Columbus got a strong first start from Beltran Perez as the Clippers beat Indianapolis 5-3 (box). Perez allowed only two runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings while striking out four. Winston Abreu picked up the save with the final 1 1/3 perfect innings. 2B Bernie Castro was 3/5 with a double, home run, stolen base, two runs scored and three RBI. Over his last ten games, Castro is hitting 0.316 with eight stolen bases. LF/3B Kory Casto (0/3 with a walk) and RF Abraham Nunez (1/5 with a double) each had one RBI for the Clippers. Notes: Correcting myself from yesterday, RHRP Hector Carrasco was not released. He was only placed on the DL with a dore arm. Additionally, OF George Lombard was placed on the DL with a bruised Achilles.
Tonight: RHP Collin Balester (2-2, 4.99) takes on Indianapolis RHP Marty McLeary (4-7, 4.64) at 7:00PM
Harrisburg played small ball, mounting a four-run comeback in the bottom of the ninth to defeat Erie 5-4 (box/gameblog). The Senators entered the bottom of the ninth trailing 4-1 without a hit since a Brandon Powell lead-off double in the fourth. Marcos Yepez and Dan Dement led off with singles. After a Powell fielder’s choice put runners at the corners, Frank Diaz and Tony Blanco (Sheldon Fulse pinch-ran for Blanco) both singled driving in a run apiece, making it a 4-3 game. An Ofilio Castro single tied the game at 4-4 with runners on first and second. After a Steve Mortimer strikeout, Javi Herrera sent the fans home happy with a single scoring Fulse. Yepez was 2/4 and is batting 348/402/402 in August. Dement was 3/3 with a pair of doubles and is hitting 0.378 with eight RBI in his last ten games. Gerald Plexico made the start pitching five shutout innings allowing only three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Adam Carr pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings, striking out one. And, Alex Morales picked up the win with a scoreless ninth.
Tonight: RHP Jim Magrane (5-8, 4.05) faces off with Erie RHP Dallas Trahern (12-6, 3.85) at 6:35PM
Potomac went back and forth early with Lynchburg before pulling away for an 8-4 win on Tuesday evening (box/gamer). SS Ian Desmond was 2/4 with two runs and two stolen bases. This month, Desmond is hitting 345/440/512. CF Justin Maxwell, who is hitting 0.394 over his last ten games, was 1/4 with a double, RBI, stolen base, and two runs scored. RF Mike Daniel was 5/2 with a pair of RBI. 2B Matt Rogelstad was 2/3 with a run and RBI. 1B Brett McMillan was 2/4 with a double and a solo home run. Brad Meyers started for Potomac allowing three runs on six hits over four innings. The Potomac bullpen was solid in relief allowing only one run, one hit and one walk over the final five innings while striking out seven. Greg Bunn picked up the win with two innings of one-hit relief and Gene Yost got his first save of the season with the final tow scoreless, striking out three.
Tonight: RHP Craig Stammen (8-6, 4.24) takes on Lynchburg RHP Jose Diaz (3-2, 6.18) at 7:35PM
Hagerstown also managed to walk off with a bottom of the ninth victory, defeating Delmarva 6-5 (box/gamer). CF Francisco Plasencia doubled in PR Lindon Bond and 1B Robby Jacobsen for the win. Plasencia was 2/5 with three RBI and is hitting 330/391/588 with seven home runs and twenty-two RBI in the month of August. 3B Trevor Lawhorn was 2/4 with two RBI. Erik Arnesen pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing two unearned runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Aaron Jackson picked up win though he allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits in two innings of work.
Tonight: RHP Jeff Mandel (4-6, 6.20) versus Delmarva RHP Pedro Beato (7-8, 4.10) at 7:05PM
Vermont avoided being no-hit last night when 3B Anthony Benner singled with two outs in the eighth as the Lake Monsters were blanked 7-0 by Tri-City (box/gamer). Hassan Pena started for Vermont allowing five runs on seven innings. Over his last three starts, Pena has been torched for sixteen earned runs on seventeen hits and ten walks in only 12 2/3 innings of work.
Tonight: RHP Cole Kimball (2-5, 4.04) takes the mound in Tri-City against RHP Luis Pardo (0-8, 6.03) at 7:00PM
dco | 29-Aug-07 at 9:00 am | Permalink
anyone notice this unusual line in boswell’s column this morning (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/28/AR2007082801642.html)
“More important, the club signed all 20 draft picks this season.”
at least he got the next line right: “Since May 2006, the whole farm system has been hugely improved.”
estuartj | 29-Aug-07 at 10:13 am | Permalink
Barry at the Post says “Don’t be surprised if you see him with the Nationals when Potomac’s season ends.” about Justin Maxwell.
Looks like his star is rising…
Pilchard | 29-Aug-07 at 10:40 am | Permalink
It would be really unusual for a player to jump from A to the bigs in September. That being said, Maxwell is about to turn 24, and as a result, the Nats may be inclined to push his development.
Do the Nats need to put Maxwell on the 40 man roster at the end of the season, to avoid exposing him to the December Rule 5 draft?
FWIW, I think Maxwell would be better served playing in the AZL than getting the Jesus Flores treatment for the last month of the season with the Nats.
Kyle | 29-Aug-07 at 10:42 am | Permalink
Does anyone know where Smoker and McGeary are now that the GCL season has concluded?
Brian Oliver | 29-Aug-07 at 10:48 am | Permalink
Kyle - Both of them are with the Vermont Lake Monsters though neither has been activated as of this morning.
estuartj | 29-Aug-07 at 10:54 am | Permalink
Pilchard - Why can’t Justin Maxwell get called up AND play in ARI?
Also, does anyone know why Stephen King hasn’t played since August 24th?
Brian Oliver | 29-Aug-07 at 11:14 am | Permalink
“[D]oes anyone know why Stephen King hasn’t played since August 24th” - Sore hamstring
On Maxwell, I’d think the Nationals wouldn’t want to put him on the 40-man when they don’t have to, all things being equal.
estuartj | 29-Aug-07 at 11:48 am | Permalink
I wonder if Maxwell is playing himself into consideration for the major league roster next year. If they call him up in September, as Barry S. suggests, and play him in A.F.L. this year they will have a pretty good idea if he is capable of playing at that level yet.
My guess is that they will call him up and then invite him to spring training next year, but he will most likely start the ‘08 season in AA Harrisburg.
bdrube | 29-Aug-07 at 12:21 pm | Permalink
If Maxwell torches the fall league and has a blistering spring, he’ll have a decent shot at making the club in ‘08 if they trade Church in the offseason as a lot of people expect they will. Maxwell has an intriguing combination of speed and power and you know Trader Jim would love to see BOTH of the the top 2 picks from his first Nats Draft as GM contributing in the bigs (not to mention the 11th rounder possibly being in the rotatioon).
Actually that’s one area where Bowden does not get enough credit (if that’s possible). Essentially during the team’s first two drafts in Washington he was operating on a shoestring without effective ownership and yet his team selected a bevy of talent that is already improving on the field fortunes from Zimm at the top on down the line.
Brian Oliver | 29-Aug-07 at 12:30 pm | Permalink
Bowden gets some credit for the draft, but honestly the guy who really ran that draft (and the last couple in Montreal) was Dana Brown. He is among the better player evaluators out there. Brown had the restrictions for multiple years but still managed to get guys like Chad Cordero, Bill Bray, Jason Bergmann, etc.
Pilchard | 29-Aug-07 at 3:52 pm | Permalink
estaurj -
I thought that the AFL season started before the end of the MLB regular season, but it does not. So, Maxwell could do both.
FWIW, I love toolsy athletic OFers as much as the next guy, but it is virtually unheard of for a player make the jump from Class A to the bigs (not talking about September, but the idea of Maxwell making the Nats in 2008). Further, unless Maxwell is going to play everyday for the MLB team in 2008 (which seems very unlikely given the present roster without the expected FA signing of a CF), he would be better off refining his skills in Harriburg or Columbus to start the 2008 season.
Despite his age, Maxwell has not played a ton of baseball because of injuries, and I would think that his development would be better served by the level by level approach that most prospects follow. I would expect Mad Max to play AA next year, with the Nats ready to pull the trigger for a promotion if he excels at that level.
bdrube | 29-Aug-07 at 4:05 pm | Permalink
I’ll definately give Dana Brown his due for the ‘05 and ‘06 drafts. But as anyone who has worked for a bad boss will tell you, no matter how good you are at your job, you’ll only be as effective as your boss will let you be. And Bowden deserves credit for letting Brown do his.
Benji | 29-Aug-07 at 6:30 pm | Permalink
If you don’t remember, top prospects Justin Upton and Cameron Maybin were only in AA for a short period of time. I think Maxwell will go there (AA) but not for long.