Tuesday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Probables |
| Rochester | Won, 10-8 (11 inn.) | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Harrisburg | OFF DAY | @ Bowie, 6:35 p.m. | Cuevas (2-0, 4.79) vs. Stallings (1-2, 5.08) |
| Wilmington | OFF DAY | @ Asheville, 6:05 p.m. | Luckham (0-0, 4.11) vs. Santos (2-2, 5.08) |
| Fredericksburg | OFF DAY | vs. Delmarva, 5 p.m. | Lord (0-0, 5.16) and Bennett (1-3, 1.98) vs. Brehmer (2-1, 4.76) and Portes (3-2, 4.74) |
NOTE: Unless specified in Sunday’s game notes, probables are last Wednesday’s starters.
Rochester 10 Syracuse 8 (11 inn.)
• Ureña ⅔ IP, 2H, 5R, 5ER, 4BB, 0K
• T. Romero 3⅓ IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 3BB, 3K, 2-0 IR-S
• Moreno (W, 3-2) 2IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 2BB, 2K
• Torrens 4-5, R, HR, 3RBI
• Blankenhorn 2-4, 3R, HR, 3RBI
• Adams 2-4, 3R, BB, 2RBI
• Alu 2-6, 2B(10), RBI
The Red Wings got a two-run HR in the 8th and a three-run HR in the 9th to force extras, where Matt Adams went deep in the bottom of the 11th for 10-8 win. José Ureña reverted to the mean and didn’t make it out of the 1st inning as the Mets lit him up for five runs on four walks, a single, and a triple. Five relievers combined to limit Syracuse to one run in regulation and one in extras over 10⅓ innings, with Gerson Moreno picking up the win after letting in the free runner in the 10th and retiring the side in the 11th.
Newcomer Luis Torrens hit the aforementioned two-run shot in the 8th. Travis Blankenhorn served up the Earl Weaver special after the Mets walked the first two batters in the 9th. Matt Adams led off the 11th with his 8th HR to send fans home after three hours and fourty-four minutes, thanks to 19 hits and 17 walks by the I.L. East’s 9th and 10th place teams.
Harrisburg Senators, 22-22, T3rd place E.L. Southwest, 1½ GB
For the second straight week, Harrisburg split its series but still remains within striking distance of first place, despite a negative run differential of 15 runs. The promotion of James Wood could help with this, presuming he adjusts well to AA pitching, which as longtime followers know, is far from a given. This week, it’s another series against the Southwest Division’s cellar-dwellers (Bowie) and a chance to gain some ground.
Wilmington Blue Rocks, 22-22, 4th place Sally Lg. North, 4½ GB
The Blue Rocks dropped four of six to the Renegades and fell into 4th place. The departure of James Wood will not be offset by Yasel Antuna’s return, which means the pitching has to get even better. Cole Henry may only make one more start and thus far Jackson Tetreault’s rehab work has been more of liability than an asset. This week and next, Wilmington is on the road in North Carolina, starting with Asheville this week and Greensboro next week.
Fredericksburg Nationals, 17-25, 6th place C.L. North, 7GB
Fredericksburg won four of five against 5th place Salem to cut the gap between the two to 2½ games. This week it’s seven against Delmarva, starting with a continuation of the April 22 game that was suspended after 1½ innings, with the Shorebirds leading, 2-1.
The voice of Susan Sarandon comes to mind from Bull Durham when the Carolina tour mentioned , Luke
Will Oh ! Susana reach 5 IP today
? Atencio ??
Looking at bats. Jackson Cluff alert! The 26-year old got here by going 11-18 with 4 doubles and a HR in his last 5 games.
OPS (70 AB)
1. B. Rutherford HRB 1044
2. J. Wood WMT/HRB 961
3. D. Millas HRB/ROC 920
4. J. Cluff HRB 907
5. B. House FBG 900
6. M. Adams ROC 869
7. C. Lawson FBG 867
8. D. Hill WMT/ROC 863
9. T. Blankenhorn ROC 827
10. D. Lile FBG 822
Setting at 60 AB would give M. Stehly FBG 862 and P. Witt FBG 843
Darren Baker is at 807.
Notables:
R. Hassell FBG/HRB 734
E. Green FBG 703
The biggest jump in the minors has always been from High A to AA, so all eyes are on James Wood. Good thing we have both a lot of contributors there and Harrisburg home games are on MILB.TV.
Will had me looking at the Rochester roster and I counted at least 5 pitchers who are both old and bad. A tough combination!
Well, good luck finding ones who are young and good! Only three are under 25: Ferrer (1.73 WHIP), Adon (1.83 WHIP), and Willingham (1.74 WHIP). The 25-year-olds are Romero (1.77) and Cronin (1.88).
Adon is starting to look like a significant disappointment, with the big caveat that he’s still only 24. The question still remains whether the club grossly overrated his potential, or if he was never that good in the first place. He spent most of 2021 in A+, with a 4.97 ERA, then got insanely jumped to the majors in 2022. Yes, he throws hard, but he also gets hit, to the tune of 12.0 H9 this season. I was really hoping that they could turn him into something this year, but early results aren’t good. Also, he’s basically a two-pitch guy. He needs a third pitch to get hitters off sitting on his fastball . . . or he’s probably bound for the bullpen sooner or later.
Looking at Wood’s stats as he moves on up. The most curious thing I see is a glaring home/road disparity at Wilmington: .420/.478/.864 (home), .145/.303/.246 (road), a staggering 800-point OPS difference. That’s both amazing and bizarre.
Some big positives: his walks increased from 5 in April to 21 in May, boosting his OBP by 84 points in the month. It’s also very encouraging to see that he’s hit .286 vs. LHP against .295 vs. RHP. With RISP he raises his game: .321/.420/.792. And the power is coming, with 6 homers in May, giving him 8 overall, improving on 12 total for last season.
Wood’s home/road splits are even more curious given that Wilmington is considered a pitcher’s park.