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Wednesday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Lost, 4-3 @ Durham,
10:35 a.m.		 Voth (1-1, 6.57) vs.
Yarbrough (0-2, 3.93)
Harrisburg Postponed vs. Reading,
6:30 p.m.		 Fedde (1-1, 0.50)
vs. Eshelman (1-0, 3.94)
Potomac Postponed vs. Frederick,
4:30 p.m.		 Reyes (1-2, 3.94) and
Silvestre (2-0, 3.94) vs.
Gonzalez (0-2, 5.65) and TBD
Hagerstown Postponed vs. Kannapolis,
10:35 a.m.		 Sharp (0-0, 4.50) and
Mills (2-1, 2.40) vs.
Dunning (1-0, 0.45) and
Kubat (0-1, 0.84)

Durham 4 Syracuse 3
• Ross (L, 0-1) 3⅔ IP, 3H, 4R, 2ER, 4BB, 2K
• Antolin 2⅓ IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 4K, 2-0 IR-S
• Skole 1-3, R, HR, 2RBI, BB
• Green 1-3, CS

Matt Skole’s two-run HR in the 2nd was immediately erased by a four-run rally by Durham as the Bulls stopped the Chiefs’ streak at six with a 4-3 defeat. Greg Ross gave up all four runs (two earned) on three hits and four walks over three and 2/3rds innings. Dustin Antolin stranded two to finish the 4th and pitched two more scoreless innings, as did Rafael Martin and Neal Cotss (one IP each) but the Syracuse hitters couldn’t push across the second run to tie. Skole also walked and was the sole Syracuse batter to reach base twice as they were held to just five hits total. Roster move: OF Joey Butler placed on the 7-Day DL.

Harrisburg vs. Reading – PPD
The Senators were rained out last night. They’ll make it up in late June with a doubleheader on Tuesday the 26th.

Potomac vs. Frederick – PPD
Potomac and Frederick both got an extra day off thanks to the rain. They’ll try for two today starting at 4:30 p.m.

Hagerstown vs. Kannapolis – PPD
Make that five rainouts for the Suns, which will force a doubleheader this morning and one in Kannapolis on June 14.

10 Commments

  1. Dane Dunning faces his old franchise today.

    He has been dominant in his first 3 starts for the White Sox Sally League affiliate Kannapolis. 20 IP 11 H 1 BB 26Ks. So far, the Eaton trade looks great, but always wondered if the Nats really needed to throw in Dunning to get that deal done as most of the outrage about the deal focused on the Nats surrendering Giolito and Lopez. Dunning may turn out to be the most valuable piece.

    1. I noted this about Dunning in my own blog, but his performance thus far, while impressive, needs some context. He’s literally the sole collegiate junior drafted in the first round last year who isn’t in high-A or higher. He’s a man among boys in Low-A. Makes no sense why he’s in the Sally league.

      I like dunning, thought he was an under-rated draft pick based on what he provided for Florida … but I also wonder if he’s going to ceiling out quickly in the modern game. Command and control guys, if they don’t have Greg Maddux level control, are either going to be effective major leaguers or 4-A guys; there’s no real in-between. He doesn’t have the velocity to have a fallback position as a middle reliever. I think that’s the risk with a guy like Dunning.

      1. I missed this by the time I’d made today’s post, but it’s a myth that Greg Maddux never threw hard: http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2014/12/09/103604202/on-this-day-22-years-ago-greg-maddux-signed-with-the-braves-and-changed-history-forever

        Now like a lot of guys who can “hit 95” that means that they usually throw 2-3mph slower most of the time. But we all should know that there’s a world of difference between 89 and 92, never mind the Cole Kimballs and Hector Nelos who you could call balls and strikes with their readings (96-98 = ball, 94-95 flip a coin, 91-93 = strike)

      2. It’s important context, but were he still on the Nats, Dunning would be playing for Hagerstown. It was curious that the Nats initially sent him to the GCL to start his season, even if it was only for a game. He then spent the remainder in Auburn.

        I’ve posted a bit before about the Nats being more aggressive with promoting players through the system, but the majority of these guys are batters. Pedro Avila (last year) and Sterling Sharp (this year), but they’re the exceptions. Even fast risers, like Glover and R. Lopez, still made short pit stops at each level. I’d expect Dunning, even in an alternate reality where he was equally dominant in Hagerstown, would still have a couple more weeks there before getting promoted to Potomac.

        Either way, it’ll be funny if Dunning ends up being the most productive player going the other way from the Eaton trade.

        Giolito has been really bad so far in AAA: 3 GS, 14 IP, 6.43 ERA, 9 BB, 16 K, 3 HR allowed
        Lopez hasn’t been much better in AAA: 4 GS, 20 IP, 4.87 ERA, 13 BB, 22 K, 1.62 WHIP

        1. Eaton: .286/.385/.429, all numbers right in line with what he’s done the last two seasons. As I said at the time of the trade, it doesn’t matter what the guys traded do; Eaton just has to be good. Oh, I know it does matter if Giolito turns into a dominant top-of-the-rotation starter, but the odds of that didn’t look too good when he left and aren’t getting much better.

          I do wish those guys well. We followed Giolito and Lopez for a long time.

      3. Dunning was dominant again today 6 IP 2 H O R 8Ks. His ERA has dropped to 0.35.

        FWIW, according to baseball reference, Dunning is almost exactly Sally League average (+0.2).

        Also, when he was drafted, the reports on Dunning was that his fastball averages 93-94, and can touch 96. Not purely a command and control guy (although his control is really good).

  2. I am almost as excited about Soto, Kieboom, and Lora as I am about Siobhan Fahey coming back to Bananarama! (No I am not, way more excited about Bananarama)

    1. On a more serious note, how is Lora’s defense? Is this a guy that should be trade bait, or is he possibly Murphy’s replacement?

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