23-year old RHPs Tyler Clippard and Zech Zinicola combined to allow eleven runs (ten earned) on twelve hits and six walks over just six innings in a 11-8 loss by Columbus (box/gamer). Clippard has now allowed fourteen earned runs on seventeen hits and eight walks over his last two outings (9IP) while Zinicola has surrendered eight runs on ten hits and two walks over his last two appearances (4IP). 25-year old LHP Mike Hinckley threw a scoreless inning of relief, striking out a pair. In his seventeen relief appearances for the Clippers, Hinckley has a 2.50 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 12 strikeouts over 18IP; lefthanders are hitting 0.238 overall against him. 29-year old LF Jorge Padilla was 4/5 with a solo homer, two runs & two RBI and is now hitting 309/382/396 in 79 games for Columbus. 25-year old CA Luke Montz was 3/5 with two runs scored. 24-year old CF Roger Bernadina was 2/5 with a run scored and 26-year old RF Kory Casto was 0/3 with two walks and a run scored. A rehabbing Alberto Gonzalez was 1/5 with a double and two RBI as the DH.
Record: Columbus 67-70, 3rd place IL West (18GB with five games left) [eliminated]
Today: Columbus (pitcher TBA) at Toledo RHP Freddy Garcia (NR), 7:00PM
Harrisburg kept their faint playoff hopes alive with a 7-2 win in Erie (box/gamer). The next Senators loss or Akron Aeros win will end Harrisburg’s playoff chances. 25-year old RHP Zack Segovia made his strongest start in weeks, holding the SeaWolves to two runs on seven hits and one walk over 6IP with two strikeouts. 26-year old RHP Josh Perrault and 24-year old RHP Adam Carr combined on the final three shutout innings of relief, allowing three hits and striking out three. 27-year old 2B Seth Bynum provided Harrisburg with all the offense it would need with a first inning three-run home run. Bynum was 2/4 with two runs scored and is now hitting 270/336/508 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI in 78 Double-A games. 26-year old CA Devin Ivany was 3/5 with a stolen base, RBI and two runs scored. 23-year old RF Edgardo Baez was 2/4 with a pair of doubles and 22-year old SS Ian Desmond was 2/4 with a walk and two runs scored.
Record: Harrisburg 71-66, 3rd place EL South (11GB with five games left) [five and a half games behind Akron for wild card … Akron has six games left]
Today: LHP Justin Jones (2-4, 4.17) at Erie LHP Luke French (8-11, 3.82), 7:05PM
23-year old RHP Luis Atilano ran into trouble in the fifth inning as Potomac dropped a 3-2 decision to Salem (box/gamer). Atilano allowed four hits and all three runs in the top of the fifth, he finished the game giving up three runs on six hits and two walks over 4 1/3IP while striking out four. 23-year old RHP Kyle Gunderson pitched 2 2/3 shutout innings of relief (although he allowed one of his inherited runners to score) allowing three hits while striking out four. Gunderson now has an 1.74 ERA and 0.87 WHIP over 10 1/3IP for Potomac with eight strikeouts. 25-year old DH Dee Brown was 2/4 with a double & runs scored and is now hitting 324/413/474 with four homers and thirty-three RBI since the Carolina League All-Star break. 19-year old RF Michael Burgess (0/3) and 20-year old 3B Stephen King (1/3) each had one RBI for the P-Nats.
Record: Potomac 34-31, 1st place Carolina North (2.5 games ahead with five games left) [1st half champs]
Today: RHP Erik Arnesen (3-3, 4.21) versus Salem LHP Sergio Severino (1-5, 7.11), 7:05PM
21-year old RHP Chris Lugo allowed an eighth inning solo home run as Hagerstown fell 5-4 at Lake County (box/gamer). 22-year old RHP Terrence Engles started for the Suns, allowing four runs on nine hits over 6IP while striking out three. Unfortunately for Lugo, the only baserunner he allowed was the solo homer; over two innings of relief, he struck out four of the seven batters he faced. 22-year old SS Jose Lozada was 3/4 with two doubles, two runs and one RBI. 22-year old 2B Blake Stouffer was 2/4 with a double and run scored.
Record: Hagerstown 24-41, 6th place Sally North (19GB with five games left) [eliminated]
Today: Hagerstown at Lakewood, 7:05PM [pitchers TBA]
20-year old RHP Brad Peacock took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and one walk over 5IP in a 5-1 Vermont defeat in Aberdeen (box/gamer). 21-year old LHP Austin Garrett pitched the final inning, allowing only one walk while striking out a pair; over his last ten appearances, Garret is 1-1 with one save, 1.77 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 20 strikeouts and six walks over 20 1/3IP. 21-year old CF Marcus Jones was 2/5 with a run scored while 21-year old SS Danny Espinosa was 2/4. The two late signs from the 2008 draft are hitting 333/474/400 and 480/649/560, respectively, in their brief stays in Vermont.
Record: Vermont 27-37, 3rd place NYP Stedler (10GB with eleven games left)
Today: LHP Will Atwood (1-1, 2.98) at Aberdeen (pitcher TBA), 7:05PM
The GCL Nationals finished off their regular season with a 5-4 loss to the GCL Marlins (box). 21-year old RHP Jorge Urena allowed two runs on four hits and one walk over 3 1/3IP while striking out three. 18-year old SS Smiley Gonzalez locked up the GCL batting title going 2/2 with a double and two RBI, finishing the season batting 0.350. 20-year old RF J.R. Higley was 2/4 with two doubles, two stolen bases and two runs scored; he batted 340/482/447 in 34 GCL games. 18-year old Adrian Nieto made his first appearance behind the plate, going 0/4 and making a pair of throwing errors. Neither Destin Hood nor J.P. Ramirez played in the game.
Record: GCL Nationals 33-22, 1st place GCL East (2.5 games ahead; season completed) [Clinched playoffs]
Today: One game playoff - GCL Nationals versus GCL Twins, 12:00PM [pitchers TBA]
The DSL regular season has ended. The playoffs began this week.
Record: DSL Nationals1 55-17, 1st place DSL S.D. West (finished 25 games ahead); DSL Nationals2 29-43, 4th place DSL S.D. West (finished 26GB) [Nats1 in the playoffs; Nats2 eliminated]
This Week: The DSL Nationals1 and the DSL Giants both received first round byes. The DSL Angels defeated the DSL Rangers1 two games to none, the DSL Angels will face the DSL Giants. The DSL Twins and Mariners are tied at one game to one, the decisive third game is this morning with the winner facing the DSL Nationals1.
Chris | 28-Aug-08 at 8:54 am | Permalink
Real good year for JR Higley. If he can stay in RF he might be a late round sleeper
Whats with the one game playoff for GCL? That’s to go to the championship?
Brian Oliver | 28-Aug-08 at 9:03 am | Permalink
Chris - Yes, if I recall correctly, it’s a best of three for the championship.
I’m guessing that Patrick Arnold was sent down for this game. Then the GCL Nationals can use Jack McGeary, Josh Smoker, & Paul Demny for the best of three
Marc | 28-Aug-08 at 9:51 am | Permalink
Hey, Brian - who was the 25-y.o. RHP who had a nice outing last night in Harrisburg? I think you forgot to put his name in. =)
Bob L. Head | 28-Aug-08 at 10:07 am | Permalink
Go GCL Nats!
Clippard seems to be pitching his way out of a callup. Maybe he wants to work on his golf game.
Terry Byrom | 28-Aug-08 at 10:07 am | Permalink
Zach Segovia pitched for the Senators last night.
Stats Freak | 28-Aug-08 at 10:08 am | Permalink
Anyone see that Edgardo Baez is hitting .230 at Harrisburg and Rhinehart is batting .235????
Cole | 28-Aug-08 at 10:12 am | Permalink
Brian,
Why do you consider Bernadina as likely to only see duty as a defensive replacement/pinch runner? Shouldn’t his .355 average at AAA translate into some success hitting in the majors? The Nats could play either him or Milledge in left.
e | 28-Aug-08 at 10:20 am | Permalink
Cole –
I would like to see a couple of games with Bernadina in left, Milledge in center and Dukes in right. But, what do you do with Willie Harris? He’s been the Nats’ most consistent player since June and it wouldn’t be fair to put him on the bench.
Brian Oliver | 28-Aug-08 at 10:22 am | Permalink
Cole - My gut tells me that the Nationals are going to stick with Harris, Milledge, & Dukes as their regular starters in LF-CF-RF for the rest of the season. Bernadina will likely see some spot starts and late inning replacements, but if the past is any indicator, Manny Acta will not start many of the roster call-ups regularly.
Chris | 28-Aug-08 at 10:25 am | Permalink
Stats Freak-
Shhh. We’re only allowed to talk about guys when they play well here
Freda | 28-Aug-08 at 10:25 am | Permalink
Just a side note - I believe that Zach Segovia is the son-in-law of Hagerstown manager Danell Coles.
Freda | 28-Aug-08 at 10:25 am | Permalink
Correction to above - should be Darnell (not Danell)
MO Nats Fan | 28-Aug-08 at 10:44 am | Permalink
e-
No way do they move Milledge out of the CF slot, he and Bonifacio have been given a very very long leash to prove themselves in their respective positions.
Any idea when Kearns will be back, if at all, this year? I like a Dukes/Millege/Kearns OF if Kearns can at least get on base if not hit for power. No matter how much we like him Willie Harris is not an everyday starting OFer, but I sure like him as the 25th man for ‘09.
Marc | 28-Aug-08 at 11:06 am | Permalink
Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Willie, but I’m really afraid we’re going to offer him the Belliard/Guzman/Young memorial sign-a-waiver-wire-mediocrity 2yr. deal. He’s having a great year for him - he’s slugging 100 points above his career average, he’s got 5 more homeruns THIS year than he’s hit in his ENTIRE career combined. And for all that, he’s an OPS+ of 104. So, that’s to say, Willie Harris, having a year better than any year he’s ever had, ever, is a barely average MLB player. Signed to a one-year deal like this year to be the 25th man, sure, I love him, and I love all the “Superman wears Willie Harris pajamas” stuff, but I’m very afraid that we’re going to start forgetting that that’s fundamentally a joke based on the fact that Harris is a mediocre player who can play a lot of places.
HammondsNats | 28-Aug-08 at 11:24 am | Permalink
Marc, this really isn’t just directed at you, but I’m getting tired of people bashing the 2 year deals. They are safe moves and rewarding guys who have delievered for us.
Ronnie Baseball is having a solid season for us (.270+ avg, 11 homers, has played all infield positions). Guzman was an all star and has been consistently around .300 average the whole season. Willie Harris, along with John Lannan, is probably our MVP (not saying much but look at what he’s done).
If you remember Belliard, Young and Harris were all intended to be backup players. But due to injuries and players suckitude (Flop, AK25, etc) they’ve been forced into starting roles. And quite frankly, I’d rather go to them off the bench first than a Pete Orr, Ryan Langerhans, Anderson Hernandez.
(PS - I know Dmitri Young hasn’t worked out for us this year, but neither has the 1B position in general!)
expo_ram | 28-Aug-08 at 11:47 am | Permalink
I thought I read where Harris is only arbitration eligible after the year, so I don’t see the FO giving him stupid money when they don’t have to to keep him around.
Oh, and I agree with the fact that he is no more than a super-sub in the grand scheme of things.
Brian Oliver | 28-Aug-08 at 11:52 am | Permalink
Harris will come up just short of free agency, service time wise. 5 years, 140 days (IIRC 172 = a “year”). He would be arbitration eligible for one last time. He made $800K this year and would no doubt get a raise based upon this year’s performance. My guess is the Nationals would be trying to get some sort of discount for the certainty of a two-year deal.
That being said, I don’t see the point in it either.
Chris | 28-Aug-08 at 12:51 pm | Permalink
Hammonds:
Signing Belliard and Young to extensions insteado of trading them last year was moronic. The team in last place, how much worse could it be? They should have gotten whatever they could for them instead of extending them
Pilchard | 28-Aug-08 at 12:56 pm | Permalink
^^ Agree that Young deal looks bad in retrospect, but disagree about Belliard’s deal. He is solid MLB ultity player and is paid in line with players of his level. He also seems like a good team guy, and has not complained about changing positions or having less experienced players play in front of him.
So, lets say the Nats had not signed Belliard, would they have been better with .200 hitting with no power Cory Casto on the MLB roster all year? No. Belliard’s contract has not blocked the promotion of any legit (or non-legit) prospect.
Chris | 28-Aug-08 at 1:43 pm | Permalink
Belliard does make less than I thought so I’ll take that back. If we could have gotten some sort of prospect for him last year Id rather do that, and then find a utility inf to hit 270
LivinBaseball | 28-Aug-08 at 9:08 pm | Permalink
Anyone noticed how J. Perrault from Harrisburg is pitching- 20 Ks in the last 17.1 innings, 1.40 WHIP? Doesn’t seem to get much attention from the organization though.