Harrisburg sweeps Akron; Maya struggles; Upper Minors report 8/22
by souldrummer on Aug 23, 2010 1:23 PM EDT
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PrintHarrisburg vaulted themselves into the wildcard lead with a doubleheader sweep yesterday. In game 1, Tanner Roark and El Duque Hernandez combined for eight innings of one run ball in a win over Akron (7 + 1 extra inning). Roark gave up just one run in 5.2 innings and El Duque (1-1) retired all seven men he faced to earn his first AA win in a Game 1 Harrisburg 6-1 victory over Akron. Catcher Jhonotan Solano landed the decisive blow, a two run single in the extra 8th inning to plate Edgardo Baez and Ofilio Castro. Harrisburg patched together a Game 2 2-1 win with Jack Spradlin, Corey Van Allen, Rafael Martin (W, 5-2), and Cole Kimball combining for seven innings of one run ball.
Yunesky Maya (L, 0-1) struggled late in his first outing for Potomac. His line: 4IP, 7H, 6R, 3BB, 4K, 1HR. The P-Nats launched a furious comeback but Jose Lozada made the final out of the game trying to advance on a wild pitch in Potomac's 9-8 loss to Winston Salem. They still have a 1.5 game lead over Wilmington in their divsion.
Your Hagerstown summary , minors links, and key performances after the jump:
Hagerstown was down 7-6 entering the bottom of the 8th. They managed to come back with a Eury Perez triple to tie and a JP Ramirez two run homer to take the lead. 2007 fiirst round pick Josh Smoker (the high schooler drafted ahead of Jordan Zimmermann) earned the save and has now given up only two solo HR while striking out 14 in the eight innings he's pitched since becoming a reliever. Hopefully, Smoker can get back on the system radar by becoming a reliable option out of the bullpen.
- Adam Kilgore's story on Maya focuses on his pitching repertoire, his struggles with a blister, and his cultural transition to the states.
- Sue Dinem at nationalsprospects.com writes an excellent gamer that also focuses on Maya, cautions people not to be worried about a rehab start and highlights Potomac's heroic efforts to launch a comeback.
- Geoff Morrow of the Patriot News was busy yesterday writing a gamer on Game 1 focusing on the 8th inning rally, a Game 2 summary, and a preview of their next series against Red Sox affiliate Portland. I greatly enjoyed learning about another side of life in the minor leagues in Morrow's article on Harrrisburg's Japanese trainer. The Japanese trainer addresses injuries while learning a new langauage and booking hotels for the team.
- Bob Parasliti's Hagerstown gamer focuses on an interview with left field prospect JP Ramirez and how a change to his batting practice routine helped him hit the game winning HR.
AAA Syracuse: Cancelled due to rain.
AA Harrisburg:
- Stephen Lombardozzi, 2B: Game 1, 2-5, R, 2RBI, 3B, SB; Game 2, 0-2, BB
- Chris Marrero, 1B: Game 1, 2-5, RBI, 2B; Game 2, 2-3, R
- Michael Burgess, DH: Game 1 0-4, 2K
- Tanner Roark, RSP: Game 15.2IP, 4H, 1ER, BB, 4K
- Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, RRP: Game 1(W, 1-1), 2.1IP, 0ER, 4K
- Jack Spradlin, LRP: Game 2, 3.2IP, 0R, 3H, 1B, 8K (ties career high)
- Rafael Martin, RRP: Game 2, 1.1IP, 0R, K (Martin pitched for the first time since 8/7 and is a prospect of interest we signed from the Mexican League).
High A Potomac:
- Derek Norris, C: 0-5, 4K
- Tyler Moore, 1B: 1-3, R, 2BB
- Jamar Walton, LF: 3-5, R, 3RBI, K (This seems to be the free agent they signed to replace Michael Burgess. Organizational depth who had a .523 OPS for Wilmington.)
Low A Hagerstown:
- Rick Hague, SS: 2-3, R, 2RBI, HR, BB, SF
- Adrian Sanchez, 2B: 3-5, 2R, RBI
- Destin Hood, RF: 3-5, 2B
- JP Ramirez, LF: 2-5, 2R, 2RBI, 2R HR
- Eury Perez, CF: 1-3, R, RBI, Sac bunt
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I don't understand why El Duque's around
He’s, what, 44 years old (supposedly)? He can’’t possibly be part of the Nats future. Can he?
Rob
"Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection." -- Red Smith
To help Maya transition to the Majors.
Think it’s really as simple as that
Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."
by Patrick Reddington on Aug 23, 2010 1:37 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Really?
I’ve heard speculation on this point, but it seems a bit far-fetched to me. Perhaps it’s not really speculation, but it sure does smell like it.
Rob
"Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection." -- Red Smith
Forseeing the demise of Strasburg the Nationals front office picked "El Duque" off the scrap heaps of retirement
and look forwards to the day he lands on there rotation… Come on really!!!
Totally agree with this.
Right now, they want him to pitch in the majors this year. If you read Kilgore’s article, you can tell how little English he knows and how large a cultural transition he may have. Part of yesterday’s loss may have been due to his adjustment to high A hitters. If you bring Maya up after rosters expand and El Duque with him, he’s got two simpaticos in the dugout to ease his life a bit.
FWIW, Hassan Pena, reliever for Harrisburg is another Cuban pitcher with El Duque right now as well.
On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.
I will be really sore at the Nats
if Orlando Hernandez touches a baseball while on the mound in Nats’ stadium.
Rob
"Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection." -- Red Smith
What have you got against him?
Let the old man have his Satchel Paige moment and pitch in a low leverage situation. I like Miguel Batista and all, but it’s not a life and death situation if he loses a couple of innings. Outside of Balester, there aren’t too many relievers I’m eager to see pitch after September callups.
On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.
Life or Death? No it's more important than that.
El Duque is no Satchel Paige. If he pitched, it would be a lot more like a Eddie Gaedel moment.
I want to see the Nationals devote the rest of the season to beating the Phillies and to playing their young players for evaluation. Playing fossils is not productive in any sense.
Rob
"Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection." -- Red Smith
I get the hyperbole ...
… but by the same argument you’d get mad every time the Batista took the mound, or every time Livo pitches and Pudge catches. At this stage of their careers they’re not going to be adding very much to what we already know about them.
I certainly don’t disagree with the “play the kids, see what you have” as the overarching concern for the last few weeks of the season. But that said, if El Duque manages to pitch well enough to justify a call-up (beyond being Maya’s buddy), I don’t have a problem with him pitching in a game or two, maybe a max of four or five innings. Say this for El Duque – he’s younger than Jamie Moyer! :-)
This.
To this point, he’s been effective in Harrisburg and somebody thinks enough of him to pitch him in higher leverage situations at the AA level. If it’s about "devote the rest of the season to beating the Phillies " and Severino is getting tagged at AAA than there should be room for him to pitch in DC if he earns a spot or there should be room for him to possibly help with Maya’s position and not pitch after Harrisburg’s season if he hasn’t shown he can be that successful.
Reading the earlier “El Duque” article from Morrow I get the sense that he genuinely loves playing baseball and if he can bring a mentoring attitude and some results to DC it’s worth a cup of coffee in the bigs.
On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.
wait a sec
Since when would loving to play baseball be a criterion for being able to play baseball in the Major Leagues?
Rob
"Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection." -- Red Smith
Explains why he is making his comeback more than his qualifications. He’s effective for Harrisburg. He may or not be effective at DC. The mentoring role (like everyone says about Livo) for the bullpen guys and Maya could make having him around in the clubhouse valuable while he doesn’t take a roster spot. Letting him pitch a little bit in low leverage situations doesn’t seem to be harmful.
I’m heading into agree to disagree territory. We could get into a discussion about having an El Duque-like player vs. a Steven Shell like player, but I’m about ready to step away from this on.
On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.
Correction “while doesn’t take a roster spot” should mean while he doesn’t take a 25-man roster spot. I’m aware he would have to be added to the 40-man and there’s somebody who would be left off as a result. If that 40-man slot is valuable enough to you to keep him off, that’s certainly a valid reason for your opinion.
On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.
I agree: we disagree
It just seems to me that every out at the major league level is valuable from an organizational standpoint. Pitching guys that have no future wastes that value. So, it’s not “harmful” per se, but then again it’s not useful either. It’s the same thing with Willie Harris. He has nothing to prove, why play him? He’s not the future… but they have other players who could be the future — it would be nice to see what they’ve got.
Anyway, I’ll give up now.
Rob
"Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection." -- Red Smith
Don't get me wrong
I love Jamie Moyer. I want him to pitch for another 20 years. He is, after all, the only ML player older than I am. And as long as he’s active, I can still dream…
Rob
"Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection." -- Red Smith
Eddie Gaedel’s great-nephew Kyle Gaedele is also a ballplayer, drafted in the 32nd round by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 out of high school.8 The 6-foot-4 Gaedele chose instead to attend Valparaiso University and will play for the Madison Mallards of the summer collegiate Northwoods League in 2010.[
Severino's had a bad July and a bad August.
I guess he could get a callup since he’s on the 40 man, but he hasn’t been very good lately.
On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.
by souldrummer on Aug 23, 2010 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I saw Maya's start yesterday
looked really good until the blister flared up. if you look at my story on my blog from yesterday, check out the first picture of Maya close up. you can see the discoloration from the iodine on his thumb they used to treat his blister.
at least, i hope it’s the iodine and not blood.
Your voice of doom and gloom. Read more at natsnewsnetwork.blogspot.com
by Dave at District Sports Page on Aug 23, 2010 3:09 PM EDT reply actions
Bloxom's hurt.
As in Jeff Kobernus, last year’s second round pick. Kobernus has a shin injury; I’m not sure about Bloxom’s injury.
On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.
Kind of half following Crow vs. P-Nats in the background tonight.
On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.
Punks....
…no Crow tonight.
On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.
Aaron Thompson is absolutely awful right now.
Gives up two runs in the first.
On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.
ROBOT UMPIRE is absent tonight...
…just sayin
On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.
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