Fresno 10 Albuquerque 3
• Espino (W, 3-1) 6⅔ IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 8K, HR, HBP
• Rainey (H, 1) 1⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 4K, 2-1 IR-S
• Gonzalez 3-4, R, 2B, RBI
• Marmolejos 2-4, 2R, 2B, RBI
• Keller 2-4, RBI
The Grizzlies clawed the Isotopes for four runs in their first and last “ups,” as they took the series 3-1 with a 10-3 triumph in the finale. Paolo Espino picked up his third win while being charged with all three Albuquerque runs on six hits (one HR) and two walks over six and 2/3rds innings. He fanned a season-high of eight. Tanner Rainey let in one of two inherited runners while getting out of the 7th and struck out the side in the 8th to earn his first hold. Like the Beatles in ’71, four guys went solo with Collin Cowgill hitting his 9th in the 1st, Matt Reynolds leading off the 5th with #5, Jacob Wilson smacking #13 two batters later, and Raudy Read going deep with one out in the 8th. Perhaps one of the most unlikely OGs has been Alec Keller, a 17th Rd. pick out of Princeton in 2014. His one above-average tool is just that: the ability to hit for average, as he’s, um, averaged .295 over six seasons with a modest OBP of .345 and not a lot of pop (.384 OBP).
Harrisburg 8 Richmond 1 – 2013
• Demny (W, 3-4) 6IP, 4H, R, ER, 4BB, 7K, HR
• McCoy 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Goodwin 2-3, 2R, HR, 2RBI, BB
• Rendon 3-5, RBI
• Leon 2-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI
Paul Demny’s turnaround continues with six innings of one-run ball in an 8-1 Harrisburg win over Richmond. The 23-y.o. Texan did walk four and gave up a run on four hits, including a home run but struck out seven for his third win. Fellow Texan Anthony Rendon continues to savage E.L. pitchers, going 3-for-5 for his 7th multihit game since his option back to AA. Brian Goodwin and Sandy Leon both homered and drove in two while LHPs Pat McCoy and Bill Bray combined for three scoreless innings to close out the game. Demny would shift to relief the following season. Despite two solid seasons, Demny left the Nationals in free agency after the 2015 season. He was released after appearing in one (1) game with the Bowie BaySox and finished his pro career in 2016 with four games in the CanAm League and 38 in the Atlantic League.
Wilmington 1 Potomac 0 – 2015
• Giolito (L, 0-2) 6IP, 5H, R, ER, BB, 11K
• Suero 2IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Mesa 2-3, 2B, BB
• Bostick 2-4
Facing the Carolina League’s weakest offense instead of its strongest, Lucas Giolito struck out a career-high 11 batters over six innings, walking one and letting in one run. He threw 84 pitches, 63 for strikes. That should have been good enough to win, but the P-Nats were unable to score a single run as they were shut out for the third time in 34 games, 1-0 by the Blue Rocks. Narciso Mesa singled, doubled, and walked to lead the Potomac offense, which collected seven hits and no walks on the night. Giolito was perhaps the most famous gamble on an injury-prone pitcher as he was taken in the 1st round of the 2012 draft and made one appearance before the inevitable TJ surgery. Nevertheless, he sat top the Nats prospect lists from 2012 to 2016 as he worked his way from the GCL in July 2013 to The Show in June 2016. He would be traded to Chicago (AL) as part of a three-for-one swap for current RF Adam Eaton, a deal that looked lopsided until last summer when Giolito won 14 games for the also-ran White Sox while setting career highs in IP and SO.
Hagerstown 10 Kannapolis 3 – 2016
• Baez 3⅔ IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 4BB, 5K
• Lambert (W, 1-0) 3⅓ IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 4K, 2HBP, WP, 1-0 IR-S
• Reetz 3-3, R, 3-2B, 2BB, 2RBI
• Gutierrez 1-3, 2R, HR, 2BB, 3RBI, CS
• Page 1-3, 2R, 2BB
The Suns scored ten times in the first four innings in a 10-3 win over the Intimidators. Hagerstown starter Joan Baez ran into the wall on his second turn through the lineup as Kannapolis scored three times with two out in the 4th to chase him from the game. Trey Lambert got the win, stranding one in the 4th despite a single and a wild pitch, and high-wiring three more scoreless innings with a walk, two hit batsman, and another hit allowed for the win. Jakson Reetz doubled three times and walked twice to lead the Suns attack, which was aided by four Kannapolis errors and nine walks. Considering he went undrafted out of Liberty University in 2014, Lambert put together a solid-but-short career. After a season in relief for the River City Rascals of the Frontier League, Lambert signed with Texas and began his affiliated career in Greensboro in 2015. He finished the year in the California League with a 9-3, 4.60 record in 20 starts. He was picked up by the Nationals after the Rangers released him from XST in April 2016 and spent two months with the Suns and one month with the P-Nats before he was released again. Texas took him back and sent him to Greensboro to finish the 2016 season. He became a free agent and has not pitched professionally since.