Washington Nationals Minor League Report: April 6
From staff and wire reports:
Fresno (AAA): The Fresno Grizzlies (2-1) bounced back after Friday’s loss with a grand showing Saturday night. After three walks loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth, Matt Reynoldshammered a pitch to left field, giving Fresno a lead they wouldn’t surrender. It was Reynolds’ first grand slam in eight pro seasons. His bomb backed up four Grizzly pitchers, who combined to strike out 18 Aces batters.Austin Voth (1-0) earned the win after five strong innings, punching out nine. Austin Adams (3 Ks in 1.0 IP),Vidal Nuno III (5 Ks in 2.0 IP) and Tanner Rainey (1 K in 1.0 IP) followed Voth, finishing the final four frames.
Reno (1-2) smacked 13 hits including three apiece by Domingo Leyba and Travis Snider. Yasmany Tomasalso homered for the second straight night. Joel Payamps (0-1) suffered the decision after four innings of three-run ball.
Jake Noll notched three hits and Yadiel Hernandez also went deep in the Fresno victory.
Top Performers: Fresno Grizzlies (Washington Nationals)
• CF Matt Reynolds (1-4, HR, 4 RBI, R)
• 2B Jake Noll (3-4, 2 2B, 2 R, SB)
• RHP Austin Voth (5.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K)
Top Performers: Reno Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks)
• SS Domingo Leyba (3-5, 2B, 2 R)
• LF Yasmany Tomas (2-5, HR, RBI, R)
• RF Travis Snider (3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB)
Harrisburg (AA Eastern League): The Harrisburg Senators swept two from the Bowie Baysox Saturday in front of 3,496 fans at FNB Field. They played from behind in both games before rallying for wins.
In game one, they trailed 5-0 before rallying. After tallying a run in the fourth, they scored four in the fifth with three of the runs coming on a solo home run by Michael A. Taylor and a two-run home run by Drew Ward. After tying the game in the fifth, they finished the comeback in the seventh when Rhett Wiseman hit a one-out bases loaded sac fly to score pinch runner Zach Collier from third. Erick Fedde started and after allowing five runs in the second he settled down and retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced. Joan Baez earned his first double-A win with two scoreless innings.
In game two, Drew Ward hit a three-run home run in the third inning to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Rhett Wiseman homered in the sixth to give the Senators breathing room. Mario Sanchezstarted and was outstanding for the Sens. He went five innings and allowed two runs on four hits. Dakota Bacus pitched a perfect sixth inning and Aaron Barrett a perfect seventh for his first double-A save since 2013.
Harrisburg Senators Top Performers (DH)
• Drew Ward 2 HRs 5 RBIs
• Rhett Wiseman GW RBI & Solo HR
• Mario Sanchez Game 2 W (5ip 2er)
Filibusters: The Senators begin the season 3-0 and look for a four-game sweep Sunday afternoon. Harrisburg had a hit in every inning in the doubleheader but two. The Sens have fallen behind the Baysox in all three games in the series before rallying to win. The bullpen Saturday tossed four innings allowing just a pair of hits and no runs.
Up Next: Game four of the season opening series against the Baysox is Sunday at 1:00 p.m. RH Sterling Sharp is on the hill for the Senators and LH Zac Lowther takes the ball for the Baysox.
Potomac (High-A Carolina League): 48 hours after a 15-0 Opening Night loss, the Potomac Nationals (2-1) responded better than could be expected, as they swept the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (1-2) in Saturday night’s doubleheader. Game one went 5-3 in favor of the home team, while game two came down to the final out, as C Alex Dunlap hit a walk-off three-run home run on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of seventh inning, as he turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 win.
Game one was a fairly straightforward win, all things considered. Potomac took a 2-0 lead on a two-out, two-run double by SS David Masters in the home half of the second inning. 1B Aldrem Corredor drove in a run with an RBI single one inning later, while Potomac added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. All five runs were charged to RHP J.P. France (L, 0-1), as he pitched into the sixth inning, down 5-0.
On the mound for Potomac, RHP Jackson Tetreault (W, 1-0) allowed just one run on five hits over five innings. In his first start of the season, the right-handed starter struck out five and walked just one. Out of the bullpen, RHP Steven Fuentes (SV, 1) allowed a hit to the first man that he faced, but then retired the final six men of the game, as he closed out Potomac’s 5-1 victory.
In the back half of the doubleheader, Potomac jumped out to an early 2-0 lead against RHPEdgardo Sandoval (ND). 2B Osvaldo Abreu gave Potomac the advantage with an RBI single in the second inning, and doubled Potomac’s lead with a bases loaded HBP one frame later.
Potomac LHP Grant Borne (ND) worked himself in and out of trouble in two of the first three innings before the Woodpeckers got to him in the top of the fourth. 1B Jake Adams, who had six RBIs in the series opener on Thursday night, led off the inning with a single, while two batters later, DH Scott Manea tied the game with a two-run home run. Borne departed for RHP Andrew Lee (W, 1-0) at the end of the frame.
Lee surrendered a one-out triple to LF Corey Julks in Fayetteville’s turn in the fifth inning, and he scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly from 1B Jake Adams, which gave the Woodpeckers a 3-2 lead.
Fayetteville turned to RHP Yohan Ramirez for the final out in the bottom of the fourth inning, and he worked through trouble throughout his outing. Ramirez stranded the bases loaded in the fifth frame and then held the potential tying run in scoring position in the sixth inning. Things went sour in the seventh frame, as the right-handed reliever gave up a leadoff double to Corredor. A groundout fromCF Nick Banks put Corredor, the tying run, at third base with only one out. RF Jack Sundbergthen drew a walk, while Abreu struck out. Needing just one out to pick up a victory, the Woodpeckers went back to the bullpen, as RHP Tommy DeJuneas (L, 0-1) became Fayetteville’s third pitcher of the night. Dunlap, who entered the final inning 0 for 3 with three strikeouts and eight runners left on base, jumped on the first pitch from DeJuneas, and cleared everything in left field. His three-run, walk-off home run gave Potomac a 5-3 win.
Ahead in the series heading into Sunday’s matinee, Potomac will look to LHP Nick Raquet (0-0, 0.00) in his 2019 debut. In 12 starts with Potomac in 2018, Raquet went 5-3 with a 4.91 ERA. For the Woodpeckers, RHP Chad Donato (0-0, 0.00) will make his Carolina League debut. In 12 outings with Class-A Quad Cities in 2018, Donato finished 6-0 with a 2.04 ERA.
First pitch at Northwest Federal Field on Sunday afternoon is set for 1:05pm.
Hagerstown (Low-A South Atlantic): After knocking on the door for much of the game, Gilbert Lara launched his second homer of the season beyond the right field fence to push the Suns to their first win of the year, 6-5 over the Greensboro Grasshoppers, at First National Bank Field Saturday night.
After Nick Mears (L, 0-1) walked both Gage Canning and Jacob Rhinesmith, Lara came up to the dish with two outs and blasted his team-leading home run to give Hagerstown (1-2) their first lead of the game.
That wasn’t the only damage the third baseman did to the Grasshoppers (2-1). He finished the night 3-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.
The offense first found their stroke while trailing 4-0 in the top of the fifth inning. Lara opened up the frame with a single down the third base line. KJ Harrison followed it up golfing a base knock to center field. Nic Perkins grounded out to advance the runners to second and third before Juan Pascal drove one to left field to score Lara. Next, Jose Sanchez singled to load the bases.
With two outs in the frame, Canning stepped up to the plate and snuck one up the middle to drive home Harrison and Perkins. The single cut the Grasshoppers lead to 4-3.
The Suns pitching kept them close all evening long. Jake Irvin received a no-decision in his first South Atlantic League start. The righty finished with a career-high 5 innings of work while allowing five runs, four of which were earned.
Aaron Fletcher (1-0) was the first Suns reliever to end the game. The University of Houston graduate worked two perfect innings, fanning three batters before giving way to Jhonatan German (S, 1). German matched Fletcher’s two innings pitched, while allowing just one walk and striking out a trio of batters.
Greensboro jumped out to a quick lead behind the bat of Lolo Sanchez. The left fielder smashed a second inning homer to score Brett Kinneman and Rodolfo Castro. They received a run of insurance in the fourth when Raul Siri lifted a sacrifice fly to score Castro.
After Hagerstown’s first score, Greensboro struck back in the fifth with a Kinneman single that plated Fabricio Macias .
The Suns will be back in action today against the Grasshoppers at First National Bank Field with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m. RHP Francys Peguero(0-0, 0.00 ERA) takes the hill for Hagerstown, while Greensboro sends RHP Brad Case (0-0, 0.00 ERA) out.
Top photo: Potomac Nationals
