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Friday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Matchup
Fresno Won, 7-4 (10 inn.) @ Sacramento, 10:05 p.m. M. Sanchez (0-1, 36.00) vs. Blach (1-1, 5.79)
Harrisburg Lost, 5-3 (11 inn.) @ Hartford, 7:05 p.m. Crowe (3-1, 2.25) vs. Culbreth (3-1, 3.13)
Potomac Lost, 3-0 @ Wilmington, 7:05 p.m. Johnston (2-4, 6.57) vs. Kowar (2-1, 2.45)
Hagerstown Won, 5-1 vs. Lakewood, 7:05 p.m. Irvin (1-3, 7.01) vs. Morales (0-2, 6.16)

Fresno 7 Sacramento 4 (10 inn.)
• Espino 5+ IP, 7H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 6K
• Bacus (W, 3-0) 2IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB, 1K, WP
• Rainey (SV, 2) 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Hernandez 2-4, R, HR(GS), 4RBI
• Marmolejos 2-4
• Kieboom 1-4, 2R, BB, HR, 2RBI

Carter Kieboom’s two-run HR highlighted a three-run 10th as Fresno won its fourth straight, 7-4. Paolo Espino let in the first two runs on seven hits without a walk and six whiffs over five-plus innings. J.J. Hoover continued his Shawn Kelley impersonation with his 5th HR allowed in 17⅔ IP to blow his second save. Dakota Bacus settled things down with two scoreless and was rewarded with his third win. Tanner Rainey struck out the side in the 10th to earn his second save while making his third straight appearance without issuing a walk. Yadiel Hernandez singled in the 2nd and cooked up a Denny’s breakfast in the 6th with a grand slam while José “Orange” Marmolejos singled twice to lead the Grizzlies offense. Taylor Gushue’s 11-game hit streak ended with an 0-for-4 night.

Binghamton 5 Harrisburg 3 (11 inn.)
• Braymer 7IP, 4H, R, ER, 2BB, 2K
• Guilbeau (L, 0-1) 1IP, 0H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 0K, HBP
• Ward 2-3, BB, SF, 2RBI
• Goeddel 1-3, 3R, 2BB, CS, OF assist at 3B

The Senators losing streak was extended to three as they were swept for the first time in 2019, 5-3 in 11 innings. Ben Braymer lost a 1-0 lead in the 7th with his only run allowed on four hits while walking two and striking out two. James Bourque gave up a homer in the top of the 8th but was bailed out in the bottom of the when Tyler Goeddel walked, took third on an Ian Sagdal single, and scored on Drew Ward’s RBI single. Both teams gave up runs on an error in the 10th but in the 11th, the Rumble Ponies got two without hitting the ball out of the infield on two walks and a hit batsman by Taylor Guilbeau, who lost for the first time. Despite both Rhett Wiseman and Spencer Kieboom not appearing yet in the game, Tyler Mapes was called upon to pinch-hit in the 11th, in which Harrisburg went in order. Before you comment, yes, I saw that Austin Davidson appeared at catcher, which may mean that Spencer Kieboom was not in the stadium. But, then again… Matt LeCroy.

Frederick 3 Potomac 0
• M. Peña (L, 2-2) 6IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 1K, 2HR
• McKinney 2IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Canning 2-4, 2K
• Freeman 2-5
• 0-for-11 RISP, 11 LOB, 13K

Potomac could get ’em on but couldn’t get ’em in as they left on 11 in a 3-0 shutout loss to Frederick. Malvin Peña notched a quality start, but gave up all three runs on the longball (two) while giving up three hits total and issuing two walks. He struck out one (1). Jeremy McKinney had his first clean outing in nearly month as he threw two scoreless inning to finish the game. Cage Canning and Cole Freeman both singled twice while K.J. Harrison doubled once to comprise the P-Nats’ five hits to go along with five walks and a runner reaching base on an error for the 11 left on base.

Hagerstown 5 Lakewood 1
• Cate (W, 3-2) 6IP, 5H, R, ER, 0BB, 7K, 2WP
• Guillen (SV, 1) 3IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 5K
• Connell 2-3, BB, 2RBI
• Pineda 1-3, R, 2B, BB, RBI

Tim Cate kept his quality start streak going with his fifth in Hagerstown’s 5-1 win over Lakewood. Cate let in the BlueClaws run on five hits but did not issue a walk and struck out seven while winning for the third time. Angle Guillen was nearly perfect over the final three innings as he struck out five of ten batters faced over three scoreless inning to earn his first save. Israel Pineda, who couldn’t corral a two-out, third-strike pitch to extend the 7th for Guillen, walked, doubled, drove in one, and scored a run while Justin Connell walked once, singled twice and drove in two to lead the Suns offense.

24 Commments

  1. I saw Spencer before the game Wiseman pitch hit earlier Senators got robbed on a very bad call, cost them runs and the game

  2. Have the Nats taken S. Kieboom with them in case one of their catchers is injured on the road trip?

  3. Gomes got HBP a couple of games ago and left the game, but he played last night, so presumably S. Kieboom can stand down.

  4. Someone seems to have figured something out with Tanner Rainey, who has been a lot better over the last couple of weeks. He could be putting himself next in line for an MLB audition, particularly since he’s already on the 40-man.

    Excellent starts by Braymer and Cate, the latter of whom should be moving up soon.

    1. The first thing I look for with Rainey is the walks. He’s hardly walked anybody the last 2-3 weeks. He has that proverbial electric arm. The big club needs help in the pen, in case no one has noticed. 🙂
      Agree on Cate completely.

      1. Should be interesting to see how many DSL dudes elevate to GCL19 besides Fernandez and Arias

  5. I was at Sens game and here’s what happened in bottom of 10th in a tie game. Barrera batting with runners on 1st and 2nd, 1 out. He hits ball into right field corner that appears to hit right where fence and foul pole meet. Ump calls it foul. Barrera then grounds into double play, argues with ump over the missed call and gets ejected. Davidson moves from left to catcher and does fine. Sens lose in 11th.

    Wiseman did pinch hit earlier and Spencer kieboom was there. He did take a foul ball off his hand or wrist the previous game so may have been unavailable.

  6. You know what’s been extremely frustrating to watch? Patrick Anderson, the Suns’ manager, game after game after game trot out their worst hitter in the lead off position. Cody Wilson is batting a pathetic .192/.274/.315, and has played every single game (31 of the Suns’ 33 games) in the leadoff position.

    There’s plenty of very good alternatives. Justin Connell is batting .333/.429/.464. Jacob Rhinesmith is batting .286/.380/.384. Trey Vickers is batting .275/.351/.490.

    Maybe Anderson might find that tinkering with the lineup isn’t a bad thing, and it might actually HELP Wilson?

    1. See: Banks, Nick. Methinks some of these decisions are coming from up above because even Stevie Wonder can see Banks is neither a CF nor a leadoff guy.

    2. Somebody upstairs reads this site or Anderson just gave Wilson a night off
      Ward homers. The world returns to normal for some .

  7. Free Yadiel Hernandez.

    I guess by this point, “free” means release, because I cannot fathom a world where Gerardo Parra is considered an upgrade on Hernandez/Snyder/Wilson or Wiseman/Davidson.

    Since 2016, in 389 games, Parra has batted .277/.317/.398, and the large majority of those games being artificially inflated by playing at Coors. Away from Coors, he batted .261/.304/.365. We’d be better off just using Difo in the OF…

  8. Luke you are tipping off where you grab some breakfast when you feel like not cooking. …
    I believe Davidson last year made an emergency appearance behind the dish ..
    Anderson probably believes in the old saying : speeed never sleeps …

    1. Well, certainly could use more coffee, having whiffed on (like?) Wiseman…

  9. The Parra signing is embarrassing, desperate, and whatever else you want to call it. They kick someone the curb to give him a 40-man slot to hit with a wet noddle at the same level as Stevenson without at least trying Hernandez.

    Lest we not forget, however, Parra was signed and developed by . . . wait for it . . . the DBacks from the era Rizzo worked there. He knows the secret handshake! I’ve lost track of how many old DBacks have crawled into Nats Park to die.

    2. For 10 years now, whenever it’s been “why did they release/sign Player X instead of Y?” you can bet on Y being a Rizzo draftee or former Diamondback.

  10. At some point Rizzo has to be asked why did the team even sign Yadiel Hernandez if he had no big league shot. With Parra his opportunity seems closed.

    1. You have to admit Yadiel ate up his 1,500 ABs up the chain saving brass from having to plug in more converted catchers or infielders in The OF

  11. The possibility does still exist for Spencer to get moved off the roster in favor or Tres Barerra. Kieboom can’t hit and his catching has been miserable of late. He isn’t very mobile.

    It’s time for Grace to either be DFA’ed or optioned … my guess is the option since he is a southpaw. But if Braymer and Cate are doing well? Especially Braymer?

    According to Neil Greenberg of FancyStats and the WaPo, worst bullpen ever for the Nats … so bad you have to go back 3 decades to find one that is worse. But, the Fedde, Ross experiment appears to be working. Is Braymer far behind? Why not? What have they got to lose?

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