Wednesday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Matchup |
| Fresno | OFF DAY | vs. Nashville, 10:05 p.m. | Hoover (4-4, 7.98) vs. Maness (6-4, 6.17) |
| Harrisburg | Postponed | @ Binghamton, 5:35 p.m. | Tetreault (3-5, 4.60) and vs. Smith (2-0, 1.56) and Shaw (1-4, 2.89) |
| Potomac | Postponed | @ Frederick, 4:00 p.m. | Tapani (0-0, 3.48) and F. Peguero (0-0, 0.00) vs. Bishop (0-8, 4.64) and Knight (1-8, 5.54) |
| Hagerstown | Lost, 5-3 (10 inn.) |
OFF DAY | N/A |
| Auburn | Won, 5-1 | vs. State College, 7:00 p.m. | C. Romero (0-3, 3.86) vs. Pallante (1-0, 1.57) |
| GCL Nationals | OFF DAY | @/vs. GCL Mets, 10:00 a.m. |
Fresno – OFF DAY
Three weeks ago, the Grizzlies were 52-49 and two games out of first place. Since then, they’ve gone 2-11 and fallen seven games behind Sacramento with 26 games to go and a tragic number of 20.
Harrisburg vs. Binghamton – PPD
Rain postponed the opener for Harrisburg and thunderstorms are in the forecast for both today and tomorrow.
Roster moves: UT Adrián Sanchez optioned from Washington.
Potomac vs. Frederick – PPD
Ditto for the P-Nats and Keys, who are also looking at thunderstorms today and tomorrow.
Columbia 5 Hagerstown 3 (10 inn.)
• Irvin 5IP, 4H, 1R, 0ER, BB, 8K
• Troop (L, 0-1) 3⅓ IP, 2H, 3R, ER, 0BB, 3K, WP, 2-0 IR-S
• Connell 2-4, RBI
• Caulfield 2-4, R
Hagerstown and Columbia traded single runs in the 5th, 6th, and 8th innings to force extras, where the Fireflies broke through for a two in the 10th and held on for a 5-3 win to complete the four-game sweep of the Suns. Jake Irvin turned in five innings of one(unearned)-run ball on four hits and a walk while striking out eight. The loss went to Alex Troop, who gave up two unearned runs in the 10th and three runs total over three and a 1/3rd innings. He walked none and struck out three. Justin Connell, the team’s youngest active position player, and Phil Caulfield, the oldest, both went 2-for-4. The rest of the lineup went 2-for-25.
Auburn 5 State College 1
• N. Gomez 5IP, 5H, R, ER, 2BB, 7K
• Chu (W, 2-1) 3IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 2K
• Jo. Sanchez 1-2, R, 2BB, CS
• Carrillo 2-3, R
• Randa 1-4, R, HR, 2RBI
Doubledays beat the same team on consecutive days for the first time since July 1-2 with a 5-1 victory over the Spikes. Niomar Gomez got the start and gave up a run on a HR (#2 in 42⅔ IP, how novel) five hits total. He walked two and struck out seven. The win went to veteran southpaw Gilberto Chu, who turned in three scoreless innings with one hit and two walks allowed. Jake Randa homered in the bottom of the 6th to give Auburn a 2-1 lead. An inning later, the Doubledays scored twice on three singles and a wild pitch. Adalberto Carrillo led the eight-hit parade with two singles while Jose Sanchez drew two of the team’s four walks and also reached base on a single.
GCL Nationals – OFF DAY
The G-Nats haven’t played since Saturday and are scheduled to play a doubleheader today, starting at 10 a.m. Thunderstorms are forecast for late this afternoon.
I had — and still have — some high hopes for Jake Irvin, who was thought by many to be a 2d-round talent who fell to the 4th due to a rough NCAA tourney. His overall stats this year at age 22 are fairly mediocre, although they’ve come out that way somewhat erratically, with several very good starts and several not-so-good ones. Just look at the earned runs allowed in recent starts: 0-3-0-3-2-3-1-4-1. Here’s hoping he can find consistency and more regularly become that solid pitcher who shows up every other game. He certainly has to be imposing on the mound at 6-6, 225.
Irwin will climb
Kudos to Phil Caufeld
Keeping on with his hitting with better lighting and stadium specs at each higher level
My week of 4 am wake ups kept me from staying awake to see Sanchez slow down the S……acramento lineup. Lol. That is a mole , Luke …
PS. We might see an arm called over from Frederick where Potnats are parked with their DH dealings ( more innings work for deserving guys ) for the Senators filabustering with a Doubleheader busting …
As for Fresno and the west coast challenge in keeping a stable of 4 Aers to AAAers… no wonder a team cannot keep a consistent rhythm with bullpen guys being game A openers then B innings guys later in the week not to mention the musical chairs game with Harrisburg and DC needs . Knorr, Milacki and the guys have done an admirable job in the Pacifico Cerveza League
Agree completely on the rough job for the manager and coaches at Fresno. Has to be rough knowing that they have to go through this next year too.
Mark I am sure the cerveza flows after most games to chill out in Knorrs office lol
One could write a song with the rhythm of Brailin and Frailin on GCL Nats ? I wonder if Fernandez has fast twitch Wild Mustang muscles like Robles16??
Cole Freeman to Burg for playoffs ??
Carlos Romero pitching good for Auburn. Big young kid.
Parra has been a quiet revelation as a bench guy but his clubhouse demeanor and spirit even better.
Post Bochy rebuild in SF shall be interesting. They will be ok with the young pitchers coming up.
If Panik was cheaper. Maybe he might have been scooped up by Rizzo ??
On an otherwise slow news day, let’s throw this out there: who do you think are in the running for the organizational POYs? Since they like to lean toward guys who are somewhat “prospects,” I would guess C. Kieboom is the leader among the hitters. Between the PCL advantage and the real lack of hitting prospects in the rest of the organization, Kieboom, Orange, and Yadiel H. are far ahead of everyone else, at least on paper.
As for pitchers . . . goodness, throw some darts. Fuentes might have been my leading contender, but he’s off the board now. So is Fletcher, a three-level mover. Crowe, Braymer, Tetreault, Cate, and Teel have all done well enough as starters to advance a level but haven’t dominated at the more advanced level. Of those, maybe Cate would get the nod? I really have no idea. Fuentes was really the only starter who was excelling at the more advanced level.
There are several good candidates for the Boone Award. Barrett, Andrew Lee, and Ryan Williamson have all come back from multi-year injury recovery. If it’s given more for individual player work and improvement during a year, perhaps Nick Banks is in the running? Or maybe Gushue, who is quietly having a fine year in the thin PCL air.
Joan Anon my pitcher of the summer. 10 wins with numerous QS wasted with lack of runs
Antuna has had a summer on the sideline. Winter ball for him ??
Fuentes released a statement claiming he was popped after unknowingly taking a “contaminated” supplement, and in the statement, he thanked the Nationals for supporting him. These excuses are, I think, often BS. But if the Nats actually do believe him, the league-mandated 50-game suspension might not put them off giving him an award.
Otherwise, I think Cate is the guy. Another guy who has very quietly built a case is Bryan Bonnell, who has been downright excellent since joining the organization in May.
Player of the Year could go to a pitcher. But it probably goes to a positional prospect. Carter Kieboom seems like a good bet even with his recent power outage.
The Bob Boone Award sure seems like it ought to go to Aaron Barrett, but if they decide he’s too old, maybe Nick Banks or Tres Barrera?
Yeah, you’d have to think it would Fuentes if not for the drug bust. The good news is he’s still only 22.
Aaron Barrett has to win some kind of award, even if they have to invent a new one. Something!
I go with Barrett considering his long road back
Would love to be in Binghampton today to watch Tetreault & McGowin pitch.
McGowin pushed back to Thurs.
Then a bullpen outing lead by Contra- Bogan ??
Eyes on Peugero
Are we sure that Adon is only turning 21 this weekend? In his photo on milb.com, he looks about 32! Just call him Smiley . . .
There was a good bit of hype about Adon going into the season, at least internally. For his age, he’s held his own at the level, but it’s hard to say he’s excelled. His 4.43 FIP indicates that his 4.24 ERA is a pretty accurate reflection, even though it seems inflated from two bad outings in early July. His 7.29 K/9 is decent but not exciting, while his 3.84 BB/9 could stand a little taming. He’s young enough to still have a breakthrough ahead, but I don’t see anything yet that screams “special.”