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Wednesday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Probables
Rochester Lost, 7-4 @ Buffalo, 6:05 p.m. Espino (2-1, 2.76) vs. Bard (2-0, 4.26)
Harrisburg Lost, 18-8 vs. Erie, 11 a.m. Troop (2-2, 4.61) vs. Gipson-Long (3-3, 4.34)
Wilmington Won, 8-3 @ Jersey Shore, 11:05 a.m. Saenz (1-1, 2.22) vs. Vargas (0-0, 1.80)
Fredericksburg Lost, 6-4 vs. Columbia, 12:05 p.m. Bennett (1-2, 2.05) vs. Kudrna (2-2, 4.85)

Buffalo 7 Rochester 4
• Peralta (L, 0-3) 4⅔ IP, 4H, 4R, 3ER, 5BB, 2K, HBP, WP
• Ferrer 1⅓ IP, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 1K, 3-0 IR-S, PTV
• Alu 3-5, R, 2-2B(6), 2RBI
• Baker 1-3, R, 2BB, CS, E

Rochester took a 3-0 with a three-run 3rd but couldn’t get the pitching necessary to make it stand up as the Red Wings were trampled by the Bison, 7-4. Wily Peralta didn’t make it out of the 5th as he was dinged for four runs (three earned) on four hits and five walks while striking out two. Jake Alu picked up where he left off and went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored while Darren Baker reached base three times with a single and two walks to lead the Rochester offense. Roster moves: RHP Tommy Romero stashed on the 3-Day T.I.L.

Erie 18 Harrisburg 8
• Parker (L, 2-3) ⅓ IP, 5H, 8R, 8ER, 3BB, 1K, HR
• Alston 1IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Millas 2-5, 2B, HR, 4RBI, PB
• Casey 2-4, 2R, BB
• Tostado 2-5, 2R, RBI

The Seawolves plundered Mitchell Parker for eight runs in the 1st and cruised to an 18-8 victory. Parker retired just one of nine batters faced as he gave up a two-run HR and five hits total while walking three and fanning one. Garvin Alston was the only pitcher to emerge unscathed as Erie racked up 22 hits total. Drew Millas doubled, homered, and drove in four while connecting for the one Harrisburg (1) hit in seven RISP chances, though the Sens did collect two sacrifice flies. Roster moves: RHP Tyler Beck assigned from Washington (MLFA, released by Wichita on 5/13).

Wilmington 8 Jersey Shore 3
• Lara 3IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 4K, WP
• Knowles (W, 2-0) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 3K
• M. Perez (H, 4) 3IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 3K
• V. Peña 3-4, R, BB, 3B, 2RBI, 2SB
• White 1-3, 2R, BB, HR, 3RBI
• Barley 1-4, R, 2B, 2RBI

Wilmington broke open a one-run game with a four-run 8th to tan Jersey Shore, 8-3 in Game One. Andry Lara reverted to the mean as the BlueClaws pinched him for three runs on eight hits and a walk over three innings. Lucas Knowles (2IP) and Marlon Perez (3IP) combined for five scoreless to earn the win and the hold, respectively. Viandel Peña reached base four times, stole two bases, and drove in the last Blue Rocks runs. T.J. White erased a 3-1 deficit with an Earl Weaver special and scored a run in the 8th to pace the Wilmington offense. Roster moves: C Steven Williams reassigned from Fredericksburg.

Columbia 6 Fredericksburg 4
• Henry 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 5K
• Ciuffetelli (BS, 2; L, 0-2) 1IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 3K, HR
• Boissierie 2-4, R, HR, 3RBI, E
• Quintana 3-3, BB, RBI

Cole Henry put the Fireflies in a Mason jar for three innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five. He walked none. The FredNats bullpen, however, was not up to the task of, um, preserving a 4-0 lead as they coughed up six runs—with the “help” of three errors—over the last four innings for a 6-4 loss. Christian Ciuffetelli got the blown-save-loss with a two-run HR in the 8th that made it 5-4. Branden Boissierie drove in three with his third HR and an RBI single while Roismar Quintana led Fredericksburg’s 11-hit parade with three singles. Roster moves: RHP Cole Henry assigned from Rochester for MiLB rehab; C Wilmer Perez reassigned from Wilmington.

22 Commments

  1. It was a rough night to be a Sens pitcher. Every pitch Parket threw over the plate was hit hard. Erie player Colt Keith went 6-6, 7 RBIs and hit for the cycle.

    1. Is it time to consider moving Parker to the bullpen? He’s getting shelacked, walking the farm, and yielding an astronomical era. Maybe his strikeouts will play in the pen.

  2. Good to see T.J. White getting some traction.

    Gotta love that Cole Henry is back.

    1. Love me some tj white. Got to remember he’s been 3 years young at every level he’s played at. Cole Henry’s start was a necessary jolt in the arm for a Fredericksburg staff that is a distant last in era. Hopefully, Bennett is not long for Fredericksburg. Wilmington needs him and he needs the challenge.

  3. So happy to see Cole Henry back. It’s icing on the cake to see him return with such a dominating start. He also had a relatively quick recovery. Both Harris and Strasburg were much older, but their recovery times (if you can call them “recoveries”) were also considerably longer.

    Equally positive is Carter Kieboom’s surprise return to the Red Wings. Martinez’s interview sounded like we were heading for yet another long term injury. Really pleased that wasn’t the case. Hope the lat injury is now behind him.

    Lastly, what is going on with the catcher shenanigans? Why swap Wilmer Perez and Steven Williams? Neither are prospects, and Perez (25) was doing “fine” as the back up catcher in Wilmington, batting .240/.333/.320. Meanwhile, Williams (himself 24) has been repeatedly jerked around and not given playing time in Fburg, and is currently hitless in only 6 PA this season. Do they want Perez or Williams to get more playing time? Because it hasn’t seemed to be a priority as of yet. Also, as I’ve been saying, an easy solution would be to promote Millas to Rochester, Vega to Harrisburg, and allow Perez or Williams to get the lion’s share of starts in Wilmington. Millas is still batting .333/.459/.507 and Vega is repeating at Wilmington seemingly only because Millas is blocking him in Harrisburg.

    1. Plawecki opting out of his contract could be the answer to the catching moves. also curious as to when we might see Pineda

      1. Spot on FredMD ( Doobie Bros ) Listen to the Doctor
        I once took in a Sunday matinee game with my Dad in 1976 when the Chisox had the shorts pants uniform ensemble
        Jim Spencer had a Colt Keith day : 4 hits 10 RBIs most of them before the 7 th IP
        CLeveland was wearing their ( gotta be 5 pm somewhere ) Bloody Mary knits Boog Powell looked awwwful in . And Rico Carty .
        Nice first step for Cole Henry in his rehab
        Meanwhile we await Skenes from same alma mater in a few weeks .
        Luke when I verify if I am human after posting this comment
        The audio to the system should play the old song
        I’m Only Human .
        Or Jack Lemmons great last line in Some Like It Hot : But I’m a man ! ( Joe E Brown replies : nobody’s perfect !)

  4. Also, it’s good to see Alu pick up right where he left off in Rochester. Seems like his short promotion didn’t mess anything up. Still, it would’ve been nice if he could have gotten more than 3 games in the majors, but hopefully it was a learning experience for next time.

    1. Alu’s got a baseball reference page earlier than expected and is on the 40 man. Hopefully, he’ll be back at the trade deadline at his rightful position of third base after a Candelario trade. It was nice to see Candelario have a good game. We need a good couple months!

  5. The Senators game last night was the wildest damn thing. 🙂

    I got to see Jack Dunn pitch! Last year, I feel like I saw Dunn play every position on the field except pitcher and catcher, and now I can scratch one of those last two off. (I really really really hoped during the last week of the season that the Senators would let Dunn play all nine positions in a game. Alas…) I was glad I stayed ’til the end for that. Not many people did. Getting off the Island last night was real easy…

  6. Something I’ve been perplexed by: Brenner Cox’s move to batting leadoff for Fredericksburg.

    There’s a pretty strong case to be made that Cox has been the worst hitter in the farm system this season. He was very obviously struggling in the first month or so batting at the bottom of the lineup, but then he was inexplicably moved to lead off, where he’s continued to struggle (going 0 for 5 with 4 Ks yesterday). I’m not advocating to demote him or anything, but I don’t see how having him hit lead off is doing any good for him. Especially when there’s quite a few really good hitters on that team more capable. Lile’s good plate discipline and speed would make him a perfect lead off hitter, but I understand with his power why they want to keep him batting 3rd. Infante would also be a really good option, as well as Cortland Lawson.

    1. Looks like the FredNats manager read your post. Cox batting 9th. Johnathon Thomas leads off, triples, and scores on a Lyle RBI groundout. FredNats up 1-0.

  7. In seven AA starts last year, 23.2 IP, Cole Henry only allowed five total hits and two (2) total earned runs, while striking out 28. These numbers (in only his age-22 season) show why it’s a REALLY big deal to get him healthy. There’s no one else in the system anywhere close to this good right now.

  8. Marquis Grissom Jr. was activated (Fredericksburg), so Jeff can consider Grissom2Grissom for his handle.

    1. Grissom Jr. seems to have a lot of physical tools but didn’t have great college numbers at Georgia Tech. He’s still young (turning 22 in July) so hopefully the organization can harness the tools.

      The Nats have had such a fascination with MLB legacy draftees, although Darren Baker is the only one I can recall making it to the upper minors.

  9. Henry looked free and easy, threw strikes and blew away the first seven batters. A clean double and hard it fly out were followed by a perfect fastball for strike three and his night was over. stay healthy my boy!

    Perez keeps getting hitters out. doesn’t throw hard but can throw all his pitches for strikes and gets some swing and miss. it will be interesting to see what his ceiling is but he does not appear to have hit it yet.

    Alu riding his DC visit high, keep it going!

  10. Cole Henry threw 33 pitches last night. 27 of those were strikes. That is Greg Maddux level command.

  11. nice week for Viandel Pena, just watched him have a professional two out AB. fighting off tough pitches and drawing a walk to load the bases. let’s see if he can sustain it, still young enough to inspire hope

  12. Lara left after one batter into the fourth and a visit from the trainer. didn’t seem to be an arm issue. I wish they could get him to not fall off toward first so much

  13. Plawecki opted out. So catchers will have to move around again. What’s up with Israel Pineda?

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