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Monday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Lost, 5-4 @ Scranton/WB,
12:05 p.m.		 J. Ross (0-2, 3.48) vs.
Bleier (2-3, 3.61)
Harrisburg Won, 6-3 vs. Hartford,
1:30 p.m.		 Fedde (2-1, 3.99) vs.
Howard (5-6, 4.10)
Potomac Lost, 11-4 vs. Myrtle Beach,
1:05 p.m.		 J. Martin (1-2, 5.96) vs.
TBD
Hagerstown Won, 10-5 @ Asheville,
2:05 p.m.		 Reyes (0-2, 2.81) vs.
Johnson (7-4, 4.23)
Auburn Lost, 1-0;
Lost, 6-5		 @ Batavia,
1:05 p.m.		 TBD vs. TBD

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 5 Syracuse 4
• Laffey 5IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 5K, HR
• Self (BS, 1) 2⅔ IP, 4H, 2R, 2BB, 0K
• DeFratus (L, 2-3) 1IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 2K, 1-0 IR-S
• den Dekker 2-5, R, RBI
• Ramsey 3-4, 2RBI

The RailRiders scored twice in the 8th and once in the 9th to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 win over the Chiefs. Aaron Laffey got the start and turned in five innings of two-run ball on five hits, including a two-run HR in the 2nd. He walked none and struck out five. Derek Self was pushed an inning too far as he blew the save in his third inning of work with two runs let in. Justin DeFratus coughed up the gamewinner in the 9th on a hit and two walks. Tablesetters Matt den Dekker and Caleb Ramsey combined for five of the ten Syracuse hits. Roster moves: RHP Reynaldo Lopez recalled to Washington; RHP Russell Harmening, LHP David Ramos reassigned from Auburn.

Harrisburg 6 Hartford 3
• Valdez (W, 6-4) 7+ IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 6K
• Benincasa (SV, 3) 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• A. Sanchez 2-3, BB
• Stevenson 2-4, 2R, BB, RBI, CS
• Bautista 2-5, R, 3B, SB(55), CS

Harrisburg scored in each of the first four innings while doubling up Hartford, 6-3. Phillips Valdez pitched into the 8th for the fourth straight start, and earned his sixth win (12th overall) with three runs allowed on six hits and two walks. Nick Lee and Mitch Lively divvied up the 8th to each earn a hold while Rober Benincasa worked around a one-out single to get his third save. Andrew Stevenson and Adrian Sanchez both reached base three times to pace the Sens’ 11-hit, four-walk offense. Thanks to a third straight loss by the Curve, the Senators were not eliminated from the playoffs but need to win again while Altoona loses again to become the E.L. West wildcard.

Myrtle Beach 11 Potomac 4
• Williams (L, 4-6) ⅔ IP, 4H, 6R, 6ER, BB, 0K, HR, HBP
• Sanchez 6IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 5K
• Davidson 2-3, 2-2B, 2R, BB
• Robles 2-4, 2B

Mario Sanchez turned in six strong innings of pitching with two runs allowed on five hits and a walk while striking out five. The problem is that it came in relief after the P-Nats dug themselves into a 9-2 hole en route to a third straight loss to the Pelicans, 11-4. Austen Williams hit the 40-pitch-in-one-inning limit in the 1st as he retired just two of eight batters faced, giving up six runs on four hits and a walk and hitting a batter. Austin Davidson doubled twice and scored twice while Victor Robles singled and doubled to lead the Potomac offense. Playoff update: The Hillcats lost yet again to the Red Sox, 5-4 in 12 innings, to keep the P-Nats’ hopes of a 2nd half title alive.

Hagerstown 10 Asheville 5
• Baez (W, 9-7) 6IP, 3H, 4R, 3ER, 3BB, 0K, HBP, 4WP
• Held (SV, 1) 3IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, 3K, WP
• Sagdal 4-5, 3R, 2B, HR, 2RBI
• DeBruin 4-5, R, RBI
• Noll 2-5, R, HR, 2RBI

Hagerstown put up five in the 4th and four in the 8th as they outslugged Asheville, 10-5. Joan Baez managed to give up four runs on three hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out none while winning his ninth game. Sam Held closed it out with one run over the last three innings for the save. Ian Sagdal and Grant DeBruin both went 4-for-5 while and Jake Noll both homered as the Suns pounded out 16 hits total.

Batavia 1 Auburn 0 – COMP.
• Dunning (L, 1-2) 9IP, 6H, R, ER, BB, 8K
• J. Soto 1-3
• Dulin 1-3, 3B, BB

Dane Dunning picked up where he left off 22 days ago and threw another six innings for a complete-game, 1-0 Doubledays’ loss to the Muckdogs. Dalton Dulin was the only Auburn batter to reach base twice, going 1-for-3 with a walk as Batavia’s Sam Perez held the Doubledays to just three hits over seven innings of “relief.”

Batavia 6 Auburn 5 – GAME TWO
• Fuentes 4IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 7K
• Mooney (L, 0-2) ⅓ IP, 4H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB, 0K, 0HR
• J. Soto 2-3, R, 2B, BB
• A. Martinez 0-1, BB, 2HBP
• 1-for-16 RISP; 11 LOB

Batavia did all it could to give it away with six errors, but Auburn insisted on being a good guest by blowing a 5-1 lead in the 7th and final inning for a 6-5 walkoff loss. Steven Fuentes tossed four scoreless innings to start, while Hayden Howard followed with an unearned run over the next two innings. Kevin Mooney retired just one of seven batters faced in the final frame as he was lit up for five runs on four hits and two walks for his second loss.

12 Commments

  3. Bautista has quietly had a nice season. And thoughts to if he can be a midseason callup next year? I’d take him for speed and defense alone.

  4. So very quietly Hayden Howard, the 6-5 lefty from Texas Tech the Nats snagged in the 12th round this year, has begun to show some promise despite a 5.08 ERA.

    Of the 13 runs Howard has allowed, 9 came in 2 outings in his 1st and 3rd games at Auburn. In those two games, he threw 3 innings and allowed 12 hits and 4 walks.

    But in his last 8 games, he’s thrown 16.1 innings and allowed 4 runs on 14 hits and 5 walks while fanning 10. It’s not a great run, but a 2.20 ERA and 1.16 WHIP to finish the season is enough to make you think they might have something in Howard despite his high ERA.

    1. Huge Howard next season
      Congrats to JD Martin tossing
      Playoff seed clinching game
      Then now taking his knuckler to
      Harrisburg
      Good for JD!!

  5. Really hope they move Dunning up to Hagerstown for the Sally playoffs.

    Also, I don’t think Juan Soto needs to spend time in extended spring training next year. Kid looks like he can already handle A- pitching so he should start the season at Hagerstown, which, barring a trade, will have an interesting glut in the OF with Blake Perkins, Nick Banks, Daniel Johnson and Soto.

    1. One or two of those guys should U turn through Hags and head south
      To PotomAc. Banks and Johnson .

      Let’s see by this time next year where the three NCAA guys are
      Dunning , Bogecki and Simonds

    2. If Robles could do it this year, there is no reason Soto couldn’t next year. They are different types of players, and Robles spent a lot more time at Auburn a year ago, but Soto’s OPS is much higher this year.

      Their development could have an impact on the Nats’ decision on whether to meet Harper’s salary demands. Both will be just about ready by the time Harper hits free agency after 2018 and if they are both still look tearing it up at AA and AAA, the Nats may decide not to put so much money into one player, especially given how many bad long term contracts have been given out to even younger players in recent years.

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