AFL Update: Oct. 2, 2019
So I went to bed early last night. Did I miss anything?
Narrator: He did not go to bed early and like a donkey in a dress, his ass is dragging this morning.
While there was some drama in the 8th in Peoria, Arizona, it was merely a solo HR by Nick Banks to break up a shutout as the Saguaros fell to the Javelinas, 3-1.
Banks also singled in the 5th and (pictured above) stole second base. He was the DH and batted seventh, whiffing once – one of 16 on the night by the Saguaros, who managed just four hits total and left on three baserunners.
Jakson Reetz and Cole Freeman also started at catcher and in left field, respectively. Reetz went 0-for-2 with a Victor Robles. He was thrown out trying to steal. Freeman struck out twice and went 0-for-4 but fielded both flyballs that went his way.
Sterling Sharp got the start but gave up all three Javelinas runs on four hits and two walks over four innings to take the loss. He threw 60 pitches, 33 for strikes and fanned two.
Andrew Lee was the first man out of the ‘pen and despite giving up a hit, faced the minimum for an inning thanks to a 5-3 DP on a liner. He struck out one and threw nine pitches, seven for strikes.
The Saguaros hit the road for a brutal 40-45 minute bus ride to Mesa to face the Solar Sox before an off day tomorrow.
Much better to be dragging but happy than the alternative! The big rally included three Nat draftees (actually four counting Stevenson as PR) and of course that Soto kid who hardly anyone outside of Nats Prospects knew about just a couple of years ago.
Oh, and I stand by my vote at that time of Soto as the #1 bat, over Robles.
Who better to have ho first to third but Michael A.
Arizona climate good for
Sharp to further adapt to2020 F troop duty
Go not ho. Lol
Is Andrew Lee making a case to be added to the 40-man ahead of Rule 5? He’s certainly pitching like a guy an MLB could stash in its bullpen for a year. But he’ll also turn 26 in December and is on his third elbow.
Good to see Nick Banks checking in.
I don’t see him as a big risk to be taken in the R5, although a spring training invite wouldn’t surprise me.
One thing that’s universal be it for Spring Training , AZL Rookie League, AZ Instructs or AZ Fall League.
Those guys absolutely love the short bus rides from venue to venue.
I cannot help but give due to Mike Rizzo for the position the Nats are in. To see Hudson as a closer that essentially stepped up when others could not, and given what the Nationals paid for him, shows that he has quite grown from the days of a flashy trade for a Melancon type that sent out Hearn (Kele) and Rivero or Luzardo on top of Neuse and Treinen.
Not to be overlooked are the truly spectacular contributions of Howie Kendrick and Asdrubal Cabrera, the prudent swapping of Roark for Sanchez (and Rainey), the quality of the Suzuki signing, and lesser profile moves like the promoting of Andrew Stevenson and even the Dozier signing. It’s easy to believe the Gomes trade will likewise prove to be worthwhile, though not quite the steal others believed. Even Eaton has been a key component of the Nationals run, even as Giolito became an ace but still begets the question of whether he will repeat his success.
Criticisms here of Rizzo noted, and I certainly don’t appreciate his using leaks to the Amazon Washington Post to trash the Lerners, but the drafts have definitely yielded more in recent years and the international products are highly promising.
This is a day to celebrate and give credit where due; to my eye, this crop of AFL players reflects patience in development (Reetz, Raquet) and a good talent eye (Lee, Bogan, Freeman) and wise international investment (Garcia). I am also thinking that with the team emerging from the penalty next year, the international class will reflect as well on management as Victor Robles has.
No, not Soto. He is a generational talent who has performed the impossible — he has outpaced Harper when such a talent was not thought possible. Robles and Soto alone are reasons to love the Nats and there are many more abounding. Hopefully the magic continues. A great day for us all to feel great and to remember how it feels to be optimistic rather than insufferable. Especially for Expos fans like Jeff and myself who never knew anything in the way of playoff wins.
and you didn’t even have to mention Turner/Ross for Souza
Well, let’s walk like an Egyptian : numbers abound. Good vibrations from number 22 and 44.
Grissom great to hear from you. Egyptians might say something about changing your number from 34 to 3. Why not 7, and abandon the tennis headband for baseball ??
Davey learning from a long summer ? Park Wander and Elias on the taxi squad .
Or let them collect parking fees from credit cards
Beat LA. Cue the Billy Idol version of LA Woman.
For those of us over 50. I lasted as long as Max on the proverbial BW3 bar stools. Joints purposely don’t cushion those stools for economic reasons. Time to carry a towel again. Lol
You don’t count the five wins in 1981?
Cane I repeat that Davey this year has a club remindful of that Buck Rodgers club with an infield of Wallach , Brooks , Law and Dan Driessen. Wallach has a big year driving in Rock Raines and Mitch Webster whose last gig was scouting for who else ? The Dodgers …
Question is how much high leverage situations Hunter is tossed into for the next series. I may still wince when Fernando walks in without the ABBA music playing …
Corruption in Minnesota …
Well, at least this is proof that you can have a good team without trading away all your starting pitching prospects.
Luke –
The strikes were tragic. Yes, one could count them but only with an asterisk. Just like the Felipe Alou team.
Everything about the Expos feels like “What might have been.” It’s about time for the joys of reality to catch up.
The decision to do halves certainly cost Cincinnati and St. Louis (the true N.L. division title winners) their due, and we need not delve into how ’94 denied what could have been an epic World Series between the Expos and Yankees (nor do we need to explain yet again that the Braves 1993 N.L. West title and their 1995 N.L. East title were not consecutive), but until the Yankees and Dodgers give back their LCS trophies, those five wins count.
That said, Steve Rogers was ace, until he wasn’t. Like bringing Max in in relief