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Friday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Matchup
Fresno Won, 6-4 @ Tacoma, 10:05 p.m. Copeland (2-2, 6.33) vs. Niese (2-1, 5.16)
Harrisburg Lost, 6-2 vs. Reading, 7:00 p.m. Sharp (4-3, 4.23) vs.Llovera (2-0, 4.06)
Potomac Won, 4-3 vs. Frederick, 7:00 p.m. Lee (1-2, 2.75) vs. Knight (0-0, 3.27)
Hagerstown Won, 5-1 vs. Kannapolis, 7:05 p.m. Alastre (3-3, 5.89) vs. Stiever (3-3, 4.59)

Fresno 6 Tacoma 4
• McGowan (W, 1-0) 5IP, 3H, R, ER, 2BB, 2K
• Bacus (SV, 1) 1⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K, 2-2 IR-S
• Hernandez 3-4, 2R, 2HR, 4RBI
• Kieboom 1-4, R, 2B, 2K

The “other” McGowan (Kevin) stepped into the Grizzlies rotation and picked up a win in his first AAA start of 2019, stopping a two-game slide with a 6-4 win over the Rainiers. McGowan, the second alum from Franklin Pierce University to pitch in the majors, allowed one run on three hits and two walks while fanning two. Fresno got four runs off the bat of Yadiel Hernandez, including a two-run shot in the 8th after a Carter Kieboom double. Mario Sanchez and Dakota Bacus gave those runs back but stopped the bleeding in te he 9th for the hold and save, respectively.

Akron 6 Harrisburg 2
• Tetreault (L, 2-2) 6IP, 12H, 5R, 5ER, BB, 3K, WP
• Baez 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Davidson 2-4, R, 2B, HR, RBI
• C. Taylor 1-3, R, HR, BB, RBI

Harrisburg, on the other hand, continued its fall back to earth with a fifth straight loss, 6-2 to Akron to complete the three-game sweep – the second this month after winning its first nine series. Jackson Tetreault gave up five runs again, but this time on twelve hits and a walk over six innings to lose for the second time at AA. Austin Davidson went yard in the 4th while Chuck Taylor homered in the 5th to account for the two Sens runs. Harrisburg managed just six hits total.

Potomac 4 Down East 3
• Raquet 4⅓ IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 3K, 2HBP
• Teel (W, 2-0) 2⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 5K, 3-0 IR-S
• Harrison 1-2, 3BB, SB, CS
• Canning 2-4, 2B, CS

The middle innings struggles (a.k.a. the biggest sign that relief may be the better fit) of Nick Raquet continued as the 23-y.o. failed to pitch six full innings for the 20th time in 21 High-A starts in the P-Nats’ 4-3 win to split the four-game series with the Wood Ducks. Raquet gave up all three runs while getting just one out in the 5th (a 3-2 putout at HP) and six hits total to blow a 3-0 lead. Carson Teel preserved the tie by leaving the bases loaded with a pair of strikeouts then struck out three more over the next two innings. Jakson Reetz and Anderson Franco went single-double in the 6th for the go-ahead run while Frankie Bartow and Bryan Bonnell kept the infielders cool with four more whiffs in the 8th and 9th innings to earn the hold and save respectively.

Hagerstown 5 Kannapolis 1
• Tapani 4IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB, 4K
• Day (W, 1-1) 4IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, BB, 2K
• Rhinesmith 2-3, R, 3B, BB
• C. Wilson 1-4, R, HR, RBI

Starting with Cody Wilson’s best imitation of Rickey Henderson—the leadoff HR—Hagerstown dropped a five-spot on Kannapolis in the 1st and cruised to a 5-1 win to take a 2-1 series lead. Ryan Tapani made the spot start with four scoreless innings with three hits and no walks and four whiffs. Chandler Day went the next four, giving up an unearned run on two hits and a walk to register the “W.” Jacob Rhinesmith singled, walked, tripled, and a scored a run to lead the Suns offense.

14 Commments

  1. Looks like we were all fooled a bit. Rhett Wiseman, the streakiest hitter in the history of baseball, is up to his old tricks.

    In his first month (April 4-May 3), Wiseman batted .337/.388/.750 with 7 BB and 21 K in 103 PA.
    Since then, Wiseman has batted .100/.224/.160 with 7 BB and 22 K in only 58 PA.

    This matches with his previous all-or-nothing cycles in previous seasons, and funnily his AVG (.254) and OBP (.329), despite that outrageous start are nearly identical to his career AVG (.247) and OBP (.322).

  2. Also, look at what Yadiel Hernandez can accomplish when allowed to start a game!

  3. I think Luke nailed it with Raquet. I understand the f.o. wants him to succeed as a starter but 21 starts is not a sss. $475,000 for an iffy reliever or not.

    On the bright side, Carson Teel is looking like the real deal.

  4. It was at least fun to follow the Senators when the Nats were scuffling and the Sens were winning. Now the Nats are beyond scuffling and the Sens are scuffling. Being a fan of losing baseball is part of the deal — every team loses — but it’s exhausting.

    Carson Teel should hopefully keep moving up. Jackson Tetreault is young…he’ll figure it out. Rhett Wiseman has completely fallen off a cliff, and that’s disappointing, but hopefully he can get back on track.

    1. Teel is the kind of guy to root for. He’s 23, a 16th round pick and so far this year his ERA is 1.25 with a WHIP of 0.80.
      This sure is a lot more fun than watching the big club.

    2. Its the performance of Luis Garcia that hurt but he is still very, very young after all? So maybe not so much … but he’s not a phenom type either. More like how Baseball Prospectus described him.

  5. Low-A observation: So, instead of going with planned starter Alastre yesterday … the team threw basically a split start between Tapani and Day (both of whom have better numbers across the board) and, wouldn’t you know … they got a nifty win holding the opponent to 1 unearned run and 5 hits in 8 innings.

    So why is Alastre still in the rotation? 28 walks in 36 innings this year, while repeating the level.

    1. Just one of many mysteries this season…

      Though maybe last night is the first evidence Alastre isn’t in the rotation anymore.

      1. Still listed as tonight’s probable from the Suns in today’s game notes. Not an I “told you so.” More like this.

        2. Don’t you be making fun of my boys the Boston Terriers now!!! It might sic Sergeant Stubby, decorated WWI war hero after you.

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