Tuesday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Probable Pitchers |
| Syracuse | Won, 7-3 | vs. Lehigh Valley, 6:35 p.m. |
Simms (1-4, 6.82) vs. Thompson (5-13, 5.34) |
| Harrisburg | Won, 2-1 | vs. Akron, 6:30 p.m. |
Voth (3-3, 4.23) vs. Whitehouse (7-8, 4.44) |
| Potomac | OFF DAY | @ Lynchburg, 6:30 p.m. |
Williams (2-3, 3.82) vs. Brady (1-1, 6.52) |
| Hagerstown | OFF DAY | vs. Delmarva | TBD vs. H. Harvey (0-0, 0.00) |
| Auburn | Lost, 2-1; Won, 2-0 |
@ Williamsport, 5:05 p.m. |
Raquet (2-2, 2.75) vs. Brown (3-4, 3.24) |
| GCL Nationals | Won, 11-1 | vs. GCL Astros, 10:00 a.m. |
Syracuse 7 Lehigh Valley 3
• Severino 1-4, R
• Skole 2-4, R, HR, RBI
The Chiefs let the dogs out in the 7th inning as they scored four times to break open a 3-1 game en route to a 7-4 win in the series opener against the IronPigs. Roster moves: OFs Rafael Bautista, Andrew Stevenson, RHP Erick Fedde optioned from Washington.
Harrisburg 2 Akron 1
• McGowin 7IP, 6H, R, ER, BB, 5K, HR
• Crownover 2⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Self (W, 3-2) 1⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K, 1-0 IR-S
• Norfork 3-5, R, 2B, BB
• Gamache 3-6, 2B
Harrisburg fell behind 1-0 early but clamped down on Akron the rest of the way for a 2-1 win in 12 innings. Kyle McGowin spun his third consecutive quality start with the lone Ruuberduck run allowed on a homer and six hits total over seven innings. The win went to Derek Self, who retired all four batters he faced in the 11th and 12th innings. Stephen Perez’s RBI single in the 12th plated Drew Ward for the game-winner as the Senators collected 14 hits total but hit into two double plays and had a runner thrown out at home.
Potomac – OFF DAY
The P-Nats, who are fighting for the right to do this next week in the playoffs, take on the Hillcats for the next three games in Lynchburg.
Hagerstown – OFF DAY
Hagerstown finishes up 2017 with three against… wait for it… Delmarva and four against Lexington as they sit four games out and in fourth place, basically needing a 2011-like collapse by the three teams in front of them while they win the rest of the way to make the playoffs.
Williamsport 2 Auburn 1 – GAME ONE
• Johnston 4IP, 4H, R, ER, BB, 5K, WP
• Cousins (L, 2-2) 2IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 2K
• Martinez 2-3
• Esthay 1-3, RBI
The Doubledays literally threw away the first game as Jake Cousins’s throw on a bunt went awry (a.k.a. right field) and allowed the runner on first to score. Kyle Johnston went the first four innings and gave up the first run on four hits and a walk while fanning five. Cousins took the loss on the unearned run (which reached via error one batter before his miscue) over two innings. Andres Martinez led Auburn’s five-hit parade with two singles.
Auburn 2 Williamsport 0 – GAME TWO
• Tetreault (W, 2-1) 5IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 6K
• McKinney (SV, 2) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Guibor 2-4
• Esthay 0-1, R, 3BB
Two Auburn pitchers combined on a 2-0, two-hit shutout of Williamsport to earn a split of the doubleheader. Jackeon Tetreault went the first five innings, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out six to garner the “W.” Jeremy McKinney closed it out with one hit and one whiff over two innings for the save. Austin Guibor singled twice while Kameron Esthay drew three of the six Doubledays walks to lead the Auburn offense.
GCL Nationals 11 GCL Cardinals 1
• Stoeckinger (W, 2-0) 5IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, 9K
• Jimenez (H, 3) 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, HBP
• Connell 3-4, 4R, BB, 2SB
• Antuna 3-6, 3R, HR, 2RBI
• Blash 2-5, 2R
The G-Nats rolled to their fourth straight win, 11-1 over the G-Cardinals, and lowered their magic number to two over the idle G-Marlins. Jackson Stoeckinger struck out nine over five innings to earn his second win while Jose Jimenez tossed three scoreless to notch his third hold. Justin Connell once again went 3-for-4, scoring four times, stealing twice, and walking once to pace the G-Nats’ attack.
Caption contest on the two fans behind Skole!
“Is it over?”
“No, we still got six more games left in the homestand”
“Don’t look directly at the total eclipse of the Chiefs. It will do permanent damage.”
HA!!
A Cousins cousin makes an errant throw. Is anyone in DC surprised? I hope this one wasn’t returned for a touchdown.
Solid starts at three levels by 2017 draft picks Johnston, Tetreault, and Stoeckinger.
Strong finishes to the GCL season by Connell and Blash. I do wonder if Blash has the mobility to play the OF, like his brother Jabari.
Nats AZ Fall League players:
Victor Robles
Dakota Bacus
Jimmy Cordero
Kyle McGowin
Austin Williams
Taylor Gushue
Kelvin Guiterrez
No Daniel Johnson or Seth Romero…
Some verrrry surprising additions there. I thought for sure we’d see Jefry Rodriguez.
Romero hasn’t warranted a spot so far.
But what the heck- Dakota Bacus, Kyle McGowin and Jimmy Cordero? 26 year olds with questionable futures (to put it nicely). McGowin and Cordero had objectively dreadful seasons. The latter two’s ERAs are in the 7.00s! I get wanting a longer look at players, especially as they become rule 5 eligible, but there’s no chance either of these guys get picked after the seasons they’ve had. The only positives I can say about Williams is that at least he’s a year younger than the others.
Why bother adding Robles, the only player who’s been anything better than ‘bad’ on this roster. Surely, we’d be better off wasting some ABs on someone like Bryan Mejia or Kayyan Norfork, if we’re treating the AZFL as an audition for winter cuts.
It appears struggling at Harrisburg on the mound was a criteria for making the AZ League. 😉
To be fair Bacus missed two months and has been OK, but the other pitchers named to the AZ roster have been beyond dreadful.
Romero hasn’t warranted a spot? At least, he hasn’t sucked all-season like the other pitchers (except for Bacus) named to the AZ roster.
Not sure what the Nats continue to see in Cordero. Amazingly, he went into the AS Break with 6.31 ERA and 1.74 and has somehow manage to post even more dreadful numbers in the 2nd half (10.03 ERA – not a misprint and a 2.06 WHIP).
Perhaps not going to AFL for Jefry-Rod is punishment for PED suspension ??
Is this a total eclipse joke ?
Cordero and no FB Austen Williams ??
Gutierrez is the most interesting
Guy because he needs to catch-up for lost ABs/ reps with Anderson Franco developing behind him.
Nice HR/ 2B numbers for young Franco @ hags .
Dakota Bacus being pushed in light of the DL status of T Maples?? Where did the heir to Craig Stammen role go in 2017??
Could Cordero Williams and Bacus be given an AFL assignment of learning a true out pitch ??
I’m hesitant to even comment on a player’s first professional season, especially HSers, but Connell has sure had an encouraging first season. No power to speak of, but good contact and more BBs than Ks. And he has the frame to add power (don’t know about the swing).
Juan Soto sighting in the GCL!
The biggest positive of the year has been the success of several players pushed from the international draft to the GCL at age 17, and those players holding their own despite having to come over to the United States at such a tender age. Soto times 4, literally (Garcia, Antuna – despite the errors, Pineda with both bat and CS, and Mendez).
As for the fall league, nothing to get dispirited about. The instructional league roster is more important, and freshly minted pitchers belong there. THAT roster is truly a preview of whom the Nats are invested in. As for Daniel Johnson, maybe he just needs a rest or the Nats want to milk his perceived trade value rather than expose him to AA pitching just yet. He can go to the instructionals and get coached up to start in Harrisburg in 2018.
Robles needs higher lever game experience. Backus needs game closing experience. Gutierrez needs to play more. Gushue is 23, the Nats have a catching glut, and he is being showcased. Cordero needs to show he can do it in a game. Williams must also be someone they feel they’ve taught who needs to do it in a game.