Tuesday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Probable Pitchers |
| Syracuse | Lost, 6-2 | @ Charlotte, 7:15 p.m. |
Duke (14-5, 3.52) vs. Leesman (12-9, 2.46) |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 8-6 | @ Richmond, 7:05 p.m. |
Holder (3-3, 4.46) vs. Heston (9-6, 2.12) |
| Potomac | OFF DAY | @ Carolina, 7:15 p.m. |
Grace (8-12, 5.30) vs. Jimenez (8-8, 5.19) |
| Hagerstown | OFF DAY | @ Greensboro, 7:00 p.m. |
Estevez (5-1, 5.79) vs. Hodges (8-8, 3.60) |
| Auburn | Won, 12-1 | @ State College, 7:05 p.m. |
Lee (1-1, 3.83) vs. Rodriguez (3-2, 3.32) |
Charlotte 6 Syracuse 2
• Roark (L, 6-17) 6IP, 10H, 5R, 2ER, 0BB, 5K
• Severino 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Leon 1-3, R, 2B, BB, RBI
• Marrero 1-3, R, BB
A three-run 3rd would prove to be enough as the Knights inflicted more than a flesh wound on the Chiefs, winning the game 6-2 and eliminating Syracuse from the I.L. playoffs. Starter Tanner Roark surrendered 10 hits for five runs (two earned) over six innings to lose his 17th game. He walked none and struck out five. Chris Marrero and Sandy Leon both went 1-for-3 with a walk while Eury Perez extended his hit streak to 15 with a bunt single in the 3rd.
Richmond 8 Harrisburg 6
• Wang 5IP, 9H, 6R, 6ER, BB, 3K, HR
• Demny (L, 6-8) ⅔IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 2K
• Nicol 2-3, R, RBI
• Solano 2-4, R, RBI
After overcoming a five-run deficit courtesy of Chien-Ming Wang to take a 6-5 lead, the Harrisburg offense ground to a halt in the late innings and fell to Richmond, 8-6. Facing the worst offense in the Eastern League, Wang was hammered for six runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings and struck out three. He also gave up his fifth HR in eight starts with the Senators. Sean Nicol, who replaced Seth Bynum on defense during the middle of an at-bat in the 3rd inning, led the Senators offense with a 2-for-3 game, followed closely by Jhonatan Solano’s 2-for-4 effort. No explanation was given for Bynum’s replacement, according to Patriot-News beat writer Geoff Morrow.
POTOMAC NATIONALS — OFF DAY
With Wilmington’s win in the sole game in the Carolina League on Monday night, the tragic number for Potomac fell to four with seven games to play in the states of North Carolina and Delaware, where the P-Nats are a “perfect” 0-for-23 this season. The P-Nats trail the Blue Rocks by three games, the Keys by two games, and the Hillcats by a ½ game. Despite playing Wilmington in the final three games, Potomac does not control its own destiny, as Lynchburg can still win the second half title in addition to needing to surpass both Frederick and Wilmington in the standings if that happens. Also, with cancellations for both the Keys and P-Nats last Sunday, it’s possible for those two teams to tie atop the Carolina League North and finish a ½ game ahead of the Hillcats and Blue Rocks. Should that happen, there will be a one-game play-in game with Frederick hosting Potomac. Roster moves: RHP Alex Meyer placed on 7-Day DL, RHP Shane McCatty activated from 7-Day DL.
HAGERSTOWN SUNS — OFF DAY
Unlike Potomac or Auburn, Hagerstown is more comfortably positioned to make the playoffs with a four-game lead in loss column and a three-game lead in the Sally League’s Northern Division. The three top teams each have seven games left, but the two cancellations the Suns have had in August positions them to possibly win on percentage points with 68 maximum games in the second half to 70 for the Crawdads and Power.
Auburn 12 State College 1
• Encarnacion (W, 5-1) 6IP, 2H, R, ER, BB, 4K
• McGeary 2IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 3K
• Pleffner 3-5, 2R, BB, HR, RBI
• Lopez 3-4, R, 3RBI, E(13)
A seven-run top of the 1st made the outcome of this one a no-doubter as Auburn blasted State College, 12-1. Pedro Encarnacion won his fifth game with just two hits and a walk given up over six innings. The Doubledays pounded out 16 hits with every batter hitting safely and five collecting multiple hits, with Shawn Pleffner and Carlos Lopez both collecting three hits. Batavia was rained out, thus the Auburn lead is 2½ games and the magic number to win the division is down to eight.
Wang? What more is there to say that hasn’t already been said?
Is Marrero still on the 40man roster? Sad to say it, but it seems that it will soon be the end of the line for him with the Nats. Too little power for a first baseman and I can’t picture him as a pinch hitter off the bench.
Wasn’t Marrero the #1 Nats prospect for 2-3 years running.
How far we’ve come.
Yes, still on the 40-man, but for how much longer is subject to speculation. The hamstring injury couldn’t have possibly come at a worse time for him as it enabled Tyler Moore to leapfrog him on the depth charts. It also has effectively reduced his trade value to nil.
Marrero was the #2 BA prospect in 2007, #1 in 2008, #3 in 2009, #6 in 2010, #9 in 2011, and #12 this year. I’d only put him on the 2013 watchlist because of the dearth of upper-level 1B prospects, but I suspect if I dropped him, few would notice.
speaking of the watchlist, Manny Rodriguez has not throw a pitch this year and I don’t recall a mention. Any info as to his whereabouts / health?
Placed on the 60-Day DL in mid-July, which probably means he’s undergone surgery.
Alex Meyer on the 7 day DL. Any word as to why? I know there was some concern about his innings count (129), so I’m hoping this is just a way of playing roster shuffle/taxi squad. Do you think he’ll get a look in the AFL?
No, I don’t know exactly why he’s been placed on the DL, nor have I heard anything offline. I saw his last start and he did not appear to have suffered an injury. It’s certainly logical to infer that he’s hit an innings limit, but as you’ve intimated, it’s also possible that this is merely to preserve him for being restarted in the fall.
The AFL this year is a much harder call than in years past. There are now more exceptions for A-ball players, but what remains to be seen is whether those exceptions will be used or whether teams will still game the system to send Rule 5 candidates that they haven’t made up their minds on.
The Nats this year don’t have many difficult calls to make for Rule 5 guys — Nathan Karns, Pat Lehman, and Rob Wort are the kind of guys that could be hidden in another team’s bullpen, but I think only one of them will be protected, max. Destin Hood and Jeff Kobernus are the most advanced position players, but I have a feeling both will be exposed because there’s enough injury concern to make teams pass on them, never mind that position players are very rarely taken.
why is it okay to shut Meyer down for a month and then start him back up again in instructional league (and then possibly the AFL) when that was an exact thing Rizzo didn’t want to do with Stras?
Because with Meyer, hes being shut down for 6 days, not 30+. Thats the difference
I really like what Pleffner is doing in Auburn. Can only imagine what next year will be like after adjusting to pro pitching and wood bats
The rule of thumb with developmental people is it takes 600 AB’s to take the aluminum out of a hitters swing.
I know Chien Ming Wang has been awful in minors this year. However, what I can’t figure out is what really happened after he made such a long, hard recovery from shoulder surgery, flashed glimmer of sinker strength end last year and then “appeared” dominant for a few starts in Spring training. His awkward injury was to his leg but since then, it appears that he has lost his ability to get sink or at least outs. I’m following for afar (china) but can’t figure out what really happened. Wish him well and hope he finds a way to get his pitch back.
After seeing his rehab starts up close and personal the last two seasons I can tell you he looks like two different pitchers out there. The guy last year had command and a heavy sink, this year a lot of balls are up and he’s working behind a lot of hitters.