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Thursday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Lost, 8-5 vs. Buffalo,
7:05 p.m.		 Jordan (3-4, 2.77) vs.
Boyd (3-1, 2.77)
Harrisburg Lost, 6-1 @ Portland,
7:05 p.m.		 Voth (4-5, 2.82) vs.
Cuevas (8-5, 3.18)
Potomac Lost, 8-5 @ Myrtle Beach,
7:05 p.m.		 Rauh (2-0, 0.51) vs. TBD
Hagerstown OFF DAY @ Hickory,
7:00 p.m.		 Bach (3-2, 3.62) vs. TBD
Auburn Won, 8-5 vs. Aberdeen,
7:05 p.m.		 Fedde (2-1, 2.88) vs.
Cosme (1-3, 5.23)


Buffalo 8 Syracuse 5
• Strasburg (L, 0-1) 4IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 5K, WP, BK
• Cole 4IP, 5H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 2K
• Mastroianni 3-5, R, 2B
• Gwynn 2-4, R, RBI
• Hague 1-3, 2B, BB

The Bisons put up crooked numbers three times as they defeated the Chiefs, 8-5 to take a 2-1 series lead. Rehabbing Stephen Strasburg suffered the loss, giving up three runs (all in the 2nd) on four hits and a walk over four innings. A.J. Cole followed but was ineffective, allowing the next four runs on five hits and two walks over four frames. Darin Mastroianni led the Syracuse hit column with a two singles and a double while Tony Gwynn Jr. put up his fourth multihit effort in the last five games with a 2-for-4 night.
Roster move: LHP Sammy Solis optioned from Washington; IF Mario Lisson placed on the 7-Day DL; C Adderling Ruiz reassigned from Potomac.

New Hampshire 6 Harrisburg 1
• Bates (L, 4-1) 4IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, K, HR
• Davis 2IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Pleffner 2-3, 2B, BB
• D. Robinson 2-3, BB, SB, CS

The Fisher Cats put up two-spots in the 4th and 5th innings to turn a 1-0 lead into 5-0 chasm as they completed the three-game sweep of the Senators with a 6-1 win. Colin Bates suffered the loss in the spot start, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks over four innings. Once again, the Harrisburg offense sputtered in the clutch as they went 1-for-11 with RISP and left on nine baserunners. Shawn Pleffner, Derrick Robinson, and Brian Jeroloman each went 2-for-3 with a walk in the loss.
Roster move: IF Adrian Sanchez assigned to GCL Nationals for MiLB rehab.

Myrtle Beach 8 Potomac 5
• Spann (L, 0-6) 4⅔ IP, 8H, 5R, 3ER, 3BB, 4K
• Valdez 1⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K, 3-0 IR-S
• S. Perez 3-4, 2R, RBI
• Mesa 2-3, 2B
• Norfork 2-4, 2RBI

Myrtle Beach jumped on Matt Spann for three in the 1st, piled on two more in the 4th to take a 5-0 lead, and held off Potomac for an 8-5 win. Spann lost for the sixth time for the P-Nats, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits and three walks while striking out four over four and 2/3rds. The bottom of the Potomac lineup combined for nine of the 12 hits collected, led by Stephen Perez going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Hagerstown — OFF DAY
After a 2-5 homestand, the Suns make a trip to Hickory, NC for four games before returning to the Muni for another seven-game stretch against Charleston for three and… wait for it… Delmarva for four.
Roster move: RHP Ryan Brinley promoted from Auburn.

Auburn 8 Aberdeen 5
• Guilbeau (W, 1-1) 5IP, 4H, R, ER, 0BB, 4K
• Boghosian (H, 1) 2IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 2K
• K. Gutierrez 3-5, 2R, 2B, RBI, SB, E(10)
• Me. Rodriguez 2-3, 2B, 3RBI
• Dulin 1-3, 2R, 2B, BB

The Doubledays broke a 1-1 tie with two in the fourth, then tacked on two more in the 5th and 6th innings en route to an 8-5 victory over Aberdeen. Taylor Guilbeau got the win, his first, with five innings of one-run ball on four hits, no walks, and four whiffs. Adam Boghosian added two innings of scoreless relief to earn the hold. Kelvin Gutierrez paced the Auburn attack with two singles and a double in five trips to the plate while driving in a run and scoring twice.
Roster moves: RHP Sam Johns demoted from Hagerstown; OF Luis Guzman released.

31 Commments

  1. Luis Guzman gone. The Nats continue to move inventory. I know folks are watching Robles and whether he makes it to Hagerstown, but even more important is getting the upward movement from GCL as the logjam among outfielders at the low levels has to relieve. I’d really like to see Gilberto Ramirez get some PT in Auburn.

    1. Guzman sure had a short chorus line
      Dance audition . GG. Inventory. Florentino
      Dietrich , Wiseman , Aldrem Corridor , SOTO
      Now in the acreage
      The Sadist needs oatmeal to wrap up this mad max
      Curly W.
      GG. Flash forward to 2016. Big jumper to A plus-
      Max Schrock ??

    3. Luis Guzman we hardly knew ye!
      Only 19, but a .454 OPS will not keep you in the game.

      1. more impressive is that they ate a bonus with that one. But in the end, that’s no different from what they would pay a low draft pick

          2. Wow!
            Didn’t realize he was one of there big bonus guys. That means they gave him every possible chance.
            To think they got Wilmer Difo for $16,000 & Rey Lopez for $20,00 sure tells a story.

          3. That’s quite a bonus to eat on a 19 year old. There is always more to the story. Still, that’s a lot less than the Dodgers are flushing on Bronson and the Beast. Talk about washing money – it’s like the Dodgers are racketeers for everybody’s bad investments!

  2. I think we should all acknowledge that this draft class is looking pretty satisfying relative to 2014.

    Five I am watching this week:

    Ian Sagdal: Low draft pick, same position, outplaying Schrock. Lots of RBI and great OBP.

    Rafael Bautista: I am much higher on his ceiling than most people, and he is back to stealing bases. Those of us from the Tim Raines years remember how disruptive it is for opposing pitcher to have to work a pitcher when you have unstoppable speed on the basepaths. Hoping he finishes this year the way he looked in 2014. Go 2013 GCL Nats!

    Pedro Severino: Wilson Ramos has to be attracting a good hard look unless he picks it up. And I find myself wondering how Kieboom would perform at Harrisburg. Is the solution within? Or is Severino going to lose luster just as his future may be opening?

    Wilmer Difo: OK, you are back in the starting lineup in Harrisburg. Now settle in and tear it up.

    Kevin Keyes: I refuse to believe in the guy, but what if he keeps this up until year’s end?

    1. Here are my thoughts:

      Sagdal: Quite cool considering the Nats are in desperate need of depth for position players.

      Bautista: Two minor league career lines: .300/.365/.380 vs. .305/.361/.383. The first one is Bautista, the second is Eury Perez. While I’d love to see the Nats develop the next Tim Raines, I’ve been fooled by too many of their minor league speedsters over the years. Perez, Brandon Whiting and Jeff Kobernus all stole more than 150 bases in the minors (Perez more than 250) only to do bupkis in the majors.

      Severino: Severino’s OPS this year is .676, Wilson Ramos’s OPS is .640. Considering Severino’s outstanding defense, if he could even maintain his current level of offense next year at Syracuse he might be considered as a potential cheap replacement for Ramos when the latter hits free agency after next year.

      Difo: Home runs, Wilmer. Got to see you hit a few home runs above A ball before I’m ready to believe you’ll be more than the next Steve Lombardozzi.

      Keyes: He’s playing the same crowded corner OF/1B positions that kept Clint Robinson in the minors until he was 30. Robinson’s career minor league OPS was .891. Keyes’s career OPS is .737.

      1. I am not one to overvalue numbers. They hold you back. A few thoughts to clarify…..

        Bautista – If Eury Perez ever learned to take a walk, he would have been Billy Burns. Eury Perez was not a bust — in a different world, he could stick eventually. Furthermore, I am confident that Bautista has it in him to develop more pop. Again, I am WATCHING these folks, not advocating their promotion.

        Severino – I don’t think the current offensive iteration of Severino is at the level of Kieboom. But I think that his age gives him a less defined ceiling. What I am suggesting is that it would help the Nats if Severino ended the year on another offensive gear to have a better idea going into the winter, rather than being forced to wait for Ramos’ walk year and getting no more than a draft pick.

        Difo – How does that yo-yoing help anybody? It didn’t help Zach Walters, it didn’t help Tyler Moore. And I think we are seeing that. My point is only to look forward to his sitting still and being able to do his thing from now until year’s end, and in the AFL if need be.

        Keyes and Robinson are two different players. Keyes has light tower power, small time bat. Suddenly in Syracuse he is a different player, and has kept it up.

        1. I’m not saying Difo needs to go for 20–but unless he can show at least a little bit of power at the higher levels he’s going to end up a utility infielder. If nothing else, he’s got to keep those outfielders honest so more singles drop in for him.

          Walters was a totally different type of player–strikeouts aplenty and a stone glove. All he had were the dingers–but they did at least get him a couple of cups of coffee.

          As for Keyes, I’ll never get tired of watching this video:

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7oKyBp3mY4

          1. Thanks for the video!
            I have to admit I didn’t see that coming, but Keyes in 160+ at bats in Syracuse has a .800 OPS.

  3. I see that Valdez pitched in relief for Potomac. I wonder if that is a permanent move, or just a need for some innings/effort to get him over the hump. He had put up very promising numbers at Hagerstown. He’ll turn 24 this fall, though, and has a lot of 2014 & 15 draftee arms coming in the pipeline behind him. Spann should be looking in the same mirror, as he’s already 24. As a tall lefty, though, he’ll still have a good chance to hang around if he ends up in the bullpen.

  4. GG keyes the only guy to take advantage
    Of small city isle in AA!
    Sagdal could be nice part of IF rotation
    For 16 hags.
    Gotta love the name LeBruna from USC

    1. Taylor Hearn, Matt Connover looking pretty damned good in short A. Bryan Mejia a switch hitter looking good at age 21. Andrew Stevenson at age 21.

        2. Where are they now GCL 13 – Ward, Abreu, Mejia, Eusebio, Bautista, Encanacion, (i’m forgetting somebody), Read.

          I share your exuberance, Jeff. Just no more Randy Johnson references in trading deadline week.

          Hoping Rizzo smells a bargain out of San Diego fire sale and flips Desmond and Fister for farm products. Teams are giving up a lot of prospects this year. Can take advantage as inventory gets low.

          1. Not flipped to San Diego, of course…but Benoit would be a good asset.

            The boring Nats offense – will wake up with Turner in the lineup.

  7. Anderson Franco with tater no. 3 today. Not bad for a 17-year old in the GCL. 🙂

    2. Anything from a 3B gets an eyebrow raise. Anderson batting in the heart of the order.

  8. Haven’t seen comments previously on Ryan Brinley promoted to Hags … 10.1 innings with 10 SO / 0 BB … not bad for a 27th rounder.

    1. yeah, yeah on Brinley. But ask Jake Walsh if a low round can ever get a shot as a higher level. Manny and Mendez bringin the gascanrahan tonight. Yecch. Flush, repeat.

      Skole with a big 9th inning double. The guy hits clutch. Seems like that’s all he hits.

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