From the Archives: August 19
Yesterday would have been the All-Star game in the New York-Penn League, and in years past, we’d be speculating on who’d get the bump to Harrisburg to be eligible for the Arizona Fall League. Instead, the longest offseason ever continues and there’s no fall league in 2020.
It’s difficult to get that excited about the 2020 callups because they seem so surreal (and wouldn’t have happened under any other circumstances), though the ignorance of the beat writers is awfully familiar. With an uncertain future—and depressing present—let’s wallow a little in the past…
Syracuse 3 Indianapolis 2 – 2013
• Maya 7IP, 10H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 4K
• Lowe (W, 3-0) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Walters 2-4, RBI
• Solano 2-4, R, RBI
Chris Rahl singled, stole two bases, and scored a run. Not bad for a game. Even better with two outs in the 8th as Zach Walters drove in Rahl with the gamewinner for a 3-2 win. The win went to Mark Lowe, who tossed a 1-2-3 eighth. Yunesky Maya got the start and scattered 10 hits for two runs, walked none, and fanned four. Walters and Jhonatan Solano both went 2-for-4 with an RBI as to lead the Chiefs’ nine-hit attack.
Harrisburg 10 Erie 1 – 2010
• Milone (W, 10-5) 6⅔ IP 7H 1R 1ER 0BB 13K
• Jones, Jas 1.1IP 2H 0R 1K
• Marrero 4-5, 2R, HR, 4RBI
• Ivany 3-4, 2-2B, 2RBI
Tom Milone won his 10th game in striking fashion (13K), as the Senators downed the Seawolves 10-1. The 23-year-old southpaw allowed just one run on seven hits and no walks over 6⅔ innings. Offensively, Harrisburg started the scoring early in the bottom of the 1st with 2 runs and added two more in the 4th making it 4-0. Erie scored its lone run in the top of the 5th, but Harrisburg was just too hot today as they scored three more in the bottom of the 5th, then piled on with one more in the 6th then two more runs in the 8th to finish the night at 10-1. Chris Marrero led the 14-hit onslaught with a 4-for-5 night with four RBI.
Potomac 7 Salem 4 – 2012
• Swynenberg (W, 5-5) 5IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 2K, WP
• Wort (SV, 10) 2IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Keyes 2-5, R, HR, 3RBI
• Souza 2-4, R, HR, RBI, BB
• Martinson 2-4, R, HR, RBI
Kevin Keyes’s three-run shot in the first set the tone early as Potomac broke a three-game losing streak with a 7-4 win over Salem. Keyes, Steve Souza Jr., and Jason Martinson each singled and homered as the P-Nats pounded out 15 hits total. Matt Swynenberg got the win in his first start since July 14, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks over five innings. Rob Wort turned in two scoreless frames and struck out three for his 10th save.
Hagerstown 9 Hickory 8 – 2015
• Reyes 4IP, 5H, 6R, 3ER, BB, K, HR
• Cooper 3IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Glover (BS, 2; W, 1-1) 2IP, 3H, 2R, 1ER, 0BB, 2K
• Mejia 3-4, R, 3B, 3RBI, SB
• Marmolejos-Diaz 3-5, 2R, 2B
• Page 2-3, 3R, BB, SF, 3RBI
The lead changed hands three times in the last three innings, with Hagerstown walking off as 9-8 winners over Hickory in the 9th. Starter Luis Reyes was knocked for six runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk over four innings. The Suns scored four in the 5th and three in the 7th to take an 8-6 lead, but Koda Glover, with a little “help” from an error by Matthew Page, coughed up two runs in the 8th to tie it at 8-8. Page got his redemption for the error (one of four by Hagerstown) as he drove in the game-winner with a one-out single in the 9th.
Auburn 11 Williamsport 3 – 2017
• Raquet (W, 2-2) 5IP, 7H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 2K
• Cousins 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Choruby 2-3, R, 2BB, RBI
• Upshaw 1-2, 2R, 2BB, RBI
• Meregildo 2-4, R, 2B, RBI
The Doubledays got a touchdown and an extra point in the 1st and cruised to an 11-3 win vs. the Crosscutters. Nick Raquet was charged with all three Williamsport runs on seven hits, but walked none and struck out two for the win. Jake Cousins and Alex Troop both put up two scoreless to close out the game. Nick Choruby and Armond Upshaw both drew to walks and drove in a run to lead Auburn’s ten-hit, seven-walk offense.
While I miss following the Nats’ minor league system on a daily basis, the present contributions of Bacus and Garcia (and even Romero) are interesting to me. BTW, I heard Rizzo on the radio this morning, and rather than a trade at the deadline, it sounded like a few more pitchers are likely coming up from F’burg in the coming weeks.
Former Nats 1st round pick, and third piece in the Adam Eaton trade, Dane Dunning is expected to make his MLB debut today for the White Sox. Dunning’s route to the majors was delayed by TJ surgery after the 2018 season.
The trade obviously worked out for the Nats as Eaton was key piece in the WS Championship, but always wondered if the Nats could’ve made the trade without including Dunning as MLB ready prospects Giolito and Lopez were the central pieces.
With Dunning’s MLB appearance, every Nats’ first round pick since 2006 through 2018, has ascended to the major leagues at some point (not counting 2007 draft pick Michael Burgess who was picked 49th – compensation pick between the 1st and 2nd rounds).
The three Nats 1st rounders that have yet to make an MLB debut are:
2018: Mason Denaburg
2019: Jackson Rutledge
2020: Cade Cavalli
Dunning has been replaced by arms from Florida and other ACC/ SEC schools . Dyson especially . LSU duo tooo
Pivetta will play well in Fenway ?? Hmmmmm.
His destiny might have been AL all along . Oh that’s right Teams May jump around league line in the sands
Yes, that was big overpay for Eaton. If they had gave the Sox Rather do and one of the other guys you could have made a case.
I looked at the box score of the 2017 Doubledays game, and I think the only guys who played that day who are still with the Nats are Upshaw and Troop. (And it’s possible that Upshaw was released; I’ve lost track. But he hasn’t been very good.) That’s just a big whiff to have so few players from that draft/time to do much of anything. I mean, most of them didn’t even make it to Potomac. I still have some hope for Troop, who may benefit from a year of arm healing.
I’m not going to regret the Eaton or Doolittle trades. That flag will fly forever, and those two had a fair amount to do with it. I do think it’s a fair question, though, of whether Dunning had to be included in the Eaton deal. Eaton was coming off a 6 WAR season and was cheaply controlled for five more years, so he wasn’t going to come at a low price.
Crowe up as 29th man for doubleheader today. He and Romero would have had to be added to the 40-man before Rule 5 draft in December anyway. Who would have bet over the last two seasons that Romero would make his MLB debut before Crowe?
Fangraphs optimistically compares Crowe to Tanner Roark. We’ll see whether he can show that kind of consistency. I do think he can stick as a major-leaguer, but it may be more as a Stammen-type swing man/long man.