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Friday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Probables
Rochester Won, 9-8 vs. Buffalo, 6:05 p.m. Irvin (0-1, 4.82) vs. Zulueta (0-0, 0.00)
Harrisburg Won, 4-3 vs. Richmond, 7 p.m. Parker (0-1, 13.50) vs Zwack (0-0, 0.00)
Wilmington Won, 5-4 vs. Hickory, 6:35 p.m. Saenz (0-0, 6.00) vs. Santos (1-0, 0.00)
Fredericksburg Lost, 12-4 @ Fayetteville, 7:05 p.m. Susana (0-1, 18.00) vs. Fleury (0-1, 3.60)

Rochester 9 Buffalo 8
• Adon 5IP, 7H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB, 6K, E
• Mujia (BS, 1) 2IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 0K
• Weems (BS, 2; W, 1-0) 1IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 1K
• Baker 4-5, 3R, 3B, HR, 2RBI, E
• Alu 3-4, R, SF, RBI
• Barreto 2-4, R, HR, SAC, 2RBI, E

There was but one inning in which neither team scored but the Red Wings scored last, walking it off in the 9th for a 9-8 win. Joan Adon wobbled through five innings, with five runs allowed on seven hits and two walks. He struck out six but needed 92 pitches to get those 15 outs. The ends justified the Weems as Jordan blew the save by letting in the tying run on three hits and a walk in the top of the 9th. The offense bailed him out with back-to-back singles by Wilson Garcia and Yadiel Hernández, a sacrifice by Franklin Barreto, and another single by Kevin Plawecki. Rochester tallied 15 hits total, led by Darren Baker, who was a double shy of the cycle. Roster moves: UT Jake Alu activated from the 7-Day I.L..

Harrisburg 4 Richmond 3
• Rutledge (W, 1-0) 5IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 4K, HR
• E. Lee 3BF, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 0K, HBP, 1-1 IR-S
• J. Peguero (SV, 1) ⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Tostado 1-3, R, HR, 2RBI
• Antuna 1-3, R, BB

Former Flying Squirrel Frankie Tostado homered in the bottom of the 1st to erase a 1-0 deficit. Leonel Valera extended Harrisburg’s lead to 3-1 in the 7th with a two-double that sent Jackson Cluff home all the way from first. In the 9th, Evan Lee came on after Reid Schaller gave up a two-out single and threw four strikes… to three batters, walking two and hitting a third to let in that runner and load the bases. Joel Peguero came on to get the third out and earn the save. Jackson Rutledge earned his first AA win with five innings of two-run ball on four hits (one HR), three walks, and four whiffs. Yasel Antuna rounded out Harrisburg’s three-hit assault with a single in the 5th. Roster moves: OF Frankie Tostado activated from the 7-Day I.L.; OF Armond Upshaw released..

Wilmington 5 Hickory 4
• A. Lara 5IP, 5H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 4K, HR, WP, E
• D. Diaz 2IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 6K
• Schoff (W, 1-0) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• De La Rosa 3-4, R, RBI, 2B
• V. Peña 2-3, BB
• Wood 1-3, R, HR, SF, 3RBI

The Blue Rocks scored single runs in the 7th and 8th innings to take Game Three from the Crawdads, 5-4. Andry Lara struggled through five innings, giving up four runs on five hits (one HR) and two walks. He struck out four. Dannel Diaz and Tyler Schoff both put up two goose eggs to hold Hickory to four and enable the comeback, with Diaz striking out the side twice and Schoff getting the “W.” James Wood smacked a two-run HR in the 1st and plated a third run with a sac fly in the 3rd. Jeremy De La Rosa led the Wilmington hit column with two singles and a double, followed by Viandel Peña with two safeties and a base on balls. Roster moves: RHP Brendan Collins placed on the 7-Day I.L.; OFs Derek Hill and Donovan Casey assigned from Rochester for MiLB rehab.

Fayetteville 12 Fredericksburg 4
• Bennett (L, 0-1) 2⅔ IP, 4H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB, 3K, 64-35 PIT-K
• L. Young 3⅓ IP, 4H, 5R, 5ER, 1BB, 5K, 2HR, 2-0 IR-S
• Cox 3-5, RBI, SB
• M. Romero 2-4, 2B, RBI

Jake Bennett became the latest example of one-start-does-not-a-season-make as Fayetteville got to him for five runs on four hits over two and 2/3rds in a 12-4 smackdown of Fredericksburg. The 22-y.o. southpaw walked two and struck out three, throwing 64 pitches – 35 for strikes. Neither Luke Young (5R, 4H) nor Kevin Rodgriguez (2R, 3H) were any more effective against the #2 C.L. offense. Brenner Cox singled three times to lead the FredNats offense, followed by Maxwell Romero with a single and a double. Relax – Hassell did not appear to have aggravated his injury while striking out in his final AB.

29 Commments

  1. I was stunned that Upshaw was still with the organization this offseason. It turns out he missed all of last year with a secret injury.
    An 11th round pick in 2016, he never really hit with a career OPS of .647.

    The fact that Bennett is in Low A is bad enough, now looking like he’ll be stuck there awhile.

    All eyes on Susana as he gets to pitch in baseball weather for the first time.

    1. Seemed like in the first inning (missing bats) and the second inning (not missing bats) Bennett was throwing only fastballs. This may have been by design. Later on there was something that might have been a slider.

      1. Let’s see how hot the Red Wings offense gets with Casey and Hill once they return to AAA.

    2. Minor league free agents
      For Rochester
      Still awaiting that long awaited beltway trade between Birds and Nats
      Can’t wait to hear the peanut gallery comment on the additions .

      1. I’m referring to the red text in the description of the Fredericksburg game (telling me to “relax”)

        1. 12+ seasons of people asking why a guy was lifted from the game will do that 😉

  4. I’m going on down to Alabameee with a banjo on my knee. Oh , Susana .
    May the mid level non sexy prospect list starters gain some momentum and confidence
    What’s the story with Brendan Collins visit to the 7 day IR? Not quite witness protection .

  6. All four starters on Thursday were guys we’re told have MLB talent. Rutledge was the only one who came close to looking like it, and he still wasn’t great. Would be interested in reports from folks who watched him.

    Good to see Brenner Cox finally have a good night. Wood finally gets one over the fence. Everyone assumes that he’s going to have gigantic power, but that hasn’t actually been the case yet in games. And I’m OK with that. Concentrate on contact. The rest will take care of itself.

    1. I saw Rutledge pitch yesterday and I’m struggling to describe what I saw. I wasn’t overwhelmed nor underwhelmed. His outing pretty much matched his stats.

    2. Rutledge has made a slight delivery change since spring training. it appears to be in an effort to keep his front shoulder closed. his stuff is good, his command still a work in progress.

    3. Wood’s power is effortless, as his body fills out it will only increase. his bat to ball skills are what separates him from the rest.

  7. Dannel Diaz is a modern Jekyll and Hyde. He got rocked for 5 runs (3 earned) in only a third of an inning in his first game, and put in a dominant performance 6 Ks in 2 scoreless innings.

    Incredibly, he has a perfect 27 K/9 rate, striking out all 7 outs recorded so far. I’m really curious to learn more about the guy. He’s a 26 year old Cuban, who grew up in Cuba, but apparently fled in 2016 and seemingly hasn’t played professional baseball since. Now, 7 years later, he finds himself in A+ ball, with apparently pretty nasty stuff. A short article on him here: https://beisbolfr.com/fuentes-lanzador-zurdo-cubano-firma-con-washington-nationals/

    He’s way too old to be a prospect, but it’s fun to see an unconventional signing like Diaz. Yadiel Hernandez was more hyped and polished when he signed, as was Yunesky Maya way back in 2010. Diaz looks like a bigger project, and the team has shied away from these sorts before.

  8. I’m really pleased to see JDLR have a game without a strikeout. It seems he’s shaking off the rust slowly, having struck out in 10 of his first 18 ABs. He’s still hitting a solid .318/.318/.409. Still, small sample size caveat.

    Jake Alu, meanwhile, picked up right where he left off during his red hot September in AAA, when he hit .409 for the whole month.

    Nats player development continues to sputter with Luis Garcia’s big league struggles, and due to pretty gross mismanagement only has one option remaining.Meanwhile, Jeimar Candelario looks very much like the bad 2022 version of himself, and not the good 2021 version. Anyone willing to make predictions about where Alu eventually plays in DC: 2B or 3B?

    I suppose this issue will be forced by injuries than anything else.

    1. The Nats are committed to Garcia; so, Alu isn’t playing 2nd base this year, unless Garcia get hurt (he does have hammy issues). Candelario will be dealt by July if he shows a pulse. So, think there’s a better chance Alu plays 3rd on fairly regular basis at the MLB level this season, rather than 2nd.

      Beyond Alu, the lack of any middle infield prospects in the organization is stunning, unless you want to count Darren Baker.

      FWIW, if there was a prop bet on whether Darren Baker will get an MLB at bat this year, I would dive on the “yes”. He has out-performed his projection, and there aren’t really any other options in the system. Plus, the Nats will pump the story that Dusty’s kid who almost got trucked in the World Series as a toddler, made the bigs.

      1. Good calls, Pilchard
        In a rebuild any pulses in JC and Smith will have Rizzo shopping them at deadline for “ something “.

    2. I had pretty much the same thought as Pilchard, that they’re stubbornly dug in with Garcia, even though he seems to be following the Robles path of the last several seasons. Sigh.

      I’m pleasantly shocked at what Darren Baker is doing. I’m still not convinced that he has a particularly high ceiling, but if he can even reach Difo level, there’s value in that (although there would be more value if he was SS-capable).

    3. Re JDLR, I’ve never fully convinced myself that he’s a legit “prospect.” We’ve been told for years that he is, but he’s only had a half-season of success. Even then, he was repeating the level and riding .408 BABIP “luck.” FWIW, his current BABIP is .583!!!

      I didn’t understand the decision to add JDLR to the 40-man. There was no way he was going to be taken in Rule 5. Much like they’ve done with Antuna and others, they’ve started the option clock way too early on him and added unnecessary pressure. I hope JDLR pleasantly surprises me, but my suspicion is that he’s going to soon be an afterthought as so many of the other OF prospects gain traction.

  10. Luke after 12 seasons I’m sure you’re used to some fans not admitting that after the sixth beer watching some shotty baseball the attention span is warped .
    Just a generic comment
    Why else you think Wrigley Field sold so much Old Style for decades ?

  11. Has anyone been watching the Fayetteville Woodpecker feed this week for the FredNats? I love it. No commercials, so inter-innings they show the warm ups, the home field entertainment – no “Baseball Zen” with nonsensical loud sounds, no bet 365 commercials, it’s just like I’m at the field watching the game. The only “disturbing” bit is the guy doing the fan interaction has them yell “Go ‘Peckers”, borderline child abuse when it’s some kid.

    Tonight’s my 3rd game watching this feed – so far the Fred Nats seem not to have “wide” talent, a couple of talented kids but not enough mid range talent to give them depth. Susana looks good, but wish I’d see more swing and miss on off speed. Saw him his last start in F-burg last year and it just seems his FB is his only good pitch.
    Thanks to t-mobile for including MLB.tv for free – with the MiLB feed it’s the greatest thing ever!

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