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Saturday’s News & Notes

It's an 0-for-Friday for the Nats Farm

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Matchup
Fresno Lost, 7-2 vs. Omaha, 10:05 p.m. McGowan (1-1, 3.86) vs. Griffin (6-2, 4.68)
Harrisburg Lost, 3-1 vs. Reading, 6:00 p.m. M. Sanchez (4-0, 3.06) vs. Parkinson (5-3, 3.54)
Potomac Lost, 6-4 @ Fayetteville, 6:00 p.m. Raquet (5-5, 4.70) vs. France (1-5, 4.56)
Hagerstown Lost, 8-7 (11 inn.) vs. West Virginia, 4:05 p.m. Alastre (3-5, 5.16) and Tapani (3-4, 3.92) vs.
Chandler (6-3, 3.56) and Inman (5-5, 4.65)
Auburn Lost, 2-0 @ Batavia, 7:05 p.m. Strom (0-0, 18.00 @ Low-A in ’19) vs.
Miller (0-0, 4.50 @ GCL in ’18)

Iowa 7 Fresno 2
• Ondrusek (L, 2-2) 5IP, 8H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 4K
• Kontos 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Snyder 2-4, 2B, RBI
• Kieboom 2-4

Iowa put up crooked numbers in the 3rd and 4th innings to take a 4-0 lead and cruised to a 7-2 win over Fresno. Logan Ondrusek took the loss with five runs allowed on eight hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out four. After two scoreless from George Kontos, James Bourque gave up a run in the 8th and Fernando Rodney walked four of six batters faced in the 9th to let in the final Cubs run. The Grizzlies racked up 12 hits but needed extra bases to plate both runs as Matt Reynolds homered in the 5th and Brandon Snyder doubled in the 6th. Fresno was 0-for-6 with RISP and left on nine runners and did not hit into any double plays.
Roster moves: RHP Logan Ondrusek reassigned from Auburn.

Reading 3 Harrisburg 1
• Fuentes (L, 3-1) 6IP, 8H, 3R, 1ER, 0BB, 2K, HBP
• R. Peña 2IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 1K
• Bichette 1-3, R, BB, E(1)
• Garcia 1-4, E(7)

Two errors to start the 2nd inning by Dante Bichette Jr. at 3B and Luis Garcia at SS proved to be the difference as both unearned runs scored in a 3-1 loss by the Senators to the Phils. Steven Fuentes lost for the first time despite a quality start of three runs on eight hits, no walks, and two K’s over six innings. Ronald Peña walked two over two innings and Jonny Venters worked around a third error in the 9th to give Harrisburg a shot at a comeback in the 9th. Bichette drew a leadoff walk, took third on a Tres Barrera single, and scored on a two-out error that put the tying runs into scoring position. Alas, Adrián Sanchez became the third Senator to whiff in the final frame to end the game.
Roster moves: RHP Tyler Mapes activated from the 7-day I.L.; RHP Wil Crowe placed on the 7-day I.L.

Fayetteville 6 Potomac 4
• Teel (L, 2-1) 5IP, 7H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 4K, HR(GS)
• Reyes 2IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Canning 2-5, 2B, 3B, RBI
• Abreu 1-4, 2RBI

Potomac got four runs on just three hits in the early innings, but gave them back in grand fashion Last Night in Fayetteville.

West Virginia 8 Hagerstown 7 (11 inn.)
• Peguero 6IP, 4H, R, ER, BB, 5K, HR, HBP
• Williamson 2⅔ IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 2K, HR
• Brasher (BS, 1; L, 1-1) 2⅓ IP, 4H, 4R, 0ER, 2BB, 2K, 1-1 IR-S
• Pineda 3-5, R, HR, 3RBI, 3PB (14,15,16)
• Lara 2-5, R, HR, 2RBI
• Rhinesmith 2-5, R, 2B

It’s probably a good thing that Francys Peguero doesn’t have to pick up a bat. Because he might just use it on his teammates, who blew a 5-1 lead after six innings in an 8-7 Suns loss to the Power in extra innings. Peguero notched his sixth quality start with one run allowed on a home run and four hits total over six innings. He walked one and fanned five in his eighth no-decision. The tying run came in on Israel “El Tamiz” Pineda’s first passed ball of the night in the 9th. The 19-y.o. sieve would repeat the feat in the 10th and then let in the go-ahead run in the 11th on passed ball no. 3. The decision went to Jared Brasher, who gave up four hits and four runs as well as one inherited runner over two and a 1/3rd innings, for his first blown save and first loss.

Batavia 2 Auburn 0
• N. Gomez (L, 0-1) 5IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, 4K
• E. Lee 3IP, 3H, R, ER, BB, 3K, PO at 1B
• W. Perez 1-3, BB
• Morales 1-3, CS

Four Batavia pitchers combined to shut out Auburn, 2-0 on three hits on Opening Day for the 2019 New York-Penn League. Niomar Gomez got the start and turned in five innings of one-run ball on three hits without a walk while setting down four on strikes, but would be the losing pitcher. Evan Lee finished the game with one run allowed on three hits and a walk and three whiffs. Wilmer Perez and Landerson Peña both walked while Perez, Jesus Morales, and Phil Caulfield each singled to comprise the Doubledays offense.
Roster moves: LHP Alex Troop reassigned from Hagerstown; RHP Brady Dragmire, OF Rafael Bautista reassigned from Fresno.

14 Commments

  1. Fuentes has given up only three earned runs across four AA starts, and he’s just barely 22. That’s a combination that’s cause for enthusiasm.

    2. El Tamiz, Luke ?
      Can you answer a question about the DSL academy ?
      Are there players who are working out but not active on the roster as they mature in classroom with English , nutrition , weight training ???!

  2. From his expression on his official photos, Peguero indeed looks capable of taking a bat to his teammates. The Nats have had a conga line of hard throwing young Latin American pitchers moving up the chain the past few years. It would be nice if Rizzo would hold on to a couple of them at some point instead of trading them as soon as they make the bigs.

    1. He should get used to not getting proper support since he could be a future Nats rotation member who loses many 1-0 QS

  3. Karl — I know you’re a regular here and have known the system pretty well over the years, so I’m curious what Latin arms you have in mind. Rey Lopez improved a little last season but has a 6.21 ERA right now. J-Rod has a 4.74 ERA in Cleveland. I’m not losing sleep over either of them, although I do wish the fellas they were traded for were playing a little better.

    My bigger issue with all the hard-throwing Latin arms in the system is with all the ones who AREN’T making it, who seem to flame out around the Potomac level. I do find the Fuentes advancement interesting because his progression has been the reverse of the others, who they kept as starters for so long even while they looked destined to be relievers. Fuentes is a long-time reliever who they’ve decided, at the AA level, to try as a starter. I wonder whether that was Michael Tejera’s idea.

    1. The thing that’s hard to stomach right now is that the #1 pitcher in the American League is Lucas Giolito.

      1. The game plan was to let Hair do Adam Dunn go free after getting Eaton.
        Crossed fingers in a few years that some Latin. Bats elevate.
        Keeping eyes on Sanfler on auburn even if he doesn’t get support with Melendez , Ahu or Randa assigned to Doubledays

  4. Don’t give up on a 17 year old in the DSL. Incubation into butterflies take time.
    Luke , state secrets on GCL with any late DSL18 additions ??

    1. Given that the current DSL team is like TV Land or a baked bean casserole (a whole lot of repeats), I think it’s safe to deduce that any high-profile 2018 signee is either going to WPB… or has already gotten hurt.

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