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Friday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Won, 3-2 @ Rochester,
7:05 p.m.		 O’Sullivan (0-0, 0.00)
Wilk (0-0, 4.26)
Harrisburg Won, 6-2 vs. Binghamton,
7:00 p.m.		 Eitel (1-2, 2.89) vs.
Jannis (4-1, 3.74)
Potomac Won, 10-0 vs. Down East,
7:05 p.m.		 Borne (1-1, 1.09) vs.
Ri. Pena (3-2, 3.62)
Hagerstown Lost, 5-4 (9 inn.);
Lost, 7-3		 vs. Lakewood,
7:05 p.m.		 Fanti (4-0, 2.10) vs.
Bourque (1-3, 4.82)

Syracuse 3 Rochester 2
• Cole (W, 3-2) 7IP, 6H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 5K, 2WP
• Gott (S, 2) 1⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K, 2-0 IR-S
• Stevenson 2-4
• Sanchez 2-5

Syracuse scored three times in the top of the 6th and only allowed Rochester to answer with two in the bottom half as the Chiefs didn’t lose for the first time in six games, 3-2. A.J. Cole pitched his third straight quality start, letting in both Red Wings runs on six hits and no walks while striking out five for his third win. Trevor Gott stranded two while getting the last out in the 8th and worked around a leadoff single in the 9th to earn his second save. Pedro Severino’s two-run double and Irving Falu’s RBI single plated the Chiefs runs while Andrew Stevenson and Adrian Sanchez both singled twice to lead the Syracuse attack.

Harrisburg 6 Altoona 2
• Hill (W, 2-1) 5⅔ IP, 6H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 2K, HR, HBP; 1-3
• Fedde 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Keller 3-5, CS
• Abreu 2-3, R, 2B, BB, 3RBI
• Norfork 0-2, R, 2BB

The Senators scored three times in the 2nd and 5th and allowed single runs in the 3rd and 4th as they tripled up Altoona, 6-2 and stopped a six-game slide. After Joe Blanton tossed a scoreless inning of rehab, scheduled starter Taylor Hill came on in relief and tossed five and 2/3rds innings of two-run ball, giving up six hits (and his obligatory HR) while fanning two. Osvaldo Abreu singled, doubled, walked, and drove in three to lead the Harrisburg offense. Roster move: RHP Joe Blanton assigned from Washington for MLB rehab.

Potomac 10 Down East 0
• Reyes 8IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 10K
• Skulina 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Sagdal 4-4, 2-2B, 3RBI
• Davidson 3-4, 2R, 2B, 3B, 2RBI
• Masters 2-4, 2R, HR, 3RBI

Luis Reyes struck out 10 and combined with a reliever on a two-hit shutout of Down East, 10-0, which ended a four-game losing streak. Reyes needed just 92 pitches to get through eight innings and was perfect through three and 1/3rd before giving up a one-out double and single to CF that was too shallow to send in the run. He then retired another string of 13 batters before giving way to Tyler Skulina, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. Ian Sagdal singled twice, doubled twice, and drove in three while Austin Davison was a HR shy of the cycle in a 3-for-4 night with two RBI to power the Potomac attack.

Greensboro 5 Hagerstown 4 (9 inn.) – GAME ONE
• Bogucki 5IP, 6H, R, ER, BB, 5K, HBP
• Held (BS, 3; L, 1-4) ⅔ IP, 3H, 2R, 1RE, 0BB, 0K
• Perkins 2-3, R, 2B, 2BB, OF assist at 2B, E(5)
• Agustin 2-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI

The Suns blew leads of 3-1 and 4-3 and lost the opener in extras, 5-4. Starter A.J. Bogucki pitched five innings of one-run ball on six hits and a walk while setting down five on strikes. The blown-save-loss went to Sam Held, who coughed up two runs on three hits in just 2/3rds of an inning. Telmito Agustin broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run HR in the 4th and scored twice while Blake Perkins reached base four times to lead a Hagerstown offense that went just 1-for-11 with RISP.

Greensboro 7 Hagerstown 3 – GAME TWO
• Y. Ramirez (L, 0-1) 4IP, 5H, 5R, 5ER, 3BB, 3K, HR
• Agustin 2-2, R, 2B, HR, BB, RBI
• Perkins 2-4, R, HR, RBI, SB
• 0-8 RISP, 8 LOB

Hagerstown could only score by putting the ball out of the yard as they dropped the nightcap, 7-3 to Greensboro. Yonathan Ramirez took the loss with five runs on five hits and three walks over just four innings. Telmito Agustin, Blake Perkins, and Aldrem Corredor each hit a solo HR and combined for five hits while the rest of the lineup looked like John McCain trying to ask a coherent question went 0-for-16. Roster moves: RHP Cody Gunter released; RHP Jacob Howell assigned from XST.

14 Commments

  1. When I saw that Cody Gunter was released, my first reaction was ‘who’?
    Turns out he hadn’t played since 2015, which raises more questions, injury being the most likely scenario. He was a 6th round pick in 2013 after all.

    1. He hasn’t played as a hitter since 2015. He tried to convert to pitching, 2015-16. Best wishes to him. He’s only 23.

    2. I was sitting in Viera in B fields around Cody two march 31sts ago
      And he had shoulder aches he was not reporting .
      Thurston B Howell welcome to
      Hagerstown

      1. Gunter was only 10.75 months out of Tommy John surgery. I am sure he appreciates the warm wishes as he continues his rehab and is now a free agent.

  2. Was there something strange in the stars last night? Joe Ross, A. J. Cole, and Taylor Hill all pitched well, and the three forlorn minor-league clubs won while the one good one lost, twice. Weird night, but mostly good overall for the Nats.

    Kudos to Agustin for his continued tear after being demoted. It speaks very well of him that he’s responded this way. I’m also impressed and intrigued to see Perkins get his fifth homer, as one of my concerns since he was drafted has been whether he could generate much power. Sticking with Hags, I’m also intrigued by the ongoing experiment to convert Bogucki to a starter. Early returns are promising.

    Orange in LF yet again, and Robles still MIA . . .

    If the Joe Ross “crisis” cools with another good start or two, will they begin stretching Fedde out as a starter again? Or do they keep him relieving in case others in the big-league ‘pen struggle?

    It’s hard to know what kind of future guys like Davidson and Sagdal will have in the organization, but when they have nights like they did yesterday, you can see why the Nats remain intrigued by their bats.

    1. I’d be curious to see if Agustin can get a quick re-promotion to Potomac.

      I wonder if Stevenson might benefit like Agustin from a demotion?

      1. It will be interesting to see how the OF conga line shakes out after the minor-league all-star games. Robles-to-Harrisburg (if he’s healthy) and Johnson-to-Potomac seem like the first moves. Perkins and Agustin look worthy of promotion, but they’re both young, and I’m not sure who the organization has in trace to fill in the Hags OF. They jumped Sundberg to Potomac, and he’s played too well to send down. Page is hitting in LF for Potomac, but he’ll turn 26 this year. Wiseman is not hitting (.196) at Potomac, but he’s a high draft pick who deserves an extended opportunity.

        Meanwhile, the Harrisburg OF has the Orange experiment, the Yadiel Hernandez experiment, and org filler, with even a SS (Perez) playing CF on occasion. Robles moving up seems a given. Do they keep hoping Stevenson finds his footing in Syracuse, or send him down? Do they push Hernandez up just so they can see what they’ve got in him at age 29? Do they push Marmolejos up to see if his bat will play at a higher level?

        1. As fans I know we are eager to see players move up the organizational ladder, but Augustin was sent back to Hagerstown 9 days ago. Realize that he has hit well in the last week for the Suns, but organizations don’t like to yo-yo players like that. Augustin struggled so completely at Potomac by the end of May that a move to H’town was required; now, they are going to send him back to Potomac less than two weeks later?

          Also, it’s not like Robles has established himself as too advanced for the Carolina League. He is hitting .286 with 6 HRs, and seems to get injured every two weeks. Rather than move Robles to Harrisburg, I would just like to see him play for a month without getting injured.

          Really don’t think any player has been so dominant that a promotion is required. I can see Johnson or Orange moving up a level if injuries or other personnel moves open up a spot, but I don’t see a ton of movement within the organization based upon achievement.

          1. I’d agree — Robles is quickly becoming like a sports car that’s fun to drive but **always in the shop**. It feels like BA and MLB and other prospect followers are so desperate to overlook or excuse his inability to stay healthy but it’s a real concern.

            As a fan, I’m frustrated seeing the Nats signing warm bodies — am I the only who’s noticed that most of the signings have been guys who aren’t even pitching or playing in the independent leagues — instead of promoting guys clearly too old for the level. But I’d rather see that than another Bill Rhinehart.

          2. Yeah, Agustin was really struggling at Potomac. He’s just 20. There’s no rush. I’m a lot more worried about Wiseman’s struggles (about to turn 23).

            Robles is also only 20, of course, and there’s every reason to be cautious with him, but goodness, it seems like he hasn’t had a two-week period all season where he’s stayed on the field. The numbers are solid, but I get that he’s missing out on the repetition that reinforces things, particularly on the bases and in the field.

  4. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Nats released pitcher Mike Broadway today. He had been on the Cuse roster.

    1. Cue The Bee Gees song lyrics
      … the lights went out on broadway .
      Not Larry Broadway

    2. Broadway was released last Friday, in conjunction with Suero being promoted.

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