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Monday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Matchup
Syracuse Won, 3-2
(10 inn.)		 @ Indianapolis,
7:05 p.m.		 Voth (1-0, 1.32) vs.
Eppler (1-1, 2.84)
Harrisburg Lost, 11-9 @ Trenton,
7:00 p.m.		 Rodriguez (1-0, 2.50) vs.
Swanson (3-0, 0.66)
Potomac Lost, 6-4 OFF DAY N/A
Hagerstown Lost, 9-2 vs. Lakewood,
6:05 p.m.		 Raquet (0-2, 3.45) vs.
Parkinson (1-0, 0.00)

Syracuse 3 Louisville 2 (10 inn.)
• Vargas 6IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 4BB, 4K
• Smith (W, 1-1) 2IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Bautista 3-5
• De Aza 2-5, 2RBI

Syracuse rallied for two in the 7th to tie and plated the runner placed on second in the 10th for a 3-2 win over Louisville. Cesar Vegas let in both Bats runs on four hits and four walks while fanning four. David Goforth and Chris Smith combined for four scoreless (two apiece) innings with the win going to Smith. Rafael Bautista extended his hit streak to eight games with a 3-for-5 afternoon while Alejandro De Aza and Spencer Kieboom went 2-for-5 to lead the Chiefs offense. Roster move: Austin Adams recalled to Washington.

Hartford 11 Harrisburg 9
• Dragmire 4⅔ IP, 9H, 6R, 6ER, 3BB, 2K, 2HR, WP
• Fleck (BS, 3; L, 1-3) 1⅔ IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 3K
• Hernandez 3-3, R, 2B, HR, 5RBI, 2BB
• Johnson 3-5, 3R, 2B, HR, 2RBI, 2K, OF assist at 2B
• Lowery 2-5, 2RBI

The Senators blew leads of 4-0, 7-3, and 9-6 before succumbing to the Yard Goats with a four-run 8th for an 11-9 loss. Brady Dragmire got the start and was charged with the first six runs on nine hits, including two homers, and three walks while striking out two. The blown save and loss (third of each) went to Kaleb Fleck as he let in three over an inning and 2/3rds. Yadiel Hernandez got the slugfest started with an Earl Weaver special in the 1st and added a single and double while drawing two walks for five times on base and five RBI. Daniel Johnson was a triple shy of the cycle and scored three runs.

Lynchburg 6 Potomac 4
• Baez 5IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 2K, HR
• Pantoja (BS, 1; L, 0-1) 2IP, 3H, 3R, 1ER, 0BB, 1K, HR
• Perkins 2-5, R, 2-2B, 2RBI
• Reetz 2-3, 2BB, 2RBI

Potomac dropped its third straight with a 6-4 loss to Lynchburg. Joan Baez was lit up for three runs in the first two innings before he righted the ship and turned in three scoreless. The loss went to Jorge Pantoja as he coughed up a solo HR to blow a 4-3 lead in the 6th and let in the winning runs in the 7th. Blake Perkins doubled twice and drove in two while Jakson Reetz reached base four times with two singles and two walks to lead the P-Nats attack.

Lexington 9 Hagerstown 2
• Troop (L, 1-2) 4IP, 7H, 5R, 4ER, 3BB, 7K, HR
• Johnston 4IP, 5H, 4R, 4ER, 0BB, 7K, HR
• Corredor 2-3, R, BB
• Esthay 1-3, BB, RBI

The Suns struck out 14 batters, which did not offset the nine runs and 12 hits given up in a 9-2 loss to the Legends. Alex Troop and Kyle Johnston each fanned seven in four innings and gave up a home run. Troop was one run worse with five allowed on seven hits and three walks while Johnson walked none and gave four runs on five hits. Aldrem Corredor walked once and singled twice to lead the eight-hit, four-walk offense for Hagerstown.

21 Commments

  1. No hits all weekend for Carter Kieboom and only one in the last five games. His average is down to .187. Maybe the approach they took with Soto, letting him build some confidence at Hags, is the better one.

    Good to see some renewed life from Daniel Johnson’s bat.

    The young starters from the 2017 draft are struggling at Hags.

    2. Well, not all the young starters. One of them seems to be down in Florida working on his tan, or something.

      1. He’s working on his change-up of attitude . . .

        I should note that Crowe has been solid thus far at Potomac. But none of the 2017 draftees at Hags are particularly standing out yet, and several are downright struggling.

        1. It’s early, and the Nats 2017 pitcher draftees taken after Crowe haven’t been thaaaaat bad:

          3rd Round Pick – Nick Raquet – 3 starts 15.1 IP 11 H 6 BB 12Ks 3.45 ERA
          5th Round Pick – Brigham Hill – 2 starts 8.3 9 H 5 BB 7 Ks 3.24 ERA
          6th Round Pick – Kyle Johnston – 12 IP 12H 4 BB 16Ks 4.50 (coming off a strange outing – 4 IP 7Ks 4 ERs)

          1. Raquet has improved over his 2017 pro numbers but still isn’t striking out the number of folks you would expect for someone supposedly touching 98. I still have a suspicion that Raquet, Hill, and Johnston are all bullpen types. The bigger-framed guys–Tetreault, Stoeckinger, and Troop–all have had some struggles but are also getting promising numbers of strikeouts. Stoeckinger has walked no one in 12 IP but has surrendered a frightening 25 hits.

            We’ll see. It’s very early, and this is the first full pro year for all of them. From the 2016 draft, I’m still curious whether Bogucki could be a starter. He went five innings in relief the other day, so they seem to be stretching him out.

    4. Soto, like Harper, is already a professional hitter. He knows how to adapt in the middle of at bats and hit breaking pitches. Unlike the other positional prospects. I imagine after he gunned down that runner he might leap frog Potomac and head into Harrisburg. The need is great.

      2. Harper was already in the majors at the same age. I like Soto, a lot, but there are closer comps to where he is.

      1. I won’t say it’s impossible, but I’ll also point out that Soto only has 360 career minor-league ABs. Robles got more ABs than that just at Potomac.

        1. Robles also never even came close to doing what Soto did in Hagerstown … thus the extra season starting in Potomac … maybe we should be looking at what the other professional left handed hitter did?

          In 2011 Harper managed 14 home runs, 17 doubles, 1 triple in 305 plate appearances, 258 at bats, 72 games . .318/.423/.977. .236 ISO 46 RBI 44 walks 61 strike outs. Then he was promoted to AA Harrisburg, 37 games 3 homers, .256/.329/.724. Bryce was 18 and next season he was promoted early to the majors at age 19 and 197 days after 21 games in AAA featuring .243/.325/.690 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 1 home run.

          In 2017 and 2018 Soto plays in A ball like Harper he is currently almost 19.5 years old.
          A ball: in 23 games 96 PA’s, 86 at bats, 2017 .360/.427/.950 .153 ISO, 3 home runs, 5 doubles, 12 walks 8K’s.
          A ball: in 16 games 74 PA’s, 59 at bats, 2018 .373/.486/1.300 .441 ISO, 5 home runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 15 walks, 13 K’s.

          Soto looks like the superior hitter at the A level in fact in 39 games of A ball Soto does not seem challenged. In 39 games 8 home runs, 10 doubles and 3 triples …

          Sure seems like he could handle Harrisburg, and perhaps produce superior stats compared to then 19 year old Bryce Harper.

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