Sunday’s News & Notes

Indianapolis 5 Syracuse 4
• Cole 4IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, 4BB (2IBB), 8K, HR, HBP
• Valdez 3IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 4K
• Skole 0-3, R, BB

Syracuse took a 4-0 lead and didn’t hold it while allowing five unanswered runs to lose, 5-4 to Indianapolis. Chiefs pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts in the loss, led by starter A.J. Cole, who needed 84 pitches to complete four innings.

Trenton 6 Harrisburg 4
• Voth (L, 3-2) 6+ IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER, 3BB, 2K, HR
• Ward 2-4, R, 2B
• Robles 2-5, 2R, 2B, SB, E(3)

The Senators early 2-0 lead was, um, struck down by the Thunder with a four-run 7th as Trenton defeated Harrisburg, 6-4. Austin Voth, who had a shutout through six, was unable to retire the first four batters of the 7th, all of whom scored. He gave up six hits, walked three, and struck out two while losing his second AA game. Drew Ward singled, doubled, and scored a run while Victor Robles went 2-for-5 with a double, a stolen base, and two runs scored to pace the Sens’ offense.

Potomac 8 Winston-Salem 7
• Sharp 5IP, 10H, 7R, 6ER, BB, 6K, HR (officially)
• Sharp 5IP, 8H, 7R, 3ER, BB, 6K, HR (actually)
• Orlan (W, 2-0) 2IP, 1H, 0R, BB, K
• Johnson 4-5, 2R, 2B, 2K, SB
• Wiseman 3-5, 2B, RBI
• Davidson 2-4, R

It was ugly, uneven, and sloppy. But enough about the official scorekeeping. Potomac overcame numerous misplays on defense and a 44-minute rain delay to walk off Winston-Salem in the 9th, 8-7. Sterling Sharp was charged with seven runs over five innings while walking one and striking out six, but got the no-decision. Tommy Peterson and R.C. Orlan both put up two goose eggs in relief, with Orlan getting the win. Daniel Johnson led the Potomac hit column with a 4-for-5 night while Austin Davidson’s second single tied it and Rhett Wiseman’s third won it. Both hits came with two out.

Kannapolis 6 Hagerstown 3
• Braymer (L, 1-2) 5IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 8K, HR, HBP
• Barnett 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 5K
• Banks 3-4, R
• Franco 2-3, 2-2B, BB, RBI

Rain stopped play for 104 minutes in a 6-3 Intimidators win over the Suns. Ben Braymer was lapped three times on six hits and a walk over five innings to lose for the second time at Low-A. Jake Barnett threw three scoreless after play resumed in the bottom of the 6th (and Kannapolis leading 6-1), but the offense couldn’t muster the five runs needed to tie. Nick Banks singled three times while Anderson Franco doubled twice and walks to lead the Suns’ offense.

Auburn 7 State College 5
• Romero 2⅔ IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, BB, 4K, WP
• Smith (W, 2-3) 4IP, 6H, R, ER, 0BB, 5K
• Choruby 2-3, 2R, BB, CS
• Guibor 2-4, R, RBI
• Shepard 0-1, R, 3BB, SB

Auburn got biblical on State College in the big inning – the 4th – as they scored six times to turn a 5-1 deficit into the eventual, 7-5 outcome. Seth Romero got lit up for four runs on six hits and a walk over just two and 2/3rds innings. David Smith settled things down with four innings of one-run relief, which earned him his second win. The Doubledays squeezed seven runs out of nine hits, led by Nick Choruby and Austin Guibor (two apiece), and four walks (three by Chance Shepard).

GCL Nationals 4 GCL Astros 0
• Galindez (W, 2-2) 5IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 5K, HBP
• Chu (H, 2) 2IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 4K
• Antuna 2-3, 2B, BB, 2E
• Cramer 2-4, RBI, 2E

The first-place G-Nats opened a 3½ game lead on the second-place G-Astros with a 4-0 shutout. Nelson Galindez no-hit the G-Astros for five innings, though he walked two, hit a batter and struck out five while winning his second game. Gilberto Chu lost the no-no with a single with two outs in the 7th but preserved the shutout. Yasel Antuna and Jack Cramer both had two hits and two errors as the G-Nats collected ten of the former and committed six of the latter.

DSL Update
The D-Nats wear rained out once, lost three times, and won twice, including a 10-6 decision to pull ahead of the D-Yankees by percentage points in the DSL South. They’ll finish up the 2017 season with two each against the D-Mets, D-Phillies Red, and the D-Cards, with an outside chance of finishing as high as fourth place in the eight-team division.

Playoff Update
GCL – The G-Nats lead by 3½ with 11 games left to play. Unlike the others below, they control their destiny entirely because all their games are against teams from the GCL East.

Low-A – As usual, the Sally Lg. North is a hot mess with four teams within two games of each other and roughly 15 games to go. The Suns, who are currently two games off the pace, only play one of those four teams (the Power), but the rest of the slate is filled with also-rans. All four teams currently have a winning record.

High-A – Believe it or not, the fourth-place P-Nats have crept to within two games of the second-place Red Sox, thanks to winning three of four vs. Salem this past week and first-place (and first-half winner) Lynchburg also beating Salem by one run last night and Friday night.

After an off day tomorrow, the P-Nats will play the Red Sox in Salem three times this week, then return to Woodbridge to play five against the Keys (currently tied with Salem for second place), three on the road against the Hillcats, and four more against Frederick on Labor Day weekend.

The X factor? The last-place Blue Rocks, who are just a ½ game behind the P-Nats and play their final seven games at home. Unlike the Sally Lg., the four teams battling for the right to visit Lynchburg in the first round are at .500 or below.