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Thursday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Won, 5-4 @ Lehigh Valley,
7:05 p.m.		 Simms (1-3, 7.67) vs.
Leibrandt (4-3, 4.47)
Harrisburg Won, 6-3 @ Reading,
7:05 p.m.		 Voth (3-2, 4.19) vs.
Viza (8-9, 5.68)
Potomac Lost, 4-3
(10 inn.)		 @ Salem,
7:05 p.m.		 Guilbeau (4-4, 5.03) vs.
Hart (2-2, 2.20)
Hagerstown Lost, 14-4 vs. Lakewood,
7:05 p.m.		 Braymer (1-2, 7.71) vs.
Llovera (1-3, 3.00)
Auburn Lost, 2-0;
Lost, 3-0		 @ Williamsport,
7:05 p.m.		 Raquet (2-2, 2.97) vs.
Stewart (4-2, 4.14)
GCL Nationals Won, 5-4 vs. GCL Astros,
12:00 p.m.

Syracuse 5 Lehigh Valley 4
• Skole 1-4, R, HR, 3RBI
• Bautista 1-3

Syracuse took the lead with four in the 6th and held off a late charge from Lehigh Valley to win again, 5-4.

Harrisburg 6 Akron 3
• McGowin (W, 1-5) 6⅔ IP, 7H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 7K, HR
• Crownover (SV, 1) 1⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K, 3-0 IR-S
• Marmolejos 3-5, 2R, 2B, 2RBI
• Norfork 3-5, 2R, 2B
• Read 2-5, 2-2B, 3RBI, SB

The Sens rallied for two in the 6th to tie, and three in the 7th to take the lead as they doubled up the ‘Ducks, 6-3 in the series finale. Kyle McGowin won his first AA game with a quality start of two runs on seven hits and a walk over six and 2/3rds innings. Matt Crownover got his first save by getting the final out in the 8th (leaving the bases loaded) and working around a leadoff single in the 9th. Khayyan Norfork and Jose “Orange” Marmolejos both went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored to lead the Harrisburg hitters.

Salem 4 Potomac 3 (10 inn.)
• Williams 6IP, 7H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 3K, WP
• Mills (L, 2-2) 2⅓ IP, 3H, R, ER, BB, K
• Johnson 3-5, 3-2B
• Wiseman 2-5, SB

Potomac added another one-run loss to its “old maid” season (26 – that’s a whole lot of near-misses) as Salem walked off in the 10th, 4-3. Austen Williams came off the DL to spin six innings of three-run ball on seven hits without a walk and three K’s. The loss went to Jordan Mills, who gave up the game-winner with double-whiff-single sequence in the 10th. Daniel Johnson doubled three times while Rhett Wiseman singled twice but the offense sputtered in the clutch, going just 2-for-9 with RISP and stranding 12 baserunners.

Lakewood 14 Hagerstown 2
• Pena (L, 6-6) 2⅔ IP, 5H, 7R, 3ER, 3BB, 0K, 2HBP, 2WP
• Held 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Franco 2-3, R, BB, RBI, E(20)
• Banks 1-2, R, 2B, 2BB, RBI

The Suns’ setting on 2017 continues with a fifth straight loss, 14-4 to Lakewood, which knocks them down to four games out with eleven left to play. Carlos Pena lost for the sixth time as he was boiled for seven runs on five hits, three walks, and two hit batsmen over just two and 2/3rds innings. Anderson Franco (two singles, one walk) and Nick Banks (double, two walks) both reached base three times and drove in a run to pace the Hagerstown offense.

Williamsport 2 Auburn 0 – GAME ONE
• Tetreault 4IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Troop (L, 2-4) 2IP, 7H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 2K
• Meregildo 2-3
• Upshaw 0-1, 2BB

Williamsport shut out Auburn on four hits in the opener, 2-0. Jackson Tetreault started and went the first four innings, with no runs, one walk, two hits, and three whiffs over four innings. Alex Troop took the loss, his fourth, with both Crosscutter runs let on seven hits and no walks over the last two innings. Omar Meregildo singled twice and Armond Upshaw walked twice, but the Doubledays had but one chance with RISP (0-1, duh) and left on six.

Williamsport 3 Auburn 0 – GAME ONE
• Johnston (L, 0-2) 4IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 4K, 2HR, WP, HBP
• Cousins 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Jo. Ramirez 1-3
• Meregildo 1-3

The Crosscutter dropped the Doubledays and swept the doubleheader with another shutout, 3-0. Kyle Johnston was lit up for all three runs on two 4th-inning HR’s and three hits total over four innings to lose for the second time. Jake Cousins and Max Engelbrekt both put up a goose egg to keeps things close, but Auburn managed just five baserunners (and left ’em all on) with three walks and two hits.

GCL Nationals 5 GCL Cardinals 4
• German (W, 1-3) 5IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 4K, WP
• Jimenez (H, 2) 2IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• L. Garcia 4-5, 2B, RBI
• Antuna 3-4, 2R, 2-3B, 2RBI, 2E
• Gutierrez 2-3, R

The G-Nats edged closer to a the division title with a 5-4 win over the G-Cards, but the G-Marlins also won their seventh straight to remain just three back. Jhonatan German finally won with five innings pitched, one run allowed on one hit and two walks, and four strikeouts. Jose Jimenez tossed two scoreless to earn the hold, while Connor Zwetsch let in a run over two innings but was credited with the save. Luis Garcia led the G-Nats’ 17-hit parade with three singles and a double, followed by Yasel Antuna, who singled once, tripled twice and drove in two.

13 Commments

  1. Antuna is now up to a .320 average . . . and 24 errors. His bat will definitely play; his position may be a bit hazy at the moment.

    Decent late-season surges from Wiseman and Banks, and couple of guys who have disappointed overall this season. Wiseman has shown more power. Both have struck out too much and walked too little.

  2. Werth due to play at Potomac on Friday. I don’t know about Turner. It would be pretty amazing if Werth is there on Saturday for the Werth-Kolko bobblehead. Kolko has to come, too, right?

  3. Got another interesting comparison–this time for 21-year old CF prospects:

    Player A: .307/.366/.524, 21 HRs, 21 SBs in 450 ABs
    Player B: .242/.318/.362, 3 HRs, 19 SBs in 384 ABs

    You might have guessed that Player A is Daniel Johnson.
    Player B is Michael Taylor from back in 2012 at Potomac.

    If Johnson continues to develop over the next couple of seasons as much as Taylor did before making the majors, the sky could be the limit for him.

    1. I’ll apologize up front for this over-over-simplification, but Taylor during that period struck me as a toolsy kid who was still trying to figure out baseball, while Johnson is a baseball player who is trying to convince folks that he has tools. I can say from brief observation of both at Potomac that Johnson is a lot more confident in his game now than Taylor was then. Taylor did gain confidence over the next couple of seasons as his game improved.

    2. I asked Keith Law a question in his weekly chat yesterday on Johnson – he wasn’t complementary…

      Kirkie: Daniel Johnson, at Potomac. 20+HR, 20+steals across lo and hi A ball. and apparently all 3 outfield positions with a cannon of an arm too.
      Keith Law: Saw him. Not a centerfielder, not even close. Way too old for low-A, and questionable pitch recognition when I saw him there.

      So – any first hand views of him here, from people who have seen him play? All I’m doing is scouting the statline, if I’m honest…..

      1. Law commented on Johnson a few weeks ago and called him a first baseman, so we’re not even sure he knows which player he’s discussing.

        If Law did see Johnson with Hagerstown, he was there to see Soto and Kieboom. Johnson began the season hitting 9th, probably drawing very little attention. Also, for the most part he didn’t play CF at Hags because Perkins did. As for Johnson’s progression, he was a JUCO player before one year at a smaller four-year college program, so he’s right on target with progression a year after being drafted, maybe even a little ahead of the curve.

        1. As for playing the OF, I recall that Johnson had a throw from the OF timed at >100 mph in college, so he has the arm. He certainly has the speed. When I saw him, he had very few balls hit his way, so I can’t comment on how well he actually plays CF.

          When I saw him hit, I actually got the impression that he was losing a little power (despite what his SLG numbers show) by coming up a little “high” on his swing, instead of exploding fully upward through it. So I actually thought he had the potential to develop even more pop with some swing refinements.

          Luke has seen him a lot more than I have, though, so I’d be interested in his take.

          1. One other quick point — when you see him in person, next to some of the stud type players, he’s pretty small. Not Renda-small, but he’s barely the listed 5-10, if that.

          2. I haven’t seen the arm yet, but have read the same reports. I’ll know it when I see it because I will be comparing him to Michael Taylor. As for the defense, good but not great. If he does have that arm, he might be moved over to RF at some point. And yes he’s not a big guy, which doesn’t concern me because we’re not asking him to play safety or cover the SG.

  4. How many other minor leaguers have had 20 HR/20 SB seasons this year? The list can’t be long (Robles is 10/24).

    When the minor league season started, Johnson was hitting 9th in the H’town lineup. No one knew the potential that he has. Organizational POY.

    1. 7. But a few more will likely get there soon.

      Scott Kingery 26 R/28 SB
      Jose Siri 22 HR/40 SB
      Kyle Tucker 22 HR/20 SB
      Johnson 21/21
      Fernando Tatis Jr 21/29
      Ronald Acuna 20/41
      Monte Harrison 20/25

      Derek Fisher 21 HR/16 SB (but 4 HR/3 SB more in the majors)
      DJ Stewart 19/18
      Sam Hilliard 18/35
      Troy Stokes 18/26
      Edward Olivares 17/19
      Khalil Lee 17/19

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