Wednesday’s News & Notes
Team | Yesterday | Today | Probable Pitchers |
Syracuse | Won, 6-4 | vs. Rochester, 6:35 p.m. |
Voth (6-7, 3.45) vs. Mejia (0-1, 2.57) |
Harrisburg | Lost, 9-7 | @ Altoona, 7:00 p.m. |
Fedde (AA debut) vs. Eppler (7-8, 3.81) |
Potomac | Lost, 2-1 | vs. Lynchburg, 7:05 p.m. |
Bacus (2-2, 3.41) vs. Lugo (8-3, 3.75) |
Hagerstown | Lost, 4-2 | vs. Kannapolis, 7:05 p.m. |
Guilbeau (2-1, 4.40) vs. Easterling (6-2, 2.05) |
Auburn | Lost, 3-2 | vs. Connecticut, 7:05 p.m. |
Mills (3-2, 2.65) vs. Sodders (0-2, 2.59) |
Syracuse 6 Rochester 4
• Hill (W, 6-9) 7IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 3K, HR
• Gott (H, 8) 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Ramsey 2-4, R
• den Dekker 2-4, R, RBI, SB
• Taylor 2-4, R, RBI, CS
It was singles’ night in Syracuse as the Chiefs got 13 of them and scored six runs in the 3rd en route to a 6-4 win over the RedWings. Taylor Hill won for the sixth time as he allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out three. Trevor Gott pitched a scoreless 8th for the hold while Rafael Martin gave up an unearned run on a single and a walk after a one-out error. Caleb Ramsey, Matt den Dekker, Michael Taylor, and Jhonatan Solano each had two hits as all nine Syracuse batters hit safely.
Altoona 9 Harrisburg 7
• Valdez 1⅔ IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, BB, K, 0HR, WP, HBP
• Benincasa (L, 1-1) 2IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 3K, HR
• Marmolejos 3-5, R, 2B, 2RBI
• Ward 2-4, R
• Stevenson 2-5, R, 2B, RBI
Harrisburg was able to even it up twice but couldn’t catch Altoona, losing a 9-7 slugfest in the series opener. Phillips Valdez was twisted by the Curve for four run on six hits and a walk as he racked up 50 pitches in getting just five outs. John Simms wasn’t much better but pitched the next four and a 1/3rd innings as the Senators offense rallied to a 4-4 tie in the 3rd and a 7-7 tie in the 8th. Robert Benincasa took the loss as Altoona got the decisive runs in the last of the 8th. Jose “Orange” Marmolejos singled twice, scored once, doubled, and drove in two to lead the Harrisburg offense, followed by Andrew Stevenson’s 2-for-5 and a double with one RBI.
Lynchburg 2 Potomac 1
• Whiting 7IP, 5H, R, ER, 3BB, 4K
• Holland (L, 1-1) 1⅔ IP, 3H, R, ER, BB, 0K
• Page 2-4
• Davidson 1-3, BB
Lynchburg put the brakes on Potomac’s five-game winning streak with a 2-1 win. Boone Whiting got the start and went seven innings for the fourth time this season, letting in one run on five hits and three walks. Neil Holland took the loss with a 9th-inning run on a single-sacrifice-double sequence. The P-Nats were held to just six hits on mediocre pitching with Matt Page (two singles) and Austin Davidson (single and a walk) the only two batters to reach base twice.
Kannapolis 4 Hagerstown 2
• J. Martin (L, 0-1) 5IP, 7H, 3R, 3ER, 4BB, 5K
• Rivera 3IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 5K, 2WP
• DeBruin 2-4, 2B, RBI
• Lora 2-3, R, 3B
J.D. Martin continues to struggle against much younger hitters as he was dinged for three runs on seven hits and four walks in a 4-2 loss to the Intimidators – the fourth straight for the Suns, who dropped a half game behind Lakewood in the Sally North. Mariano Rivera pitched the next three innings and Philip Walby tossed a scoreless 9th to keep things close, but the offense couldn’t cash in its chances (0-for-7 RISP, 8 LOB). Grant DeBruin doubled in Rhett Wiseman with two out in the 6th while Edwin Lora trotted in on a groundout after a one-out triple in the 7th to account for the two Hagerstown runs. Roster moves: RHP Carlos Acevedo, OF Jack Sundberg promoted from Auburn; RHP Jacob Howell, OF Telmito Agustin shelved placed on the 7-Day DL.
Connecticut 3 Auburn 2
• Reyes (L, 0-1) 4IP, 4H, 3R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K
• Bogucki 2⅓ IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, 4K
• Neuse 2-3, 2R, 3B, BB
• Dulin 2-4, SB
Connecticut got three unearned runs in the first two innings and held on for a 3-2 win in the series opener. Luis Reyes took the loss in his third rehab start, charged with all three Tigers runs on four hits without a walk or a whiff in four innings. A.J. Bogucki (2⅓ IP) led a quartet of relievers that combined for five scoreless innings. Sheldon Neuse scored both Doubleday runs as he reached base three times on a single, triple, and a walk to lead Auburn’s nine-hit parade. No corresponding roster moves.
OO back up with auburn
There’s an interesting article on the Post about the Nats new innovative medical treatment approach: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/the-nationals-had-a-lot-of-injuries-in-2015-so-they-changed-their-medical-approach/2016/08/08/73c63cac-5d83-11e6-af8e-54aa2e849447_story.html
There’s a lot to take away from it, but one thing is the team’s holistic approach to fitness- from diets to biomechanics to qualitative surveys. I wonder if this extends to the minors as well, and has something to do with the Nats often bizarre roster moves this season. There’s been a lot more intra-MILB rehab assignments than I can ever remember in the past (like Gutierrez playing half of a month of rehab ball, Robles’ current assignment, just to name two). But I wonder if it also has implications for promoting players too rapidly. There’s been fewer promotions this season than last year (though maybe not less than in the early 2010s). I wonder if the medical staff have found that frequent promotions can have negative health consequences…
It’s a small sample size, but Trevor Gott has been strong since returning to Syracuse. In 3 games, he’s allowed 1 hit, walked none, 0 runs and struck out 3. If he can stay right for a few weeks, he has the stuff to help the big club’s bullpen.
Also, a kid named Michael A. Taylor has raised his average at AAA to .300 – that’s good to see.
Question for the board: What one (or two) players currently NOT on the 40-man would you like to see added so they can get a September call-up and whom would you drop?
Bryan Harper would be a lovely story – I think he’s a minor league free agent after this season, if he’s not added to the 40-man?
If there was space, it’d be great to have him and Bryce on the same division winning team in September. The odds of it happening, whilst still small, must have increased with Felipe Rivero getting traded. Space for another southpaw in the ‘pen.
Who gets dropped? Stephen Drew is an interesting one. If he’s not going to be fit for the playoffs, he’ll come off the 40-man. Not sure there’s too many other people I’d drop from the 40-man, though. The pitchers look fairly solid to me.
Rains expected this weekend
Suns may need extra arm
To buffer possible DHs
Can Rizzo sneak a guy through
Waivers this month?
Derek Norris or
Anybody have ideas for plan B
If Zimm11 not healed??