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Friday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Matchup
Fresno Won, 10-9 @ Reno, 10:05 p.m. Crowe (0-0, 3.00) vs. Payamps (0-1, 3.00)
Harrisburg Lost, 4-0 vs. Portland, 7:00 p.m. Tetreault (3-5, 4.65) vs. Mata (1-2, 4.60)
Potomac Lost, 8-3;
Won, 4-1		 vs. Frederick, 7:05 p.m. Teel (3-2, 3.90) vs. Hall (3-3, 3.57)
Hagerstown Lost, 6-3 vs. Hickory, 7:05 p.m. Schaller (1-1, 4.20) Henriquez (3-4, 4.41)
Auburn Won, 5-4 vs Batavia, 5:05 p.m. TBD and TBD vs. TBD and TBD
GCL Nationals Postponed vs. GCL Cardinals, 12:00 p.m.  

Fresno 10 Albuquerque 9
• Braymer 1⅔ IP, 6H, 5R, 5ER, 0BB, 2K, 0HR
• Guilbeau (W, 1-0) 1⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 1K
• Bacus (SV, 7) 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• C. Taylor 3-4, R, BB, RBI
• Noll 3-5, 2R, 2B
• Stevenson 3-5, R, 2RBI ← 10G hit streak

Fresno rallied from an 8-2 deficit to prevent a series sweep and stop a three-game side as they took the series finale from Albuquerque, 10-9. Ben Braymer was knocked from the box with two outs in the second after five runs on six hits (three doubles) with no walks and two whiffs. The Isotopes would split George Kontos for three runs and James Bourque for one before the Grizzlies relievers found the formula with Taylor Guilbeau (W), Joan Baez (H), and Dakota Bacus (SV) combining for 3⅓ scoreless to close out the game. In the 6th, Fresno sent 10 men to the plate and seven of them scored to tie the game at 9-9. In the 8th, Alex Keller led off with a single and two bunts moved him over to 3rd with just one out. After an intentional walk to José “Orange” Marmolejos, Yadiel Hernandez delivered the go-ahead run with a sac fly. The Grizzlies racked up 16 hits total, with Andrew Stevenson, Jake Noll, and Chuck Taylor each colecing three.
Roster moves: IF Bengie Gonzalez activated from the 7-Day I.L.; IF Wilmer Difo placed on the 7-Day I.L.

Portland 4 Harrisburg 0
• M. Sanchez (L, 7-3) 5+ IP, 11H, 4R, 3ER, BB, 4K, HBP
• Mills 1⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• A. Sanchez 1-3, BB
• Bichette 1-3

The Senators were shut out for the third time in July, seventh overall in 2019, as the Sea Dogs took the opener, 4-0. Mario Sanchez gave up all four Portland runs on 11 hits and one walk, while fanning four in five-plus innings. Three relievers combined for four scoreless innings but the offense was AWOL with just four hits and three walks on the night. Adrián Sanchez was the sole batter to reach base twice.
Roster moves: RHP Brady Dragmire released; LHP Aaron Fletcher promoted from Potomac.

Frederick 8 Potomac 3 – GAME ONE
• M. Peña (L, 5-6) 3⅔ IP, 8H, 7R, 7ER, BB, 2K, 3HR, 3HBP
• Pantoja 3⅓ IP, 5H, R, ER, 0BB, 1K, HBP
• Freeman 2-3, R, BB, RBI
• Agustin 2-4

Malvin Peña’s struggles with the longball continue as the 22-y.o. Dominican gave up nos. 12, 13, and 14 in an 8-3 Potomac defeat by Frederick. All seven runs charged to him were scored on homers as he gave up eight hits total, issued three Victor Robles, and walked a batter while striking out two over three and 2/3rds. Jorge Pantoja finished the game with one run let in on five hits over three and a 1/3rd. The P-Nats were able to get runners on, including five singles in the 4th, but couldn’t get the big hit when they needed one and left on 10 baserunners. Cole Freeman led the way with two singles and a walk.

Potomac 4 Frederick 1 – GAME TWO
• Reyes (W, 2-5) 5IP, 3H, R, ER, BB, 3K
• Howard (H, 3) 1⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 0K
• German (SV, 5) ⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Harrison 2-2, R, BB
• Canning 1-2, 3B, 2RBI

Omar Meregildo doubled, Gage Canning tripled – both drove in two with two outs in the 4th as Potomac took the nightcap, 4-1. Luis Reyes won for just the second time this season with five innings of one-run ball on three hits and one walk while striking out three, twice looking for the third out of an inning. Hayden Howard got the next four outs for his third hold while Jhonatan German stranded two while getting the last two outs in the 7th for his fifth save. K.J. Harrison led the P-Nats hit column with two singles.
Roster moves: RHP Ryan Tapani reassigned from Harrisburg.

Hickory 6 Hagerstown 3
• Irvin (L, 5-7) 5IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER, BB, 4K, HR
• Howell 1⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Connell 2-4, R, 2B, RBI
• Cluff 2-4, R
• Pineda 1-3, BB, PB(19)

The Suns struck for three in the 3rd but the ‘Dads got four in the 4th, and two in the 8th to win, 6-3. Jake Irvin lost for the seventh time as he let in four runs on six hits(one HR) while walking one and fanning four. Justin Connell and Jackson Cluff both went 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Suns offense.
Roster moves: RHP Gabe Klobosits reassigned from the GCL.

Auburn 5 Batavia 4
• N. Gomez 4⅓ IP, 6H, 2R, 1ER, 3BB, 7K
• E. Lee (W, 2-1) 2⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 5K, 2-2 IR-S
• McMahan (SV, 3) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Vega 3-3, 2BB
• Jo. Sanchez 2-5, 2B
• Sanfler 2-5, 2RBI

Auburn built a 5-0 lead with a three-run 3rd and a two-run 4th and held on for 5-4 win. Niomar Gomez couldn’t go the requisite five as he ran out of gas after four and a 1/3rd innings and 88 pitches, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks while setting down seven on strikes. Evan Lee picked up the win with two and 2/3rds scoreless innings, though let in both of Gomez’z runs, walked one, and fanned five. The law firm of Pearson McMahan struck out the side the in the 9th for his third save. Every Doubleday batter had a hit, led by Onix Vega with three singles and two walks and followed Jose Sanchez, Caldioli Sanfler, and Jack Dunn, who each went 2-for-5.

GCL Nationals – PPD
Yesterday’s rainout means doubleheaders on Tuesday the 23rd and Sunday the 28th.

9 Commments

  1. Dragmire has been kicking around the minors for quite awhile, you have to think this is it for him. Best of luck.

    On the plus side, a well deserved promotion for Aaron Fletcher. Let’s see what he can do at AA.

    Lots of must-see baseball tonight in the system from Fresno to Potomac with the starters.

    2. Wow! An aggressive promotion for a pitcher this season! Glad Fletcher got to be the one to get it given the organization’s slow, conservative start with him.

      A few weeks ago I said I look forward to seeing him in DC in 2020. I meant it!

  2. I’ve been on the Aaron Fletcher bandwagon since last season, but dang, never expected the 14th-round pick to be the first one from his draft class to make AA. Gotta love a big power lefty, though. He could be in the MLB camp next spring.

    1. I’m glad at least one big University of Houston lefty is panning out for us so far. He might be on the Koda Glover trajectory…hopefully he takes better care of himself and isn’t so injury-prone.

  3. Fletcher looked good in his debut on City Island last night. I’m glad the Eastern League has two halves this year. Sens bats have gone silent.

    1. Thanks for the update, LM. Once Drew Ward gets his groove back, that should help a lot.

  4. I have no idea what to make of what Stevenson is doing. If it was really so easy, even Noll would be doing it, right? We know that PCL are always inflated because of the altitude, and this season, the AAA leagues are using the “juiced” MLB balls as well. Anyway, if nothing else, Stevenson is getting quite a confidence boost at the plate, which he needed. But has he “improved”? His K rate is exactly the same as it was at the AAA level last year, a still-marginally-high 22.9%. His walk rate has actually declined from 9.4% to 7.0%. Plus Stevenson is unsustainable good “luck,” with a current BABIP of .424, way up from .296 last year. (I would guess that BABIP gets some boost in the PCL, though, since even balls that stay in the park fly farther.)

    So . . . when you look under the hood at some of the fundamental stats that should be constants despite league variations, I don’t really see “improvement.”

    I thought I’d look at our buddy Yadiel Hernandez for comparison. He is “improving,” though: in AAA numbers from ’18 to ’19, his K rate has dropped an impressive five percentage points (24.2 down to 19.3), while his walk rate has risen from 9.9 to 12.1. He has benefited from a little more “luck,” but nearly as much as Stevenson, as Yaddy’s BABIP is up to .377 from .348.

    1. At this point I would take Stevenson over Michael a Taylor. He is really struggling at the plate for the Sens.

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