Monday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Probables |
| Rochester | Lost, 5-2 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 6-4 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Wilmington | Lost, 6-3 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Fredericksburg | Won, 4-0 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| FCL Nationals | OFF DAY | vs. FCL Mets, 12 p.m. | |
| DSL Nationals | OFF DAY | @ DSL Angels, 11 a.m. |
Worcester 5 Rochester 2
• Adon (L, 2-4) 6IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 5K, HR, PTV
• Baldonado 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Hill 2-4, R, HR, RBI
• Alu 2-4, R, 2B(15), RBI, SB
• 1-11 RISP; 7 LOB
Rochester’s bats remained AWOL aside from the usual suspects as the Red Wings dropped the finale, 5-2 to Worcester to extend their losing streak to four. Joan Adon turned a serviceable start of three runs on six hits (one HR) and a walk while striking out five. But his third quality start was also his fourth loss. Derek Hill homered to lead off the game and Jake Alu plated the second Rochster run on a ground out. The top two batters both went 2-for-4 but the rest of the lineup went 3-for-25 with 11 strikeouts.
New Hampshire 6 Harrisburg 4
• Cuevas 6⅓ IP, 5H, 2R, 1ER, 2BB, 4K
• Sinclair (BS, 1; L, 0-2) ⅔ IP, 3H, 4R, 4ER, 1BB, 0K, PO @ 1B, 2-1 IR-S
• Vega 3-3, 2R, 2-2B, RBI
• Rutherford 3-4, 2B, 3B, CS
The Fisher Cats went to town on the Senators bullpen in the 7th, scoring five runs to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 6-3 lead. Harrisburg could only get one run back as they lost the game, 6-4 and the series, 4-2. Michael Cuevas pitched into the 7th for the first time this season but left after giving up two singles to the first three batters. Jack Sinclair got out of the inning, but not until he let in one of two inherited runners and four of his own for the blown-save-loss. Onix Vega doubled twice, scored twice, singled once, and drove in a run while Blake Rutherford fell a HR shy of the cycle to lead the Harrisburg offense.
Greensboro 6 Wilmington 3
• Diaz 2IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 4K, HR
• Huff 5IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 4K
• Ruwe (L, 0-1) 1IP, 3H, 4R, 4ER, 1BB, 2K, HR, 2WP
• V. Peña 2-4, R, 2B
• De La Rosa 2-4, 2B
• 2-14 RISP; 9 LOB
SSDL as Wilmington gave up four in the bottom of the 8th to break a 2-2 deadlock. The Blue Rocks get one back in the top of the 9th and got the tying run to the plate but came up short, 6-3 for the game, 5-1 for the series. Dannel Diaz made the start for reasons unknown as neither the Wilmington game notes nor the (on) crack Greensboro broadcasters mentioned it (“I think he’s from the Dominican”). The 26-y.o. Cuban was lit up for two runs on home run over two innings. The loss went to 27-y.o. Thomas Ruwe, who gave up the aforementioned four runs on three hits and a walk in one inning thrown. Viandel Peña and Jeremy De La Rosa both went 2-for-4 with a double to lead the Blue Rocks’ ten-hit parade with two (2) hits coming in 14 RISP chances.
Fredericksburg 4 Charleston 0
• Cornelio (W, 2-2) 5IP, 3H, 0R, 2BB, 7K
• Abreu (H, 2) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Thomas 1-3, R, BB, HR, RBI, 2K,
• Ge. Diaz 1-4, R, HR, RBI
Five relievers combined for four scoreless innings as the FredNats got their first shutout of the season, 4-0 on four hits. Riley Cornelio went the first five, allowing three hits and two walks while setting down seven on strikes, which earned him his second win of the season. Johnathan Thomas and Geraldi Diaz both hit solo HRs while Daylen Lile drew a bases-loaded walk and Branden Boisserie doubled in a run as Fredericksburg made the most of its five hits and three walks.
FCL Nationals, 3-2, 2nd Place FCL East, ½ game GB
The FCL Nationals are on a three-game winning streak after their first week of play. This week, the F-Nats leave West Palm Beach for games on Wednesday and Friday against the F-Mets and F-Marlins and are on the “road” today against the F-Astros.
DSL Nationals, 0-5, T8th Place DSL South, 4GB
Unlike a year ago, it’s been a rough go early as the D-Nats have yet to win. This week, it’s three of five on the road with home games today and Friday as the D-Nats are off Wednesday and next Sunday.
Two very good outings from our 7th and 8th rounders from last year. Neither Cornelio (4.46 ERA, 1.78 WHIP) nor Huff (6.13 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) have been very good this year, but Cornelio seems to have settled down after a rough introduction to pro-ball. His ERA has trended down in each successive month so far, and he’s striking out well over one batter per inning (41 K in 34.1). Huff has been more worrisome. He had a very aggressive promotion to Wilmington after only 6 IP in Fredericksburg last season, and it shows. He’s not missing many bats (30 K in 39 IP), and hasn’t strung together two good outings yet this season, but hopefully yesterday’s game will be the start of some consistency.
Meanwhile, Blake Rutherford keeps hitting. After a stellar May, hitting .341/.382/.561, he’s gone and one-upped himself in June, hitting .324/.361/.676. I wonder what the Nats have in mind with him? Harrisburg’s OF is crowded at the moment. For whatever reason, Nats brass keep giving Donovan Casey starts, and Nats uber-prospects Wood and Hassell also expect to get regular starts, leaving Rutherford with the remaining spots. Poor Terone (the artist formerly known as Trey) Harris finds himself almost always the odd man out. Though a simple solution (to me at least) is to promote one of these guys to Rochester. Hill and, to a lesser extent, Blankenhorn are the only OFs hitting well there.
I also scratch my head about what they’re doing with Rutherford. He’s only 26 and was once a 1st-round pick and top-50 prospect. He’s played exclusively at AAA the last two seasons, so it shouldn’t be surprising that he’s hitting well at AA.
What’s held Rutherford back in his MLB path seems to be that he hasn’t hit for enough power for a corner OF. His SLG is up considerably this season, and his K% is down. He still can’t take a walk, though.
Perhaps the Nats have kept him at Harrisburg to give guidance to Hassell and Wood, but he’s showing his own promise right now and really needs to be given a legit opportunity, at a higher level.
Luke snarkle time
Maybe Rizzo should draft the Stanford pitcher who wrote a thesis on circling around Tommy John !
156 pitch outing last .
Any word on why Jake Bennett didn’t make his scheduled start? Makes me nervous when pitchers abruptly don’t play.
I still think they should convert Blake Rutherford to 1B. Guy can hit. And why aren’t they moving him to Rochester? It’s not like he’d be taking playing time from some productive, high-end hitting prospect.
Was Bennett “officially” announced to start on Saturday or was that just a projection by someone? 5 days rest would be extremely surprising, because in Fburg, he was often pitching anywhere between every 6-8 days. If he doesn’t appear tomorrow, I’ll start to be more worried.
Draft / sign / sign 40 plus
Domestic and intl just to find 2.
Angels Sign Daniel Murphy To Minor League Deal per MLBTR
and the two that make it never want it to end
The Blue Rocks do not produce Game Notes. I’m on their Media List, which gets me announcements for promotions and schedules in the offseason (i.e., stuff I wouldn’t publish anyway).
We could make fun of the Greensboro broadcasters using a wooden stick struck to depict a hit ball and a recorded
Fan base on audio from a backwards
Radio shack .
As I the film Bull Durham ….
the Greensboro broadcaster is a trip but if you want something to make fun of the Rocks pitcher Ruwe provided the material. after striking out a hitter for the SECOND out of the 8th inning he screamed and started to walk off the field. the skipper even came out to give him time to get his mind back in it but to no avail, single, wild pitch and a home run later it’s 6-3 for the Hoppers
Take a peek at the Complex outfield
Starting this am
Cox , Vasquez and Peoples . Talk about greyhounds
May all 3 reach AA someday
So the Astros are interesting in a switch hitting guy who can play IF/ OF? Hmmm
There is a guy with initials JC on the Nats . Hmmmm
Nats know the Astros farm system well even in SS league .
As said in Sherlock Holmes film : unleash the hounds !
So I wonder if Oh Henry day falls on the same rotation day as Oh Susana day ??
Someone asked the other day if there was any scuttlebutt about whom the Nats might be looking at in the draft beyond the second overall pick.
While I have heard no rumors, I looked at several of the more-respected MLB draft prospect ratings to see who was around 40th because that’s where Washington’s second pick is.
A name that came up in the low 40s for the trio of MLBDraft Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law and Prospect’s live is Texas righthander Tanner Witt who fits the Rizzo profile in several ways.
He’s a college pitcher, his stock has fallen because he’s recovering from Tommy John surgery last year, and he’s big: 6-5. He’s also the son of a former Big League pitcher.
Outside the top 20, there are some wild variances in how the three source listed above rank the prospects. Some of the prospects sparked a disagreement of 20-80 picks, which is a reminder that ultimately, these lists are just really dude’s opinions published for our amusement.
But, on Tanner Witt, there is almost a consensus as they have him ranked 44th ( prospects), 41st (Pipeline) and 40th (Law). No other prospect in that range of the draft got anything close to that much of a consensus.
I’m not saying this is whom Rizzo is gonna take at the top of the second round. Nor am I saying it’s who I’d pick. (I’d like someone not coming back from TJ surgery, myself.) I’m just sharing that there’s some agreement by the so-called experts that Witt will be in contention to be picked there.
Witt’s one inning for Texas vs. Stanford Monday night certainly did not look like a second round pick. So, maybe not him for the Nats! At least not at pick 40.