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Friday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Matchup
Fresno Postponed vs. Sacramento, 8:05 p.m. M. Sanchez (0-1, 14.14) and Hoover (2-0, 5.66)
vs. D. Rodriguez (0-0, 0.00) and Blach (1-1, 6.14)
Harrisburg Lost, 8-1 @ Altoona, 6:00 p.m. Tetreault (1-1, 1.93) vs. Hightower (2-3, 4.58)
Potomac Won, 4-0 vs. Wilmington, 7:05 p.m. TBD vs. Kowar (2-2, 2.92)
Hagerstown Lost, 4-3 vs. Hickory, 6:05 p.m. Peguero (1-2, 2.37) vs. TBD

Fresno vs. Sacramento – PPD
For the first time since 2015, rain postponed the game at Chukchansi park. From the Fresno PR folks: “The Grizzlies did not have a single rain postponement, or even a delay at Chukchansi Park between 2016 and 2018, and had the tarp on the field on a game day only twice during those three seasons combined (not at all in 2017).” They’ll shoot for two with twi-night doubleheader to make it up.

Altoona 8 Harrisburg 1
• Crowe (L, 4-2) 6IP, 6H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 5K, HR
• H. Jones 2-3, BB, RBI
• Sagdal 1-4, 2B

The Curve railroaded Wil Crowe with three in the 1st and steamed past the Senators for an 8-1 win in the series opener. Crowe gave up five runs total on six hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out five while taking his second loss. Trevor Rosenthal threw eight of ten pitches for strikes and only one landed over the wall in his single-inning rehab appearance while Ronald Peña got lit up for two runs in the 8th. Hunter Jones broke up the shutout with a two-out single in the 5th and reached base three times to lead the Harrisburg offense.

Potomac 4 Down East 0
• Johnston (W, 4-4) 7IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 7K
• McKinney (H, 1) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, HBP
• Corredor 2-4, R, 2RBI
• Freeman 2-4, 2R, 3B

Kyle Johnston’s May resurgence continues as the Texas northpaw combined with two P-Nats relievers to shut out Down East, 4-0 on two hits. Johnston improved to 3-0 with an 0.95 ERA this month as he gave up both Wood Ducks hits and one walk over the first seven innings while walking one and fanning seven. Jeremy McKinney and Jhonatan Geramn both struck out two as they worked the 8th and 9th innings, respectively. Cole Freeman and Aldrem Corredor both went 2-for-4, with Freeman tripling in the 8th ahead of Corredor’s second single and second RBI in the 8th to lead the seven-hit, four-walk offense.

Lakewood 4 Hagerstown 3
• Irvin 6IP, 3H, R, ER, 2BB, 7K, WP
• Guillen (BS, 2; L, 0-2) 2⅔ IP, 4H, 3R, 2ER, BB, 2K
• Rhinesmith 2-4, 2R
• Meregildo 2-3, BB, 2RBI
• Pineda 0-4, PB(7)

Three times Hagerstown took a 2-0 lead, and three times they lost by one run as Lakewood walked off in the 9th, 4-3 to complete the sweep. Jake Irvin was the latest toss a quality start for a no-decision as he allowed a run on three hits and two walks while setting down seven on strikes over the first six innings. Angel Guillen gave up the tying run in the 7th for his second blown save and the tying run again in the 9th. Guillen took the loss when Israel “Why is Everyone Calling Me Raudy?” Pineda’s seventh passed ball in 24 games enabled Lakewood to score the gamewinner. Jacob Rhinesmith went 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Omar Meregild drove in two while going 2-for-3 with a walk. The rest of the lineup went 1-for-23.

32 Commments

  1. Kyle Johnston’s ERA at the end of April was 8.68. A. J. Bogucki had an ERA of 5.17 when he was told to prepare for the next chapter of his life, so the Johnston math wasn’t looking too good. Johnston has subsequently knocked four runs off his ERA thus far in May. I’m still wondering whether his ceiling is about Mapes/Simms level, but both of those guys progressed much farther than most thought they would.

    Good to see another promising start from Irvin. I know there are some who think he has a really high ceiling. He’s sure built for it — 6-6, 225.

    1. Two way street on a PB.
      The pitcher is involved , too.
      Safe to say Davey M sees himself in Gerardo Parra.
      The score keeper will be busy in AAA tonight.
      How ironic that Conforto leaves with a concussion yesterday AFTER bouncing 3 run clout off the railing in RF
      Lower body Anibal injury now leaves his start to bullpen start or perhaps Crowe next turn

      1. Knorr must be smiling at being able to run out his right handed heavy lineup versus Ty Blach in game 2 tonight

      2. Is that a banishment to f- troop for Difo today ??
        Has Luis Garcia jumped ahead of Wilmer on the chart??

    2. In a normal , geographical AAA/AA pairing , today a Senator arm would probably get the game 2 Hoover start for Fresno .
      Istler , Big Tuna , and Wells. Where are you guys in WPP / XST/ the mole hole ??

      1. Barrclough sure gave up the gas after that 12 pitch AB to Schwaber
        – fourth place fourth place …

    3. So I wasn’t the only one noticing the two gaffes by Wilmer yesterday especially the patent DP ball Fedde induced which only resulted in one out.

    4. Poor Grant Bourne .he faces number one pick Kowar.
      Is Max not being max we knew??

    5. Full moon. Fresno threatening with Keller PH for Bengi
      I am going to throw vinegar into the conversation here : Does Jung being a possible top June pick say anything silently about Rendon and his future in DC or shall we write Jung under drafting the best possible player in the slot along with Ryan11 physically entering the late autumn of his career??

  2. I’ll move forward a question I posted late yesterday — Luke, any early impressions on KJ Harrison? His Brewers stats weren’t promising at all, but he sure has put up impressive numbers for the Nats while cutting his K’s in half from last season. About the only thing lacking thus far has been the true HR power you would need to see from a corner INF prospect.

    1. The numbers are in line with what I’m seeing. He’s erratic on the basepaths-sometimes he looks like he’d lose to Sandy Leon, other times he looks like a fullback who got a great block and gets up some steam.

      1. Even Freud might agree Jung is the best choice out of Texas Tech this June draft.
        Kill the suspense of seeing how fast Nats draft out of Texas.

  3. I’d also like to hear from the scout.
    The Brewers drafted Harrison as a catcher and it seems to have really affected his hitting too.
    Now that he only has 1st base to worry about he’s looking like a major prospect, hitting .961 OPS in Potomac after 1.100+ in Hagerstown.

    1. He’s mostly played DH so I have no opinion on his defense. On the other hand, that they’ve had him bat only may be a sign (see: Davidson, Austin).

  4. If Sanchez is going to be on the IL for any length of time, who do you think should be called up to replace him? McGowin?

  5. The stat lines of McGowin and Voth are really, really close, but I’d give the nod to Voth. He’s got a significantly better FIP and xFIP than McGowin, for whatever that’s worth.

    The other option, of course, would be to put Fedde in the rotation and bring up Rainey.

    1. McGowin in May: 1.53 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 6.5 K/BB
      Voth in May: 4.76 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 3.4 K/BB

  6. We’ll never know, but the rotation choice could be an interesting test case of whether Menhart’s knowledge of the pitchers in the system will come into play. For example, maybe he’s been a fan of Voth’s over the years, even though the front office has rarely given Voth the time of day.

  7. I vote for Kyle McGowin to get the call up! He’s been impressive in Fresno so far this season and he deserves it! Hoping Rosenthal can pull it together in AA. It will be interesting to see how long the Nats keep him there.

    1. I concur in MCGowin especially since a cup of coffee in the Show could peak interest in him from other clubs ♣️ even after nifty PCL numbers

  8. Wow Pablo O’Connor who I thought had some promise and decent numbers at low-A is retiring.

    Ricardo Mendez will be taking his spot on the roster.

    1. Add Pablo to the 25 year old out the door by low A ball group.
      Cane and me like Mendez and RS…

  9. I mean O’Connor is 23, hit the ball really well last year in his pro debut and wasn’t terrible in his full season debut this year in low-A, with still a small sample size.

    Curious move. I guess he lost the love for baseball.

    1. Or Pablo Cruise OConner saw the handwriting on the wal like our Arkansas alum who previously retired. No offers from other orgs. So exit stage left . Heavens to Mergatroid!!

      1. Deep deep into the future ? Robles , Soto , Kieboom , Turner , Jung, B Fernandez , Arias , Garcia,? Arias?? Rendon?

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