Nationals Farm Authority

The Peoria Saguaros outslugged the Scottsdale Scorpions 10-7 (box/gamer). DH Leonar Davis was 1/2 with a stolen base and RBI. 1B Bill Rhinehart was 1/4 with a single, run, RBI and walk. RHP Zech Zinicola pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief, blowing a save allowing a home run among his two hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

The Arizona Fall League got underway yesterday with the Peoria Saguaros defeating the Scottsdale Scorpions 9-3 (box/gamer). Leonard Davis played RF and was 0/4 with a run scored. SS Ian Desmond was 2/3 with one run and one RBI. LHP Cory VanAllen started for the Saguaros allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits over two innings with two strikeouts. RHP Adam Carr pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout.

To pass the time, here is MiLB.com’s review of the 2008 Nationals season for your reading pleasure.

Not much to quibble with … maybe the classification of Detwiler. I might have pegged him as a “Slippped a Rung” all things being considered.

This two classes and a full time job is a bit more involving than I expected. I’m hoping to get some of the seasons in review up later this week. I have class tonight and Wednesday, so hopefully on Friday.

The release came out via email and thankfully Chico Harlan over at Nationals Journal has a link to the PDF version (So I do not have to copy/paste).

Enjoy.

Sorry for the quiet over the weekend. I spent most of the weekend relaxing and working on coursework. Not a whole lot to report from over the weekend.

• The Vermont Lake Monsters finished their season with a pair of losses to Oneonta 10-4 (box) and 2-0 (box) to finish the season in 3rd place in the Stedler division with a 33-42 record
• Got one Instructional League answer … LHP Jack McGeary will participate in Instructionals until classes at Stanford resume (on or about September 22) … I have an inquiry out about who will be coaching and the schedule
• Potomac and Myrtle Beach face off in the best-of-five Mills Cup for the Carolina League championship, beginning this evening in Myrtle Beach … RHP Luis Atilano (0-0, 0.00 … in playoffs) faces off with Pelicans LHP Scott Diamond (1-0, 1.29) at 7:05PM
  • Game two is Tuesday evening at Myrtle Beach at 7:05PM … RHP Jeff Mandel (NR) versus LHP Carlos Rivas (0-1, 36.00)
  • Game three is Thursday evening in Woodbridge at 7:05PM … LHP Ross Detwiler (1-0, 0.00) versus RHP Ryne Reynoso (NR)
  • Game four (if necessary) is Friday evening in Woodbridge at 7:05PM … RHP Erik Arnesen (0-0, 3.18) versus LHP Cole Rohrbough (1-0, 0.00)
  • Game five (if necessary) will be on Saturday evening in Woodbridge at 7:05PM … RHP Cole Kimball (NR) versus LHP Scott Diamond (1-0, 1.29)
• “Tragic” Number Update … San Diego (55-88) has a 0.5 “lead” on Washington (56-88) and a 1.5 game “lead” on Seattle (56-86)
  • Nationals have 18 games remaining
    • @NYM(2); @FLA(3); NYM(4); SD(3); FLA(3); @PHI(3)
  • Padres have 19 games remaining
    • vs LAD(3); vs SF(4); @COL(3); @WAS(3); @LAD(3); vs PIT(3)
    • Padres are the only of the three that play on Monday (home versus the Dodgers), if the Padres win tonight, they tie the Nationals with a 56-88 record and by virtue of last year’s record, the Nationals win the tiebreaker for the #1 overall draft pick
  • Mariners have 20 games remaining
    • vs TEX(2); @LAA(4); @KC(4); @OAK(3); LAA(4); OAK(3)

For those interested, I am scheduled to appear on the Heineken Nats Insider radio show this Saturday. I taped it earlier this week, so I am unsure of the exact time of the segment. The show is on at 5:30PM on WWWT.

Potomac and Boomer Whiting defeated Wilmington for the second straight day in extra innings as the P-Nats defeated the Blue Rocks 3-2 in 10 innings (box/gamers [Potomac/Wilmington]). Whiting came on as a pinch runner with one out in the bottom of the tenth, stole second and scored on a single to center by SS Dan Lyons (2/4). 1B Andrew Lefave was 3/5; CF Francisco Plasencia was 3/5 with a run scored; Solano was 2/4 with a double and RBI; and LF Dee Brown was 1/4 with one RBI. RHP Erik Arnesen made the start for Potomac, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over 5 2/3 innings with three strikeouts. Wilmington 2B Jeff Bianchi hit a second inning solo home run off of Arnesen and drove in another run on an RBI single. LHP Jack Spradlin continued the strong relief pitching for the P-Nats, retiring all seven batters he faced with two strikeouts. RHP Clint Everts added two more solid inning to the P-Nats relievers tally, giving up one hit in the top of a scoreless ninth and pitching a perfect tenth, striking out a pair. He was got the win when Potomac scored in the bottom of the tenth. Over the first two games, the Potomac bullpen has thrown 13 1/3 innings allowing just one run on four hits and two walks with ten strikeouts.

Today: LHP Ross Detwiler (8-8, 4.86) versus Wilmington LHP Everett Teaford (8-6, 3.80), 7:05PM

Vermont rallied for four runs over the last three innings to defeat Tri-City 6-3 (box/gamer). CF Marcus Jones was 4/5 with a run scored. SS Danny Espinosa was 2/5. DH Derek Norris was 1/3 with a walk, solo home run & two runs scored. 3B Steve Souza, CF Stephen Englund, RF Michael Guerrero, and a rehabbing Dmitri Young each had one RBI. LHP Jack McGeary made the start, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks over 4IP with five strikeouts. RHP Carlos Peralta picked up the win with three innings of relief allowing a solo home run while striking out two. LHP Austin Garrett picked up the save with two shutout innings of relief, striking out three. Notes: 2B Jake Smolinski was named the NY/Penn League Offensive Player of the Week. .485 (14-29), 7 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SO, 2 SB, .724 SLG It’s been a whirlwind season for Smolinski. In April, he was assigned to Hagerstown in the South Atlantic League, an aggressive assignment at which he shone. Smolinski hit .321 in May before sustaining an injury and remaining out of action until August. The team sent him to the Gulf Coast League for three games, which weren’t good, then allowed him to finish his season with Vermont. For the year, Smolinski hit .276 in 272 at-bats with three different teams.

Record: Vermont 33-40, 2nd place NYP Stedler [eliminated … two games left]

Today: LHP Graham Hicks (NR) versus Oneonta (pitcher TBA), 7:05PM

They finally got the first game of the DSL Championship series between the DSL Nationals1 and Giants completed. Unfortunately for the Nats1, it ended with a 3-0 loss (box). 23-year old LHP Jose Santana allowed an unearned run on two hits and three walks. 20-year old LHP Jose Taveras allowed a run on four hits and two walks over 2 2/3IP.  The Nats1 managed only five singles of offense, one each by DH Danny Taveras, RF Angelberth Montilla, 1B Eduardo Urbina, LF Alexander Romero, and SS Justino Cuevas. The Nats1 bounced back in game two behind the pitching of RHP Luis Ortega who held the Giants to four hits and one walk over eight shutout innings with eight strikeouts in a 2-0 win (box). RHP Ruben De La Rosa pitched a scoreless ninth for the save. Urbina was 2/3 with a walk, stolen base and RBI. Romero was 1/4 with a run scored. CF Eury Perez was 2/3. And, CA Ricardo Martinez was 1/4 with a run scored. Rain has changed the best of five series to a best of three series. The winner takes all game is scheduled for today at 10:30AM at the home of the DSL Mets.

Today: DSL Nationals1 versus DSL Giants, 10:30AM

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

Potomac begins the Carolina League playoffs this evening in Woodbridge against the Wilmington Blue Rocks.

Today: RHP Luis Atilano (6-5, 3.73) versus Wilmington RHP Matt Kniginyzky (9-8, 3.57), 7:05PM

Vermont fell 2-1 in a thirteen inning game at Oneonta (box/gamer). IF Yuerys Tejeda walked in the winning run with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 13th. Tejeda had pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief for the Mosnters allowing two hits, three walks, and a hit batter. LHP Will Atwood started for Vermont going four shutout innings giving up three hits and two walks while striking out five. RHP Patrick Arnold allowed a run on five hits and one walk over his six innings of work, striking out five. CF Marcus Jones was 1/6. 2B Jake Smolinski was 1/5. CA Derek Norris was 1/4 with two walks and a stolen base. LF Jake Dugger was 1/5 with a triple and run scored. And DH Chris Solis was 1/4 with one RBI. A rehabbing Dmitriy Young was 0/2. Notes: RHPs Randy Matias and Casey Whitmer were placed on the DL and LHPs Jack McGeary and Graham Hicks were added from the GCL.

Record: Vermont 31-40, 2nd place NYP Stedler [eliminated … four games left]

Today: LHP Pat McCoy (1-5, 5.93) versus Tri-City (pitchers TBA), 7:00PM

The first game between the DSL Nationals1 and DSL Giants was postponed by rain.

Today: DSL Nationals1 versus DSL Giants, 10:30AM [best of five]