Congratulations are in order for Potomac after a 2-0 P-Nats win over Kinston! Behind six dominant shutout innings from Trevor Holder (W, 3-3), the P-Nats won the second half Northern Division crown of the Carolina League. Fittingly, second half offensive stars Tyler Moore and Derek Norris were responsible for an RBI each in the victory. In game 2, Potomac rested their starters in a 7-5 loss. Potomac will now do battle with Orioles' affiliate Frederick in the Carolina League Battle of the Beltways in round one of the Mills Cup Championship. Games 1 and 2 are Wednesday and Thursday in Frederick. Game 3 is Friday night in Potomac, and games 4 and 5 (if necessary) will be in Potomac as well.
Brad Peacock has great stuff but the question is whether he can trust that stuff enough to throw strikes. Despite a fastball topping out around 96MPH, he could not command the strike zone in a 3-2 Senators loss to Binghamton. While he struck out seven Mets, he walked four batters and gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings. Shutout relief from Cory VanAllen and Hassan Pena kept the Senators in the game, but the offense fell short in key situations. Burgess struckout looking with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the 6th. Marvin Lowrance struck out with a runner on third and one out after a Binghamton wild pitch in the 7th. In the 8th, Josh Johnson was caught stealing after a leadoff single. Harrisburg remains tied in the standings with Bowie after Bowie's loss to Richmond, but they must discover consistent offense if they are to cap off an exciting season featuring Strasburg, attendance records, and a pennant race with a deep playoff run.
Syracuse summary, Hagerstown summary, links and key performances after the jump:
Andrew Kown pitched five strong innings of one run ball and Collin Balester pitched a scoreless 6th. Pete Orr hit a solo HR to give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead in the 7th over Rochester. With Louisville losing, it looked like Syracuse could extend their faint playoff hopes for one more day. Sadly, those hopes were crushed when Josh Wilkie gave up six runs in the bottom of the 7th with the killing blow a three run homer to Dustin Martin. In the end, Rochester defeated Syracuse 8-2. Syracuse's record now stands at 75-66 as they contemplate what might have been.
Hagerstown continues to struggle to find consistent pitching. Paul Demny (L, 6-10) gave up three runs, two earned and Shane Erb gave up four runs in a 6-0 Hagerstown loss to West Virginia. Hagerstown was shutout despite six hits and West Virginia booting the ball around with four errors. Two caught stealings and three devastating double plays took the sting out of the Hagerstown attack. Third basemen Justino Cuevas was the offensive star with a 3-4 night.
- The P-Nats gamer and press release talks about ticket packages for the playoffs and summarizes the clinching victory.
- Insidenova.com has the clinching gamer with quotes from several happy P-Nats such as manager Gary Cathcart, Carolina League MVP Tyler Moore, elite catching prospect Derek Norris, and 2009 third-round pick and winning pitcher Trevor Holder. Catchcart and Norris stress a younger team and better chemistry helped a team that finished ten games out during the first half rise from the ashes and seize the crown in the second half.
- (Ed Note: 12:17 PM) Sue Dinem at nationalsprospects.com has his triumphant gamerr and adds how the P-Nats victory was particularly satisfying since it came against a pitcher they hadn't solved earlier in the year.
- George Morrow's Harrisburg gamer focuses on how Binghamton was opportunistic and took advantage of walks to plate two of their runs while Josh Johnson twice ran into outs at key junctures in the game.
AAA Syracuse:
- Andrew Kown, RSP: 5IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, BB, 6K, HBP
- Collin Balester, RRP: 1IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 2K, 2 WP
- Fav Fav Josh Wilkie: (BS, 5) (L, 4-4) .1IP, 4H, 6ER, 3R HR
- Fan Fav Boomer Whiting, LF: 1-5, 2B, K
- Fam Fav Michael Martinez, SS: 2-3, RBI, K, HBP
- Pete Orr, 3B: 1-3, R, RBI, HR (10)
- Jamie Burke, C: 2-4, R, K
AA Harrisburg:
- Brad Peacock, RSP: 4.2IP, 3H, 3ER, 4BB, 7K, HR
- Cory VanAllen, LRP: 1.1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, K
- Hassan Pena, RRP: 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 4K
- Stephen Lombardozzi, 2B: 0-3, R, BB, K
- Josh Johnson, SS: 2-3, R, 2B, CS
- Chris Marrero, 1B: 1-4, RBI, K
- Michael Burgess, RF: 1-3, BB, 2K
High A Potomac:
- Trevor Holder, RSP: Game 1:(W, 3-3) 6IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB, 6K
- Patrick McCoy, LRP: Game 1: (S, 6) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
- Justin Philabaum, RRP: Game 2: (L, 0-6) 1.1IP, 4H, 6ER, 3BB, 0K, 3R HR
- Derek Norris, C: Game 1: 1-2, R, RBI, BB
- Tyler Moore, 1B: 1-3, RBI, K
Low A Hagerstown:
- Paul Demny, RSP: (L, 6-10) 4.2IP, 3H, 3R, 2ER, 0BB, 3K
- Rick Hague, SS: 1-4, 2K
- JP Ramirez, LF: 0-4, K
- Destin Hood, RF: 0-4, 3K
- Eury Perez, CF: 1-2, CS
- Justino Cuevas, 3B: 3-4