While there has been optimism for MLB to somehow return in 2020, more reasoned folks are noting that these are plans that have neither a man nor Panama. Alas, nearly every scenario does not mention the minors, so we remain in limbo…
Syracuse 6 Indianapolis 5 (10 inn.) – 2014
• Treinen 4IP, 3H, R, ER, BB, 2K, HBP
• Laffey 4IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 3K
• Delcarmen (BS, 2; W, 2-1) 2IP, 3H, R, ER, BB, K, WP
• Rhymes 3-5, R, SB
• Burriss 2-4, R, BB
• Lozada 2-4, R, HR, 2RBI
Syracuse broke a 1-1 tie with a four-run 5th, capped off by Jose Lozada’s two-run HR, his first of the 2014 season. Indianapolis rallied for three in the 6th against piggybacking reliever Aaron Laffey and one in the 9th against would-be closer Manny Delcarmen to tie it at 5-5. Brock Peterson’s RBI single in the 10th reclaimed the lead and Delcarmen held it on his second chance in the 10th to give the Chiefs a 6-5 victory. Blake Treinen got the start and turned in four innings of one-run ball with three hits, one walk, and two strikeouts allowed. Will “Don’t Call Me Buster” Rhymes continues to swing a hot bat (12 hits, .429BA over last 7G) with a 3-for-5 night, followed by Emmanuel Burriss and Lozada, who both went 2-for-4. While I cannot confirm this beyond a shadow of a doubt, it would appear that longtime Nats farmhand Jose Lozada has become an umpire and was working for the South Atlantic League last summer
Harrisburg 6 Altoona 5 – 2017
• Blackmar (W, 3-1) 6IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 2K, HR, 3HBP; 1-2, R, BB
• Brinley (SV, 3) 1⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 0K, 1-0 IR-S
• Stevenson 3-4, 2R, 2B, BB
• Read 3-5, 2B, 2RBI, E(3)
• N. Soto 2-5, 2RBI
The Senators put up crooked numbers in the first two innings and got an insurance run late to edge the Curve, 6-5. Mark Blackmar gave up three runs in the first two innings but finished with four scoreless to notch a win and a quality start, through three of the eleven baserunners he put on were hit by pitch. Ryan Brinley worked around a single and a catcher’s interference in the 9th earn his third save. Andrew Stevenson singled twice, scored twice, walked, and doubled while Raudy Read drove in two while going 3-for-5 to lead the Harrisburg offense. Blackmar was a curious case. He was released in spring training in 2016 despite being just 24 and having thrown 151⅓IP with a modest line of 3.63/4.26/1.30 in 2015. After a strong 13-game stretch (6-2, 2.72) in the Atlantic League—considered the very best of the indys—he made two dominant starts for Potomac and was back at AA by July. Alas, he would fizzle in 2017, with this game being his final win as a professional.
Potomac 8 Lynchburg 3 – 2018
• Baez (W, 1-1) 5IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 7K, HR, PO at 2B
• Pantoja (H, 1) 3IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, 4K
• Kieboom 2-3, 2R, 2BB
• Mejia 2-4
• Soto 2-5, 2R, 2B, RBI
Potomac fell behind early to Lynchburg then rallied for two in the 4th then five in the 5th to cruise to an 8-3 win and take 2nd place in the C.L. North. Joan Baez notched his first “W” with five innings of two-run ball on four hits (one HR) and two walks. Jorge Pantoja let in one of the next three innings to earn the hold while Ronald Peña mopped up in the 9th, cordero’ing around two hits with two whiffs. Carter Kieboom, who made six outs on Friday night, reached base four times on two singles and two walks to lead the P-Nats’ 13-hit assault. Believe it or not, there were actually a few games in which Juan Soto did not homer for Potomac. In fact, the next night he would go 0-for-4, though he did walk twice.
Hagerstown 3 Hickory 0 – 2013
• Pineyro (W, 1-2) 6IP, 3H, 0R, 2BB, 12K
• Fischer (SV, 2) 3IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 6K
• Pleffner 2-4, 2B, RBI
• Severino 2-4, R, 2B, RBI
Ivan Pineyro and David Fischer combined to strike out 18 in a five-hit shutout as the Suns blanked the Crawdads, 3-0. Pineyro walked two and gave up three hits and struck 12 for his first win while Fischer struck out the side twice in the 7th and 8th innings and stranded a runner in the 9th for the three-inning save, his second of the season. Shawn Pleffner and Pedro Severino both went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI as Hagerstown took advantage of three errors to score three times on just seven hits and two walks. Pineyro would be traded in July 2013 for Scott Hairston, the second of three Nats-Cubs transactions that summer (Henry Rodiguez for Ian Dickson, David DeJesus for cash).