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Monday’s News & Notes

Oy vey—an oh-fer-Sunday

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Matchup
Fresno Lost, 9-7 @ El Paso, 9:05 p.m. Copeland (4-5, 6.87) vs. Nix (1st AAA start of ’19)
Harrisburg Lost, 7-1 @ Akron, 7:05 p.m. Vera (1st AA start of ’19) vs. Hentges (2-11, 5.23)
Potomac Lost, 4-1 OFF DAY N/A
Hagerstown Lost, 4-2 OFF DAY N/A
Auburn Lost, 4-3;
Lost, 3-1		 @ State College, 7:05 p.m. N. Gomez (1-4, 4.18) vs. Politz (3-3, 5.51)
GCL Nationals Lost, 6-2 @/vs. GCL Astros, 10:00 a.m.

Tacoma 9 Fresno 7
• Hoover 4⅓ IP, 9H, 7R, 6ER, BB, 2K, 4HR
• Kontos (L, 2-1) 1⅔ IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, K, HR, 1-0 IR-S
• Noll 3-5, R
• C. Taylor 2-4, R, 2B, BB, HR, 2RBI
• Ward 2-4, 2R, BB, HR, 2RBI

The Grizzlies led 3-0, 4-1, and 7-3 before the Rainiers tied it at 7-7 in the 5th and went ahead in the 6th for what proved to be the final score of 9-7. J.J. Hoover coughed up six runs on four HRs and seven runs total on nine hits over four and a 1/3rd innings. He walked one and struck out two. The loss went to George Kontos on a two-run HR in the 6th. Ronald Peña tossed two scoreless to keep things close, but Fresno couldn’t convert leadoff hits in the 8th and 9th innings into runs. Jake Noll led the Grizzlies hit column with three singles while Chuck Taylor and Drew Ward both went 2-for-4 with a walk, a homer, and two RBI.

Richmond 7 Harrisburg 1
• McGowan (L, 1-2) 5IP, 6H, 7R, 5ER, 3BB, 2K, HR
• Bonnell 2IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 0K
• Stevenson 2-4, R, 2B
• Zimmerman 1-2, K

Richmond jumped out to a 4-1 lead after one and never looked back for a 7-1 win to complete the “sweep” of Harrisburg. Kevin McGowan gave up all seven runs on six hits (one HR) and three walks over five innings. Brian Bonnell kept the deficit at six with two goose eggs for his first scoreless outing since August 1st. Andrew Stevenson singled and doubled while Ryan Zimmerman singled and struck out to lead the Sens five-hit, three-walk spree.
Roster moves: RHP Kyle McGowin recalled to Washington; OF Hunter Jones placed on the 7-Day I.L; RHP Eduardo Vera assigned from Washington (released by Indianapolis on 8/9).

Winston-Salem 4 Potomac 1
• Tetreault (L, 2-2) 4⅔ IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 3K, 0HR, WP
• F. Peguero 1⅓ IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 3K, 2-2 IR-S
• Lara 1-3, 2B
• Harrison 1-4, 2B, RBI

The drop down to High-A from AA did not change Jackson Tetreault’s (mis)fortunes as the Dash got to him for three hits and a walk with two outs in the 5th to chase him from the game. Francys Peguero turned the 2-1 deficit into the final score of 4-1 in favor of Winston-Salem by giving up a two-run double to the first batter he faced. Tetreault was charged with all four runs and six hits total while walking two and striking out three for his second High-A loss. Peguero would put up a goose egg in the 6th, as did Gabe Klobosits in the 7th, and Ryan Tapani in the 8th, but the P-Nats bats were ice cold after Cole Freeman and K.J. Harrison hit back-to-back doubles in the top of the 1st. They would tally just five hits total and draw no walks.

West Virginia 4 Hagerstown 2
• Irvin (L, 6-8) 5IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 3BB, 2K, HBP, WP
• Vann 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Caulfield 1-3, RBI
• Connell 1-4, RBI

West Virginia scored in each of the first three innings to go up 4-0 and held on for a 4-2 win to prevent the four-game sweep by Hagerstown. Jake Irvin allowed all four Power runs on six hits and three walks over five innings to suffer his eighth loss. Like their High-A counterparts, three Suns relievers combined for three scoreless innings to keep things close. The Hagerstown hitters were limited to six singles and no walks. No batter reached base twice.

State College 4 Auburn 3 – GAME ONE
• Dyson 5IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Segura (H, 1) 1⅓ 2H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 1K, HR
• Milacki (BS, 1; L, 0-2) 0IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 0K
• Mendez 2-3, R, HR, 2RBI
• Carrillo 1-2, R, 3B, RBI

The Spikes erased a 3-0 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the 7th to walk off the Doubledays, 4-3. Tyler Dyson tossed five scoreless on 54 pitches, allowing three hits, no walks, and struck out two. Fausto Segura retired the side in order in the 6th, but gave up a single, then a homer before striking out his sixth batter faced. Bobbi Milacki Jr. needed two outs for the save and had no one on base when he came in. No word on who held his beer as he sandwiched a single between a pair of triples for the blown-save-loss. Opposing pitcher Emmanuel Solano had a one-hit shutout through five and a 1/3rd before Jack Dunn bunted his way on, Adalberto Carrillo drove him in with a triple, and Ricardo Mendez homered for his second hit and Auburn’s fourth (and final) to account for the Doubledays’ three runs and four hits.

State College 3 Auburn 1 – GAME TWO
• Willingham (L, 1-4) 3IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 0K, HBP, WP
• Moore 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Arruda 2-3, RBI

No such drama in the nightcap, as State College got two in the 3rd and one in the 5th and held off Auburn for a 3-1 win to sweep the doubleheader. Amos Willingham got the spot start and took the loss, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk. J.T. Arruda singled in Ricardo Mendez in the 6th to avoid the shutout and notch the fifth and final hit of the game for the Doubledays.

GCL Cardinals 6 GCL Nationals 2
• Taveras (L, 1-2) 3⅓ IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 3K, HR, HBP, WP
• W. Severino 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• V. Peña 2-3, R, BB
• Martina 1-4, 2B

26 Commments

  1. Should we be forming a bandwagon for Tyler Dyson? He’s been striking out unusually low numbers of guys, though, and the peripheral stats don’t like what he’s doing. We’ll see. He’s been excellent in ERA & WHIP.

    Meanwhile, what a yo-yo season for Jake Irvin. Just in his last 10 outings, he’s had five good ones and five shaky ones. The numbers suggest that he could be a strong prospect if he can find the secret of consistency.

    1. Several guys started out .500 on their outings.
      Even traded Johnston.
      Good to see Voth and Sharp on rehab in WPB

      1. Sterling Sharp, now that’s a name we haven’t seen in awhile. He last pitched May 24th, with a top secret injury, and showed a lot of promise last year, especially for a 22nd rounder.

      3. What with Max coming off the DL for Thursday Davey can use Ross as a bullpen piece as though he is in Fresno but in Pitt
        Bringing in Javy G for 4-6 tonight ?? Fedde is in Daveys corner as fifth guy. Voth should be back within a few weeks to stash away @ Harrisburg ?? ( harken back to 1984 Padres under Dick Williams and McKeon where effective bullpen utlilization lead Friars over the loveable Dawson lead North siders..

    2. Bryan Caceras. RHP. David , Panama W today for DSL out of pen. 38 Ks 34 IP. 3-8 pen slate.
      Impressive win vs DSL Cards who are 39-19.

  3. After all these years, i still don’t know what to make of Ward. He always had that late bloomer kind of vibe to him (injuries have also played a part) but he seems to have finally turned the corner. For those who have seen him , what do you think? Is it a case of too little too late?

    1. This is Drew Ward’s 7th season with the club and he’s hitting .903 OPS with Fresno.
      I heard an interview with Terry Byron, the Harrisburg broadcaster a few months ago, and he said the biggest change with Ward was he was now a plus defender at 3rd base, something he had never been before.
      Luke sometimes talks of prospect fatigue, and after 7 years you can understand, but he is only 24 years old.

    2. I have watched Drew Ward for the parts of four seasons he was in HBG. I thought he turned the corner the 2nd half of last year and it continued on to this year. He is hitting with a lot of power and his defense has improved. He does strike out too much, but so do too many guys in this era. He would have been in AAA sooner except for the injuries. I still have hope he will make it either with the nats or another team next year.

    3. His strikeout rate remains way too high. Ward may get a cup of coffee or two (like Matt Skole currently is), but there is no way he’ll be anything more than AAAA.

  4. I guess the big league team stole all of the affiliates’ power this weekend. 17 runs in 7 games, while the Nats scored 16 in one the same day.

    One of the few standouts yesterday was Ricardo Mendez. He’s now batting a very respectable .283/.380/.348 in Auburn, after disappointing in Hagerstown. His promotion to Hagerstown was always a weird one, after a disappointing 2018 in Auburn batting only .198, so it’s not really a surprise he struggled in A ball. But he’s still only 19, and is showing very good plate discipline (more walks than strikeouts in Auburn). Seems we might still have something there.

    Two other standouts in GCL: Viandel Pena and Junior Martina. Both yet again collected hits drawing their lines to .342/.438/.436 and .356/.461/.534, respectively. I don’t know why each is still in the GCL, but aside from obliviousness, my only guess is their defence. Pena, playing 2B, SS and 3B with regularity, has been prone to the error, racking up 5 in only 93 innings at SS (plus 2 E at 2B and 3B), and Junior Martina has been worse, accumulating 11 errors across the same three positions.

    Still, it couldn’t hurt to give them a shot at Auburn. Their infield offense has been really poor, and is incredibly thin (they have more catchers than they do infielders!): Dunn .666 OPS, Arruda .663 OPS, Alu .630 OPS, and Sanchez .515.

  5. YAY for Drew Ward! So glad to see him shine in Fresno! It’s taken Jake Noll most of this season to figure out the PCL and Drew Ward did it in 3 weeks!!! He’s still only 24 and still has time to make it to the big league club and be a major contributor! He’ll be a free agent at the end of the season. Hoping the Nats take a long look and keep him in the organization!

  6. Ward is not a prospect. He is an organizational player. He was exposed in the 2018 Rule V draft and no one wanted him. Will be the same this year.

    Through 7 minor league seasons, Ward has never flashed the breakout tools needed to be an MLB player.

    1. What are the breakout tools he needs to flash?

      Also, it doesn’t take much to be an MLB 1B these days, especially one on the Nationals. Since 2016, Nationals 1B have hit a collective .269/.329/.478.

      This year, they’ve been better ever so slightly better, batting .273/.328/.495, but in doing so have cost the Nationals $27m just this season (Zimmerman $18m, Kendrick $4m, Adams $3m, Parra+Noll around $1m).

      Drew Ward has batted .255/.348/.456 over the past two years. Maybe his bat doesn’t translate at the major league level, but it would be worth the Nats trying to figure out if that’s the case, because he’d cost literally 67 times less than what our 1B options are getting paid now. Plus, there’s the added bonus that he can also play 3B, which is a potentially gaping hole next season.

        1. Big time–more than one per three at bats. He makes Danny Espinosa look like Daniel Murphy.

      2. Are you really suggesting that the Nats begin the 2020 season with Drew Ward as its first baseman? The Orioles and Tigers aren’t even interested in Drew Ward. The Nats are trying to get to a World Series, and Drew Ward isn’t going to get them there.

        At best, Drew Ward would’ve have an MLB career like Jake Noll (get called up in an emergency situation for a handful of ABs). There is simply no chance that the Nats or any other MLB team would consider Drew Ward as future corner option as an everyday player.

        1. One would be a miss here without mentioning this phrase on Ward. The 7 year itch. Hot weather outside and one of Marilyn’s siren movies. … lol !!

  7. Drew Ward’s K rate at AAA thus far in 2019 is a staggering 40.6%. It was 36.1% at AA this year. Meanwhile, his BB rate has been half of what it was last year. These are not positive developments. He was left exposed for the last two Rule 5 drafts and will be again this year. There’s no reason to add him to the 40-man and have him taking up space there, a la Jake Noll.

    1. At least Noll has a profile as a good OBP type, even if he looks a lot more like Clint Robinson than he does Howie Kendrick. Ward’s profile suggests major league pitchers would dismantle him.

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