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Monday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Lost, 5-0 OFF DAY N/A
Harrisburg Lost, 7-2 OFF DAY N/A
Potomac Won, 6-2 OFF DAY N/A
Hagerstown Lost, 11-6 vs. Kannapolis,
7:05 p.m.		 Bourque (4-4, 5.52) vs.
Lambert (0-1, 1.98)
Auburn Won, 4-3 @ Batavia,
7:05 p.m.		 Watson (1-2, 2.19) vs.
TBD


Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 5 Syracuse 0
• Lopez (L, 2-1) 6IP, 5H, 5R, 5ER, BB, 6K, 2HR
• Martin 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Taylor 2-4
• Bostick 1-3

The consternation continues as Reynaldo Lopez was taken deep twice, including a grand slam in his sixth and final inning as the RailRiders ran roughshod on the 22-y.o. en route to 5-0 win and a three-game sweep of the Chiefs. Lopez also coughed up a solo HR in the 2nd and five hits total. He walked one and struck out six while dropping his first AAA decision. Michael Taylor singled twice, Matt den Dekker and Chris Bostick once apiece to account for the four (4) Syracuse hits.

Trenton 7 Harrisburg 2
• Brady (L, 3-6) 6IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 3K
• Bautista 1-4, R, HR, RBI
• Rickles 1-4, R, HR, RBI

Rafael Bautista and Nick Rickles both homered but the two solo shots weren’t enough as Trenton thundered for five runs in the final four innings for a 7-2 win over Harrisburg in the series finale. Michael Brady turned in a quality start with three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three but lost for the sixth time. The Senators managed just six hits total with no walks and were just 1-for-3 with RISP.

Potomac 6 Wilmington 2
• Williams (W, 3-3) 8IP, 7H, 2R, 1ER, 0BB, 4K, HBP
• Brinley (SV, 13) ⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K, 2-0 IR-S
• Keller 2-4, 2R, 2B
• Read 1-3, R, BB, RBI

The P-Nats completed the four-game sweep of the Blue Rocks with another 6-2 win. Austen Williams became the first Potomac pitcher to go eight innings, giving up both Wilmington runs on seven hits with no walks and four whiffs to even his won-loss record at 3-3. Neil Holland put on two while getting the first two outs of the 9th before Ryan Brinley came on to retire the first and only batter he faced to earn his 13th save at High-A. Alec Keller singled and doubled and scored twice while Raudy Read singled, walked, scored once, and drove in a run as the P-Nats scored six times on five hits, four walks, and two errors.

Lakewood 11 Hagerstown 6
• Baez 5IP, 7H, 5R, 2ER, 2BB, 2K, 3WP
• Borne (L, 3-1) 2+ IP, 1H, 3R, 0ER, BB, K
• Noll 2-4, 2R, 2B, 2RBI
• Lora 2-3, BB, 2RBI

Hagerstown came back from a 5-0 deficit to tie it at 6-6 but the bullpen collapsed in the 8th as Lakewood won 11-6 to split the four-game series. Joan Baez went the first five innings and allowed five runs on (two earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out three. The loss was charged Grant Borne, as his two runners left to Philip Walby came around to score in the bottom of the 8th. Edwin Lora walked once, singled twice, and drove in two as did Jake Noll to lead the Suns’ offense.

Auburn 4 Batavia 3
• Dunning (W, 1-1) 5IP, 3H, R, ER, 2BB, 5K
• Serrata (H, 1) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• A. Martinez 2-3, R, BB
• Barrera 2-4, 2B, RBI

The Doubledays survived a late charge from the Muckdogs to win this one, 4-3. Dane Dunning got the win with five innings of one-run ball on three hits and two walks while setting down five on strikes. Brayan Serrata pitched two scoreless to earn the hold. The save was credited to Jonny Reid despite a Soriano-esque line of two runs on four hits (and a two-run HR) and a walk over the final two innings. Andres Martinez reached base three times with a pair of singles and a walk to lead Auburn’s ten-hit parade. Roster moves: OF Oliver Ortiz reassigned from the GCL.

7 Commments

  1. Looking for a silver lining on a bleak day, Dunning had a very strong start. He looks like he can be a capable starter and probably open 2017 at Hagerstown, the type of progression you want from a first-rounder.

    Lopez is at 111 innings for the year after 99 in 2015. He could be just running out of steam. Shutdown is probably at ~120. I’ve been saying all along that the late-season bullpen dreams for the big club are unlikely, even more so now.

    1. Lopez was pretty dominant for a long stretch – perfect 2,3,4,5 innings and throwing strikes. Then two walks an hit and he gave up a grand slam in the sixth. I think we are selling him short. He is a starter all the way, and a man with a future in the majors.

      Glover is the reliever to watch on the farm with Melancon in the fold.

      1. Agree that Lopez’s outing was better than it initially looked. Through 5 innings he had given up 1 run; 2 hits; no walks and 6 ks; four three up – three down innings, and had retired 10 in a row. Then, to start the six, he gave an infield hit to start the 6th, and then a walk, single and boom – grand slam.

        BTW, did the Nats announce an innings limit for Lopez this year or is this just speculation based upon how the Nats have limited the innings of other pitchers? Get the feeling that the Nats are not shutting Lopez down. Did the Nats bring Lopez to the Instructional League last October? If so, he may have pitched more innings last year than 99.

        1. Rizzo indicated at some point that instructional league innings would be counted in Giolito’s limit, extending him 10-15 IP more than his regular-season innings would indicate, but I haven’t heard mention for Lopez. Nats’ shutdown pretty consistently has been at a 20% innings increase over the previous season.

          I’m very much in the camp of Glover being the primary late-season relief option for the big club. I can’t understand why he keeps being used for two innings at a time at Syracuse. They don’t seem to be “saving” him for potential later-season use.

          I’m also convinced that Lopez can be an MLB starter. I wouldn’t rule out some Sept. MLB relief work, though, to see how he takes to it. But arm health for the future should be the primary concern.

          1. Fedde is a notable exception… edging towards 100IP after 64 last season. I thought about bringing that up in the last LNIW, noting that he’s either going to be promoted (which he was) or shut down (which he still may be, like Karns and Meyer in ’12).

  2. Time for a couple of shoutouts. First, to Brian Goodwin, who after 500+ games and 1900+ AB’s in the minors, finally gets the call. There were times that it didn’t look like he would make it, but he kept at it and this is his reward. Good for him!

    Also, Tony ‘Help Me’ Renda was called up by the Reds Friday. Didn’t really think at the time that he was going to make it, but here he is. He was part of the Aroldis Chapman trade and the Reds didn’t waste any time before calling him up.
    This makes me even more excited about Max Schrock, who has exceeded Renda every step of the way.

    Looking better every day the Mike Rizzo didn’t trade Fedde, he’s been awesome.

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