 2-4, R
• Dykstra 2-4, R, HR, 2RBI
Rochester chased starter Taylor Jordan with a four-run 3rd and held off a late charge by Syracuse to take the series finale, 6-4. Jordan, who hadn’t pitched since last Sunday, walked three and gave up five hits over two and 2/3rds of an inning to suffer his second loss. Cutter Dykstra’s two-out, two-run HR following a run-scoring double play highlighted the Chiefs three-run 9th. Both he and Tony Gwynn Jr. were 2-for-4 with a run scored to pace the Syracuse offense.
Reading 4 Harrisburg 3
• Espino 4⅓ IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 5K, HR
• Demny (L, 1-2) 1IP, 1H, R, ER, 0BB, K, HR
• Renda 2-4, RBI, SB (5)
• Goodwin 1-4, 2RBI
Harrisburg took an early 1-0 lead but fell behind 3-1 after six innings. Brian Goodwin’s two-out, two-run single in the 8th tied it at 3-3 but a solo shot in the 9th put Reading up for the eventual, 4-3 final. Paolo Espino started and was charged with two runs on three hits over four and a 1/3rd innings. The Venezuelan veteran walked one and struck out five. Paul Demny gave up the gamewinner in the 9th for his second loss. Tony Renda led the hit column with a pair of singles but the Senators managed just five hits total.
Lynchburg 6 Potomac 5 — GAME ONE
• Bacus 3IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, K, HR
• Johansen (L, 0-1) 1⅔ IP, 3H, 3R, 0ER, 2BB, 2K
• Difo 3-4, 3-2B, 3RBI
• Ward 2-3, 2R, 2B, RBI
The Hillcats outlasted the P-Nats in a slow, sloppy slugfest to win Game One, 6-5. Dakota Bacus started but was roughed up for three runs on four hits over three innings, including a two-run bomb to dead center by veteran Nellie Rodriguez. After a scoreless 4th, Jake Johansen couldn’t work around an error in the 5th and coughed up three runs while walking two and giving up three singles. Wilmer Difo was unaffected by the curse of the GBI, going 3-for-4 with three doubles and three RBI while Drew Ward lofted a warning-track double to LCF in the 5th to score the final Potomac run.
Lynchburg 6 Potomac 3 — GAME TWO
• Spann (L, 0-3) 5IP, 8H, 4R, 4ER, BB, 4K, HR
• Davis 2IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 0K
• Ballou 1-3, RBI
• Manuel 1-2, R
The Hillcats struck again with the longball in the 1st inning of Game Two, putting the P-Nats in a 2-0 hole that they couldn’t climb out from, losing the game 6-3 and the doubleheader. Matt Spann lost for the third time, giving up four runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out four. Potomac had but one big inning, the 3rd, loading the bases on back-to-back-to-back singles and unloading them with a walk (Difo), a sacrifice fly (Bostick), and a RBI single (Ballou).
Hagerstown 3 Lakewood 2
• A. Williams (W, 3-1) 6IP, 4H, R, ER, 0BB, 5K, HBP
• Ramos (H, 1) 1⅓ IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, 0K
• Webb (SV, 1) 1⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, 1-1 IR-S
• Davidson 0-1, R, BB, RBI, SB
• DeBruin 1-3, RBI, CS
The Suns got strong pitching and made the most of their limited offensive chances to edge the BlueClaws, 3-2 and split the four-game series. Austen Williams tossed six inning of one-run ball, letting up four hits and striking out five without issuing a walk. David Ramos and Joey Webb combined for three innings of relief, with Ramos earning the hold and Webb the save. Gavin DeBruin and Raudy Read hit RBI singles in the 1st while Austin Davidson executed a safety squeeze in the 5th to push Osvaldo Abreu across with the third and final Hagerstown run as the Suns were held to just four hits total.
Trea Turner Update
Turner came off the bench in the 7th and went 0-for-2 in a 12-inning, 3-2 loss by San Antonio to Midland.
Strong starts for guys like Ward and Difo are nice but the true test comes when they go through the league a second time. That said, Harrisburg hitters better watch their backs because some P Nats want their jobs!
I was at yesterday’s Harrisburg game, and I came away with the feeling that Brian Daubach has little faith in the ability of his line-up to drive in runs. Yes, Tom Windle kept the Senators off the bases for most of the game, but the decision to send in Stephen Perez to bunt in the eighth with no outs when there were men on first and second was inexplicable to me when he had better bats on the bench.
Being swept was not good for Potomac, but no fault of Willmer Difo, who’s OPS is .966
and 20 year old Drew Ward, who’s at .776.
If Difo continues to rake, wonder if the Nats will consider moving Difo to Harrisburg before season’s end.