Potomac won game one of the best-of-five series with Wilmington 2-1 in 15 innings (box/gamers [Potomac/Wilmington]). The game was highlighted by strong pitching and solid baserunning for the P-Nats. Potomac pitchers combined to allow only five hits, three walks and one hit batter over the fifteen innings. RHP Luis Atilano started for Potomac, allowing only two hits and one walk over six shutout innings. RHP Kyle Gunderson provided the only blemish to the evening, allowing a lead off solo home run in the top of seventh inning. From that point on, Potomac’s bullpen was strong as both LHP Atahualpa Severino and RHP Josh Wilkie each pitched two hitless shutout innings of relief. That just set the stage for RHP Dan Leatherman who made his Potomac debut in an impressive manner. Leatherman picked up the win in relief with four scorelees innings pitched, including retring the final nine batters he faced in a row. The P-Nats used smart baserunning to get both of their runs. 3B Stephen King (2/6 with a double) played a role in both runs. After singling in the fifth inning, King stole second base with two outs, allowing him to score on a double by SS Dan Lyons (1/4). In the fifteenth, LF Boomer Whiting (1/2) used his speed to manufacture the game-winning run. Whiting lead off the 15th with a single, stole second and went to third when King grounded out to 1B. After CA Jhonathan Solano (1/6) flew up to shallow right field, Whiting slid home safely on a wild pitch.
Today: RHP Erik Arnesen (4-3, 4.46) versus Wilmington RHP Mario Santiago (8-8, 3.43), 7:05PM
1B Tyler Moore (3/5) delivered a two-out game-winning single in the bottom of the tenth leading Vermont to a 6-5 win over Tri-City (box/gamer). CA Derek Norris (2/4) led off the inning with a walk (his 61st in 68G), moved to second on a sacrifice and third on a wild pitch. RF Michael Guerrero (1/4) then walked setting the stage for Moore’s game winner. A rehabbing Dmitri Young was 2/3 with a double and RBI as the DH; 2B Jake Smolinski was 1/5 with two runs scored; and CF Marcus Jones & SS Danny Espinosa were both 1/4 with a run scored. LHP Pat McCoy started for the Monsters, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks over four innings. RHP Johan Figureo provided three shutout innings of relief, striking out six. RHP David Slovak picked up the win with one inning of relief, giving up a hit and striking out two.
Record: Vermont 32-40, 2nd place NYP Stedler [eliminated … three games left]
Today: LHP Jack McGeary (NR) versus Tri-City (pitchers TBA), 7:05PM
The game between the DSL Nationals1 and DSL Giants was again postponed by rain. I believe that there is a possiblity of five games in three days.
Schedule for Finals
- Today: DSL Giants at DSL Nationals1, 10:30AM (likely a doubleheader to make up for Tuesday’s rainout)
- Friday: DSL Nationals1 at DSL Giants, 10:30AM (might be doubleheader to make up for Wednesday’s rainout, fourth game only if necessary)
- Saturday (if necessary): DSL Giants at DSL Nationals1, 10:30AM
dd | 04-Sep-08 at 8:16 am | Permalink
Nice to be able to still follow low level baseball, and moreso with the success of the affiliates.
Nick | 04-Sep-08 at 8:25 am | Permalink
what type of series is this, best of 5?
i assume 4 teams from the carolina league make the playoffs, so if they win this series, they are in the carolina league final, correct?
Nick
Dick | 04-Sep-08 at 8:34 am | Permalink
Stephen Strasburg, we hardly knew ‘ye.
The Friars have gone one ahead of us in the tragic number and, given how the Nats have morphed into the Murders Row Yankees, it looks like we can forget about Stephen.
This season can’t get over fast enough. It has worn me out since I HATE when the Nats lose but haven’t wanted them to win for the past couple of months, either.
You can’t predict things in baseball but we go into Atlanta for four games having OWNED them this season.
Brian Oliver | 04-Sep-08 at 8:40 am | Permalink
Nick - Both rounds are best-of-five. The winner of the Potomac/Wilmington series will face the winner of the Myrtle Beach/Winston-Salem series.
Dick - The Padres played one less game than the Nationals. Assuming the play with an equal record, that extra game will come into play
J. Cole | 04-Sep-08 at 9:17 am | Permalink
Good job P-NAts!
Dick - I’m with you, I don’t think Nats will get the #1
pick. Ik Dukes stays healthy, he is worth a couple of wins by himself. Case in point from the game a few days ago, Nats had bases loaded no outs and nobody could advance a run and they were in danger of letting that practically 100% chance for a run slip away (Damn, can a Major League batter get a sac fly? TWICE!), but Dukes drew the walk for the Win. If he wasn’t in that spot, another player probably F’s that up. With Zimm having a late season surge, Guzman ripping, young middle infielders bringing speed and average, Milledge continuing to develop, and the young pitchers in the mix now (how about that Hinckley!) - I think Nats will finish out much stronger than the Padres and Mariners.
estuartj | 04-Sep-08 at 9:23 am | Permalink
Does anyone up in VT know what kind of shape Dmitri Young is in? I’m guessing we’ll see him back in DC after the VT season end in a couple days…
Brian Oliver | 04-Sep-08 at 9:26 am | Permalink
estuartj - The gamer has a picture of him
Nate | 04-Sep-08 at 9:58 am | Permalink
Round is a shape.
Berndaddy | 04-Sep-08 at 10:30 am | Permalink
Wow Brian!!! Dmitri’s got be 315-320 right. I wonder if he can play football. The Redskins could use another linemen.
Sue Dinem | 04-Sep-08 at 10:44 am | Permalink
Stephen King’s baserunning wasn’t exactly brilliant all night. Case in point: The 5th inning. On his single to center, King didn’t even attempt to take second when Randy sent Burgess — who’d finish 3rd if he’d raced me when I was pregnant; what was Knorr thinking? — not even after the cutoff man let the throw go through. King’s defense, however, was spectacular and I don’t think he’s gotten enough credit for it here.
Nationals Fan | 04-Sep-08 at 11:07 am | Permalink
If a ball can be cut off you would go to second base only if you think there is actually a play at the plate…because you would be giving yourself up for the run. In this case the hitter (King) has not reason to believe there will be a play at the plate, since the base hit takes the center fielder a bit to his left, and he starts the play with some good depth, and don’t forget that the centerfielder (Robinson) has an average arm. Burgess is NOT that slow, and so I wonder how hard he worked on his lead, and his secondary lead, and what his turn at third was like…and just maybe his overall effort! King should NOT kill the threat of a big inning when he feels the run will surely score. As it was, he steals second base and scores on a double by Lyons for the NATS only run until the winner. I would say that King read the whole play properly except for not taking into account the problems Burgess may have had on his journey to the plate.
Bob L. Head | 04-Sep-08 at 11:19 am | Permalink
“Round is a shape.”
Classic!
Sue Dinem | 04-Sep-08 at 11:23 am | Permalink
If you were there last night you would have seen that the throw took a large hop (read: the throw was slowing down as it came to the plate) and Burgess swung wide to attempt to make the play close (read: even with an impeded throw from an average CF arm, he was still out).
Any smart baserunner seeing a combination of baserunner taking a turn away from the basepath as well as the catcher turning his back to the infield should be able to change direction and take second. King didn’t make that read and stayed put. That, dear friend, is a mistake.
Just trying to add the perspective from having seen the play first-hand…
Freda | 04-Sep-08 at 12:02 pm | Permalink
Roster has Dimitri at 295 lbs. Not sure when that weight was taken, but I gotta say he is a big boy. On another note, he has been fantastic to the guys on the team. Buying them food on the road and having food delivered to the clubhouse for them last night. They did get a Lake Monsters (replica) jersey for him, so he was in uni just like the rest of our team. After his AB’s last night, he stayed in the dugout with the guys and hung out in the bullpen until the end of the game. He was also very generous to the fans in signing autographs.
nationals fan | 04-Sep-08 at 12:06 pm | Permalink
The runner read that the ball can be cut, and therefore is stopped, and maybe shuffling toward second as he watches the play at the plate. He can’t get a good read (impossible) on the angle of the runner scoring, and to switch gears into a “go” mode just because the catcher has his back temporarily turned is very difficult, as any catcher can pivot and throw to get a runner that still has about 70 feet to get to second base. As the ball is “slowing down” the catcher is still facing the infield, and will easily throw the runner out at second base if he goes and there is no play at the plate, and so the runner can’t just go on reading the pace of the throw. Reading angles of runners and their relationship to home plate is impossible at first base, and remember that he probably stopped because he thought that there was no play at the plate. Knorr sending him is a no brainer, as it is a scoreless game with pitchers dominating, and this is a great opportunity to get on the board first. He too is probably shocked that Burgess is easily thrown out.
Sue Dinem | 04-Sep-08 at 12:27 pm | Permalink
Reading angles of runners and their relationship to home plate is impossible at first base
Since when?
e | 04-Sep-08 at 1:03 pm | Permalink
all I know was what I was taught … if I hit a ball to center, and the ball is coming towards home, I round first base while watching the ball to make sure that it’s not cut off and I get nailed off of first.
If there’s a chance for the ball to be cut off but isn’t, it’s almost impossible to start running to second in time to make it safely, unless the ball skips past the catcher. If the ball is clearly uncatchable by the cutoff man, then it might be worth the risk to go to second.
AlexVA | 04-Sep-08 at 1:55 pm | Permalink
Brian, Atilano has been consistently very good. From what I have found he does not appear to be a power pitcher. I’d guess he projects as a 3-4 starter. What would your assessment be?
nationals fan | 05-Sep-08 at 12:22 am | Permalink
I realize that this is a bit technical Sue, but a runner coming around first watches the outfielder throw the ball so that he can immediately read the angle of the throw in relationhip to the cut man. If its a decent throw he then watches the cut man and the ball to see if he actually can cut it. If he reads the angle as cutable then he holds and watches the ball go through to the catcher, and begins to read whether or not the catcher can field it cleanly or not, but he cannot just go or will be thrown out if there is no play at the plate. At no point does he have the ability to actually check the angles of the runner coming in, or the probability of out or safe at the plate. Its simply not physically possible to read the runner when you are reading ball and catcher, unless you’re talking about a runner stopping and getting into a rundown, which will be very obvious, even at first base, and would easily allow a runner to advance to second base. This is just basic baserunning instruction.