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Thursday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Lost, 5-3 @ Buffalo,
7:05 p.m.		 Laffey (3-1, 2.91) vs.
LeBlanc (5-1, 1.29)
Harrisburg Won, 6-3 vs. New Hampshire,
7:00 p.m.		 Mapes (5-2, 3.38) vs.
Dawson (2-2, 3.72)
Potomac Won, 6-1 @ Frederick,
5:00 p.m.		 Ross (2-2, 1.08) and
Spann (1-0, 4.15 vs.
Gallardo (MLB rehab) and
Long (2-3, 3.12)
Hagerstown Won, 9-7 @ Columbia,
7:05 p.m.		 A. Lee (2-2, 3.66) vs.
Shaw (3-2, 3.21)


Charlotte 5 Syracuse 3
• Voth 6IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 6K, HR
• Martin (BS, 2; L, 1-2) ⅓ IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 0K, 2HR
• Goodwin 2-4, R, HR, 2RBI, SB
• Skole 0-2, R, 2BB

Syracuse overcame an early 2-0 deficit with two in the 7th and one in the 8th to take a 3-2 lead. With the bases empty and two outs, Rafael Martin retired just one of five batters faced to serve up three runs and a 5-3 win for Charlotte. Austin Voth turned in a quality start with two runs allowed on five hits and three walks over six innings for the no-decision. Brian Goodwin homered again and drove in the would-be gamewinner in the 8th to lead the Chiefs offense, which made the most of just five hits and four walks.

Harrisburg 6 New Hampshire 3
• Long (W, 3-2) 7IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 0BB, 8K, HR, HBP
• Lee (H, 3) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Soto 2-3, 2R, 2B, BB, RBI
• Bostick 2-4, R
• Difo 0-4, R, SB(20), E(11)

A three-run 6th turned a one-run deficit into a two-run lead as the Sens eventually doubled up the Fisher Cats, 6-3. Jaron Long went seven strong innings, giving up all three New Hampshire runs (two earned) on five hits (one HR) with no walks and eight whiffs. Nick Lee and Bryan Harper both turned in a scoreless inning to earn the hold and save respectively. Neftali Soto singled, doubled, walked, scored twice, and drove in a run while Christopher Bostick singled twice in four trips to the plate to lead the Harrisburg attack. Roster move: RHP Michael Brady reassigned from Syracuse.

Potomac 6 Frederick 1
• Valdez (W, 6-2) 7IP, 4H, R, ER, 2BB, 4K
• Benincasa 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Stevenson 3-5, R, 2B, 2RBI
• Keller 2-4, R, 2B, 2RBI, OF assist at 2B
• Norfork 0-2, R, 2BB

Andrew Stevenson celebrated his 22nd birthday with 3-for-5 night while Phillips Valdez cakewalked for seven innings as Potomac frosted Frederick, 6-1. Valdez gave up the lone Keys run on four hits and two walks while fanning four as he won his sixth game. Robert Benincasa finished up with two scoreless innings. Stevenson singled twice, doubled once while Alec Keller singled and doubled as the two OFs both scored a run and drove in to lead the P-Nats offense. Roster moves: RHP Gilberto Mendez reassigned from Harrisburg; LHP Matt Crownover promoted from Hagerstown; RHP Erick Fedde placed on the 7-Day DL; RHP Boone Whiting placed on the 3-Day TIL.

Hagerstown 9 Asheville 7
• DeRosier 5IP, 5H, 5R, 5ER, BB, 3K
• Pantoja (W, 6-0) 2IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 2K
• Davidson 3-4, 3R, 2-2B, HR, 2BB, RBI
• Schrock 2-4, 2R, 2B, HR, 2RBI
• Dent 1-3, 2B, RBI

Max Schrock’s two-out, two-run walkoff homer sent the Tourists packing for a 9-7 Suns victory and three-game sweep. Matt DeRosier got the start but was ineffective as Asheville stung him for five runs on five hits and a walk over the first five innings. Schrock’s heroics made a winner out of Jorge Pantoja, who gave up an unearned run in the 8th but pitched a scoreless 9th. Austin Davidson reached base five times with a homer, two walks, and two doubles, and drove in the tying run in the 9th to pace Hagerstown’s ten-hit, two-walk offense. Roster move: LHP Grant Borne reassigned from Auburn. FYI: Victor Robles left (or was removed from) the game after grounding out to third in the 3rd. No further details could be found at virtual press time.

21 Commments

  1. I have always been unusually loyal to Martin, and he’s been generally good, but with his velocity, he has t be lights out every time or it’s never going to happen for him. With Gott having given up only one home run his year, Erik Davis in excellent form, Koda Glover hitting his stride, lots of bullpen talent at AA, Michael Brady back on the bump, Martin’s time is running very low.

  2. Luke, now that he is back in your neck of the woods, can you give us the lowdown on Benincasa, what happened to him, and how he looks? Once he was the next thing for the bullpen.

  3. With Zimmerman likely to go on paternity leave this weekend, Turner could see his first three games with the big club as they can call someone up for three games. I don’t expect he’ll stay longer though.

    We’re a third of the way through the season, and the lack of injuries is really making it tough for the prospects to get a shot. Not counting paternity leave call ups, the Nats have used only 27 players this year and only 13 pitchers. What a difference from last year, when they used 44 players total and 26 pitchers.

    1. I hadn’t thought about a possible Turner promotion during paternity leave. He could play 2B (although only three games there this season), with Murph moving over to 1B. Would the Nats bring him up just for that quick hit? I don’t know. Would they get more in the short term from playing Turner, or Clint Robinson (at 1B)? FWIW, Turner would probably be the best RH bat available to promote from Syracuse. If they’re thinking exclusively about a backup at 1B, though, it might be time for Skole’s first cup of coffee. Or they could reward Goodwin’s hot start with a maiden voyage with the big club.

      Frankly, if I were Rizzo, I would be concerned about the hubbub that three days of Trea might generate. If it is Skole, Goodwin, or den Dekker, there wouldn’t be much coverage of it at all. Don’t get me wrong, I’m eager to see Turner get his chance. I just wonder if the team would see a short stint as a distraction, all the more so with Espinosa suddenly showing a little life.

      1. It occurs to me that a gimpy Harper might play into a decision to bring up den Dekker or Goodwin. Or they could activate Belisle and delay the decision on the bullpen cut until next week. But I’d rather have another bat available.

      2. Skole isn’t on the 40-man, so I doubt it would be him. den Dekker would almost certainly get the call over the untested Goodwin (who I think will get his first cup of coffee in September).

        Hopefully, Harper will be back by the weekend. Otherwise, he’d likely be looking at a DL stint.

        As for Belisle, unfortunately, I think Solis will be headed back to Syracuse despite having the far superior arm.

        1. There is a 40-man spot available with Taylor Jordan presumably going on the 60-day DL, but you’re probably right that they likely wouldn’t fill it with Skole just for the proverbial cup of coffee.

          I completely agree on Solis > Belisle. I would guess that they’ll milk Belisle’s rehab assignment time for as long as they can to see if something develops. I don’t see what he adds to the bullpen right now at all. Solis is a power lefty/long man and can fill multiple roles.

    2. I think TT comes up with the paternity leave and then sticks around. The Nats are likely looking for an elegant way to call up TT and Zimm’s baby provides that.

      1. But then someone has to be let go. Taylor is the only one of the bench players who can be sent to the minors without being DFA’ed, and that would leave them short in the OF. Turner won’t stay unless they are ready to play him every day in place of Espinosa, and they are clearly not ready to make the switch.

    3. Well there you go. Good call.

      Turner promoted at least temporarily to replace Zimmerman.

      We’ll have to see how long he sticks.

  5. At what point do we need to start taking Brian Goodwin seriously again? I’m cautiously optimistic that he is starting to turn the corner and showing signs that he might have actually be worth a first round sandwich pick. Granted, he’s not coming up any time soon unless there is an injury, but it seems like he’s playing his way into the ‘interesting trade bait’ category.

    1. Agreed, including with the “cautiously optimistic” part. As I noted above, if the Nats want to go with the “hot” guy for the short-term call-up during Zim’s paternity leave, it might actually be Goodwin.

  6. So is Robles getting moved up to Potomac? If so, would think that would mean that Stevenson would head to Harrisburg, but that would mean Bautista either sitting or being called up to Syracuse which seems unlikely given that Bautista has not performed well enough yet for a promotion. By all accounts, Robles was not injured; cannot imagine that the Nats would consider trading Robles.

    1. Bostick is the only regular at Harrisburg over .300, or anywhere close to it. It’s definitely time to shuffle some bats there.

      Robles would only be included in a major, MAJOR trade. Now if Trout were available . . .

      1. Robles wasn’t in the lineup last night either. In the absence of any other info, I’m guessing that he hurt something in his last at bat.

    1. Possible that Bautista and Stevenson could play the OF together, but both players profile in centerfield, and don’t have the power to play in the corners. I guess that it wouldn’t hurt either to learn the nuances of playing a corner OF spot. That would mean the Ballou or Zach Collier would sit. Zach Collier is an interesting reclamation project. He was a first round pick out of HS by the Phillies in 2008. He never really produced and the Phillies released him in 2014. After not playing pro ball in 2015, the Nats signed him over the Winter, and after struggling in April, he has played well hitting over .300 with an .852 OPS in May. Even though Collier was drafted in 2008, he is younger than Isaac Ballou, and there is a glimmer of hope for him.

      Really curious to see what the Nats plans are with Robles, and how the dominos fall after that.

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