NationalsProspects.com

Wednesday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Matchup
Fresno Won, 9-4
(Wait. What?)		 @ El Paso, 9:05 p.m. Braymer (0-6, 8.20) vs. Enns (11-9, 6.73)
Harrisburg Won, 5-3 @ Akron, 7:05 p.m. Mapes (6-6, 4.64) vs. Morgan (6-3, 3.49)
Potomac Winning, 2-0
(Susp. Bot. 1st)		 @ Frederick, 5:00 p.m. TBD and Cate (4-4, 3.83) vs. TBD and Peralta (2-2, 5.40)
Hagerstown Won, 4-1 vs. Greenville. 7:05 p.m. Adon (11-3, 4.05) vs Shugart (6-4, 2.58)
Auburn ALL-STAR BREAK ALL-STAR BREAK N/A
GCL Nationals Canceled, Postponed OFF DAY

Fresno 9 El Paso 4
• Copeland 6IP, 4H, 4R, 3ER, 4BB, 1K, 0HR, 2HBP, WP; 1-2, R, 2B
• Bourque (W, 2-1) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 5K
• Marmolejos 2-3, R, HR, RBI
• C. Taylor 1-3, 2BB, HR, 2BRI
• Gushue 1-3, 2B, BB, SF, 3RBI

Taylor Gushue’s two-out, two-run double capped a five-run 9th that broke a 4-4 tie as the “Tacos” won for just the third time in August, 9-4. Scott Copeland gave up all four runs to the “Margaritas” over the first two innings but gutted out six innings. He finished with four hits and four walks allowed and struck out one (not the opposing pitcher!) and went 1-for-2 with a double at the plate. James Bourque struck out five of the seven batters he faced and won his second AAA game. José “Orange” Marmolejos and Chuck Taylor both homered as Fresno racked up 11 hits with seven going for extra bases.
Roster moves: RHP Justin Miller place on the 7-Day I.L.

Harrisburg 5 Akron 3
• Lee 3⅓ IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 6BB, 3K, WP
• Condra-Bogan (W, 6-4) 2⅔ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, 2-0 IR-S
• Rivera 3-4, R, 2B, RBI
• Stevenson 2-5, R, 2B, RBI
• M. Taylor 0-2, R, RBI, BB, 0K

After a two-hour plus rain delay, Harrisburg jumped out a to a 4-0 lead after three and held on for a 5-3 win. Andrew Lee made the spot start but walked six over three and a 1/3rd innings while letting in two runs on three hits and striking out three. Jacob Condra-Bogan picked up the win, his sixth, as he stranded two while getting out of the 4th and tossed two scoreless. Jordan Mills also put up two goose eggs for hold #4 while Aaron Barrett was credited with his 28th save though he coughed up a solo home run. T.J. Rivera singled twice and doubled once to lead the Sens hit column while Andrew Stevenson singled and doubled; both scored a run and drove in a run.

Potomac 2 Frederick 0 – SUSP.
The P-Nats scored twice with the help of two walks and two Victor Robles to take a 2-0 lead before the rains came in the bottom of the 1st. After 48 minutes, the game was called. They’ll pick up where they left off tonight and play nine, then play a 7-inning game for a de facto doubleheader.
Roster moves: 1B Ryan Zimmerman MLB Rehab assignment transferred from Harrisburg.

Hagerstown 4 Greenville 1
• Schaller (W, 3-3) 5IP, 3H, R, ER, 2BB, 2K
• A. Hernandez 4IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 8K, WP
• Connell 2-3, R, 2B, SB(10)
• Daily 2-3, CS

Hagerstown got solid pitching to take the opener from Greenville, 4-1. Reid Schaller turned in his third straight outing of five innings of one-run ball to win his third game. Alfonso Hernandez followed with four dominant frames with just one hit, one walk, and eight whiffs for the save. Justin Connell and Cole Daily both went 2-for-3 to lead the Suns offense.

Auburn – ALL-STAR BREAK
Tonight, relievers Evan Lee and Fausto Segura an outfielders Caldioli Sanfler and Ricardo Mendez will represent Auburn in the New York-Penn League All-Star game, which will be held in Staten Island, NY (weather permitting).
Roster moves: RHP Eddy Yean reassigned from the GCL.

GCL Marlins vs. GCL Nationals – PPD/CNCLD
The makeup from Aug. 15 was postponed while the regularly scheduled game was canceled. The G-Nats lose an opportunity to make up one of the 4½ games that separate the two teams.
Roster moves: OF Cody Wilson reassigned from Hagerstown for MiLB rehab.

22 Commments

  1. Nice to see a strong start, albeit not a lot of K’s, from Reid Schaller, last year’s 3d-round pick. The lack of K’s is all the more curious when you note that the much smaller Alfonso Hernandez came in and blew away the same lineup. Hernandez has been an under-the-radar guy, but that’s certainly an attention-getting outing.

    Still scratching my head about why, considering all the relievers the Nats have run through the MLB bullpen this year (with yet another disaster last night), Aaron Barrett hasn’t been worth a look. Yes, he had multiple major arm issues, but so did Venters, who they rushed right to the majors.

    1. Interesting fact: Aaron Barrett has the most saves of any pitcher in the minor leagues (at any level). His 28 is five more than the player with the second most. Also impressive is that he’s only blown 3 saves all season.

      I too am equally perplexed with the Nats handling of Barrett. He’s not a prospect, and he will be free to leave anywhere in just over a month. We’d be wise to see what we’ve got in him over say, Greg Holland or Brad Boxberger.

      2. Tim Cate outing @ Frederick causes one to think he should become a Senator for the EL playoffs. Maybe Gabe could fit in that bullpen
        If Barret goes to DC??

    2. Luke ask and you shall receive. Wilson on the GCL rehab.
      Most used phrase for you this summer… weather permitting …. besides bullpen implodes…

    3. Alfonso Hernandez! Excited about the lefty from Venezuela!

      Listed at 5-11 and 162, he lacks the classic MLB pitching frame, but the kid just turned 20 and continues to post great numbers as he has risen up the organizational ladder. Most impressive is the 46/7 K/BB ratio on the season. Hard to find young pitchers with such elite command.

    4. Aderlin Rodriguez takes Braymer deep. The ole Oriole farm hand now with Padre chain via Rule 5 minor league portion or minor league FA

  2. Barrett has a 2.61 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, .199 avg against. Without last night’s outing included, he had a K/9 of 11.22 (possibly the highest in the Nats’ system with Adams gone, although I haven’t checked), a BB/9 of 2.85, FIP of 3.33, and a terrific xFIP of 2.71. I’m not jumping up and down about this, more so just pointing out that he’s been really good. I don’t know if they post velocity on the scoreboard that our Sens fans here could report, but his K/9 seems to indicate that he’s still capable of blowing guys away, despite the arm history. Plus he’s been durable, appearing in 46 games thus far.

    1. Given how atrocious the Nats pen has been this (they’ve been tied or had the lead in the 7th inning or later in 52 of their last 56 games–yet have lost 16 of those 52 games), it has to be a velocity issue. No way they would be giving innings to some of the washed up has beens they have this season without giving him a chance otherwise).

      1. Eh, McGowin sits 90-91 and maxes out at 93. So does Venters. Barrett can still get mid-90s, although he may sit closer to 92-93 these days.

    2. I heard he is up to 94-95. I doubt he’ll ever be what it looked like he could be in 2014, but from here, he looks like a useful right-handed middle reliever, maybe a setup man or spot closer if you’re thin. The snap on his curveball is vintage.

      I’ve been thinking he comes up when rosters expand, which would allow the Nats to control him through 2021, but it’s weird that Mike Rizzo chose to play three men short yesterday with Guerra and McGowin burned and then Strickland injured. It burned him. Hudson has been used nearly every day since coming to the Nats, and Bad Suero showed up instead of Good Suero. What’s the difference between promoting Barrett now and promoting him a week and a half from now?

        1. With all due respect…who cares? I like watching minor league ball as much as anyone, but team W/L records and minor league championships mean nothing next to developing prospects and bolstering the big league squad.

          1. The Strickland injury happened so close to game time (4 pm) that there wasn’t an opportunity to make a roster move and bring up another arm from H’burg, whether its was Barrett or Holland or anyone else.

            If the Nats were going to make a 40-man roster move to add Barrett or Holland, it looks like the corresponding move would be to place either Austen Williams or Voth on the 60 day DL.

            Otherwise, the Nats would have to DFA someone (Grace? — but that would leave the Nats without a lefty in the pen, but since Grace doesn’t get lefties out would it matter? ).

            If the Nats decide to add a reliever to the active roster, I hope its Barrett, but knowing the Nats transactional history, guessing it will be Holland.

    3. Obviously there is something they’ve seen in Barrett they are uncomfortable with or don’t like.

      1. Or they just don’t want to clear a 40-man roster spot, which we’ve seen with the Nats many times.

  3. One other thing on Alf Hernandez, interesting/telling that the Nats appear to have pegged him as a reliever so early into his career as he has only 1 start since the beginning of the 2018 season, when he was 18. With most young and valued pitching prospects, MLB teams initially test their success as a starter before transitioning those that struggle as a starter, but still have some promise, into a reliever role. That typically means that the Nats themselves didn’t consider him a major prospect and/or they felt like at his size and lefty it was inevitable that Alf’s future would be in the bullpen.

  4. For what it’s worth, I think most HBG fans would love to see Aaron Barrett get a shot in DC rather than have him for the playoffs! At this point, what do the Nats have to lose?

Comments are closed.