The regular season for the minor leagues finished on Labor Day with the four full season affiliates polishing off their schedules.
I’ll update with any organizational or roster news I hear but I don’t expect much information until the fall & winter leagues kick off in a month or so.
Syracuse
- Defeated Pawtucket 5-3 (box/gamer). RHP Shairon Martis gave up three runs on six hits and a walk over 6IP with two strikeouts, but did not figure in the decision. A trio of right-handers promoted after the game finished off the final game of the season. RHP Marco Estrada pitched a scoreless inning; RHP Zack Segovia gave up two hits and struck out one in one inning to pick up the win; and RHP Logan kensing earned his 17th save with a scoreless ninth. CF Mike Daniel was 1/3 with a walk; DH Brad Eldred was 1/4 with a solo homer; LF Leonard Davis was 1/4; 2B Seth Bynum was 1/3 with a double & run scored; SS Ian Desmond was 2/4 with a run scored; and CA Gustavo Molina was 1/4 with a double & three RBI.
- The Syracuse Post-Standard calls the first year of the National/Chief partnership a success
Harrisburg
- I wanted to thank Harrisburg’s Terry Byrom for the invitation to sit with him on the last broadcast of the season. I enjoyed it and hope that those who listened found it interesting.
- Defeated Bowie 4-2 in a rain-shortened six and half inning game (box/gamer). RHP Brad Meyers gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks over 5IP while striking out seven to pick up the win. LHP Justin Jones earned the save with a scoreless sixth, walking one and striking out two. LF Bill Rhinehart led the way on offense, going 3/3 with a solo homer & two-run double; 1B Chris Marrero was 2/3 with a double & RBI; CA Sean Rooney was 1/3; SS Jemel Spearman was 1/3 with a run scored; and RF Francisco Plasencia was 1/4 with a run scored.
Potomac
- Defeated Kinston 9-4 (box/gamer). Potomac scored eight runs over the final two innings to both win their final game of the season and knock the K-Tribe out of the playoffs. LHP Will Atwood allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits & two walks over 5IP with two strikeouts. RHP Hassan Pena picked up the win with two scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit & striking out two and RHP Cole Kimball earned his 9th save with two shutout innings of relief. 2B Michael Martinez was 2/5 with two runs & one RBI; SS Danny Espinosa was 3/4 with a double, triple, stolen base, run & two RBI; LF Jesus Valdez was 1/4 with a double, run & three RBI; RF Michael Burgess was 2/5 with a double & RBI; and CF Boomer Whiting was 1/2 with two walks, one RBI, two runs & his 54th stolen base of the season.
Hagerstown
- Lost 4-2 to Lake County (box/gamer). RHP A.J. Morris fell to 0-4 on the season, allowing three runs on five hits & two walks over 5IP with four strikeouts. 2B Stephen Lombardozzi was 2/3 with two runs scored; RF J.R. Higley was 2/3 with a double & RBI; DH Tyler Moore was 1/3 with one RBI; and SS Jose Lozada was 2/4 with a double.
Tragic Number Update
| MLB | W | L | GA | Left | Tragic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 47 | 90 | 0.0 | 25 | - |
| Kansas City | 52 | 85 | 5.0 | 25 | 20 |
| Pittsburgh | 54 | 82 | 7.5 | 26 | 18 |
| Baltimore | 56 | 81 | 9.0 | 25 | 16 |
| Arizona | 61 | 78 | 13.0 | 23 | 11 |
| San Diego | 61 | 78 | 13.0 | 23 | 11 |
| Cleveland | 60 | 76 | 13.5 | 26 | 12 |
| Toronto | 61 | 76 | 14.0 | 25 | 11 |
| Oakland | 61 | 76 | 14.0 | 25 | 11 |
| NY Mets | 62 | 75 | 15.0 | 25 | 10 |
| Cincinnati | 63 | 74 | 16.0 | 25 | 9 |
| Milwaukee | 66 | 71 | 19.0 | 25 | 6 |
| Houston | 67 | 70 | 20.0 | 25 | 5 |
| Chicago Sox | 69 | 70 | 21.0 | 23 | 3 |
| Minnesota | 69 | 68 | 22.0 | 25 | 3 |
| Chicago Cubs | 69 | 67 | 22.5 | 26 | 3 |
| Atlanta | 70 | 67 | 23.0 | 25 | 2 |
Eliminated (13): Yankees, Angels, Cardinals, Dodgers, Red Sox, Phillies, Rockies, Rangers, Giants, Tigers, Marlins, Mariners, & Rays
#1 by Sue Dinem - September 8th, 2009 at 07:57
In case anyone was wondering, Potomac has the best record in affiliated baseball for a team that did not qualify for the playoffs.
#2 by dd - September 8th, 2009 at 08:26
Looking forward to seeing players like: Frias, Lombardozzi, Higley, Norris, Espinosa Milone, Meyers and Storen. They should rated in the Nats top 20 prospects.
#3 by Luis - September 8th, 2009 at 08:50
Looks like Hassan Pena is and will remain a relieverr, he allowed only one earned run over his last 10 appearances (18.1 innings) He only had one bad inning all year. If he stays healthy, he should move up quickly
#4 by Mark L - September 8th, 2009 at 09:28
Thanks, Sue.
#5 by Wallyball - September 8th, 2009 at 10:04
Meyers was in the lead for lowest overall ERA amongst full season pitchers (Travis Wood and Madison Baumgartner were the other two close). It looks like he may have won the title.
#6 by estuartj - September 8th, 2009 at 11:03
No call-uo for Shairon Martis, Innings limit maybe?
#7 by Louis J - September 8th, 2009 at 11:25
Brian
What was you opinion of Brad Meyers (RH-SP) who started the game? Does he have the stuff and presence to move to AAA and be an injury callup next year.
#8 by Brian Oliver - September 8th, 2009 at 11:29
It was the second time I saw him this year (other time was in Potomac).
He has the stuff to be a #3 or 4 SP if he learns how to economize his pitches. He seemed to labor a bit with too many pitches.
The other thing that stood out to me was how often he gave up a leadoff hit … many times on one of the first pitches.
He has some promise but I think he would be well served back in Harrisburg to start 2010 with Jeff Mandel, Tom Milone, and Erik Arnesen
#9 by VladiHondo - September 8th, 2009 at 11:50
It may not be an innings matter for Shairon Martis, he’s almost at his career high – he could go another 15 IP:
2009 – 150 IP 2008 – 137 IP 2007 – 151 IP 2006 – 115 IP
#10 by rukidding - September 8th, 2009 at 12:24
I noticed S. King left the game after only 1 at-bat yesterday. Was he injured? If so how seriously.
#11 by estuartj - September 8th, 2009 at 13:04
Hmmm, so do we think Martis not being called up is based on performance, service time or innings pitched?
#12 by Berndaddy - September 8th, 2009 at 13:12
Martis is 22 years old. He shouldn’t have been called up in the first place. He and Balester could stand one more year at Syracuse, eh.
#13 by peric - September 8th, 2009 at 14:49
Nice article from the Syracuse Post Standard:
I guess Syracuse has been mostly a football town … they don’t play baseball as much as they used to … heck remember the firehouse across the street, along with the city put up a really nice little league baseball diamond in their back yard.
Hopefully, Syracuse will find a way to pique interest in the game again? Or the Nats could go to Hawaii … :) which might make returning to the minors to work on things more palatable. The old expansion Senators used that for AAA for a while. But I suppose that would be expensive … lots of plane trips.
#14 by Sue Dinem - September 8th, 2009 at 15:29
rukidding — King jammed his ankle while stealing 2B. Too bad, too, because he was starting to play well again on both sides of the ball. He’ll be back in Woodbridge next spring, I’m sure.