NationalsProspects.com

Potomac Loses Coin Flip, Mills Cup

Rather than declare co-champions as they did a year ago, the Carolina League decided to reduce a season of 140-plus games to one, a coin flip that went the way of the Buies Creek Astros, who defeated the Potomac Nationals 2-1 in 11 innings.

As you might expect with the league’s #1 pitching staff facing off against #2, the game was low-scoring and high-whiffing. But you might not have expected it with a rookie making his Carolina League debut—Bryan Abreu—and one year removed from a 1-3, 7.98 short-season campaign against the talented-but-erratic Joan Baez, who had been scratched for five runs over five innings by the Hillcats last week.

Abreu turned in four scoreless innings as he was limited to one and a 1/2 turns through the Potomac lineup before giving way to the scheduled Game Two starter Jose Hernandez, who had faced the P-Nats in late July in another 2-1 ballgame that the P-Nats won.

Potomac scored its lone run against Hernandez in the 5th as Andruw Monasterio drew a one-out walk and scored on Nick Banks’s double down the right field line.

Baez worked around a walk in the first, a single in the 3rd, and a single and an error in the 4th before it was clear that there were no more rabbits in his hat in the 5th, when he loaded the bases on two walks and a third hit with two outs (both K’s). Manager Tripp Keister came and got ‘im and Steven Fuentes, who struggled the last time he was asked to come in with runners on base, delivered the elusive third out this time to preserve the 1-0 lead.

With both starters out, it became a battle of the bullpens, which Buies Creek won, getting a solo HR with two outs in the 8th against Jeremy McKinney and the Astros Enoli Paredes wriggling out of a bases-loaded-one-out jam in the 9th.

Potomac would threaten just once more with Ian Sagdal collecting the third double of the night with one out in the 11th before an intentional walk to Aldrem Corredor sandwiched between the 13th and 14th K’s by Tres Barrera and Andruw Monasterio ended it.

Buies Creek got back-to-back singles to lead off the 10th off Carlos Acevedo then sacrificed twice – once on the ground for 3-4 putout, once on a flyball to center fielder Nick Banks, who does not possess the arm of a Michael Taylor. The Astros were awarded the 2018 Mills Cup on the basis of a single game, ending their two-year tenancy at Jim Perry Stadium with a “championship” for the dozens of fans who showed up.

23 Commments

    1. I was going to post this morning that I would rather end the season after 311 fans turned out fur Joan 17 Baez vs Astros in Jim Perry Stadium then lose a player to injury .
      Greg Holland finished up last night late. I wonder who believes he will be part of the rebooted bullpen we see in paper heading into March 2019. What may that bullpen comprise of different ? Any thoughts here ?

      1. A BP cannot have too many closers. Doolittle cannot pitch more than 2 consecutive games, so having a veteran who can close is vital. Grace will be back, but I see no future for Solis, who is too inconsistent. Suero looks like a keeper. Cordero has the high heat, but will have to prove himself. I expect Rizzo to sign a veteran or 2. 2 or 3 guys will have to be stashed in AAA to replace the inevitable injuries and failures.

        1. Cordero reminds me of that joke about the serpent who asks the raccoon ( original joke might have the animal something else ) for a lift across the river. The raccoon asks the serpent if he is going to sting him with venom. The serpent says no. The two reach the other side just as the serpent stings the raccoon. The raccoon asks why. Serpent replies. Some just can’t change natural habits.
          Get the connection ?

        2. Rizzo’s about 4 years behind the curve in recognizing that these days when it comes to bullpen arms quantity is at least as important as having four or five quality guys. I would expect the 40-man roster to be loaded down this winter with young arms that need protecting, from McGowan and Williams all the way down to Baez and Fuentes.

          1. what if they treated the AAA pitching staff with one or two legit starters and stocked up with 2-3 inning guys for the balance employing the Tampa Bay strategy?

        3. The issues with Solis are perplexing. When he’s “right,” he has some of the nastiest stuff in the organization. But after heavy (over)usage in the first part of this season, he hasn’t been “right.”

          Do the Nats offer him arbitration, which would mean they’re committed to keeping or DFAing him? Do they see if there’s any trade interest for him? Do they non-tender him and hope to re-sign him to a minor-league contract? I don’t know. The Nats really boxed themselves in a corner this last spring with the “out of options” drama with Cole, Grace, and Romero.

      2. National Enquiring Enquierer minds want to know , Luke. Lol. Why does not Yo- Hahn Baez wear number 17. A very lucky number. Maybe not for Ellis Valentine years ago

      3. What is with the Sam Held fascination by brass as he sits on Potomac roster as Mills Cup series ends in coin flip ??

    2. Also agree. That wasn’t fair to either team, all the more considering that they’ve had co-champs in the recent past. Something also smells when they played it in a place where they drew only 311 “fans.”

  4. I Must confess that I haven’t focused on Wander Suero all summer. Wow wow. He sure has settled into the majors well.
    Yes Fuentes seems like a projectable tough as nails late inning asset

Comments are closed.