Syracuse 6 Norfolk 3 – 2011
• Milone (W, 2-3) 7⅔ IP 5H 3R 3ER 0BB 7K 1HR
• Kimball (S, 5) 1IP 0H 0R 1BB 2K
• Aubrey 2-3, BB
• Marrero 2-4, R, 2RBI
• Brown 2-5, 2R, 2B, BB, 2RBI
Every Syracuse player except for McConnell got a hit, as the Chiefs made a team effort to beat Norfolk by a score of 6-3. Milone pitched his best game of the year, going seven and 2/3rds innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out seven. Corey Brown, Michael Aubrey, Chris Marrero, and Tug Hulett each collected two hits, accounting for four runs, two doubles, three walks and four RBIs between them. Plenty to choose from, but let’s go with an early site favorite: Tommy Milone would make his MLB debut with bang, smacking a three-run HR in his MLB debut though he would be knocked from the box in the 5th. Milone was eventually traded to… wait for it… Oakland in December 2011 and has won 50 games in nine seasons, including two for the Nationals – one in 2011, one in 2018. He spent 2019 with the Mariners and was in the O’s spring training camp this past March.
Harrisburg 9 New Hampshire 8 (10 inn.) – 2018
• Long 5IP, 11H, 5R, 5ER, BB, 0K
• Ames (BS, 2) 2IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 1K, HR
• Self (W, 1-0) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Hernandez 2-4, 2R, 2B, HR, RBI, 2BB
• Gamache 2-3, R, 2B, 2BB
• Soto 2-5, 2R, 2B, HR, BB, 4RBI, SB
Juan Soto wasted no time in making his presence known as he doubled in his first AB and homered in his second in a 9-8 win in 10 innings by the Senators. Kevin Long’s son started and was strafed for five runs on 11 hits and a walk and did not strike out a batter over five innings. He was in line for the “W” until Jeff Ames coughed up three runs in the 9th to allow New Hampshire to tie the game. A flyout and an error plated the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th, which gave Derek Self the win for a scoreless inning pitched. Yadiel Hernandez also homered while Dan Gamache singled, doubled, and walked twice to pace the Harrisburg offense. A tale of two MLFAs: Gamache would start 2019 in the Atlantic League but get picked up by the A’s to fill out the roster of the Midland (AA) Rockhounds the remainder of the season. Ames was released by Washington in June 2018, picked up by Colorado to pitch in AAA and AA to finish out 2018, and then signed a FA by the Twins, who released him last July.
Potomac 6 Myrtle Beach 5 – 2014
• Dickson 6IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 4K
• Spann (W, 2-0) 1⅔ IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 0K, HR
• Self (SV, 1) 1⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, K, 2-0 IR-S
• Pleffner 3-4, R, 2B, 3RBI
• Oduber 2-3, 3R, 2B, BB, SB
• Norfork 2-4, 2B, RBI
Potomac rallied from a 3-0 first-inning deficit and held off a late charge from Myrtle Beach to halt a three-game skid with a 6-5 win. Ian Dickson recovered from the early damage to toss five scoreless frames for a total of three runs on five hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out four but did not receive the decision. That went to Matthew Spann who was victimized by Pelican DH-to-be Joey Gallo for a two-run HR in the 8th. Derek Self stranded two inherited runners and pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save of ’14. Shawn Pleffner drove in the tying and go-ahead runs while going 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI to lead the P-Nats attack, followed closely by Randolph Oduber’s single, double, walk, and three runs scored in four PAs. Norfork would spend eight seasons in the Washington organization, including parts of four seasons with Potomac and Harrisburg. The “OG” played every position but SS and C, which means, yes, he pitched: a scoreless 15th and a four-run 16th in a 10-6 loss on 7/30/2014.
Hagerstown 2 Greenville 0 – 2015
• Van Orden 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, PO at 1B
• Napoli (W, 2-0) 4IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 6K
• Marmolejos 2-4, R, 2B
• Keller 1-3, BB
Three Suns pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout of the Drive for a 2-0 win. Drew Van Orden (3IP), Connor Bach (2IP), and David Napoli (4IP), each gave up one hit with Napoli earning the win while walking one and striking out six. Jose “Orange” Marmolejos singled to lead off the 7th and scored on Grant DeBruin’s RBI double. DeBruin took third on the failed play at the plate and scored on Jeff Gardner’s sacrifice fly to account for the two Hagerstown runs. A 5th Rd. pick in 2014, Drew Van Orden would top out at Low-A in 2015 after a 5-5, 3.61/4.33/1.20 in 23 appearances, 15 starts. He was released the following March at the age of 24.