Tuesday’s News & Notes
Two upper-minors walkoffs highlight Monday night on the Nats farm.
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Matchup |
| Fresno | Won, 7-6 | @ Salt Lake City, 8:35 p.m. | McGowin (0-0, 4.91) vs. Mahle (0-0, -.–) |
| Harrisburg | Won, 3-2 | vs. Hartford, 6:30 p.m. | Braymer (0-0, -.–) vs. Wynkoop (0-1, 1.80) |
| Potomac | Postponed | vs. Carolina, 5:00 p.m. | Peña (0-0, -.–) and TBD vs. Taugner (0-0, -.–) and TBD |
| Hagerstown | Lost, 4-3 | @ Lakewood, 6:35 p.m. | Alastre (2-5, 7.16) vs Lindow (0-0, 1.88) |
Fresno 7 Reno 6
• Dragmire 4IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, BB, K, HR
• Rainey (BS, 2; W, 1-0) 1⅓ IP, 2H, R, ER, BB, 2K
• J. Wilson 2-4, R, BB, HR, 2RBI
• Kieboom 4-5, R, 2B, 3B, RBI, SB
• Hernandez 3-3, 3R, 2BB, HR, RBI, 2SB
Raudy Read’s pinch-hit double in the 9th gave Fresno another walkoff win (and covered for another bullpen mishap) as the Grizzlies took the game, 7-6 and the series, 4-1. Brady Dragmire got the start and let in three runs on six hits and a walk over four innings. He fanned one (1). Carter Kieboom fell a HR shy of the cycle while going 4-for-5 with a run, RBI, and a stolen base while Yadiel Hernandez homered once, singled twice, walked twice, stole twice, and scored thrice to lead the Grizzlies’ 12-hit parade. Tanner Rainey stranded two while getting the last out of the 8th, but then coughed up the tying run in the 9th for the blown-save-win.
Roster moves: RHP Dakota Bacus reassigned from Harrisburg; OF Andrew Stevenson optioned from Washington; OF Hunter Jones placed on 7-Day I.L..
Harrisburg 3 Hartford 2
• Mapes 4IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 4K
• Mills 2IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 4K
• Bourque (W, 1-0) 1IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 1K; 0-0, BB, R
• Garcia 2-5, RBI
• Wiseman 2-3, 2R, 2HR, BB, 2RBI, SB
James Bourque bat for himself with one out in the bottom of the 9th, drew a walk, and came in on Luis Garcia’s two-out single for a 3-2 walk-off Senator win. Bourque, who worked around two singles in the 9th, was the winning pitcher. Tyler Mapes got the start and tossed four scoreless innings with one hit allowed, no walks, and four whiffs. Rhett Wiseman homered twice (he leads the E.L. with four HRs), walked once, and stole a base to lead the Harrisburg offense.
Roster moves: LHP Jordan Mills assigned to Harrisburg from XST; IF Luis Sardinas placed on the 7-Day I.L.; OF Michael Taylor rehab assignment ended.
Potomac vs. Carolina – PPD
Rain washed away the series opener between Potomac and Carolina. They’ll make it up tonight with a doubleheader.
Lakewood 4 Hagerstown 3
• Adon (L, 0-1) 4⅓ IP, 7H, 4R, 3ER, 3BB, 3K, 2WP, E(1)
• Strom 2IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 4K
• Pineda 2-3, BB, RBI
• C. Wilson 0-2, 2R, 2BB, 2K, 3SB, E(1)
The BlueClaws got all four runs in the 4th and made it stand up as they eclipsed the Suns, 4-3 in the series opener. Joan Adon gave up all the Lakewood runs over four and a 1/3rd innings on seven hits and three walks while striking out three. Jackson Stoeckinger and Leif Strom locked it down the rest of the way on four hits with one walk and six K’s. Hagerstown drew seven walks but got just four hits (two by Israel Pineda) and struck out 14 times.
Carter Kieboom seems to have adapted to AAA quite well.
Why, oh why, wasn’t Yadiel Hernandez an NRI in the spring? He’s a substantially better hitter than Stevenson, and has been.
After a three-year wait to get to Harrisburg, Wiseman seems to like it there. Maybe there’s still some hope in that third-round pick after all.
So, so many arms at Hagerstown. Guys like Jackson Stoeckinger and Leif Strom are potential starters but aren’t in the current rotation. Neither is Aaron Fletcher. Expect guys like Alex Troop, Reid Schaller, and Ryan Williamson to get assigned at some point as well.
Gage Canning off to a .353 start at Hags. SSS, I know, but there’s not much standing in his way of a move up to Potomac. He could be a fast riser this season, maybe with an AFL ticket at the end.
Every single bit about the Nats’ handling of Yadiel Hernandez has been beyond perplexing. I have no idea why they spent a dime on him, if they placed no value in him. This isn’t a question of him adapting to upper level hitting; he’s a finished product at 31. If he’s not good enough to play in the majors now, he’ll never be.
And all he’s done is hit since joining the Nats. His career slash of .291/.376/.457 is postively Rendon-esque (whose MLB career is .286/.362/.474).
But then again, Hernandez is just another in a long line of perplexing decisions relating to upper-level batters. But I guess it’s a good thing that we have some talent in the upper level minors, and not the likes of Moises Sierra, Darian Sandford, Joey Butler and Chad Huffman blocking the development of other players below them.
Do the Nats / MASN already have a Bud bullpen break obscene profit making moment before possibly adding Bud Norris?? Anybody else we can add from the Derek Lilliquist STL era?
I wish I could be paid to sit at work for two weeks and watch like the RIL
Play the casting call Broadway music for Lilliquist headache
Typing and dog walking. A skill
Who would be displaced with Norris coming on board when healthy 100pct?? Rosenthal on a mental breather ?
Totally agree about Hernandez. He struggled a bit his first couple of months in the U.S. but has hit-hit-hit ever since. Yet Sierra got major-league time last year, and Stevenson gets regular time. I would wager that Hernandez could be a more consistent hitter on the MLB level than Taylor, particularly since he strikes out half as often.