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Monday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Probables
Rochester Lost, 6-3 OFF DAY N/A
Harrisburg Won, 7-3 OFF DAY N/A
Wilmington Lost, 11-5 OFF DAY N/A
Fredericksburg Won, 10-2 OFF DAY N/A

Toledo 6 Rochester 3
• Ponce De Leon (L, 1-3) 4+ IP, 7H, 5R, 5ER, 3BB, 4K, HR
• F. Perez 1IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 0K, 2-2 IR-S
• Stevenson 2-5, R, HR, 2RBI, CS
• Fox 2-5, RBI, CS

The Red Wings dropped the series finale, 6-3, to the Mud Hens for their eighth straight series loss. Daniel Ponce De Leon was chased in the 5th after five runs let in on seven hits (one HR) and three walks over four-plus innings. He struck out four while losing for the third time in seven starts for Rochester. Andrew Stevenson hit his third HR in September and 14th overall to drive in two while Lucius Fox singled twice and drove in the other Red Wings run.
Roster moves: RHP Andres Machado recalled to Washington.

Harrisburg 7 Richmond 3
• S. Romero 3IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 4K
• Reyes (W, 6-7) 4IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 4BB, 4K
• Hassell 2-5, R, HR, 2RBI
• Cluff 1-3, R, 3B, BB, 2RBI, SB
• W. Garcia 1-4, R, BB, HR, RBI

Robert Hassell’s first AA home run broke a 2-2 tie as Harrisburg took the game, 7-3, and the series, 4-2 – the Senators’ first six-game series win since taking five of seven from the BaySox on June 7-12. Seth Romero got the start and tossed three scoreless and put on only two baserunners (one hit, one walk) while striking out four. The win went to Luis Reyes with four innings of two-run relief while walking four and striking out four. Wilson Garcia homered for the third straight game and sixth time in 11 games while Jackson Cluff tripled, walked, and drove in two to lead the Harrisburg offense.

Brooklyn 11 Wilmington 5
• Saenz (L, 2-7) ⅔ IP, 2H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 0K, HBP
• Alvarez 2⅓ IP, 6H, 6R, 3ER, 1BB, 1K, WP, 2-0 IR-S
• V. Peña 2-3, R, CS
• Wilson 2-4, 2B, RBI
• Daily 1-4, R, 2RBI

Brooklyn sent 11 men to the plate in the 3rd and six of them came around to score as the Cyclones blew past the Blue Rocks, 11-5. Dustin Saenz retired just two of seven batters faced, letting in three runs on two hits, two walks, and a hit batsman to lose his seventh High-A game. Andrew Alvarez followed but gave up the aforementioned six runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out one over two and a 1/3rd innings. Wilmington rallied for four late to make the game seem closer than it was, with 26-y.o. Cody Wilson, 25-y.o. Paul Witt, and 24-y.o. Jarrett Gonzalez each delivering RBI hits.

Fredericksburg 10 Delmarva 2
• Atencio (W, 4-1) 5IP, 4H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 3K, HR
• Schoff 2IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 1K
• J. Young 3-5, 3R, SB(50)
• Frizzell 3-4, 2B(10), HR, SF, 4RBI
• McKenzie 2-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI, SB(5)
• Arruda 1-3, R, 2BB, CS

Fredericksburg completed its domination of Delmarva with a 10-2 win that reduced their magic number to two with seven games to go. Jose Atencio picked up his fourth win in seven Low-A starts with a run on a homer and four hits total over five innings. He walked two and struck out three. Jacob Young, who singled three times, became the first Washington minor-leaguer to steal 50 bases since Rafael Bautista swiped 56 in 2016. Will Frizzell singled, doubled, homered, and drove in four to lead the FredNats offense.

13 Commments

  1. Kudos to Jacob Young
    As Gomer Pyle always said : Surprise 3!
    Welcome to AA Andrew Alvarez . Hum baby in Harrisburg.
    Long relieved Luis Reyes future .
    Odd to have DOs on Labor Day holiday .right , Luke , soul drummer , Todd Boss,
    No baseball scheduled here in Reno
    The Burning Man crowd just vacated the area . TG!

  2. Who wants to bet on which player will have the higher OPS at the end of the season: Frizzell or McKenzie? Frizzell (1.105) has a narrow lead over McKenzie (1.042).

    I’d go with Frizzell, mostly because McKenzie hasn’t yet shown an ability to walk (only one walk in 52 AB), but when you’re hitting as well as he is, you typically don’t need to run up the count.

  3. I feel for Andrew Stevenson. While he still had some prospect helium, he was blocked by the Nats’ desire to be competitive and give playing time to season vets like Eaton, despite putting up massively impressive numbers. Then he didn’t seize his chance last year, and finds himself firmly down the pecking order, behind new DFAees in Palacios and Call (who themselves have failed to seize their chances). Since August 1, Stevenson is batting .274/.351/.504. But if he can’t find playing time while the Nats are dead last in September, I don’t think he has any future with the team. It’s a shame, but AAAA OFs aren’t exactly rare.

    2. I agree Will. Stevenson would be doing better than Call or Palacious. He always plays hard and doesn’t make stupid mistakes on the basepaths or on defense. Maybe he will do better elsewhere like Michael A with the Royals.

      1. Stevenson would be doing better than Victor Robles. Robles has proven to be a terrible offensive player. It’s not about one bad season for Victor as his OPS+ for the last 3 seasons is 66, 69, 69. Not sure there is any MLB OF with such poor offensive numbers. If the Nats promoted based upon merit, rather than speculated upside, Stevenson would be in Robles’ role – 4 starts a week at the MLB level, and Robles would be playing in Rochester.

        1. Especially perplexing when Robles still has an option remaining… but I guess they’ll need it next year.

  4. Sure seems dumb there are no games today, like there were on July 4th.

    I would take Call, Palacios and Steveson over Robles.

    Robert Hassell must be having a sigh of relief tight about now.

  5. Stevenson’s story is no different than that of many. watching him play everyday he’s not great defensively, he doesn’t walk enough and he doesn’t hit for enough power to strike out as much as he does. he went unclaimed when waived this spring, that should say something.

    how about Joey Meneses, he toiled on the buses much longer and when given the chance hit the lottery. now I doubt he’s an all star but I suspect he’s earned another chance.

    Robles frustrates me as much as anyone but they are right to play him over Stevenson, you have to consider potential because takes stars that win it all, not AAAA players.

    2. I agree about Stevenson. Nothing against the man, but your point about him having cleared waivers when he was dropped from the 40 man roster is telling – it’s not only the Nats that have questions about his game. I suspect that another thing that has held him back much of this season is that he’d need to be reinstated to the 40 man roster. Not only does that cost the Nats a roster spot, but having cleared waivers and been outrighted once the Nats cannot do that again because he could elect free agency (a team can only outright a player waived off the 40 man roster once, and that only if he clears waivers).

      Stevenson is kind of a more recent version of Steve Lombardozzi Jr., who was very popular in some part because he wasn’t Danny Espinosa. I suspect that Stevenson gets some support because he’s not Robles.

  6. Romero has shown really shaky command but he gets a $h!tload of swings and misses! sooner or later they’ll send ’em up there without a bat! he did hit 91 according to the announcer. but if Sam Clay can pitch in the majors so can this kid. he maybe AFL bound

  7. Hassel is young confident humble and moving upward
    I’m not sweating anything about the lad from Franklin TN

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