Saturday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Matchup |
| Fresno | Lost, 10-6 | @ Reno, 7:05 p.m. | McGowin (1-2, 7.00) vs. Donatella (1-1, 4.91) |
| Harrisburg | Postponed | @ Hartford, 4:30 p.m. | Braymer (1-0, 2.12) and M. Sanchez (2-0, 1.74) vs. Wynkoop (1-3, 3.86) and Foley (1-3, 10.03) |
| Potomac | Won, 12-10 | @ Carolina, 5:00 p.m. | Johnston (1-3, 6.88) vs. Hernandez (2-0, 3.86) |
| Hagerstown | Won, 9-8 | vs. Greensboro, 4:05 p.m. | Cate (1-2, 1.27) vs. Bido (3-0, 0.40) |
Reno 10 Fresno 6
• Voth (L, 2-1) 2⅔ IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, BB, 6K, HR, WP
• Marmolejos 3-4, 2R, 2B, HR, 3RBI
• Read 2-3, R, 2B, 3B, BB, RBI
• Snyder 2-4, 2R, 2B, HR, RBI
A 3-0 lead vanished in the third as Reno scored in four of its last five “ups” to take another one from Fresno, 10-6. Austin Voth gave up four runs on six hits and a walk over two and 2/3rds innings to suffer his first loss. None of the three relievers to follow was any less ineffective as the four Grizzlies pitchers combined to give up fourteen hits, including four HR. José “Orange” Marmolejos and BrAAAAndon Snyder both doubled and homered while Raudy Read walked, doubled, and tripled to account for seven of the nine Fresno hits on the night. Roster moves: SS Carter Kieboom added to 40-man roster, recalled to Washington; SS Bengie Gonzalez activated from 7-Day I.L.
Harrisburg vs. Hartford – PPD
Rain postponed Friday night’s game and set up today’s twinbill between the Yard Goats and the Senators.
Potomac 12 Carolina 10
• M. Peña 3⅓ IP, 4H, 6R, 6ER, 3BB, 7K, HR
• Teel (W, 1-0) 2IP, 2H, R, ER, BB, 5K
• Bartow (SV, 1) 2IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 2K
• Canning 4-5, 3R, 2-2B, 3B, 4RBI
• Harrison 4-5, 3R, 2-2B, 2RBI
• Abreu 3-5, 3-2B, 5RBI
Two missed extra points didn’t cost Potomac as the defense held the Mudcats to a FG in the late innings for a 12-10 win in the series opener. Malvin Peña didn’t make it through the fourth inning for the third time in four starts as Carolina drilled him for six runs on four hits (one HR) and three walks over three and a 1/3rd innings, though he did strike out seven. The win went to Carson Teel as the more effective of the two relievers to follow Peña while Frankie Bartow gave up an unearned run on a two-out double following Cole Freeman’s first error but kept struck out the tying run for the third out and the save. KJ Harrison and Gage Canning both went 4-for-5 with three runs scored while Osvaldo Abreu drove in five with three doubles to power the P-Nats attack. Roster moves: 1B KJ Harrison promoted from Hagerstown; RHP Justin Miller rehab assignment ended.
Hagerstown 9 Greensboro 8
• Adon IP, 3⅔ IP, 3H, 4R, 4ER, 6BB, 3K, HR
• Tapani (W, 2-1) 3⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Rhinesmith 3-4, 3R, 2-2B, BB, RBI, SB
• Lara 2-3, 2R, BB, SB
• Meregildo 2-4, R, 2B, 2RBI
A three-run 1st and a three-run 5th helped the Suns offense overcome bad defense (3E) and bad pitching (9BB, 2HBP) for a 9-8 win against the Grasshoppers to snap a four-game losing streak. Joan Adon walked six and gave up the first four runs and all three Greensboro hits, including two-run HR, over three and 2/3rds innings. Ryan Tapani stranded one in the 4th and tossed three scoreless innings with one walk and three whiffs to pick up the win. Aaron Fletcher fell in the 8th for four runs (one earned) but got up in the 9th for no runs to not lose the lead. Jacob Rhinesmith singled once, doubled twice, stole a base, and scored three times while Gilbert Lara reached base three times with a walk and two singles to lead the Suns’ 13-hit parade. Roster move: 3B Omar Meregildo demoted from Potomac; There is no word on the injury that took Israel Pineda out of the game.
The 2 newest additions to the Potomac lineup both had monster nights. Good to see.
Wonder how long it will be before Gilbert Lara joins them. He’s having a breakthrough year and this is his third season in regular A ball.
Lara is a fascinating story; the Brewers paid $3-4 million to sign him and in 4 years he showed no ability to hit at all. I always got the feeling the Brewers were glad to offload him, not wanting to be reminded of their ‘lost’ money.
Now, he’s only 21 and hitting at a .890 OPS rate. Let’s see what he does in High A.
It’s incredible just how bad the franchise’s pitching is at every level except Harrisburg. The Nats are like the survivors in the shopping mall in the Dawn of the Dead remake who just found out the local military base has been overrun. Ving Rhanes holds up a hand lettered sign to alert a fellow survivor across the street: No Help Coming.
There are some effective pitchers at the other levels…but there are also guys like Luis Reyes, Tomas Alastre, and A.J. Bogucki for whom the bell is tolling.
Tetreault, Lee, Bartow, and Teel should be in Double-A before too long. I think Cate, Peguero, Fletcher, and Stoeckinger need promotions to High-A soon as well.