Monday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Probable Pitchers |
| Syracuse | Lost, 5-2; Won, 11-3 |
@ Toledo, 7:05 p.m. |
Voth (6-7, 3.59) vs. C. Ramos (0-1, 7.20) |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 6-2 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Potomac | Lost, 5-3 | @ Wilmington, 6:35 p.m. |
Whiting (9-2, 3.14) vs. Tenuta (5-8, 5.56) |
| Hagerstown | Won, 8-6 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Auburn | Postponed | ALL-STAR BREAK | N/A |
Columbus 5 Syracuse 2 – GAME ONE
• Hill (L, 6-10) 6IP, 6H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 5K, HR
• Soto 3-3, R
• Skole 1-3, R, BB, HR, RBI
The Chiefs led 2-0 early, but the Clippers sailed past them with a three-spot in the 3rd then added two more in the 4th for 5-2 win in the opener. Taylor Hill took one for the team as he went the distance with all five runs let in on six hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out five while losing his tenth game for the second straight season. Neftali Soto singled three times in three trips to the plate while Matt Skole had a “true outcome” game with a walk, a strikeout, and a homer.
Syracuse 11 Columbus 3 – GAME TWO
• Espino (W, 7-10) 6IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, BB, 5K, HR
• Martin 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Lombardozzi 3-4, 2R, RBI
• Jeroloman 2-4, R, 2B
• Taylor 1-3, 2R, BB, HR, 4RBI
Syracuse homered three times in a six-run 4th inning to break a 2-2 tie as they cruised to an 11-3 win to split the doubleheader. Paolo Espino won for the seventh time with all three Columbus runs let in on six hits and a walk while striking out five. Rafael Martin mopped up in the 7th with a perfect frame. Matt den Dekker led off the Chiefs’ putaway rally with a solo shot while the “other Matt” (no, not Grace – Skole) connected for his 19th big fly. In between, Michael Taylor dropped a three-run bomb, his first at AAA this season. Steve Lombardozzi led the Syracuse hit column with three, followed by Brian Jeroloman, who singled and doubled in four trips to the plate.
Binghamton 6 Harrisburg 2
• Valdez (L, 4-3) 4IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 4BB, 2K, 2HR, HBP
• Simms 2IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Bautista 2-4
• Kieboom 2-3, BB, RBI
Phillips Valdez’s control problems returned as he walked four in four innings in a 6-2 Harrisburg loss to Binghamton. Valdez also coughed up two longballs and four runs total on six hits as he lost his third AA game. John Simms turned in two scoreless innings to keep things close but the B-Mets got to his successors for a run apiece in the 7th and 8th innings to put the game away. Spencer Kieboom reached base three times for a second consecutive game with two singles and a walk while Rafael Bautista singled twice as the Sens were limited to seven hits total.
Frederick 5 Potomac 3
• J. Martin 6IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 4BB, 4K, HR, WP
• Pantoja (L, 0-1) 2IP, 1H, 2R, 3BB, 0K
• Robles 1-2, R, 2BB, HBP, 2SB (10, 11)
• Vettleson 2-4, 2B, RBI
Knuckler come lately J.D. Martin turned in a quality start but the P-Nats ‘pen faltered again in a 5-3 loss to the Keys. Martin walked four and gave up three hits, including a solo HR in the 4th. Jorge Pantoja couldn’t vulture his 10th relief win of ’16, instead giving up two runs in the 8th for his first Carolina League loss. Victor Robles reached base four times as he singled, walked twice, and… wait for it… got hit by a pitch while Drew Vettleson singled, doubled, and drove in a run to lead the Potomac offense.
Hagerstown 8 Asheville 6
• Silvestre (W, 1-0) 5IP, 4H, R, ER, 0BB, 3K
• Walby 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Sundberg 3-5, R, 2B, SB, OF assist at 2B
• Gutierrez 2-4, 2R, BB, 2SB, E(20)
• DeBruin 2-2, 3R, 2BB, RBI, SB
Hagerstown nearly blew a seven-run lead but held off Asheville for an 8-6 win to take the series, 3-1. Hector Silvestre got the win in his first Low-A start since 2014 with five innings of one-run ball on four hits and no walks. He struck out three while getting the “W.” The Suns put up big innings three times, with Jack Sundberg going 3-for-5 with two singles and a double while Kelvin Gutierrez walked and singled twice and stole two bases to lead the Suns’ 13-hit parade.
Batavia vs. Auburn – PPD
Yesterday’s doubleheader was postponed due to wet grounds. They’ll have to make it up—if they make it up—when the two teams meet on the final Sunday and Monday of the season.
One of those four Robles hits would
Have excited FP and Carp: push bunt down first base line between lefty
Pitcher and 1b.
Josh Hart robbed Max of ️️sure double to end game with who else ?
On 1 b
MAT hit his 3 run tater off of his former teammate Craig Stammen. In addition to putting up solid numbers for Cuse, MAT has cut way down on his Ks since being sent done to AAA.
Nats first round pick Carter Kieboom also homered (his 2nd) for the GCL Nats. Appears that Keiboom is starting to find his professional groove.
It appears that Rodrigo is going to stay up with the Nats for at least one more start. His stuff is electric.
The impressive thing about Lopez’s last start was how he adjusted his attack. Instead of trying to strike out every batter and getting hit hard in between Ks, he concentrated on throwing ground balls. Showed lots of maturity for a young guy.
So Matt Skole is one dinger away from his third 20 HR season the last four. (Not counting the one he missed almost completely after the TJ surgery.) If the Nats don’t add him to the 40-man, someone is gonna take him in the Rule 5 draft this winter. Big, left-handed power hitters don’t grow on trees.
(Ironic note: He is tied for 4th in the IL in dingers; one of the three hitters ahead of him is Chris Marrero with 22.)
Meanwhile, very pleased with Hector Silvestre’s return. I don’t know if there’s enough time left this season to bump him back to Potomac – where he was before he got hurt in ’14 – but with the dearth of lefties in the Nats system, I imagine he’ll move pretty fast next year if he keeps pitching well.
Finally, speaking of lefties, Trevor Watson has “officially” cracked the Nats Top 30 prospects list at MLB.com. Interestingly, 15 of the 30 have been added to the Nats pipeline since June of 2015.
Marrero illustrates Skole’s problem. At his best, he was a better hitter. And neither were as good as Clint Robinson in his minor league days.
FG – Skole is making his last statement. Trailing Chris Marrero is not it. 😉
This site has been all over Watson since last year. MLB is behind the times – they’ve got moldy bread in their top-30. More importantly, we are all watching to see whether he gets the bump to Hags after his ASG tomorrow.
Watching Silvestre with great interest. He went to Hags after only one Auburn start, and threw 69 pitches effectively yesterday. It would be great to see him get bumped to Potomac THIS year to reprise his great playoff performance for the Mills cup in 2014. Methinks the Nats are cooking upward mobility from Auburn that will carry Silvestre forward. All speculation. Jeff, of course, would have him and JRod get the bump together to a team with Abreu and Mejia in the infield! 🙂 Perhaps a bit of a stretch.
There are several players who are upping their game in the final weeks. Fun to watch them make last statements before the instrux.
I cannot put enough ocean potion
50 lotion on me after sunday
Roaster afternoon
Sure would be fun to be like Time
Bandits ( seAn Connery film) to jump ahead and see NCAA arms
Progress especially Howard and
Braymer plus starters .
GIl. Did your jaw hit the table
Like mine ??
Florentino 3 hits today for GCL
Vs fish. Carlos Pena hum baby
In 5 IP. Ten Ks. Another kid
Arising ??
Banks to hags. Florentino back
To auburn ?
Another reason for promotions
Seen in hags ending season
On the road
Pot NATS almost same
Not expecting any bumps
From either arm from glory GCL
The FRED park has a heavy FSL
Feel to it with the outfield walls
All advertisement
Sure do enjoy seeing which players
Are chariots of Fire on each affiliate
DK Carey true leader on potomAc
Guiding Robles on / off field .
Carey = Cane
Like forensicane
How about a higher a Franco?
Pena undrafted. Lets see what a 22 you does at a higher level.
Kieboom showing up, though.
so JD is a knuckleballer now! ok, at least there is something to the comeback
I guess it worked for another guy who went by his initials