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Friday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Matchup
Fresno Lost, 15-7 @ San Antonio, 8:05 p.m. Copeland (4-5, 7.12) vs. Supak (1-0, 7.20)
Harrisburg Lost, 8-4 vs. Richmond, 7:00 p.m. Mapes (4-5, 5.03) vs. Webb (1-3. 2.27)
Potomac Won, 4-3;
Won, 6-2		 @ Wilmington, 7:05 p.m. TBD vs. TBD
Hagerstown Lost, 5-3 vs. Rome, 7:05 p.m. Adon (9-3, 4.27) vs. Woods (0-3, 3.81)
Auburn Lost, 8-3 vs. Tri-City, 7:05 p.m. R. Gomez (1-2, 4.98) vs. TBD
GCL Nationals OFF DAY vs. GCL Mets, 12:00 p.m.

Round Rock 15 Fresno 7
• Hoover 3IP, 5H, 6R, 6ER, 4BB, 1K, HR
• Bourque (L, 0-1) 2IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, BB, 2K, 0HR, 2WP
• Marmolejos 2-3, 2-2B, 2BB, 2RBI
• Noll 2-5, R, HR, 2RBI
• C. Kieboom 1-4, 2R, BB

Fresno built a 6-1 lead after three, but Round Rock flattened J.J. Hoover for five in the 3rd, James Bourque for three in the 4th, and Ronald Peña for five in the 6th as they completed the three-game sweep with a 15-7 smackdown. Hoover sucked for six runs total on five hits and four walks over three innings while Bourque gave up four total over two and was charged with the loss, his first at AAA. José “Orange” Marmolejos doubled twice, walked twice, and drove in two while Jake Noll singled and homered to lead the Grizzlies offense.
Roster moves: RHP Justin Miller outrighted from Washington.

Hartford 8 Harrisburg 4
• McGowin (L, 0-1) 3⅔ IP, 6H, 6R, 5ER, 2BB, 4K, HR
• Barraclough 2IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Garcia 3-4, R, RBI
• Sagdal 2-4, 2B, RBI

The wheels came off the bus in the 4th inning for Kyle McGowin as they Yard Goats got to him for five runs to break a 1-1 tie and take the game from the Sens, 8-4. McGowin gave up six runs total on six hits (one HR) and two walks over three and 2/3rds innings for the loss. Luis Garcia and Ian Sagdal combined for five hits and a double (Sagdal), one run (Garcia), and two RBI while the rest of the lineup went 3-for-26 and struck out 11 times.
Roster moves: RHP Andrew Istler promoted from Potomac.

Potomac 4 Salem 3 – GAME ONE
• Tapani 4⅓ IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 4K, HBP, WP
• Howard (W, 3-2) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K, 1-0 IR-S
• Sundberg 2-4, RBI, SB(5), OF assist at 3B
• Reetz 1-3, R, BB, RBI

Jakson Reetz drew a base on balls with the bases loaded in the 7th to walk off Salem for a 4-3 win in the opener. Kevin Tapani got the staring assignment and let in all three Red Sox runs on five hits and three walks over four and 1/3rd innings. Hayden Howard was credited with the win after stranding a runner for Luis Reyes and working around an error. Gilbert Lara doubled, Jack Sunberg singled, and Salem intentionally walked Aldrem Corredor with two outs after Sundberg stole second to get to Reetz.

Potomac 6 Salem 2 – GAME TWO
• Raquet (W, 8-8) 7IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 6K
• Agustin 2-3, R, 2B, RBI
• Marinconz 2-3, R, RBI
• Canning 1-3, 2RBI, SAC

Nick Raquet went the distance while the offense gave him plenty of support as Potomac completed the sweep of the doubleheader (and the series) with a 6-2 win. Raquet struck out six and gave up five hits and a walks as he notched his 8th win and 6th quality start. Gage Canning’s two-run single capped off a three-run rally and proved to be the game-winner. Omar Meregildo and Kyle Marinconz hit RBI singles in the 5th to seal the deal. As noted earlier this week, the win pulls the P-Nats within 1½ games within the Red Sox with zero games left between the two teams in the second half.
Roster moves: RHP Jacob Howell promoted from Hagerstown.

Rome 5 Hagerstown 3
• Schaller (L, 1-2) 4⅓ IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, 5BB, 4K, HR, WP
• Troop 4⅔ IP, 2H, R, ER, 0BB, 5K, 2WP, 1-0 IR-S
• Mendoza 1-2, R, 2B, 2BB
• Cluff 1-4, R, HR, RBI

The Suns were eclipsed for the first time in more than a week as the Barves handed them a 5-3 loss to end a seven-game winning streak. Reid Schaller pitched a scoreless 1st and then gave up a run in each of the next four innings on four hits (one HR) and four walks (five total) to lose for the second time. Alex Troop stranded a runner in the 5th and finished the game with one run let in on two hits, no walks, and five whiffs. Drew Mendoza doubled and walked twice while Jackson Cluff launched his second HR to pace the Hagerstown offense

Hudson Valley 8 Auburn 3
• Romero (L, 0-3) 5IP, 5H, 5R, 3ER, 3BB, 3K
• Yankosky 2IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 1K
• Randa 3-5, R, SB, OF assist at 2B
• Arruda 2-3, 2R, 2B, BB, SB

Auburn racked up 12 hits and two walks but could only push across three as Hudson Valley took the game, 8-3 and the series, 2-1. Carlos Romero went the first five and gave up five runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks while fanning three but lost for the third time. Jake Randa led the hit column with three singles followed by J.T. Arruda with a single, double, and a walk as the Doubledays were just 4-for-15 with RISP and left on 10 baserunners.

GCL Nationals – OFF DAY
Roster move: RHP José De Los Santos reassigned from Hagerstown.

33 Commments

  1. For those who were ready to give Noll up for dead, it looks now like he merely needed a bit more time in the upper minors than the half season he got last year.

    2. Well pinch me and call me Shirley. Ross and Copeland ( Fresbo ) toss QS and a formidable bullpen in AZ. Hmmmm
      Luke , let us know how Angel Guillen stuff is this weekend ..and his Dunning – esque goggles

    3. Alumni ups and downs
      PhilliPs Valdez down to Nash- vulle… skole up with ChiSox

  2. For the Sens, Masters had a fielding error and throwing error on the same play with the bases loaded. All 3 runners scored.

    Jordan mills left the game with an injury. It looked like an oblique issue, not arm.

    1. And some of us spilled coffee in our laps driving to work in rush hour traffic …

      1. Now that Nick Wells has surfaced @ Hags as a B innings eating lefty. Inquiring minds curious about Big Tuna and his rehab !!!

  3. Don’t sleep on Alex Troop. I was really high on him before he lost most of last season and the first part of this one to injury. Across two levels this year, 26 IP, he has only walked two while striking out 29.

    Mendoza is probably the most important hitting prospect in the org not named Kieboom or Garcia. It will be interesting to see if they stay aggressive with him and push him for a Potomac cameo and/or to the AFL. They’re keeping him at 1B, though, so he is going to HAVE to show consistent power.

    1. Troop is a great sleeper prospect. Gotta love all the strikeouts without many walks. Plus he’s a lefty. He’ll have to keep moving up, though, with his age working against him.

  4. Had to look. Jacob Howell turns 24 next week; he was a 21st round pick in 2016. He’s been terrific this year with a WHIP of 1.05 a d deserving of a promotion.

    Agree with KK on Noll. Looking at his numbers there’s been a steady progression all year. The Nats will probably need both him and Kieboom next year after frittering away a chance to sign Rendon.

  5. I was shocked at how they rushed Noll. His AA numbers last year weren’t good. I’m glad he has bounced back from a rough AAA start, but I still don’t know that he’s hitting like an MLB regular, even with the PCL bonus. He could develop into a decent MLB bench bat, though. Too bad he can’t play SS, as the Nats need a better backup in the mix than Sanchez or Difo.

    1. Sanchez is a more than capable backup. plays solid defense at multiple positions and will not lose the game for you with a boneheaded play.

  6. I trust Sanchez in the field more than I trust Difo, but he’s an even worse hitter than Difo, which is saying something. My preferred option is neither of them. But the Nats have had a lot of flame-outs by middle infielders, Abreu and Mejia being a recent combo. Not sure why they haven’t given Matt Reynolds another try other than the simple reason that he’s not on the 40-man and Sanchez and Difo are.

    1. Sanchez’ career BA is almost 20 points higher than Difo. but don’t let facts get in your way

      1. You want facts? Here ya go, MLB career totals:

        Difo: .309 OBP, .351 SLG, 71 wRC+, .103 ISO
        Sanchez: .283 OBP, .335 SLG, 61 wRC+, .071 ISO

        In what way is Sanchez “better”? But my overriding point is that they both suck at the plate. (Sanchez’s current wRC+ for 2019 is 28.)

        2. And to be clear, I’m not a Difo fan and am horrified at all the MLB playing time he’s gotten over the last two seasons. But Sanchez isn’t an improvement.

          3. All this discussion about Sanchez ( bummer that he abandoned switch hitting early ) and Difo makes us appreciate the potential in Jack Dunn the all time Northwestern hits leader ( over the former Yanx skipper).

      1. Talk about picking up the slack – Mapes 8 IP. 10 Ks. His stuff was dancing like secadas on City Isle.
        Say what you want about Wiseman. Big GS to go along with fat Barrera burrito over the scoreboard …. playoffs on the horizon.
        Another cup of coffee while you folks sleep ….

  8. Wow, huge blow with Fuentes. If it’s 80 games, it will go well into next season. I already had him penciled in for the AFL if they were going to continue stretching him out.

    1. I’m pretty sure (can’t be 100%) it’s not drugs, since he’s on the suspended list, not the restricted list. Likely a violation of team rules, in some form or another; missed curfew one time too many, kept showing up late to practice, skipped a physical, something like that, maybe. I dunno.

  9. Sao — hope you’re right that it’s just a short-term thing. Fuentes’ transition to starter has been one of the headline developments this season.

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