Across the Affiliates 07/10/09
RHPs Garrett Mock and Logan Kensing combined on a six-hit 2-0 shutout of Rochester (box/gamer). Mock moved to 5-1 on the season with eight shutout innings, allowing just five hits while striking out five. Kensing picked up his tenth save of the season with one scoreless inning, givng up a hit and walk with one strikeout. CF Corey Patterson was 2/3 with a double & RBI; RF Elijah Dukes was 1/4 with a stolen base; SS Pete Orr was 1/4 with a run scoted; and DH Brad Eldred was 1/3 with a run scored.
Today: Rochester RHP Philip Humber (3-6, 6.16) at Syracuse RHP J.D. Martin (8-2, 2.14) 7PM
LHP Jack Spradlin surrendered a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth as Harrisburg fell 3-2 in Bowie (box/gamer). LHP Cory VanAllen made the start, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks over 5 1/3IP with six strikeouts. RHP Adrian Alaniz, who has been moved to the bullpen, pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, giving up a hit and walk while striking out one. Spradlin took the loss allowing the homer in his one inning, though he did strike out the side. The Senators managed only three hits of offense, RF Mike Daniel was 1/2 with a run scored; 3B/1B Matt Whitney was 1/3 with a double; and CA Javi Herrera was 1/3 with a double.
Today: Reading LHP Yohan Flande (0-1, 7.50) at Harrisburg RHP Luis Atilano (4-4, 5.09) 7PM
Potomac lost a back and forth game with Myrtle Beach 6-5 (box). RHP Jeff Mandel gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk over 6IP while striking out three. RHP Dan Leatherman pitched two scoreless innings of relief allowing two hits and two walks and striking out four. CA Sean Rooney was 4/5 with a double, run & three RBI; LF Boomer Whiting was 2/5 with a run scored; CF Francisco Plasencia was 2/3 with one RBI; and 1B Chris Marrero was 1/4 with a double.
Today: Potomac at Kinston (pitchers TBA) 7:05PM
Strong pitching from RHP Marcos Frias and a seven run third inning led Hagerstown to an 8-1 win over Greensboro (box/gamer). Frias moved to 5-2 on the season, giving up just an unearned run on five hits over 6IP while striking out six. RHP Justin Phillabaum picked up a three-inning save, surrendering two hits and a walk with stwo strikeouts. 1B Tyler Moore was 2/5 with a three-run homer; RF Charlie Fermaint was 3/2 with a double, two-run homer & three RBI; 2B Stephen Lombardozzi was 3/6 with a run scored; and CA Derek Norris was just 0/2 with a run scored but walked three times.
Today: Hagerstown LHP Patrick McCoy (2-3, 6.39) at Greensboro (pitcher TBA) 7:05PM
Vermont held off a late Oneonta rally to sweep their three game series witha 7-6 win (box/gamer). LHP Graham Hicks allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks over 5IP with three strikeouts to pick up the win. RHP Steven Stewart earned his first save, striking out two in one inning. DH J.P. Ramirez was 2/5 with a double, triple, run & two RBI; RF J.R. Higley was 2/4 with a double & two RBI; SS Sean Nicol was 2/5 with a double & two runs scored; and 3B Dani Arias was 3/4 witht wo runs scored.
Today: Lowell RHP Yeiper Castillo (1-1, 3.15) at Vermont LHP Jack McGeary (1-0, 0.55) 7:05PM
Nationals 2009 27th round draft pick, RHP Brandon King, made his professional debut in the GCL Nationals 7-4 win over the GCL Cardinals (box). King struck out five and allowed two hits over two scoreless innings. RHP Ruben De La Rosa picked up the win in relief; over his 2 1/3 shutout innings, he gave up two hits and a walk while striking out three. CF Eury Perez was 2/4 with a walk, run stolen base & two RBI; LF Destin Hood was 2/4 with a walk, stolen base & run scored; DH Ricardo Martinez was 2/4 with a double, two runs & two RBI; and 3B Alexander Romero was 1/3 with a walk, stolen base, run & RBI.
Today: GCL Astros at GCL Nationals 12PM
The DSL Nationals gave up four runs in the top of the ninth to fall 5-3 to the DSL White Sox (box). 21-year old RHP Antonio Guzman was again solid, holding the Sox to just an unearned run on six hits over 8IP while striking out five. He’s now 5-0 on the season with a 0.76ERA over 8G with 31K and 11BB over 47 2/3IP. 20-year old RF Aridio Rodriguez was 1/2 with a run scored; 23-year old SS Carlos Alvarez was 1/4 with a double & RBI; and 17-year old PH Estarlin Martinez drove in a run with a bases loaded walk.
Today: DSL Nationals 22-year old RHP Manuel Rivera (0-3, 4.23) at DSL Indians 10:30AM
How about Brandon King? Nice job young man!
Graham had a second solid start lastnight. He allowed 2 runs bringing his record to 2-1 and lowering his era from 9.89 two games ago to 5.69. He was able to get out of the 3rd inning with runners on 2nd & 3rd with 1 out. In the 5th he allowed 2 runs but got out of the inning with bases loaded and 1out with a strike out and ground ball.
Danny – Thanks for the update
Brian,
When are they going to move up Norris? I am guessing he will be walking to first the rest of the season if he stays at the current level.
russ – It appears the reason Norris is sticking around Hagerstown is to work on his defense behind the plate.
Brian – what is the likelihood that Norris ends up at 1st or a corner outfield position?
Scott – 50/50. I believe the Nationals will give him every opportunity to play himself (defensively) out from behind the plate.
Can’t he work on defense at Potomac or Harrisburg? It would seem that his offense will suffer to work on his defense which doesn’t make much sense while he is in the minors.
Former premier closer Eric Gagne ($10 million last year) is pitching for a few thousand bucks in the Can Am Independent League with the Quebec capitales. If all goes well, he would like to try a ML comeback. With the way the relievers are pitching, why not sign him to a minor league tryout? Obviously, he would have to pass a physical.
russ – Yes. But there are other things to consider. Sean Rooney is playing very well in Potomac and needs development time. Luke Montz is still on the 40-man and is playing regularly in Harrisburg. Norris has proven himself with the bat but the Nationals seem to be as concerned (if not moreso) with his glove and given his aptitude with the bat now, he can focus more on the glove in Hagerstown.
An earlier poster talked about Norris vis-a-vis Flores behind the plate. Am I the only one that has noticed that Flores has a hard time staying behind the plate and off the DL? We don’t have the catching position covered yet! Not with Bard and Nieves doing the everyday work. Good to see we have some catching prospects on the farm, even if Norris doesn’t turn out to be one of them.
I hope Mock gets back to the Nats replacing Detwiler after the break.
As Brian points out in his must read daily ATA, every SP for each level had wonderful appearances last night. 3W, 40.1IP, 34H, 6BB (<1 WHIP), 33K, 5ER (1.12 ERA).
And how about 20 year old Lombardozzi?!?!
I would be shocked if the Nats do not send Detwiler down after the break.
GCL Nationals defeated GCL Astros today, 24-5.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_10_astrok_natrok_1
Destin Hood’s numbers look like this: .347/.429/.612 with 8 extra base hits (2 HR), 16 RBI, 6 BB/10 K. I think he’s in line for a promotion.
Josh Smoker pitched well, going 4 innings, 5 hits, one walk and 4 k’s.
Glad to see Alaniz has been moved to the pen. No future as a starter, but we’ll see if he can help out of the pen. He can exert more energy for an inning or two and doesn’t have to run through the lineup multiple times with his lack of an overpowering pitch.
change of subject-somewhat. no matter how behind the farm system is compared to other clubs…one can think back 20-25 years when an ORG was lucky to have at least 2 LHP on every other farm club….how things have improved in amateur baseball….Brian, what is the ceiling on Brett Newsome???