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Thursday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse ALL-STAR BREAK vs. Gwinnett,
7:05 p.m.		 TBD vs. TBD
Harrisburg ALL-STAR BREAK @ Bowie,
7:05 p.m.		 TBD vs. Villanueva (7-6, 2.77)
Potomac Lost, 5-2 vs. Myrtle Beach,
7:05 p.m.		 A. Williams (1-0, 3.00) vs.
Martinez (5-1, 2.92)
Hagerstown Won, 3-2;
Lost, 5-0		 @ West Virginia,
7:05 p.m.		 Bach (2-1, 3.70) vs.
Brewer (2-6, 5.23)
Auburn Won, 11-3 @ Mahoning Valley,
7:05 p.m.		 J. Rodriguez (1-2, 5.40) vs.
Shane (0-2, 3.38)


Syracuse — ALL-STAR BREAK
Jason Martinson went 0-for-1 with a walk and scored a run the International League’s three-run 9th that gave the I.L. a 4-3 win over the Pacific Coast League in the AAA All-Star game.

Harrisburg — ALL-STAR BREAK
Pedro Severino came off the bench to go 1-for-2 with a run scored while Gilberto Mendez struck out two in the 8th as the E.L. All-Star game was played to a 4-4 tie, with the “win” awarded to East Division after Reading’s Brian Pointer homered in the ninth round of the “HR Derby Shootout.”

Myrtle Beach 5 Potomac 2
• Simms (L, 5-6) 6IP, 6H, 5R, 3ER, 3BB, 2K, 3HR
• Amlung 3IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Norfork 3-4, R, 2B, 3B
• Yezzo 1-4, RBI

The Pelicans took John Simms deep three times and took advantage of a critical error to take the series opener from the P-Nats, 5-2. Down 2-0 with two outs in the 3rd, Khayyan Norfork charged a slow roller and missed it completely. The next batter homered to turn what should have been a 2-0 deficit into a 4-0 hole. Simms gutted out six innings, giving up all five runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks, and struck out two. Norfork was a HR shy of the cycle while James Yezzo broke up the shutout with an RBI single — the fourth and final hit for Potomac.
Roster move: C Craig Manuel reassigned from Syracuse, C Adderling Ruiz placed on the 7-Day DL, retroactive to July 13.

Hagerstown 3 West Virginia 2 — GAME ONE
• Reyes 4⅓ IP, 3H, 2R, 0ER, 3BB, 0K
• Napoli (W, 3-3) 2⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K, 1-0 IR-S
• Gardner 3-4, R, 2B, RBI
• Page 1-3, R, 2B, BB

Hagerstown scored twice in the 2nd and once in the 3rd and held on to edge West Virginia, 3-2. Luis Reyes made the spot start and pitched into the 5th, letting in two unearned runs on three hits and three walks over four and a 1/3rd innings with nary a strikeout. David Napoli stranded one in the 5th and completed the game for the win. Jeff Gardner singled twice, doubled once, scored a run, and drove in a run to lead the Suns offense.

West Virginia 5 Hagerstown 0 — GAME TWO
• M. Sanchez (L, 4-4) 2⅔ IP, 5H, 5R, 5ER, BB, 0K, 2HR, HBP
• Perez 2⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 2K, 1-0 IR-S
• Mejia 3-3, 2B, CS

The Power shocked Mario Sanchez for five runs in the 3rd, four of which came via the longball as the Suns dropped the nightcap, 5-0. Sanchez allowed five hits and a walk while hitting a batter over two and 2/3rds innings. Kevin Perez and Sam Johns kept West Virginia at bay the rest of the way, but it was for naught as Bryan Mejia went 3-for-3 with a double and the rest of Hagerstown lineup was 0-for-20 with one (1) walk.

Auburn 11 Mahoning Valley 3
• Hearn (W, 1-1) 5IP, 3H, R, ER, BB, 5K, HR
• Gunter 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Lora 3-5, 2R, 2B, 3RBI
• Stevenson 2-4, R, 3B, BB, RBI
• Reetz 2-4, 2R, 2B

The Doubledays put up big innings three times to junk the Scrappers, 11-3. Taylor Hearn gave up a run on a home run in the 4th and went five innings total for the win, the first for the 2015 5th Rd. pick in his second NYPL start. He walked one and struck out five. Edwin Lora led the 13-hit assault with two singles and a double and drove in three while Rafael Bautista, Andrew Stevenson, David Kerian, and Jakson Reetz each had two hits.

24 Commments

  1. Time for Stevenson and Kerian to move up to Hagerstown, and for Bautista to get back to Potomac. Kerian showed some pop in college, so he may end up being a $25K bargain.

  2. GCL Nats won yesterday, 8-7.
    http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2015_07_15_mrlrok_natrok_1&t=g_box&sid=milb

    Lost amongst the fact that Philip Diedrich hit 2 homers (Congrats!!!) was the epic achievement that the GCL Nats used 4 pitchers. 3 of them didn’t give up a single run. The third of the 4, Steven Fuentes, pitched 2 innings and gave up all 7 of the runs (6 earned). Naturally, he got the win.

    Doncha just love it when timings happen and your team retakes the lead after you’ve completely borked it up? That shouldn’t be called a vulture win – it should be an albatross win!

  3. Looks like Stevenson was a great pick. Hopefully his success will continue to translate to the higher more age appropirate levels.

    2. Martinson does not appear on mlb.com’s Top 30 prospects list for the Nats. Skole is still hanging on in the mid-20s, but I bet he will drop off after this season. The Nats desperately need to add some legitimate prospects with power.

  5. Funny how years of Ryan11 and rendon have
    Made brass not urgent on R/R 3 b until signing
    Franco and Kelvin G.
    Notice the attention to lefty swingers @3b
    Skole , Ward, Davidson. Now DiNatale ??
    Come on Kelvin G and Franco

  6. Another question to the assembled :
    Does 3 HRs in GCL for Dietrich eventual
    Warrent a promotion to auburn ?
    Stevenson bumps up pushing Gardner to potomAc
    Soon ?

        1. Gil: you are farm director. Miller retires. Werth completes
          Rehab . Who replaces miller in potomAc ??
          Carey or Gardner with Stevenson to hags ??

  10. Does Harrisburg serve Corona beer??
    Regeee corona insurance for daubach
    After difo traded ??

  11. I’m not excited by any of the Hagerstown OF, or Bautista right now, though he is logically returning because of a rehab assignment. The Nats OF situation is a snore until one gets down to Auburn and GCL. No exuberance of ours can rush anyone.

    Since we are doing a lot of betting on promotions to come, my money is on Giolito, Fedde (for Sanchez’ spot), and Stevenson as next up, and mayyybe Abreau, but that is only because there is a veritable dogfight of middle infielders at Auburn for playing time, and maybe Mendez because Syracuse needs BP help and there is bullpen depth in Potomac and Hagerstown pushing upward.

    Robles has sure cooled.

    2. Mendez has been quiet impressive for two
      Years !
      I read corona box. He has not played in org.
      Minors since 2013.
      GG. Would you agree that if Abreau bumps
      Up to potomAc then Perez should go to harrisburg
      With Difo future all bet on that trade deadline ??
      Cathcart must be a big fan of Kelvin G if he
      Is still running out a line up with him up high
      In line up .

  12. GG. Yes Raffie works back to Potnats.
    Stevenson can give some acreage coverage
    Next to Carey now that Page has a 1 b glove too
    Not Gardner .
    Abreau and Meiija have sprung forth in their
    Hags time.
    Yes the outfield has some spots off season
    Moves can fill. FAs from other orgs . Minor
    League trades ?
    Kudos to Dietrich in Viera parking 3 HRs
    Out of that Space Coast Stadium !

  13. Jeff, I know that the organization plugs in the MLFA at the upper levels but I think this is unnecessary, outdated, and unwise for 2016. Depth should be prospect depth and not flotsam, because Werth will be one year closer to the end and occasional injuries are irreversible. And when someone is blocked? Well, you cannot trade a 30 year old retread, but you can trade a Steven Souza. As I see it, by 2016 the Nats will have completely resolved their depth problem on the catching, 2B, SS, relief and starting fronts. But OF, 3B and 1B will remain dry at the upper levels. Power is sorely lacking. So if they flip a free agent to be now, what would be worth more than a 1st-rd-supp pick is a high ceiling power multi-tool talent at the upper levels of the minors (someone in AA right now who may be ready for AAA next year) who is blocked in that team’s depth chart. 1st round picks are great, but they are expensive in their own right and if you think they are guaranteed, look at Brian Goodwin, who was plateauing even before he was injured.

    So I am rooting very, very hard for the starters at AA-AAA (Ross, Jordan, Cole) in order to force a trade by the deadline, and I’m one of those people who have come around to hoping they trade Desmond and/or Span, too – but ONLY, ONLY if they can get high grade power and prospects in return. Especially on Span, I know that’s crazy, but at this point if they offered a one year max to Span, Desi and Fister, I think each one would take it and the Nats would not get the return and be right back here next year. But hell, maybe that is Rizzo’s strategy! (I doubt it, but it’s certainly clever because it allows Difo, Giolito, Pivetta, Lopez and others to age up one more year).

    The key here, and why the organization is great to root for (as opposed to Nos Amours), is that Rizzo and company are smart enough to package a moveable part (free agent to be) with a sweet part (aka Severino or Lopez) to get a much greater return. That’s the key about selling high and how they bet right on Souza. Timing is so key, intangbles of whom you are dealing with as well, and the moveable free agents to be are all doing poorly. Fister has been such a disappointment here and with Robbie Ray doing well, a statement about injuries and illusory amazing trades, especially since the Nats have no top grade lefty starters now or on the horizon. Desmond is now cushioned by depth on the roster, but Span is not. That problem needs to be corrected in years to come, and the draft and Latins won’t do it fast enough.

    You are reading right that i do not want them to trade Difo. But if they see his ceiling as more limited at the ML level, they had better trade him now to get a Chapman type before he gets exposed. We all love Rizzo, but one can overthink, and a trade sequence like Billy Burns – denDekker is just such an example. So this is not so simple as flipping a Tyler Clippard.

  14. Diedrick may be no different from the typical upstart first round leader at the Masters who shoots an 81 the next day. But that is indeed some kind of statement for Space Coast debut. And fun for the board. His folks north of the border can print this page – you went from a 29th round pick from Wky and now you’re a star! 🙂

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