Thursday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Probable Pitchers |
| Syracuse | OFF DAY | vs. Pawtucket, 6:35 p.m. |
Cole (1-1, 7.71) vs. B. Johnson (1-2, 2.51) |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 4-1 | “@” Hartford, 6:30 p.m. |
Giolito (0-1, 2.31) vs. Freeland (3-1, 1.13) |
| Potomac | Lost, 5-1 | vs. Myrtle Beach, 7:05 p.m. |
Reyes (1-2, 5.17) vs. Clifton (0-2, 4.15) |
| Hagerstown | Lost, 14-7 | @ Asheville, 7:05 p.m. |
DeRosier (1-0, 4.20) vs. Craig (0-0, 4.22) |
Syracuse – OFF DAY
The rain and cold weather has followed the Chiefs from southern New England to central New York, but it does appear that they might play tonight and begin a four-game series in Syracuse.
Roster moves: LHP Sammy Solis recalled to Washington; OF Ben Revere assigned on MLB rehab.
Hartford 4 Harrisburg 1
• Lopez (L, 0-3) 6IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 6K, HR
• Bacus 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Collier 1-3, R
• Difo 1-4, RBI
Hartford got all the runs they would need in the 1st but scored, um, insurance runs in the 3rd and 5th for a 4-1 win over Harrisburg. Reynaldo Lopez lost for the third time in four starts and gave up his fifth home run. He was charged with all four Yard Goat runs on seven hits and and two walks while setting down six on strikes. Dakota Bacus tossed two perfect innings of relief, which might have been useful had the Senators offense mustered more than four hits (albeit against the E.L.’s #1 staff by a trailer-park wide margin – 1.71 ERA to 2.89 ERA). Wilmer Difo singled in Zach Collier to break up the shutout to score the lone (unearned) Harrisburg run.
Roster moves: C Spender Kieboom placed on the 7-Day DL; C Jake Lowery assigned from Washington.
Myrtle Beach 5 Potomac 1
• Whiting (L, 3-1) 6IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER, BB, 5K, 2HR, WP
• VanVossen 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Read 2-3, BB, RBI
• Marmolejos 1-3, BB
Likewise, the Pelicans scored all they needed early and kept the P-Nats bats cool on a chilly night Woodbridge. Boone Whiting was taken deep twice, both times just after defensive lapses, to give up four runs total on six hits and a walk and suffer his first loss. Mick VanVossen hurled two scoreless to keep the game close, but the offense was held to just five hits and couldn’t cash in the five walks they drew. Raudy Read singled twice and walked once while driving in the lone Potomac run.
Asheville 14 Hagerstown 7
• Baez (L, 0-3) 3⅓ IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 5BB, 5K, HR, WP
• Pantoja 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Sagdal 1-2, R, RBI, 2BB, SB
• Gutierrez 2-4, R, 2B
• Robles 2-5, CS
Both teams scored six times in the 8th but Asheville still prevailed, 14-7 to take a second straight from Hagerstown. Joan Baez took the loss, with two runs let in on three hits over three and a 1/3rd innings. He struck out five and walked five. Neither Connor Bach nor Luis Torres could contain the Tourists, giving up a combined 11 runs over three and 2/3rds. The Suns struck out 10 times but took advantage of five Asheville errors to score seven times on 10 hits. Ian Sagdal led the way with a single and two walks while scoring one, driving in one, and stealing a base.
Mudville in Natsworld for as far as the eye can see . . .
I’ve been a big Lopez booster, but you do have to start wondering how much longer they’re going to give him before they starter flipping him to a reliever. I guess the same could be said for Baez. On the flip side, Baez is just 21, and Lopez is 22. It often takes power pitchers longer to fine-tune the radar. We’ll see.
With the catcher conundrum up and down the chain, I wonder whether Read will get a look at Harrisburg, despite his huge defensive liabilities. He’s certainly making hay with the bat.
My view on what Lopez needs is innings. He needs to go through lineups 3 times to get the repetition on command (which is what he lacks) vs control (which he has). I also wonder whether he suffers from the same disease that Strasburg had a few years ago – namely a lights out fastball speedwise that was too straight. Maybe he’s missing that element of deception either in delivery, or movement on his pitches, to get him over the hump.
My take? Once he gets command, and some kind of pitch disguise, he’ll come fast. He just needs the repetition.
(Having said that, this BP scouting report from last year seems to read a bit more positively than my unknowledgeable version….)
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/eyewitness_pit.php?reportid=276
The lack of power franchise wide other than Harper is really starting to bite. It is good that Ward seems to be figuring things out, because other than him they have no true home run hitters with with the potential to be impact MLB players in the entire system.
Amen. While Stevenson is progressing well, I was really ticked last year that the Nats didn’t do more to address the power issue in the draft. I think they hoped that Wiseman might have enough pop to develop into a Rasmus type, but he’s still got a big hole in his swing. David Kerian had big jump in HRs (to 16) as a college senior, but he produced zero at Auburn. I thought the Nats might have gotten a power sleeper in the two-way player they took in the 11th round, but alas, they made Andrew Lee exclusively a pitcher. Guess that one is working out OK.
Lopez’ peripherals are pretty good actually, especially when adjusting for youth and first time in AA . His problems are primarily dingers and last go round, several of us discussed what could be the causes and how concerning it is (or isn’t).
I am more encouraged than discouraged, especially about the strikeouts. If he can avoid the homers, I expect his ERA starts dropping.
This.
Lopez is still very young. He’s the same age as Giolito, who’s also struggling (if not more than Lopez) and at the same level.
Lopez’s K’s are still up, and his control seems to still be there (unlike Giolito so far this season). His propensity to concede HRs is worrisome, but I wouldn’t put too much stock into it until he shows this habit over more than one season. Before this season, he was excellent at preventing HRs. I think it’s just a blip. The jump from A+ to AA is always the toughest, so Lopez (and Giolito) are both adjusting to the better opponents. He’ll settle in by midseason.
Oh, I’m all for giving Lopez the time to be a starter. I just hope the team doesn’t grow impatient. There’s already been a lot of buzz about turning him into a reliever, although I don’t know whether any of that was coming from the team. I was sort of surprised that the Nats gave up on starting for both Rivero and Solis, all the more so with no other lefty starting prospects higher in the organization.