From the Archives: April 24

Yesterday, MiLB and MLB issued a joint statement stating previous reports were inaccurate and assuring us that negotiations held on Wednesday were “constructive.” So, in other words, they’re getting closer to agreeing to the contraction and are now arguing over the money.

SYRACUSE CHIEFS (2013)
Syracuse 8 Rochester 7 (13 inn.)
• Young 4⅓ IP, 9H, 6R, 6ER, 3BB, 2K, 3HR
• Roark 3⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 4K, 2-0 IR-S
• Perez 4-7, R, 2B, 2RBI
• Owings 3-5, R, HR, BB, 2BB
• Howell 3-6, R, 2B

A bunt single by Jeff Kobernus, an error, a sacrifice, and another single by Jimmy Van Ostrand put an end to a long night in Syracuse as the Chiefs clipped the RedWings, 8-7 in 13 innings. Chris Young got smacked around for six runs on nine hits, including three home runs over four and a 1/3rd innings in his ’13 debut. A quintet of Syracuse relievers combined to hold Rochester to just one run over eight and 2/3rds innings. Eury Perez led the hit column with three singles and a double, while Micah Owings homered and walked twice, once intentionally. Perez, who made his MLB debut the previous September, would bounce between AAA and MLB for the 2013 and 2014 seasons for Washington. After getting DFA’d twice between September 2014 and January 2015, he’d stick with Atlanta for 47 games in 2015 before hitting free agency. Perez played for five organizations at the AAA level from 216 to 2018 and 31 games in the Mexican League in 2019.

HARRISBURG SENATORS (2019)
Harrisburg 5 Altoona 4
• Fedde 5⅔ IP, 8H, 3R, 2ER, 0BB, 11K, HR, WP; 1-2, RBI
• Jennings (BS, 1; W, 1-0) 1IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 1K
• Bourque (SV, 3) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Sanchez 2-4, 2R, 3B
• Sagdal 1-3, R, BB, HR, 3RBI
• Ward 1-3, R, BB, RBI, 0K

Harrisburg continues to walk funny as the Senators extracted another one from their prosteriors with their third straight one-run ballgame and seventh straight overall, 5-4 over Altoona. Erick Fedde struck out a season-high of 11 while giving up the first three Curve runs on eight hits over five and 2/3rds innings. Newcomer Dan Jennings lost Fedde’s “W” and was the pitcher of record when Adrián Sanchez tripled to lead off the 8th for his second hit of the game and scored his second run on an RBI single by Drew Ward. Ian Sagdal had a Vieaux to a Kill with a three-run HR off the Altoona starting pitcher during the Sens’ four-run 5th. The 11K was second-highest of Fedde’s career. The win streak would snap the next night with a 10-5 loss. The Sens would jump out to a 29-10 record before falling into a funk that cost them the division title and would lose to the BaySox, 3-1 in the ELDS.

POTOMAC NATIONALS (2011)
Potomac 9 Salem 8
• Frias (ND) 3IP 6H 7R 7ER 4BB 1K 1HR
• Morrison 3IP 3H 1R 1ER 1BB 4K
• Olbrychowski (W, 1-0) 2IP 1H 0R 1K
• Lehman (S, 3) 1IP 1H 0R 0BB 1K
• Kobernus 2-5, 3R, RBI, 2SB
• Soriano 0-1, R, 4BB
• Hood 2-5, R, 2B, 3RBI
• Leon 3-4, R, 2B, RBI

J.P. Ramirez had but one hit on Saturday night, but the two-out, ninth-inning homer was the difference in a 9-8 Potomac win. Starter Marcos Frias got pounded early, giving up seven runs on six hits and four walks, lowlighted by a first-inning grand slam. Unlike previous nights so far this year, the middle relievers were outstanding, as Kyle Morrison and Adam Olbrychowski combined for one run allowed on four hits and one walk over five innings and five strikeouts. Eight of the nine batters collected hits, with Sandy Leon collecting three of the 12, and the one that didn’t (Francisco Soriano) drawing four walks as the P-Nats rallied from deficits of 4-1 and 8-5. The final draft by Jim “Leatherpants” Bowden was famously known for the one that got away (Aaron Crow), which may have influenced the decision to offer 15th Rd. pick J.P. Ramirez [Dr. Evil pause] ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Obviously hindsight is 20/20, but even in the 2008 PG writeup his 60-yd dash time had gotten more than a 1/10th second slower over the previous three years, a time when most kids would be getting faster.By the time he got to Potomac, he could only outrun Sandy Leon. After hitting 16HR in 2010 for the Suns, he would hit 11 over the course of 2011 and 2012 combined. He played two seasons in the Indys and three in the Mexican League and has not played professionally since 2018.

HAGERSTOWN SUNS (2014)
Hagerstown 5 Augusta 3 (13 inn.)
• Voth 3IP, 4H, 2R, 1ER, 3BB, 4K, WP
• Ullmann 4IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, BB, 3K
• Thomas 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Hollins (W, 2-0) 3IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, 2K
• Yezzo 4-5, R, 2B, BB
• Wooten 3-6, 2B, 2RBI
• Difo 3-7, R, 2B

For the second straight night, the Suns rallied in the 9th but needed four extra innings to swat the GreenJackets, 5-3. Drew Ward’s two-out RBI single tied it while Craig Manuel’s two-run homer in the 13th won it. Starter Austin Voth only went three innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out four. Three relievers followed for ten innings of one-run relief, with the win going to L.J. Hollins. The Suns struggled with runners on (3-for-16), but as aforementioned, got the key when it mattered most. James Yezzo led the 15-hit parade with a 4-for-5 night, including a double and a walk, followed by John Wooten and Wilmer Difo, who both singled twice and doubled once. Difo, who is a punching bag for most Nats fans nowadays, had a career year in 2014: .315/.360/.470 with 14HR, 90RBI, and 49SB. By the following May, he would make his MLB debut.