Friday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Probable Pitchers |
| Syracuse | Lost, 6-3 | @ Rochester, 7:05 p.m. |
Cole (3-2, 5.47) vs. Wheeler (1-1, 1.80) |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 4-0 | vs. Akron, 7:00 p.m. |
Lopez (0-3, 4.13) vs. Polanco (AA debut) |
| Potomac | Lost, 3-2 (10 inn.) | @ Winston-Salem, 7:00 p.m. |
Valdez (4-1, 3.79) vs. Stephens (0-4, 5.40) |
| Hagerstown | Lost, 5-1 | vs. Kannapolis, 7:05 p.m. |
Rodriguez (2-2, 4.45) vs. Banks (6-0, 2.48) |
Indianapolis 6 Syracuse 3
• Espino 7IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 10K, HR
• Davis (L, 3-1) 1⅓ IP, 1H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, K
• Turner 2-5, R, 3B
• Severino 2-3, 2B, BB, 2RBI
Rafael Soriano J.C. Gutierrez coughed up the game-winning three-run homer to the first batter he faced in the 9th as the Indians doubled up the Chiefs, 6-3 and earn a 2-2 series split. Erik Davis was charged with the loss after issuing back-to-back walks before getting an out on a botched sacrifice. Paolo Espino struck out 10 and let in the first three on six hits and a walk over seven innings. Pedro Severino walked, doubled in two, and singled while Trea Turner singled and tripled to lead the Syracuse offense.
Akron 4 Harrisburg 0
• Mapes (L, 5-2) 6IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 3K, HR
• Simms 2IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Bautista 1-4
• Difo 1-4, SB
Harrisburg was shut out on three hits by two Akron pitchers for a 4-0 loss. Tyler Mapes was dinged for single runs in the 1st, 2nd, and 6th and gave up six hits and three walks total as he lost his second game. John Simms followed with two scoreless innings of relief before Akron got an insurance run in the 9th against Gilberto Mendez. Rafael Bautista, Wilmer Difo, and Neftali Soto each singled while Brendan Webb walked to comprise the Sens offense,
Carolina 3 Potomac 2 (10 inn.)
• Reyes 6IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 3K
• Ross 2IP, 1H, 0R, 3BB, 2K
• Thomas (L, 1-2) ⅓+ IP, 2H, R, ER, 2IBB, 1K
• Keller 2-4, RBI
• Mesa 1-3, R, BB, HR, RBI
Potomac dug out of a 2-0 hole with single runs in the 6th and 7th but fell in the 10th, 3-2 and lost the series to Carolina, 2-1. Luis Reyes turned in a quality start of two runs allowed on five hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out three. The loss went to Justin Thomas, who struck out the last batter of the 9th, then gave up a leadoff triple in the 10th. After issuing a pair of intentional walks and setting up a five-man infield, Carolina’s Joel Edgerton lined one into LF for the gamewinner. Alec Keller led the P-Nats attack with a pair of singles and an RBI while Narciso Mesa started the comeback with a solo HR.
Kannapoliis 5 Hagerstown 1
• Avila (L, 1-2) 5IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 7K, HR
• Torres 1IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 0K
• Ripken 2-4
• Sagdal 1-2, 2B, BB
Kannapolis got a two-run HR in the 1st and never looked back as they defeated Hagerstown, 5-1. Pedro Avila lost for the second time despite putting up four goose eggs afterwards and allowing four hits and no walks while striking out seven over five innings. The Suns were held to just five hits and two walks, with just two batters reaching base twice – Ryan Ripken (two singles) and Ian Sagdal (double and a walk).
Despite the loss, it’s hard not to like the 7K/0BB performance by 19-year-old Avila over 5 IP.
Good to see Trea’s bat coming to life again.
I’m still curious about why Simms is being used in relief, all the more so while Mapes is still starting. I’ve generally considered Simms a better prospect than Mapes, but perhaps the Nats don’t see it that way. More confusing, why is Austen Williams starting over Simms?
I was just looking at Avila’s background, what little there is of it. We talked about the culture and maturity issues yesterday. The Nats must think very well of Avila on this front. Last year was his first in pro baseball. He spent most of the year with the DSL team and made one start with the GCL squad. From there, they skipped him all the way to Hagerstown, where he’s more than holding his own. Compare that to Tyler Watson, who dominated at GCL but seems destined for Auburn at the same age. Avila is on a very fast track.
Just posting this again, as yesterday I think my post got stuck in moderation, and others might be interested in seeing it:
BP has some Nats scouting reports up. These scouting reports that BP does are some of my favorite content out there.
Another very positive review of R. Lopez: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/eyewitness_pit.php?reportid=360
And a pretty positive report on Glover (even though this was based on one of his worst outings of his young career): http://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/eyewitness_pit.php?reportid=358
Don’t miss the video links, a feature they seem to have added this year.
Also there’s one on Pivetta, for those who are still interested in keeping tabs on some past farmhands: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/eyewitness_pit.php?reportid=346
I approved it, but I understand… multiple links is one of the default flags, FWIW.
Yeah, no problems. I totally understand why you add that security setting.
Slowly but surely, Pedro Severino has seen his OPS rise consistently and now sits at .737.
Espino gets overlooked. But last night, he set a career high for strikeouts. Good for him. We have some kind of ripe starting pitching depth on the vine, when one considers how retreads get millions.