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Monday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Probables
Rochester Canceled OFF DAY N/A
Harrisburg Canceled OFF DAY N/A
Wilmington Postponed OFF DAY N/A
Fredericksburg Lost, 10-9 OFF DAY N/A

St. Paul vs. Rochester – CNCLD
Rain claimed the finale between Rochester and St. Paul. Because the two teams do not meet again in 2023, it has been canceled.
Roster moves: RHP Jordan Weems optioned from Washington; RHP Andrés Machado recalled to Washington, added to 40-man roster.

Somerset vs. Harrisburg – CNCLD
Likewise for the Patriots and Senators, though it’s because they do not play each other again in the first half.

Aberdeen vs. Wilmington – PPD
Aberdeen got a head start on I-95 traffic as the finale against Wilmington was called due to rain. They’ll make it up on June 21 at the tail end of the first half.

Lynchburg 10 Fredericksburg 9
• Denaburg (L, 0-2) ⅔ IP, 1H, 5R, 1ER, 1BB, 0K, 2HBP, WP
• Caceres 3⅔ IP, 9H, 5R, 5ER, 0BB, 2K, 3-3 IR-S
• Lile 3-5, 2R, HR, 3RBI
• Hassell 2-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI
• Green 2-5, R, 2B, HR, 3RBI
• 1-10 CS-SB att.

The bullpen reverted to the mean, letting in all three inherited runners and giving up six more over seven and a 1/3rd innings as the Hillcats downed the FredNats, 10-9. Mason Denaburg was given the hook after retiring just two of seven batters faced on 35 pitches, which was enough to lose for the second time. Bryan Caceres came in with the bases loaded and two out in the 1st and did his best imitation of ’76 McCartney as he let ’em in with back-to-back singles. The 23-y.o. was lit up for four more singles and three doubles before he was lifted with one out in the 5th. Offensively, the FredNats scored seven of its nine runs on homers by Lile, Green, and Hassell and had 12 hits total, including doubles by Green, Cruz, and Quintana.

14 Commments

  1. Any idea if Denaburg is hurt, or if this is just what he is now? He turns 24 in August. It’s been five years since they drafted him. He’s pitched a total of 65 pro innings. Sigh.

    The vaunted FredNats pitching staff — which includes Susana, Bennett, and Denaburg — is surrendering 7.75 runs per game.

    1. This is pretty bleak stuff from Denaburg. If the reports of his velocity being very down were accurate, then I fear we might be nearing the end of the line…

      I’d challenge someone to find a worse first round pick than Denaburg in the past decade (any team). Even with the Nats’ bevy of crappy first round picks, guys at least reach AA before flaming out. But more likely, they just end up being bad major leaguers (Seth Romero, Alex Meyer, Carter Kieboom, Brian Goodwin, Erick Fedde). I’d be surprised to learn of another first rounder than never made it out of low A ball…

      1. I’ll accept your challenge: Seth Romero was a worse 1st-round pick. He had red flags the size of Texas plus a history of elbow problems. I hated that pick at the time, and I also didn’t like the Denaburg pick. Both smacked of the “we’re smarter than you” attitude that, um, made Nat drafting a wasteland for a decade and directly resulted in the current deep hole the franchise is in.

        1. If you’re going to draft a kid with a questionable elbow, do like they did with Luzardo — take him in the 3d round and pay overslot. Also, the absolute worst value in drafts is taking a high school pitcher in the 1st round, even a healthy one. For every Clayton Kershaw who succeeds there are 50 Riley Pints.

        2. Denaburg drafted in 2018. 65 IP in his career? Wow. This season Mason has pitched 5.2 innings given up 12 hits, walked 7 and has 2 strikeouts. He’s wild, but when batters swing, he gets hammered. That is beyond belief awful.

          We are arguing about being the tallest midget here, but as horrible as Seth Romero was, he did have 3 MLB appearances, and had the occasional decent outing. The Romero pick was bad because his character flaws were known before the draft, and he exceeded the low expectations for poor behavior.

          At least Romero had some talent. Denaburg is injury prone and awful.

          1. LOL on the “tallest midget.” Fair enough. Romero did have impressive numbers in college between all the times he was getting kicked off the team (much better than what Cavalli and Bennett posted in college). I sort of discount his pro “success,” as there was no logical reason that the Nats rushed him from the alternate site to the majors in 2020. He was never anywhere close to the alleged “touches 98” from when he was drafted.

            So it’s sort of a case of Romero’s known character flaws (plus a plate already in his elbow) vs. Denaburg’s known arm issues. Definitely fail/fail in back-to-back years. If it were me, I would have put a few cents more on Denaburg being able to overcome his arm issues (as Fedde did; he just didn’t prove to be very good) over Romero being able to overcome being a moron.

    2. it was a weird inning for sure but he is clearly not the pitcher he was last April. a number of arms were shut down mid-year last year but when he came back his velocity was down. I suspect he is not healthy but I have no knowledge of it.

      he was injured when drafted, this appears to be a gamble that backfired. much like Romero, though the issues were different. I think the club has changed their approach, but it still hurts to get nothing from these two picks

    3. Too bad there is not a link to the old song “ I’m only human “
      Luke when one has to verify secure link
      Lol

  2. LOL, what a typical Elijah Green game: homer, double, and three K’s. His BABIP is .517, so something good is happening more than half the time he makes contact. He just needs to make more contact.

    Daylen Lile is looking impressive, all the more after a year of no game action. Let’s see how he handles it as the league starts to adjust to him.

    1. Agreed, Lile looks like the real deal. Can’t wait to see what he can do at Wilmington.

  3. Well I will say one thing though about Densburg :
    The Nats love to scout and draft out of the big two states of Texas and Florida .
    Maybe they were thinking the kid could incubate while hope rested in others shooting up the pipeline
    Now for Dylan Crews : my mind wandered to the Pirate lumber company in the 1970s where as a fan it was fun watching that lineup Danny Murtaugh ran out daily .
    Why not Crews if available
    ?? Wood Hassel House White Green
    Or any surprise grab this summer Nats can’t pass up on .
    Skenes if the the choice will be embraced 1000 pct .

      1. Have assumed for a while that the Pirates will take Crews, and the Nats Skenes. If the Pirates take Skenes, would be interesting to see whether the Nats emphasize pitching need over “best player available”. Crews is putting up historic numbers, but the Nats already have so many OF prospects.

      2. Crews Skenes Langford
        NHL ; Bedard , Fantilli , Carlsson
        And the silly draft lottery ping pong balls and pct numbers

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