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Tuesday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Lost, 8-6 @ Buffalo,
6:05 p.m.		 McGowin (1-2, 6.39) vs.
Valdez (1-0, 0.00)
Harrisburg OFF DAY vs. Bowie,
6:35 p.m.		 Long (3-2, 2.16) vs.
Means (1-3, 3.75)
Potomac Lost, 2-0 vs. Wilmington,
7:05 p.m.		 Reyes (2-5, 6.27) vs.
Rodgers (0-1, 3.38)
Hagerstown Lost, 13-2 @ Asheville,
11:05 a.m.		 C. Pena (1-2, 9.36) vs.
Julio (3-3, 3.62)

Buffalo 8 Syracuse 6
• Cole 2⅔ IP, 5H, 6R, 6ER, 2BB, 1K, HBP, WP
• Nathan (L, 0-1) 2IP, 1H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 1K
• Stevenson 2-4, R, 2RBI
• Robinson 2-4
• Bautista 1-3, 2R, BB, RBI, 2SB

An error and a passed ball led to the two unearned runs that won it for the Bisons, 8-6 over the Chiefs. A.J. Cole didn’t make it out of the third inning as he was stampeded for six runs on five hits and two walks over two and 2/3rds innings. Joe Nathan took the loss with a hit and two walks allowed over two innings. Andrew Stevenson and Clint Robinson both went 2-for-4 to lead the Syracuse offense. Roster moves: RHP Austin Adams placed on the 7-Day DL; LHP Matt Grace optioned from Washington.

Harrisburg – OFF DAY
After splitting a four-game series at Trenton, Harrisburg hosts Bowie for three before heading back out on the road for seven against Richmond and Erie. Roster moves: RHP Taylor Hill demoted from Syracuse.

Wilmington 2 Potomac 0
• Baez (L, 1-5) 5⅔ IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 4BB, 4K, WP
• Schepel 2⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, 1-0 IR-S
• Gushue 1-2, 2BB
• Gutierrez 2-4, SB

Blue Rocks starter Scott Blewett didn’t as he combined with Franco Terrero on a four-hit shutout of the P-Nats, 2-0. Joan Baez took the loss despite pitching well, letting in both Wilmington runs on five hits and four walks while striking out four. Kyle Schepel and Jorge Pantoja retired 10 of 12 batter faced to keep things close. Taylor Gushue singled once and walked twice while Kelvin Gutierrez doubled, singled, and stole a base. The rest of the lineup went 1-for-25 (Edwin Lora, double). Roster moves: LHPs Grant Borne, Taylor Guilbeau reassigned from Auburn; RHPs Whit Mayberry, Sam Held removed from the roster.

Asheville 13 Hagerstown 2
• Bourque (L, 0-2) 5IP, 7H, 7R, 6ER, 0BB, 6K, HR
• Noll 2-4, R
• Corredor 2-4, 2B

Asheville jumped on James Bourque for five in the 1st and never looked back in a 13-2 smackdown of Hagerstown. Bourque gave up seven runs (six earned) over five innings to take his second loss. Neither Yonathan Ramirez (2R, 2IP) nor David Ramos (1IP, 4R) were less ineffective in relief. Jake Noll, Aldrem Corredor, and Sheldon Neuse each had two hits but no RBI as the Suns were 0-for-11 with RISP and left seven runners on base.

15 Commments

  1. Cole now has an 8.31 ERA, 1.89 WHIP, .337 average against. Taylor Hill had a 9.29 ERA, 1.87 WHIP, and .374 average against. This is a guy who once had a 2.81 ERA for a season in AAA and got a cup of MLB coffee out of it. Hope he finished that Vandy degree . . .

    Speaking of guys who should finish their Vandy degrees, Wiseman is down to .211.

    Now Austin Adams to the DL when he might have been the next man up with the Nats. Gott and Martin pitched well yesterday, though.

    I don’t know if anyone has mentioned 30th-round pick Jorge Pantoja, but he’s unscored upon in 8 IP at Potomac, with 9 Ks, after only giving up one run in 9.2 IP at Hags. He was strong at Hags last year as well, very quietly.

    1. I should add that I’ve had high hopes for Wiseman since he was drafted and really hope he can pull things together. There are a lot of Potomac hitters struggling, even Robles down to .259. Davidson is at .236, Sagdal at .230, Mejia at .234.

      1. You guys would have written Larry Walkers obituary when he was hitting .200 @ Indianapolis before everything came together
        The rest is history
        Right , Luke ?

        1. Walker was already in the majors by the time he was the age of all the guys referenced, except Robles. He had also hit more minor-league HRs than all of these guys combined!

          I’m not condemning anyone to the scrap heap, just pointing out that there’s a lot of scuffling going on. I think T-Mo was hitting in the .150s at midseason in the year he ended up hitting 31 HRs at Potomac.

    2. I was not impressed by Jorge P
      Last summer. He looked like BP tosser
      Hill to Sens to full the hole of Fedde
      Bumped up soon??

  2. Can anyone explain what the heck is going on with Grant Borne? Is he allergic to spring or something? This same thing happened last year. He got a game or two in Hagerstown, then disappeared for a couple months. We’ve also been toying with his as a starter since we drafted him in 2015.

    He’s 23, but he seems to be getting the same treatment a DSL/HS draftee would receive; lots of instructionals, limited playing time, tinkering with his use, etc.

    Any Potomac watchers have any insight?

    1. Borne had given up no runs in 7.2 IP, so his disappearance was indeed mysterious. Guilbeau had pitched the same 7.2 innings but had given up 10 ER, so perhaps it’s his reappearance that’s mysterious . . .

      Seriously, though, unless Borne was hurt or had some mechanical issue they were trying to fix offline, why were they giving starts to an older guy like Mayberry instead of the younger sorta-prospect? Mayberry’s a local product, so it’s good that the team has given him a look (after signing him last year from an indy league), but he’s almost 27.

  3. Cole’s struggles just further confirm that Eric Fedde is going to pitch for the Nats this year. Joe Ross is out of sorts. Austin Voth’s ERA is over 5 and his WHIP is about 1.5. Hill is not an option as set forth in KW’s post. Jacob Turner has failed multiple MLB tryouts as a #5 starter, very doubtful that he suddenly will be a reliable MLB starter. Barring an injury to Fedde or a complete collapse in performance, Fedde will be pitching for the Nats by July 1 (maybe earlier).

    1. What exactly has happened to Joe Ross? He pitched very well last year, then got injured and seemingly fell off a cliff.
      Was the injury more severe that i thought it was? Or was he never considered to be that good to start off with and that last year’s stats were a mirage?

      1. According to the WaPo beat writers, the Nats sent Ross to work on his arm slot (he’s been dropping down to 3/4 too much) and to build up strength, whatever that’s supposed to mean. There’s speculation that Ross could be called up to make the start in Pittsburgh tomorrow, although there’s no one obvious to be sent down. It seems more likely that Jacob Turner will make the start.

        If the issues continue with the fifth slot in the rotation, I imagine that Fedde will get a look this season, but I’d bet not until after the always-hazy Super Two date sometime around mid-June.

        1. Thanks KW. Hope he can round back into form then. With the regression of Cole and Voth, and seemingly only Fedde doing well, the Nats desperately need Ross to get back on track (or at least, improve his stock enough in order to be used as a trade chip).

  4. The disappointments on the pitching side are considerable. I think we will see that reflected in the drafting strategy come June. And if a pitcher who is a close to the majors college product is there at #25, I can see the Nats going that route. Lange from LSU was the kind of pitcher who profiles as a faster riser if he is slotted as a closer.

    With players like Johansen being cleared away, Giolito, Lopez, Dunning, Avila (and Hearn) traded, Mapes on the DL, others like Hill, Martin, Gott seemingly falling off, the best of prospects like Voth whiffing on their chance, the upper level cupboard is pretty bare, and upward mobility just took another hit with Rodriguez getting a PED suspension. Even the lower minors have showed disappointing progress among promising arms, such as Baez and Weston Davis.

    Lots of position players came into the system last summer on the international side. I think that spells a real pitching heavy draft, and I can see the Nats going heavy college to increase signability and then, going aggressive to reel in a Tyler Watson type in a late round.

    The most frustrating news on the minor league front has been the degree of underperformance of the second highest tier prospects in the system — and the two higher rated who have overperformed, Soto and Kieboom, are now injured. AARGH.

    Wire to wire, the most interesting positive development not yet injured has been Taylor Gushue. The continued maturing of Edwin Lora and the emergence of Daniel Johnson are other great developments, and to a lesser degree the growth of Blake Perkins and McKenzie Mills. But the disappointments are many, and there may be more nagging injuries than we know.

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