Whatever deal may have been had between MLB and MLBPA may ultimately prove to be moot, thanks to a resurgence in the coronavirus in both Florida and Arizona. Not coincidentally, both states were among the last to shut down and the first to reopen, not to mention this and this. Sure, it’s still possible that MLB could arrange to have spring training elsewhere, maybe even play elsewhere, but it’s pretty clear that the owners would be fine with simply not paying playing in 2020.
Syracuse 1 Buffalo 0 (10 inn.) – 2015
• Jordan 7IP, 2H, 0R, 3BB, 2K
• Billings (W, 2-3) 1IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Hague 1-2, BB
• Gwynn 1-4, RBI
Tony Gwynn Jr.’s walkoff single in the 10th broke up the Star Trek convention on the NBT Bank scoreboard for a 1-0 Chiefs win, preventing a three-game sweep by the Bisons. Taylor Jordan ran his scoreless inning streak to 14 with another seven frames, letting up just two hits and walking three. The win went to Bruce Billings, who worked around a pair of two-out singles in the top of the 10th. Syracuse managed just five hits total, with Ricky Hague the sole batter to reach base twice with a single and a walk. ICYMI in the comments… Hague was a 3rd Rd. draft in 2010 who suffered an injury to his throwing arm in 2011 that more than likely altered his career arc. After slugging .522 in 39G at Low-A, Hague never broke .400 until his lone season in the Atlantic League in 2016. He parts of three seasons at AA and finished his Nats and made it to AAA in 2015, but was released at the end of spring training in 2016.
Harrisburg 2 New Hampshire 1 – 2017
• Estevez (W, 2-0) 6IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, 8K
• Brinley (SV, 5) 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Sandford 2-4, R
• Keller 2-4
Wirkin “For the Weekend” Estevez got just enough offense and three scoreless innings from the ‘pen to take his second straight AA start, a 2-1 Harrisburg win over Richmond. Estevez struck out a season-high of eight with nary a base on balls as he pitched six innings of one-run ball on three hits. Brady Dragmire, Phillips Valdez, and Ryan Brinley each worked around a hit in a single inning of work to earn holds for Dargmire and Phillips and a save for Brinley. Darian Sandford and Alec Keller both singled twice while Jose “Orange” Marmlejos and Neftali Soto each drove in a run. Sandford labored in the independent leagues for five seasons after KC released him in 2011 before the Nats used him to plug a hole in the system in the summer of 2017. Despite playing just 50 games, he led the Sens in steals with 21 and was fifth in the organization. He returned to the Atlantic League in 2018 and stole 82 bases, then 74 last summer.
Potomac 5 Winston-Salem 4 (10 inn.) – 2012
• Ray 6IP, 8H, 4R, 3ER, 2BB, 2K, HR
• Carr 1⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 0K
• Holland (W, 4-1) 2⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Kelso 2-3, R, 3B, 4RBI, SB
• King 2-5, 2B
It was wild walk-off win Last Night In Woodbridge.Holland would set a career high in wins with seven in 2012, which he matched in 2014. The southpaw from Kentucky would reach AAA for six games in 2014 but developed Nats elbow and missed all of 2015. He returned for a third and final season at Potomac before becoming a free agent. He ended his career with the Indians, peaking again at AAA for four appearances before he was released in July 2017.
Greensboro 4 Hagerstown 3 – 2018
• Tetreault 5IP, 7H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 6K, HR, WP
• Bogucki (L, 1-2) 3IP, 4H, R, ER, BB, 5K
• Garcia 2-3, R, BB, SB
• Baez 2-3, BB
Hagerstown dug out from a 3-0 hole with a run in the 5th and two in the 6th but had no answer for Greensboro’s tally in the 8th, and lost 4-3. Jackson Tetrault went the first five innings and was dinged from three runs on seven hits, including a HR. He walked two and struck out six. The loss went to A.J. Bogucki, who let in a run over three innings on four hits and a walk while fanning five. Luis Garcia and Jeyner Baez both went 2-for-3 with a walk as the Suns pounded out 10 hits on the night.
Baez was a longtime backup backstop, spending two seasons in both the DSL and GCL, one in the NYPL, and finishing his Nats career in 2018. He converted to pitching in 2019 and struck out 36 in 33⅓ IP for Milwaukee in the Arizona League last summer, and appeared to have been ticketed for the Pioneer League for 2020 before he was released last month.
Auburn 9 State College 0 – 2011
• Bates (W, 1-0) 5IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 4K
• Jenkins 2IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 1K
• M Rodriguez 2IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Jimenez 3-4, 2R, BB, RBI, SB, CS
• Nieto 2-5, R, 2RBI
• Rowe 2-4, 3R, BB, RBI
The Doubledays made roadkill out the Spikes, pounding out 13 hits and scoring in six separate innings for a 9-0 victory. Colin Bates, Chad Jenkins, and Manny Rodriguez each gave up a hit while combining for the shutout. Rick Hughes was the sole batter to not reach base, as Hendry Jimenez led the offensive onslaught with a 3-for-4 effort, followed by Connor Rowe (2-for-4, two doubles) and Adrian Nieto (2-for-5, two RBI). The win was the third straight for Auburn, which leads the six-team Pinckney Division at 4-1. A 23rd Rd. pick in 2010, Bates would start for parts of two short seasons before converting to relief in 2012. He rose steadily from Low-A to AA from 2012 to 2014 and finished his career after a return to starting in 2015.