Nationals Farm Authority

Minor league news & notes … Jim Bowden’s weekly Examiner article touches on several members of the Vermont Lake Monsters (Willems, Gibson, Alaniz, Zimmermann, Pena, and Rhinehart) as well as players from Potomac (Lowrance, Carr, and Martis), and Harrisburg (Castro and Bernadina) … John Lannan makes his major league debut at 1:05PM today in Philadelphia, RHRP Chris Booker was optioned back to Columbus to open up a spot on the 25-man for Lannan

Chris Michalak made the spot start for regularly scheduled starter John Lannan as the Clippers dropped the game late allowing two runs in the top of the ninth on their way to a 6-4 loss (box). Michalak allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings with one walk and one strikeout, leaving the game with 4-3 lead. But reliever Hector Carrasco allowed a seventh inning solo home run and Edward Valdez gave up two runs in the ninth. Only one of those runs was earned as the first run scored on an error by 3B Kory Casto and that base runner eventually scored himself. CF Brandon Watson was 2/4 with a double and a run scored. Watson is hitting 0.343 over his last ten games. CA Juan Brito was 1/4 with a double and two RBI, his 12th and 13th RBI over the last ten games.

Tonight: RHP Collin Balester (0-1, 5.00) takes on Indianapolis RHP Bryan Bullington (10-4, 3.92) at 7:05PM in Columbus

The Senators blew two leads before rallying to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth on a Steve Mortimer RBI single only to lose the game to Akron in 10 innings 5-4 (box/gamer). Mike Hinckley made the start allowing three runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings or work while striking out five. Hinckley allowed two homers accounting for all three of his runs. Mortimer was 2/4 with a double and three RBI, DH Dee Brown was 2/3 with a run scored, and 2B Dan Dement was 2/5 with a solo home run, his 8th of the season.

Tonight: Harrisburg RHP Beltran Perez (5-4, 5.22) opens the series in Erie against SeaWolves RHP Jair Jurrjens (4-5, 3.81) at 7:05PM

Potomac had one of those games to forget on Wednesday evening, as the starting pitching, relief pitching, defense and offense all struggled in a 12-2 blowout loss to Kinston (box/gamer). Craig Stammen fell to 7-6 on the season allowing six runs on eight hits and five walks in only four innings of work. Greg Bunn was equally as hittable allowing five fits in only 1 1/3 innings of relief. Bunn was charged with six runs but only three were earned as a Brandon Powell error extended the sixth inning during which Clint Everts allowed all three of his inherited runners to score. 1B Brett McMillan and 3B Greg Thissen had two hits and one RBI a piece for the P-Nats with Thissen connecting for a solo home run.

Tonight: Potomac RHP Marco Estrada (1-0, 6.38) will take the hill in Salem at 7:35PM and be opposed by Avalanche RHP Rory Shortell (5-3,2.99)

Hagerstown allowed an early lead to slip away as the dropped the first game of their road trip 7-5 at West Virginia (box). Jhonny Nunez made the start allowing three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings of work, striking out four. SS Michael Martinez was 2/4 with a triple, run scored and RBI. CA Jhonathan Solano was 2/5 with a double, run and RBI. Solano is batting 0.286 with seven RBI over his last ten games. CF Lindon Bond was 2/3 with a walk scoring twice.

Tonight: Suns LHP Yunior Novoa (5-10, 4.84) matches up with Power RHP Chris Toneguzzi (4-1, 6.27) at 7:05PM in West Virginia

2007 2nd round selection Jordan Zimmermann picked up his first professional win as three Lake Monsters starters combined to defeat Williamsport 3-1 (box/gamer). Zimmermann went five innings allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts and no walks. Zimmermann has made six appearances for Vermont, surrendering only six runs on fourteen hits in 20 2/3 innings of work with an impressive 31 strikeouts. Edulin Abreu and Alberto Tavarez combined on four innings of three-hit shutout relief with Tavarez striking out the side in the ninth for his fourth save of the season. CF Mark Gildea was 3/4 with a run scored, one RBI and his ninth steal of the season. After a slow start to the season, Gildea has heated up and is now batting 275/453/375 in 26 games in Vermont. DH Garrett Bass was 2/4 with a triple and two RBI, raising his seasom RBI total to 20.

Tonight: Vermont RHP Adrian Alaniz (3-0, 0.35) takes the mound in the rubber game of the series in Williamsport at 7:05PM. Facing him will be Crosscutters RHP Tyson Brummett (1-2, 2.88)

2007 5th rounder Brad Meyers made his third start of the season, allowing only one hit in four shutout innings but the GCL Nationals faltered in relief dropping a 4-3 decision to the GCL Cardinals (box). Meyers has now thrown nine GCL innings allowing no runs or walks and only two hits while striking out nine. Patrick Arnold took the loss surrendering four runs on five hits in only 2/3 of an inning of relief. SS Smiley Gonzalez was 1/3 with a walk. Jake Smolinski again played first base and was 1/3 with a walk and a run scored. The big bat of the day was RF Michael Burgess who was 1/2 with a home run and three RBI. Burgess is hitting 309/409/582 with three homers in 17 GCL games.

Today: The GCL Nationals are on the road against the GCL Mets at 12:00PM. RHP Brad Peacock (0-1, 5.06) is likely to pitch for the GCL Nats today.

The DSL Nationals1 defeated the DSL Mets 6-3 behind the solid pitching of Jorge Urena, Miguel Aracena, and Carlos Peralta (box). The 20-year old Urena picked up his fifth win of the season allowing three runs on six hits over six innings with six strikeouts and only one walk. The 20-year old lefty Aracena struck out five batters over two shutout innings where he gave up only two hits. The 21-year old Peralta added his ninth save of the season with one shutout inning of relief. 19-year old 1B Eduardo Urbina keeps on gitting, he was 2/4 with a double, run scored and two RBI. Over his 43 games for DSL1, Urbina is batting 287/385/407 with 30 RBI. Adrian Sanchez, the 16-year old 2B, was 2/4 with a run scored and an RBI. Sanchez is batting 0.361 over his last ten games.

The DSL Nationals1 are off today

The DSL Nationals2 dropped an 11-6 decision to the DSL Tigers (box). 20-year old SS Francisco Soriano was 2/3 with two walks, one run, one stolen base and two RBI. Over his 12 DSL2 games, Soriano is batting 385/556/564. Alejandro Hodge, the 17-year old CF, was 1/3 with a run and two walks. Though he took the loss allowing three runs on eight hits over four innings, 20-year old RHP Ruben de la Rosa did strike out seven batters in his relief stint. Over his last seven innings of work, de la Rosa has struck out sixteen hitters while walking only one.

Today: The DSL Nationals2 travel to play the DSL Padres at 11:00AM