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Monday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Lost, 3-2 OFF DAY N/A
Harrisburg Won, 8-1 @ Erie,
7:05 p.m.		 Hill (1-0, 4.50) vs.
Ladwig (1-1, 4.91)
Potomac Won, 4-3 (9 inn.);
Lost, 3-2		 @ Lynchburg,
6:30 p.m.		 Crownover (3-1, 2.14) vs.
Hartson (2-1, 3.16)
Hagerstown Lost, 6-3 @ Delmarva,
7:05 p.m.		 C. Pena (2-2, 7.84) vs.
Humpal (1-3, 4.26)

Lehigh Valley 3 Syracuse 2
• McGowin 6IP, 3H, 0R, 3BB, 3K, HBP
• Nathan (BS, 1; L, 0-2) 1IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 0K, 2HR
• Bautista 3-5, 2B
• Falu 2-4, RBI

It was Joe Nathan’s turn to blow a save as the 42-y.o. veteran served up two homers and all three Lehigh Valley runs for a 3-2 loss and a series sweep of Syracuse. The latest implosion gave a no-decision to Kyle McGowin, who pitched six scoreless innings and allowed three hits and three walks while striking out three. Rafael Bautista singled twice and doubled once to lead the Chiefs’ 10-hit parade.

Harrisburg 8 Richmond 1
• Long (W, 4-4) 7IP, 9H, R, ER, BB, 2K; 1-3, R
• Cordero 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Perez 3-4, R, SF, RBI, CS
• Ward 2-4, 2R, 2B, BB, 2RBI
• Ballou 2-5, R, 2-2B

Drew Ward and Isaac Ballou connected for back-to-back doubles to cap off a four-run rally in the 7th as the Senators grounded the Flying Squirrels, 8-1 in the series finale. Jaron Long got the win with seven innings of one-run ball, scattering nine hits and walking one while fanning two. Jimmy Cordero and Andrew Robinson mopped up with a scoreless inning apiece in relief. Stephen Perez led the Harrisburg hit coulmn with three singles and drove in a run with a sac fly.

Potomac 4 Lynchburg 3 (9 inn.) – GAME ONE
• Reyes 6IP, 9H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 10K, WP
• R. Pena (W, 2-1) 3IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, 4K
• Gushue 1-1, BB, RBI
• Sagdal 1-2, 2B, 2RBI

Potomac rallied for three in 7th, with Homer Simpson Victor Robles getting plunked to drive in the tying run to send the seven-inning game into “extras,” where the P-Nats won in the 9th, 4-3. Luis Reyes struck out a career-high 10 batters while allowing all three Lynchburg runs on nine hits and a walk. Ronald Pena tossed three scoreless innings and set down four on strikes for his second win. Taylor Gushue and Ian Sagdal both delivered pinch-hit RBIs with a one-run single and a two-run double, respectively.

Lynchburg 3 Potomac 2 – GAME TWO
• Borne (L, 0-1) 3⅔ IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 4K
• Guilbeau 2⅓ IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, BB, 2K, 2-0 IR-S
• Sagdal 1-3, 2B
• Agustin 1-2, R

In the second game, Lynchburg edged Potomac 3-2. Grant Borne made the spot start and pitched three and 2/3rds innings, letting in two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four. Taylor Guilbeau finished the game with two and 1/3rd innings pitched, one unearned run allowed on one hit and one walk and two whiffs. The P-Nats, who only had four hits in the opener, had just two in the nightcap: a double by Ian Sagdal and a single by Telmito Agustin.

Lakewood 6 Hagertown 3
• Bourque (L, 0-3) 6IP, 11H, 6R, 6ER, BB, 5K
• Howard 3IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 2K
• Perkins 2-4, R, 2B, SF, RBI
• Corredor 2-5, 2-2B, RBI

Lakewood scored in three of the first four innings to build a 4-0 lead and cruised to a 6-3 win over Hagerstown to earn a split of the four-game series. James Bourque was charged with all six runs on eleven hits over six innings for his third loss. He walked one and struck out five. Hayden Howard pinched the Blueclaws for three scoreless innings with one hit and two walks allowed to close out the game. Blake Perkins and Aldrem Corredor combined for four hits and two RBI but the rest of the Suns were just 2-for-27.

12 Commments

  1. Trevor Gott hasn’t given up a run in his last six appearances and only one hit and no walks over his last five. He would seem to be the best option available right now whenever the big club decides to shuffle the deck chairs. Nathan had gone seven games without giving up a run before yesterday’s implosion, but he’s been giving up hits and walks regularly along the way. Cotts would also be in the mix.

    1. Gott has played himself into contention, which is a nice surprise since he more or less played himself out of contention last season. He’s one of the only bright spots in an otherwise miserable array of options at RP in the upper levels.

      I don’t know what more Treinen can do to convince management that he needs to be demoted…

      1. Don’t forget newly anointed fireman Fedde. It’s hard to predict what the Nats will do, though. Of the relievers currently on the 25-man, only Glover and Treinen have options left, and it seems likely that Glover isn’t going anywhere unless he melts down. Anyone else would have to be DFA’d or released. They’ve got Blanton and Solis who will have to come off the DL sooner or later (although I think Solis still has an option), and the assumption would be that they’re not going to leave Joe Ross in AAA all season. Dusty doesn’t seem to trust Ollie Perez (with good reason), but releasing him would leave them with only one lefty.

        Oh, I forgot about Grace. I have no earthly idea why they keep calling him up, other than his left-handedness. Anyway, so they could option Grace and/or Treinen. Gott and Fedde are on the 40-man, while Cotts and Nathan aren’t.

        1. I think Ross would come right back to DC if he can string together a few quality starts. Jacob Turner is a stop gap for now, and an injury to any of the 4 would bring Ross back even if his form was not 100%. Also, Fedde may initially come up as a reliever, but there are limiting his innings now so that he can pitch into September as a reliever or a starter.

          Nats have a ton of roster options. If Blanton injury is long term, they can 60 day DL him (same with Solis; how already has been DL’d for 30 days) and free up a roster spot. Also, if Blanton doesn’t turn it around the Nats could DFA him. Jimmy Cordero has been worse than awful this year. If the Nats need a roster spot, they can DFA him, and if he clears waivers, the Nats would likely re-sign him. Agree that the Grace promotions make little sense. He has been ineffective in AAA, and it’s not like Dusty trusts him to get lefties out, Gott and Martin (and Adams if he is healthy) seem like better options.

          Really curious to know who the Nats’ trade pieces will be to improve the ‘pen. I know that they don’t want to give up Robles or Fedde. Have heard Difo or Severino (hasn’t helped his trade value so far this year) could be dealt.

  2. FWIW, Boz reported in his chat today, apparently from a USA Today story, that the Nats and Chisox had been close to a deal for David Robertson AND much of his salary in exchange for Luzardo and Ward. Boz seemed to think that the Lerners torpedoed the deal because it didn’t include enough salary relief.

    I’m still processing that. I’m not that enamored with Robertson, although he’s been good thus far this season and is signed for two more years. Any Luzardo payoff would be years away. The Nats acted like he was a mid-first-round talent they got in the 3d because of the TJ. Ward still needs to show a bit more power and place discipline to look like an MLB regular, but he’s made good progress. There’s also the issue of whether you believe he can stick at 3B defensively.

    Anyway, it’s not an inconsequential price of talent being considered, but it’s also not Robles/Fedde/Soto/Kieboom.

    1. Err, more “plate” discipline for Drew Ward. His current K rate is 25.6%, close to what it has been for most of his career. He had 14 HRs last season across two levels and is on pace for around 15-16 in the same number of games, which would translate to around 20 prorated over an MLB season’s worth of games.

    2. This was an insane, penny-pinching decision by ownership given how thin the Nats’ relief corps was going into the season. All the other pieces were in place for a World Series run. It also makes you wonder if this wasn’t also the reason the team settled for Papelbon in 2015 and didn’t make the Giolito-for-Miller trade a year ago.

      I guess the Lerners enjoy watching promising teams disappoint year after year after year, although as a fan I’m getting pretty sick of it.

      1. I don’t know whether Boz has any inside info, but he stated pretty strongly that he thought Rizzo had the Robertson deal nearly worked out but it got vetoed from above. The USA Today article says only that it “got hung up over money.”

  4. Nats recalling Joe Ross to start on Tuesday. No corresponding move announced yet. Presumably, Grace would be sent down; Treinen would be more shocking.

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