Friday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Probables |
| Rochester | Lost, 17-6 | vs. Lehigh Valley, 6:45 p.m. | Peralta (3-6, 5.94) vs. Nelson (4-2, 4.39) |
| Harrisburg | Won, 5-2 | vs. Akron, 6:30 p.m. | Herz (0-1, 15.43) vs. Dion (5-3, 2.79) |
| Wilmington | Lost, 2-1; Lost, 2-1 |
@ Bowling Green, 7:35 p.m. | A. Lara (4-7, 5.02) Curet (High-A debut) |
| Fredericksburg | Lost, 12-6 | @ Lynchburg, 6:30 p.m. | Sullivan (Low-A debut) vs. Gomez (5-8, 5.15) |
| FCL Nationals | Won, 5-4 | vs. FCL Cardinals, 12 p.m. | |
| DSL Nationals | Tied, 2-2 (Susp.) |
@ DSL Twins, 11 a.m. |
Lehigh Valley 17 Rochester 6
• Muñoz (L, 0-2) 3IP, 7H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 4K, 3HR
• Witt 2IP, 8H, 4R, 4ER, 0BB, 0K, HR
• Blankenhorn 2-4, 2R, 2B, HR, RBI
• Nottingham 1-2, 2BB, RBI
• Kieboom 1-3, R, HR, 2RBI
Lehigh Valley scored in every inning in a 17-6 demolition of Rochester. Roddery Muñoz lost for the second time in as many starts for the Red Wings as he was lit up for five runs on three homers and seven hits total over three (3) innings. Paul Witt wasn’t the least ineffective reliever but he was the only one not to issue a walk while getting smelted for four runs on eight hits while mopping up in the 8th and 9th. Travis Blankenhorn and Carter Kieboom both homered while Jacob Nottingham reached base three times to lead the Red Wings offense. Roster moves: RHP Malvin Peña reassigned from Harrisburg; C Jarrett Gonzales placed on the Development List.
Harrisburg 5 Akron 2
• A. Hernandez (W, 5-6) 7⅔ IP, 6H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 3K
• Schoff 1⅓ IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 2K, HR, 2-0 IR-S
• Wood 2-4, R, HR, 2RBI, 2K
• Hassell 2-4, 2R, HR, RBI, 2K
• House 2-4, 2K
The Senators got four in the 3rd and kept the RubberDucks underwater for a 5-2 win – their fourth straight. Alemao Hernandez pitched into the 8th inning for the first time in his career, getting 23 outs on 100 pitches (69 for strikes) while allowing a run on six hits and a walk and striking out three. It was his fifth AA win and sixth overall for ’23. James Wood connected for his 12th HR and 20th overall, becoming the first age-appropriate-to-the-level player to hit 20 or more since Daniel Johnson in 2017 (22 for Hagerstown and Potomac). Robert Hassell also homered while Brady House went 2-for-4 but struck out twice (so did Wood and Hassell… shhh). Roster moves: RHP Luis Reyes reassigned from Rochester.
Bowling Green 2 Wilmington 1 – GM. 1
• Luckham (L, 3-5) 6IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 5K, HBP, HR
• De La Rosa 1-3, R, BB, HR, RBI
• Farmer 1-2, 2B
Bowling Green got two in the bottom of the 6th as they took the opener, 2-1. Kyle Luckham went the distance for the complete-game-quality-start-loss, giving up a two-run HR and three hits total over six innings. He walked one, hit a batter, and struck out five. Jeremy De La Rosa accounted for the lone Blue Rocks run on his 7th HR while Caleb Farmer doubled and Branden Boisserie and Yasel Antuna both hit singles to round out the five-hit barrage.
Bowling Green 2 Wilmington 1 – GM. 2
• Cáceres (L, 0-5) 4IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 5K, HR
• Peterson 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• V. Peña 1-3, BB, 2B, RBI
• White 1-3, 2B
The Hot Rods got single runs in the 2nd and 3rd and held on for another 2-1 win to complete the doubleheader sweep of the Blue Rocks. Bryan Cáceres only gave up two runs in four innings on four hits (one HR) while not issuing a walk for the first time in 15 GS, but lost for the fifth time in eight A+ starts. Viandel Peña broke up the shutout bid with an RBI double in the 5th but couldn’t deliver the equalizer in the 7th after T.J. White doubled with one out. Murphy Stehly rounded out the three-hit assault with a single in the 4th.
Lynchburg 12 Fredericksburg 6
• Amaral (L, 0-1) 2IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 1K
• Denaburg ⅓ IP, 8H, 9R, 9ER, 2BB, 0K
• Morales 3-4, R, BB, 2B(5), RBI
• Crews 2-5, R, 2B, 3RBI
• W. Perez 2-5, R, 2-2B
The Hillcats became the latest Carolina League team to have their way with Mason Denaburg, who retired one (1) of eleven (11) batters in a nine-run 3rd. Lynchburg doubled up Fredericksburg, 12-6 to stop a three-game winning streak. The loss, however, went to Austin Amaral for giving up three runs on four hits and a walk over the first two innings. Yohandy Morales reached base four times with a walk, two singles, and his fifth double while Dylan Crews cleared the bases with his first double and also singled. Reigning POTW Andrew Pinckney singled twice in five trips to the plate.
Roster moves: LHP Erik Tolman place on the 7-Day I.L.; RHP Jarlin Susana placed on the Development List; LHP Liam Sullivan, RHP Merrick Baldo reassigned from the FCL.
FCL Nationals 5 FCL Marlins 4
• Polanco (W, 3-0) 5IP, 6H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 4K, HR
• Jimenez (SV, 1) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 2K
• Klassen 2-3, 2R, BB, HR, 2RBI
• Peoples 1-3, 2B, 2K
The FCL Nationals took advantage of four errors to score five times on just six hits as they hooked the FCL Marlins, 5-4. Bryan Polanco won for the third time with five innings of one-run ball on a home runs and six hits total while walking one and striking out four. Cristian Jimenez got the save with two scoreless innings, with one hit and one walk allowed and two whiffs. Blake Klassen walked, homered, singled, and drove in two to lead the F-Nats attack.
DSL Cardinals 2 DSL Nationals 2 – SUSP.
• H. Moreno 2IP, 1H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 3K
• Acevedo 1-2, R, HR, RBI
The D-Nats had a game suspended by the rain Forrest Gump pause again. They’ll make it up on Monday (maybe).
Why did Jake Lowery do that to Mason Denaburg? The kid is either hurt or not very good, and some difficult decisions lie dead ahead . . .
You could say the same about the whole season for Denaburg. I get it, Denaburg was drafted five years ago, and needs to demonstrate results fast. But bashing your head against the wall repeatedly hoping for something other than a headache isn’t exactly a sound approach. Seeing how the Nats love to make use of the Development List (Susana is another prospect in a long line to appear there), why haven’t they given Denaburg a break? Try to reset his mechanics or something? Or send him down to Florida? If they’re out of solutions, then why not just release him? Because right now it’s hard to watch. I can’t remember a player perform so consistently poorly for such a long period of time.
So sad to watch in real time.
And for our friends in Harrisburg, I sure hope you’re enjoying the show while it lasts. You’ve endured seeing a lot of mediocre guys over the last few seasons, but you’ve got a lineup right now that you’ll remember for a long time.
Scary stat from Luke about DJ Johnson being the last age-appropriate guy to top 20 homers. Glad we’ve finally got a little real power in the system. I had speculated before the season whether Wood or House could reach Tyler Moore’s 30 level (31 in 2010 and 2011). (Yadiel’s 33 in Fresno don’t count.)
Does 25 year old Jake Alu’s 20 HR 2022 season between AA and AAA not count as age-appropriate? In which case, Omar Meregildo’s 21 HR age 24 2022 season in A+ and AA is probably not too.
If it were all at AAA, yes, but it’s splitting hairs. The larger, perhaps less obvious point (which is on me) is that this first time we’ve seen someone (A) who’s undeniably a prospect (B) nowhere near the league average age (C) not repeating the level hit this many HR’s in a long time. Alu was a year older than AA average and in his second go ’round. Meregildo was in his third year at High-A and second at AA that same season.
That Soto kid did hit 36 in 2018 when he was only 19. Alas, the 22 of those at the level above AAA don’t count. Never say never, but it’s unlikely we’ll ever see anything like that again.
Yes KW we are enjoying the show in Harrisburg! Not only is it the great hitting, but the pitching and defense are outstanding as well. Young and House had diving catches last night. Wood’s homer was opposite field again and Hassell’s was to dead center.
This will definitely be a half-season to remember. Hope they can give you a second-half playoff run as part of it.
Like KW, I’m very happy for our friends at Harrisburg.
Things were dreadful last year, the one constant being it is still one of the best ballparks in all of baseball.
Missed among the hype surrounding Crews and co. in Fredericksburg, Roismar Quintana has very quietly turned his season around. His season started dreadfully, hitting .202/.264/.291 from April through June. But something clicked, and over his past 30 games, he’s hitting a robust .337/.451/.436. He’s still not hitting for the power you’d expect from a corner outfielder/1B, but he’s reined in a lot of bad habits. His strikeout rate over this period is down to a solid 20%, and he’s nearly walking as often as striking out (16%). Altogether, that’s a solid performance from a guy who is still a whole year younger than both Crews and Morales (and two years younger than Pinckney)!
Nice comments about Rosimar. His future is at 1B, so he’s gonna have to hit, and hit for power, to have any chance of moving up.
How much longer is Hobie Harris gonna take a spot on the 40-man? Didn’t get it done in DC and not getting it done in Rochester, either.
MLB Pipeline has updated its top 30 prospects. They have Lile ahead of Hassell, which seems a little reactionary. Crews is No. 1, and Morales, Sykora and Pinckney are all in the top 20, as are the two guys from the Cubs they got at the deadline. When 30 percent of your top 20 weren’t in your system July 4, shows there were still some holes and that the org is moving to fill them.
I still have high hopes for Quintana. He’s performing much better since he’s started getting more regular playing time. I think the power will eventually come. Dude is built like a brick-you-know-what house. No chance he only weighs 175 pounds (like his MILB profile says).
Yeah, he’s thick.
Delino bringing Felipe Alou wisdom to Sens
After seeing Paul Skenes made his pro debut, I was curious if the Nats were being abnormally cautious with Travis Sykora and it turns out they aren’t. At least not yet.
Of the 24 pitchers picked ahead of Sykora, only three have played so far: Skenese, Noble Myer (HSer picked 10th overall) and Hurston Waldrep (Florida, 24th). Further, only two of the 13 pitchers taken after Sykora in the 3rd round have made their debuts.