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Friday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Lost, 6-5 @ Durham,
7:05 p.m.		 Cole (0-1, 2.67) vs.
Buschmann (4-3, 3.02)
Harrisburg Lost, 3-2 (10 inn.) @ Bowie,
6:35 p.m.		 (0-0, 3.38) vs.
Berry (0-4, 7.66)
Potomac Won, 8-3 vs. Wilmington,
7:05 p.m.		 Valdez (A+ debut) vs.
Skoglund (3-1, 2.12)
Hagerstown Lost, 4-0 vs. Kannapolis,
7:05 p.m.		 Rodriguez (1-3, 7.20) vs.
Martinez (1-4, 6.14)


Norfolk 3 Syracuse 0
• Billings 6⅔ IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 2K, 2HR
• Martin (BS, 2; L, 1-3) 1⅓ IP, 2H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 2K, HR
• Minicozzi 2-3, R, BB
• den Dekker 2-4, R, 2B, 2RBI
• Burriss 2-4, R, 3B, BB, RBI

Rafael Martin’s struggles returned as he coughed up three in the 9th to complete Norfolk’s 6-5 comeback win and four-game sweep of Syracuse. For the second straight game, the Chiefs starter pitched well enough to win as Bruce Billings gave up three run on six hits, though two were home runs. He walked none and struck out two. The Tides’ third and final home run was a two-out, two-run walkoff shot off Martin, who blew his second save and lost for the third time. Four Syracuse batters registered multiple hits as the offense produced 11 hits and drew five walks, with Mark Minicozzi and Emmanuel Burriss both reaching base three times.

Richmond 3 Harrisburg 2 (10 inn.)
• Simmons 4IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, 3K, HR; 1-2
• Ambriz (BS, 2; L, 1-2) 1⅔ IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 2K
• Pleffner 2-4, 2RBI
• Renda 1-4, R

Richmond rallied in the 9th to tie and won it in the 10th for a 3-2 win. An 89-minute rain delay shelved starter Joe Ross, but James Simmons filled in admirably with four innings of one-run ball, followed by Paul Demny with three scoreless frames. The Senators offense put up two runs in the 1st but was limited to six hits and one walk total. Shawn Pleffner drove in both runs and went 2-for-4 to lead the Harrisburg attack. Hector Ambriz, who had saved two games and won one in his last three appearances, took the loss with two runs allowed over an inning and 2/3rds.

Potomac 8 Wilmington 3
• Simms (W, 2-4) 5IP, 7H, 3R, 3ER, 5BB, 4K, HR, WP
• Suero (SV, 1) 4IP, 7H, 0R, BB, 3K
• S. Perez 2-3, R, 2BB, 2RBI
• Yezzo 2-4, 2R, BB
• Ward 1-3, R, 2BB, RBI

Potomac scored in each of the first three innings and put the game away with a four-run 5th in an 8-3 win over Wilmington. A perhaps too-rested John Simms wobbled through five innings but got his second win in as many starts, giving up three runs on seven hits and five walks over five innings while striking out four. Wander Suero was peppered for seven hits over four scoreless innings to register his first save of 2015. Stephen Perez singled twice, walked twice, and drove in two to lead the P-Nats offense.
Roster moves: RHP Phillips Valdez promoted from Hagerstown; RHP Tyler Mapes placed on the 3-Day Temporary Inactive List.

Kannapolis 4 Hagerstown 0
• Purke (L, 0-1) 4IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 3K, BK
• Orlan 3IP, 1H, R, ER, 4BB, 2K
• Abreu 1-3, BB
• DeBruin 1-3, BB

Matt Purke made his first start since having Tommy John surgery last May in a 4-0 Hagerstown loss to Kannapolis. The oft-injured southpaw was charged with two runs on three hits over four innings. He walked none and struck out three. The Suns ‘pen walked seven over five innings but gave up just two more runs. The Hagerstown batters were held to four hits and four walks and were just 1-for-8 with RISP with seven men left on base. Osvaldo Abreu and Grant DeBruin both reached base twice with a single and a walk.
Roster moves: LHP Matt Purke activated from XST.

Trea Turner Update
Turner tripled to keep his 14-game hit streak alive and was 1-for-4 overall.

11 Commments

  1. like with Solis, I refuse to get even a little excited seeing Purke back on the mound.

    Garcia, Shawn Hill, Patterson all coulda been contenders

  2. Drew Ward is having an understated but solid year. He’s young and this is a big jump for him. His K-B looks pretty good for a 20 yr old in High A. It would be great to see more power but that often is the last thing to show up. I don’t think anyone doubts its in there.

    Kieboom is also having a nice year. It would be good to see him in AA for the second half.

  3. Luke or others, what’s the story with Rey Lopez? He last pitched on Friday, now eight days ago. Since then, the P-Nats have reinserted Spann into the rotation and have now called up “Exxon” Valdez. What gives? Do you have the probables for the weekend? It would be a good time to catch Lopez, Pivetta, and Giolito, although the Potomac rotation seems somewhat unpredictable these days.

    Purke–the Nats have a lot of money invested in him plus he was once a top-tier talent (high first-rounder out of HS, drafted ahead of Trout). There’s no reason not to give him every opportunity, and then some.

    Turner–Kiley McDaniel has shortstops as three of the four top picks in his mock draft 2.0. The Nats already have one who has established that he can hit professional pitching, two if you count Difo. Seems like the Nats are well ahead of the curve at this vital position. Now if they could just get folks hitting at the other seven field spots . . .

  4. The Purke start is welcome and interesting. That he is still starting (says what the organization thinks of him — contrast to Solis), went right to four innings. That tells me that what they are working on is as much mechanical as anything health wise.

    As for his performance, great that he did not walk anyone, that he went through four innings without melting down (twice through the heart of the order) is a start, even if it is low A.

  5. KW – Exxon Valdez has a great ring to it. And good for him. Hopefully this is a “promotion” as opposed to a reassignment.

    1. Just as long as he doesn’t end up on the rocks!

      I just looked at starts at Potomac this year, and Valdez will be the 11th different starter (not counting the Janssen “start” to get his rehab inning early). Seven players have at least four starts. I’m just hoping the Valdez appearance isn’t a spot start for an injured Lopez.

  6. Interesting. Well, ten starters are to be expected this year — even more, based on the depth and glut (we still haven’t seen Silvestre or Dickson). That’s great if it resolves the competition. To some degree, it has:

    Schwartz – flamed out and retired
    Suero – didn’t cut it, off to the bullpen
    Bacus – promoted
    Rauh – promoted, then injured after a rough climb
    Simms – treading water
    Giolito – Very good if unspectacular
    Lopez – Excellent but needs time
    Pivetta – One of the biggest leaps forward in the system. Next one to AA?
    Spann – Meh. But better two starts at upper levels. Opportunity for more meh and lefthandedness
    Mapes – His starts are like modified long relief. But he does not walk anyone

    1. Simms was my under-the-radar guy to click for this year, but it hasn’t happened thus far. Pivetta has been impressive. Giolito and Lopez seem to be the real deals, but on a certain level, I’m glad that they haven’t been totally unhittable, ratcheting up the expectations even more and perhaps getting them rushed through the system. I still expect Giolito, Lopez, and Pivetta to make it to Harrisburg this summer, though, and to be in the big-league camp next spring. Whether any of them will have a real shot at one of the prospective rotation openings, I don’t know, but they should at least put themselves in position to get a call-up at some point in 2016. But see, here I go, rushing them even now!

      I agree that it’s a good sign that Purke is starting. He’s hoping he can be ready for Potomac when some of the aforementioned hit the trail to Harrisburg.

      1. The dramatic bump for Pivetta is reflected in his not having allowed a HR in 51 innings this year, and his consistency. Last year, he gave up 15 HR in 132 IP! And got hammered (yes, like a Kennedy at an open bar ;0 ) in the playoffs. So clearly he has taken a big developmental leap.

        And now, Phillips Valdez. From the GCL Nats of record setting pedigree. Who ever would have predicted that at this stage, less than two years later, he would have a more open horizon than moundmates Wander Suero, Hector Silvestre, Travis Ott, and the uberhyped “sleeper (he’s still sleeping) Jeffrey Rodriguez. It looks like the light has turned on for him as well.

        Which means that Potomac will soon see Austen Williams. Yes, there will be a lot of shuffling upward in the coming months…

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