Wednesday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Probable Pitchers |
| Syracuse | Lost, 3-1 | vs. Pawtucket, 1:05 p.m. |
Hill (1-2, 8.14) vs. Owens (2-0, 1.66) |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 9-6 | @ Trenton, 10:30 p.m. |
Blackmar (3-1, 4.26) vs. German (0-3, 2.95) |
| Potomac | Won, 4-2 | @ Down East, 11:00 a.m. |
Rodriguez (2-1, 4.30) vs. Springs (0-2, 5.82) |
| Hagerstown | Lost, 4-3 | vs. Rome, 7:05 p.m. |
M. Mills (3-1, 2.18) vs. Wentz (1-1, 2.70) |
Pawtucket 3 Syracuse 1
• Voth (L, 1-3) 7IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 7K, HR
• Antolin 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Green 1-3
• Sanchez 0-2, SF, RBI
Adrian Sanchez’s sac fly in the bottom of the 8th saved Syracuse from its third shutout but not its 13th loss, 3-1 to Pawtucket. Austin Voth pitched a season-high seven innings and gave up all three PawSox runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out seven, but lost for the third time in five starts. Dustin Antolin and Austin Adams each put up a goose egg to keep things close. Corbin Joseph walked, took third on Grant Green’s single–the second hit of the night by the Chiefs; Andrew Stevenson led off the game with the first–and scored on Sanchez’s flyball. Pedro Severino’s walk in the 5th and Brandon Snyder’s walk in the 9th rounded out the scorecard. Roster move: RHP A.J. Cole recalled to Washington.
Trenton 9 Harrisburg 6
• Williams 6IP, 9H, 5R, 5ER, 3BB, 2K, HR
• Brinley (L, 0-1) 1IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, BB, K, HR
• Abreu 3-4, RBI, CS
• Ward 2-4, 2R, HR, BB, 2RBI, 2K
• Collier 1-4, 2R, HR, BB, 2RBI, 2K
The Senators bullpen was torched for four runs, including a two-out, three-run HR in a 9-6 loss to the Thunder. Austen Williams wasn’t much better, allowing five runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out two over six innings. Ryan Brinley took the loss on the Earl Weaver special as he was charged with the final three runs on three hits and a walk in the 8th. Zach Collier and Drew Ward both hit two-run HRs while Osvaldo Abreu went 3-for-4 to lead the Harrisburg offense.
Potomac 4 Down East 2
• Silvestre 6⅓ IP, 7H, 2R, 1ER, 2BB, 6K, HR, HBP
• Schepel (W, 1-0) 2⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 4K, 1-0 IR-S
• Agustin 1-3, R, HR, RBI
• Wiseman 1-3, 2B, BB
• Robles 1-3, R, 2SB, HBP
Potomac rallied for one in the 7th to tie, two in the 8th to win as they doubled up Down East, 4-2. Hector Silvestre pitched into the 7th and gave up both Wood Ducks runs on seven hits and two walks while fanning six. Kyle Schepel took over with one out and retired the last eight batters in order to pick up the win. Telmito Agustin’s first homer of 2017 was the tie run in the 7th while Victor Robles singled on a bunt, stole second, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on an Ian Sagdal single. Taylor Gushue drove in Sagdal two batters later for the insurance run. Roster moves: IF David Masters placed on the 7-Day DL; 1B-OF Matt Page assigned from Extended Spring Training.
Rome 4 Hagerstown 3
• Sharp 6IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 7K, HR, WP, 2HBP
• DeRosier (BS, 1; L, 0-2) 3IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 3K, HR, WP
• Neuse 2-3, R, BB, SB
• Banks 2-4, 2B, RBI
Sterling Sharp was, Matt DeRosier wasn’t in a 4-3 Suns loss to Rome. Sharp tossed six innings of two-run ball on four hits and a walk while striking out seven and was in line for the “W” when Hagerstown rallied for three in the last of the 6th. DeRosier gave away the lead with a home run in the 7th and took the loss with a triple followed by a wild pitch in the 8th. Sheldon Neuse reached base three times with a pair of singles and walk and stole his seventh base while Nick Banks singled and doubled and drove in a run. The Suns grounded into four double plays to offset the five walks drawn. Readjust your undergarments: Juan Soto was lifted after a mild injury while sliding home on a sac fly, but is “not expected to miss any more time,” according to Suns PR.
My undergarments are more in a wad over Robles getting HBP again. What are they going to have to do to get him out of that? Start fining him?
He keeps this up Robles quick twitch that everyone loves so much won’t be so quick anymore.
If his twitch is so quick, why doesn’t it get him out of the way?!
I’ve seen Robles play. He does crowd the plate and depend on his “quick” hands to handle in the inside pitches. But there have been plenty of guys who played over the decades who have crowded the plate and not ended up in Ron Hunt territory, as Pilch documents below. Hunt actually sought it, like Espinosa, with the shoulder dip. I don’t think Robles seeks it; it just finds him. (Luke has seen him a lot more than I have and can comment better on whether he seems to be seeking it at times.)
Yeah, pitchers at A and A+ levels may not exactly have pinpoint control, but Robles still has got to learn to get out of the way. The increase in OBP does not in any way outweigh the risk. (But can we get him the full Bonds body armor while we’re waiting for him to learn?) Plus there’s a massive difference in being willing to get hit to get on base in a crucial late-season MLB game than there is in getting continually hit in the mid-minors.
It doesn’t appear to me like he’s *looking* to get hit; what concerns me is *where* he gets hit (forearm and wrist). Maybe that’s avoidable but I’d put my $$$ on his not wanting to change his habits, which is worrisome too.
Welcome back Matthew Page !
He was one I thought who might not reappear. He really struggled after promotion to Potomac last year and is somewhat overage for the level. He did post good numbers at Hags last year, though, and has more power than most in the system. Make the most of this shot, kid!
This is how often Victor Robles gets hit by pitch:
The best hit by pitch artist in MLB history is Ron Hunt. He led the NL in hit by pitch an incredible 7 years in a row in the 1970s, including one year when he got hit by pitch 50 (yes, 50) times in 1971. Hunt’s HBP/Plate Appearance rate of .039 is far and away the highest HBP percentage in modern baseball history.
Since Robles professional career started in 2014, he has been hit by pitch 71 times in 1021 plate appearances for a HBP/PA rate of .0695. Robles’ current HBP rate almost doubles Hunt’s best in the history of MLB baseball. Truly is amazing. Admire his fearlessness. The Nats must be trying to change his approach, but this is something that is deeply ingrained in Robles.
The difference is that only a handful of pitchers threw in the high 90s back then. Getting whacked with 98 MPH fastballs 50 times a year is llikely going to make for a very short, injury-riddled career.