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Tuesday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Syracuse Won, 5-4;
Lost, 4-3		 vs. Buffalo,
7:00 p.m.		 Maya (9-8, 3.54) vs.
McHugh (1-3, 3.75)
Harrisburg OFF DAY @ Richmond,
7:05 p.m.		 Wang (1-2, 3.52) vs.
Heston (7-4, 2.39)
Potomac OFF DAY @ Myrtle Beach,
7:05 p.m.		 Meyer (1-0, 0.53) vs.
TBD
Hagerstown Lost, 3-1 OFF DAY N/A
Auburn Lost, 3-1 vs. Jamestown,
7:05 p.m.		 Encarnacion (3-1, 4.42) vs.
Hope (1-3, 4.17)
GCL Nationals Won, 5-3 @ GCL Cardinals,
12:00 p.m.		 Vasquez (2-6, 3.86) vs.
Villegas (4-2, 6.45)
DSL Nationals Lost, 6-3 vs. DSL Cubs2,
10:30 a.m.		 Valdez (2-1, 6.27) vs.
Torrez (5-1, 1.04)

Syracuse 5 Buffalo 4 — GAME ONE
• Duke (W, 12-5) 6IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 8K, 2HR
• Pena (SV, 4) 1IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, K
• Perez 2-3, 2R, BB, RBI, SB, E
• Hoffpauir 1-3, 2B, RBI

A two-run 5th and a three-run 6th pushed Syracuse past Buffalo for a 5-4 win in game one. Zach Duke turned in a quality start, working around two solo shots and giving up three runs total on five hits and a walk while striking out eight to earn his I.L.-leading 12th win. Eury Perez singled twice and scored twice to lead the Chiefs offense.

Buffalo 4 Syracuse 3 — GAME TWO
• Arnesen (L, 2-3) 2IP, 3H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 2K, HR
• Atkins 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Perez 1-4, 2B, RBI (17-gm hit streak)
• Hoffpauir 1-2, R, 2B, BB, RBI

The tying run was left on third as the Chiefs rallied for three in the 7th but lost to the Bison in the nightcap, 4-3. Spot starter Erik Arnesen, who was working on just two days’ rest, tired in the second and gave up all four Buffalo runs. Eury Perez extended his hit streak to 17 games with an RBI double in the 7th. Roster moves: OF Jesus Valdez activated from the TIL, C Carlos Maldonado outrighted from Washington, LHP Atahualpa Severino designated for assignment.

HARRISBURG SENATORS — OFF DAY
After a 3-3 homestand, the Senators make a quick trip to the scenic (no, not really) confines of Richmond for three games against the Flying Squirrels before returning on Friday for a six-games-in-seven-days homestand against Binghamton and Akron.

POTOMAC NATIONALS — OFF DAY
Anthony Rendon is expected to play today when the Potomac Nationals open the second leg of their road trip with three games against Myrtle Beach. Roster move: C Jeff Howell transferred from Syracuse.

Lexington 3 Hagerstown 1
• Rauh (L, 1-2) 6IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 5K, 2WP
• Holt 1IP, 0H, 0R, BB, K
• Burns 2-3, BB, CS
• Nieto 1-2, R

After blowouts in the first two games, the series finale was a pitcher’s duel, but Lexington completed the sweep of Hagerstown, 3-1. The game featured five double plays and three outs at home plate, including two on double plays by the Suns. Brian Rauh took the loss with two runs allowed on two hits and two walks over six innings. Hagerstown outhit Lexington 5-4, with Billy Burns reaching base three times with two singles and a walk. Roster move: C Jeremy Mayo transferred from Syracuse and placed on the 7-Day DL. Again.

Brooklyn 3 Auburn 1
• Fischer (L, 1-3) 5IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, BB, 3K, 2HR
• Boyden 3IP, 0H, 0R, BB, K
• Pleffner 2-4
• McQuillan 1-4, R

Brooklyn completed its three-game sweep of Auburn with a 3-1 win, handing the Doubledays their first series sweep and three-game skid of the season. David Fischer gave up all three Cyclones runs, including a pair of solo shots in the fourth, on six hits and a walk while striking out three. Auburn loaded the bases with three straight singles to open up the game, then got just one run and two more hits the rest of the game. Shawn Pleffner, who had been activated from the DL just prior to the game, led the hit column with a 2-for-4 game.

GCL Nationals 5 GCL Cardinals 3
• Estevez 3IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 6K
• Hudgins (W, 3-3) 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Heredia (SV, 1) 1⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, 1-0 IR-S
• Nix 2-3, R, 2B, 2RBI, SB
• Lippincott 2-3, 2R, 3B, BB, RBI
• Severino 2-4, 2B, RBI

With three strong innings from Wirkin “For The Weekend” Estevez, and a pair of two-run rallies, the G-Nats opened up a 4-0 lead and held off the G-Cards for a 5-3 win. Estevez struck out six and allowed two hits and a walk over three scoreless innings. Will Hudgins earned the win in relief while Inocencio Heredia got the last four outs for the save. Tony Nix led the offense with a 2-for-3 game, including a double, a stolen base, a run scored, and two runs driven in.

DSL Cubs2 6 DSL Nationals 3
• Ruiz 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Sanchez (L, 0-1) 2IP, 3H, 5R, 5ER, BB, K, HR
• Bautista 2-4, SB
• Aguero 1-3, R, 2SB

Raul Ruiz threw three scoreless innings in his D-Nats debut, but the DSL Cubs2 feasted on the first man out of the ‘pen for five runs in a 6-3 win. Ruiz gave up just a hit and struck out two. 17-y.o. Mario Sanchez was lit up for a three-run HR and five runs total in the 5th after pitching a scoreless 4th. 18-y.o. Raudy Read smacked his 8th HR, tied for second-best in the DSL, while 19-y.o. Rafael Bautista was the sole D-Nat to collect multiple hits with a pair of singles and a stole base, no. 36, which leads the DSL. Yesterday afternoon, the Nationals announced the signing of four International Free Agents. James Wagner of the Washington Post has the few details made available.

20 Commments

  1. Eury Perez is looking pretty ready for the show and seems likely to get a September cup o’ joe. You think that his presence is going to prevent the Nats from signing a Bourn or Upton type?

    1. I’m really curious to see how Perez does in his call-up in September.

      And I think a good showing by him will definitely impact the Nats’ free agent decisions. (Not to mention the looming LaRoche decision.)

      1. Goodwin will also impact the Nats chase for a CF. There’s no point in giving a long term commitment to a FA when you have Goodwin tearing up the minors. Harper/Werth/Perez/Brown can split duties in CF in the mean time.

      2. I’m not sure how much of a chance Perez will get. This isn’t the Nats of the past, where September is a tryout for the next season. September is the most important month of the season (just ask the 2011 Braves and Red Sox).

        Any AB from Perez is one less AB for Werth or Harper. You don’t want to do that often.

          1. If I’m reading the rules properly, Perez is ineligible for the AFL because he is a foreign player from a country that participates in winter baseball.

            I think he gets the callup to serve as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner and a couple of starts against LHPs. Likewise for Corey Brown, except he’ll strictly be coming off the bench, which is what I envision for most of the position players, which will probably be five or fewer. And might just be three (Sandy Leon seems like a near lock).

          2. Luke, do you think Walters gets a look in September given how naked they are up the middle (despite Izturis)

          3. No. I think most of the callups in September will be for defensive replacements and Walters is still a work in progress in that department.

          4. Walters isn’t on the 40-man roster and, as I understand it, you have to be on the 40-man to be called up. (I hope Luke will correct me if I’m wrong.)

            Obviously, they could drop someone to create room but other than Wang getting DFA’d, (or put someone like Purke on the 60 day), but otherwise, I don’t see Walters going on the 40-man this season.

          5. Correct. I think we’ve firmly established that Rizzo makes 40-man moves as little as possible, even trading away pitchers to get options.

    2. I don’t see the Nats committing big bucks to Bourn or Upton with Perez and Goodwin waiting in the wings. They need to conserve salary where they can with J-Zimm, Stras, Clippard, Storen,, Detwiler, Desmond, Espinosa and Ramos all hitting arbitration eligibility in the next couple of years.

        1. I read rumors that the Nats might DFA Wang after his time is up. Seems logical since he sruggles to get AA hitters out.
          At least they had the guts to do that to Nady.

    2. Be great to get your observations on Goodwin and any other prospects in Harrisburg after the game.

  3. Who do you guys think is going to the AFL for the Nats. It looks like Rendon is gonna be the below AA player, Im guessing Rendon, Goodwin, and Nelo go, but I cant figure out who else.

    1. Maybe Erik Davis or Christian Garcia go as the rule V /FA eligable relief pitcher with Nelo?

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