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Thursday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Probables
Rochester Lost, 20-3 vs. Buffalo, 5:05 p.m. Cavalli (0-3, 6.00) vs. Allgeyer (4-4, 5.21)
Harrisburg Canceled @ New Hampshire, 6:35 p.m. TBD vs. TBD
Wilmington Canceled @ Bowling Green, 7:35 p.m. A. Hernández (4-2, 4.14) vs. Mercado (2-5, 5.37)
Fredericksburg Lost, 7-3 vs. Lynchburg, 7:05 p.m. Merrill (2-2, 5.14) vs. Jones (3-9, 4.31)
FCL Nationals Lost, 10-5 vs. FCL Mets, 12 p.m.
DSL Nationals OFF DAY @

Buffalo 20 Rochester 3
• Fuentes (L, 0-3) 3IP, 12H, 10R, 9ER, 2BB, 3K, HR(not a GS)
• Rainey 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Robles 3-5, R, 2-2B, SB
• Castillo 2-4, 2RBI; 1⅔ IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, BB, 0K, HR

The Red Wings shut out the Bisons for two innings last night, but in the other seven frames it was good old-fashioned ass-kicking to the tune of 20-3. Steven Fuentes was stampeded for ten runs on 12 hits and two walks over three-plus innings. He struck out three. After Tanner Rainey struck out the side in the 4th, Buffalo had BP against Sterling Sharp (6H, 4R), Nick Wells (2H, 4R), and Ali Castillo (3H, 1R). Some guy named Victor Robles singled once and doubled twice while stealing a base.

Harrisburg vs. New Hampshire – CNCLD (RAIN)
Rain delayed the start of the game and they were able to get about three innings in before the tarp was pulled (see above) and the game did not resume. It will apparently not be resumed or made up.

Wilmington vs. Bowling Green – CNCLD
Rain cancelled Game Two between the Blue Rocks and Hot Rods. They’ll resume play tonight, weather/field conditions permitting.

Lynchburg 7 Fredericksburg 3
• A. Lara 4IP, 3H, 2R, ER, 3BB, 2K, HR
• Collins (L, 0-2) 1⅓ IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, BB, 3K
• Baker 3-5
• Boisserie 2-4, 2R, 2B
• J. De La Rosa 2-4, 2B, E(8)

Lynchburg broke out for four in the 8th to break a 3-3 tie and took Game Two, 7-3. Andry Lara made it through four innings, allowing two runs on three hits (one HR) and three walks. He struck out two. The loss went to Brendan Collins, as the Hillcats went all Earl Webb on him with four doubles in the space of five batters. Darren Baker led the F-Nats hit column with three singles while Jeremy De La Rosa and Brenden Boisserie both went 2-for-4 with a double to lead the Fredericksburg offense.

FCL Marlins 10 FCL NAtionals 5
• M. Gomez (L, 1-3) 3⅓ IP, 6H, 5R, 3ER, 2BB, 4K
• Ferrer 3IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, 4K
• White 2-4, 2R, HR, RBI
• Sullivan 2-3, 2B, BB, 2RBI
• Arias 1-4, R, HR(5), RBI

An early 1-0 FCL Nats lead went bye-bye the FCL Marlins scored in five straight innings to take this 10-5. Miguel Gomez was lit up for five runs on six hits and two walks over three and a 1/3rd inning to take his third loss. T.J. White smacked his 4th HR while Andry Arias went deep for the 5th time, though both HRs were solo shots. Jake Sullivan doubled in two for the FCL Nats’ lone hit in six RISP chances.

DSL Nationals – OFF DAY
The 4th-place D-Nats close out the week with two today and tomorrow against the 5th-place D-Angels, then a Saturday double-dip against the D-Astros.

24 Commments

  1. Oh goodness re Fuentes. A performance like that leads one to believe that he isn’t fully healthy/recovered. But even more, shame on old-school LeCroy for leaving him out there to “take one for the team.”

    Of the draft picks pushed to Fredericksburg, Baker is the only one who is hitting, although good to see a couple of knocks by Boisserie. I don’t know that Boisserie is going to have the power to stay at 1B, though, so I don’t know what their plans are for him. At FCL, White continues to flash the power. As I’ve noted, some scouts had a 70 power grade on him, plus he just turned 18 in late July, so he’s still very young and may have some growth left. With his profile, I didn’t understand why he fell to the 5th round, other than I don’t think he played that much on the prep all-start circuit.

    1. Nats had White and House at the Area Code games. They also drafted Lile who had five hits in a game against them 🙂

      They had Termarr Johnson and Elijah Green this year, and Johnson made the senior team as a junior last year. I believe they had Green last year on the underclassman team.

      2. Nats currently in the #5 draft position, so either of those guys might be in play. Nats currently are two games worse than the Marlins, 3.5 worse than the Twins. They seem likely to be picking #5 or #6 in what is said to be a stacked draft.

        1. I think thete is a pretty good chance Green will be there. It depends on signing demands, ect. Reggie Crawford showing he can be a starter and throw high 90s from the left side would help. Brooks Lee is a safer pick, but still high upside. Jace Jung would make sense for Texas since they have his brother. It is all for away, but Green could be there. He K’d 26 times in 59 ABs in the summer showcase games. House dropped for this reason.

          1. 1) Reggie Crawford UConn.
            2) Brooks Lee Cal Poly.
            3) Pittsburg cuts a deal with a cheaper signee possibly Termarr Johnson.
            4) Jace Jung Texas Tech.
            5) Nats luck out for the 2nd year in a row and get Green.

            It likely won’t work out this way, but this is an example. Because of the Ks for Green and the size/questionable defense for Johnson, one or both could fall to 5.

          2. As I’m sure you know, there can be a lot of volatility in draft stock by next summer, particularly among collegians. After all, at this time after their sophomore seasons, Tyler Dyson and Drew Mendoza were in conversation to be top 5 overall picks.

            For 2022, Kumar Rocker will remain a real wild card as well. I saw one board that had him all the way down at #29. If he can go somewhere and prove that he’s healthy, he very much could be back in top-5 conversation . . . and, particularly as a Boras client, in Nats conversation. I’m not predicting this, but stranger things have happened. Or, like Dyson, his stock could really drop. I thought Rocker and House were the highest-ceiling prospects in the 2021 draft, . . . but I’ve been wrong before.

  2. What to do with Steven Fuentes? He’s still on the 40 man but now seems a long way from contributing to the big club. That must have been life changing injury he had.

    18 year old Andry Lara is adjusting well to Low A. He’s another reason to be excited about Fredericksburg next year.

    1. We could easily see something like House, White, Lile, Quintana, and Lara to start Fburg’s season.

      2. My guess would be that de la Rosa will start 2022 back in F-burg and that Quintana would be the OF staying behind at West Palm, at least to start the season, in part simply because he’s been able to play very little this summer. So F-Burg OF of White, de la Rosa, and Lile. House definitely should be there on the infield. F-Burg will jump from being one of the least talented rosters in the system in 2021 to probably the most stacked in 2022. And the rotation could have Lara and Denaburg.

          1. If it was a straightforward TJ, he could be back in action by early next season, albeit on a short leash. Denaburg has had multiple arm issues since he was drafted, though, so who knows whether his recovery timetable will be straightforward.

    2. I still think Fuentes can be an effective reliever at the MLB level. Considering how gosh-awful our MLB bullpen has been, there should be open auditions for replacements. I have NO idea why they’re still trying to make a starter out of Fuentes, though, but then one could say that about 10-15 other guys in the system.

      I don’t understand why they don’t work to develop guys specifically as relievers. It’s a totally different mentality to come in in a relief situation, and a totally different preparation. That’s why I was shocked that they brought up Seth Romero as a reliever last season, when he had never worked in relief.

    3. Developmental list with Karlo S and Brain Fernandez ?
      Surely not Ti for paternity maternity situation
      Unless you call it giving birth to mediocre ..

  3. I’m having deja vu. I distinctly remember writing two years ago how it made little sense for Jose Ferrer to remain in the GCL, after regularly mowing down rookie ball hitters.

    Well, here we are in 2021, and Ferrer is still mowing down rookie ball hitters. Ferrer has had his share of bumps along the road, but overall he’s been nothing short of dominant in his now 3 seasons of professional baseball, with his stats this year, perhaps being his best yet. But why is he repeating at a level he mastered two years ago?

    The Fredericksburg pitching staff sucks. It’s got a collective 5.35 ERA (2nd worst in the league), and the worst strike out rate. They’ve had a lot of unjustified patience with old (for the level) relivers such as Troy Stainbrook, Leif Strom, Tomas Alastre, Matt Merrill, Tanner Driskill and Trey Turner (even if several of those guys aren’t around anymore). What’s is gonna take to give Ferrer a chance?

  4. Luke was correct! We saw 3 innings in NH last night. Rain delayed the start of the game for about 75 minutes. Sens losing 3-0 when the rain reappeared and cancelled the game. Adon didn’t look good and the defense didn’t help by throwing the wet ball around. Another 7 inning game scheduled for tonight. No rain in the forecast today!

  5. RE: Sens as home team, my best guess is it would be one less inning for NH to have to pitch (due to covid).
    Same situation for tonight.

  6. House out of the lineup today. They subbed for him defensively during the top of the seventh yesterday. Possible injury?

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