Nats Minor League Report for Week Ending July 18

by Tyler Radecki, Staff Writer

Syracuse Chiefs, AAA International League

Pitching Report :

Tom Milone: Not only did Milone go 7 1/3 strong innings Sunday (giving up one run on six hits with a walk and six strikeouts), he went 3-for-3 with an RBI at the dish, bringing his season batting average up to .421. That’s not a typo – Milone has eight hits in 19 at-bats this year. His season ERA is down to 3.15 and his record now stands at 8-5.

Brad Peacock: Peacock’s first AAA was one to forget as he gave up six hits, seven runs (six earned), two walks and four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings Saturday night. He gave up five of the runs in the first inning and then settled down before giving up two more in the fifth.

Chien-Ming Wang: He has a rehab start with Syracuse on Tuesday after another solid rehab start in AA in which he gave up no runs in six innings of work in Harrisburg. He now is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his four rehab starts, and while he’s due to return to the majors on July 27 (when his rehab assignment ends), there is a chance he could come up before that.

Josh Wilkie: Two innings of scoreless, hitless relief this week for Wilkie, who also had three strikeouts. He hasn’t given up a run since June 25 (seven appearances).

Hitting Report:

Steve Lombardozzi: Lombardozzi hit his first two AAA home runs this weekend and went 3-for-5 on Sunday. He’s not hitting .357 in Syracuse and has multi-hit games in each of his last three games. He also has yet to commit an error in 25 games.

Chris Marrero: A 3-for-4, two-double, two-RBI day on Sunday capped off a great week for the first baseman in which he had six hits, three doubles and three RBI. His OBP on the year is up to a very respectable .373, and he’s hit .378 in his last 10 overall games.

Matt Antonelli: He also added two hits on Sunday in Syracuse’s win. His .308/.392/.451 season line is great considering his versatility.

Corey Brown: His only two hits of the week came on Friday, when he went 2-for-4. He’s struggling, hitting just .156 in the month of July with one walk to 14 strikeouts.

Harrisburg Senators, AA Eastern League

Pitching Report:

Shairon Martis: He pitched a gem on Monday, striking out 10 in six innings of work while giving up just two earned runs. He’s now 7-3 on the year and has a 1.89 ERA in three July starts.

Hitting Report:

Bryce Harper: Harper is off to a slow start in AA, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone considering his age and experience. He’s reportedly being jumpy and aggressive at the plate, which is understandable – he’s excited. He’s hitting .214 now without an extra base hit, but he’ll slow it down and get comfortable quickly. After all, he is an 18-year-old in AA.

Derek Norris: Derek’s average is starting to become a legitimate concern. He did go 2-for-5 on Saturday, but an 0-for-18 slump has dropped his average to .195, though his OBP and SLG numbers are still great. The only month he’s hit above the Mendoza line was May, when he hit .277.

Tyler Moore: He launched his 20th home run and 25th double of the season Sunday in a 2-for-4 game that raised his average to .266. He had a monster week, going 9-for-12 (.750) with three home runs, two doubles and six RBI.

Potomac Nationals, High-A Carolina League

Pitching Report:

Daniel Rosenbaum: He was fantastic Friday night, pitching eight innings of three-hit, one-run ball while racking up eight strikeouts. His strikeout numbers are improving, and he only walked one batter, which is encouraging considering he had walked two or more in three of his last four starts.

Josh Smoker: He pitched two scoreless relief innings this week, and the converted starter hasn’t given up a run since June 30 (five appearances).

Sammy Solis: Solid pitched six strong innings on Saturday, scattering eight hits and three runs with two walks and a season-high nine strikeouts. In three starts in Potomac, Solis is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 19 innings.

Hitting Report:

Eury Perez: He’s walking more – he had two walks this week after five last week – so that is encouraging, even if his average isn’t as high as we’d like (though he’s hitting .290/.425/.323 in July). He also had two stolen bases this past week and has 28 on the year.

Destin Hood: He had a home run Saturday and had three total RBI this week. He hit just .242 in his last 10 games, but his overall season line remains strong.

Jeff Kobernus: He started off the week 4-for-10, but then went 0-for-5 the rest of the week. He also added two stolen bases, raising his total to 36.

Hagerstown Suns, Low-A South Atlantic League

Pitching Report:

Robbie Ray: Ray was shaky on Tuesday night, giving up two runs (one earned) in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five, but walked three and gave up four hits as well. His poor starts have been few and far between, and he continues to be impressive in Hagerstown.

Taylor Jordan: His last start was July 9.

A.J. Cole: He pitched just two innings on Thursday, giving up three hits and a run with five strikeouts. His 2-5 record on the season doesn’t represent how well he’s pitched so far.

Christopher Manno: He had one scoreless appearance this week (1 2/3 IP) and continues to dominate low-A ball. His last run against was on June 19.

Hitting Report:

David Freitas: A small slump has his average down to .297, but he still draws walks and he had a home run on Saturday, his 10th on the season. He leads the team in RBIs as well, with 57.

Blake Kelso: He had hits in three of four games this week, though none were multi-hit games. It was a slow week for Kelso – no walks, no extra-base hits, no steals – but he’s still hitting .300 on the year and playing well.

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Pitcher to Watch: Sammy Solis, Potomac. The attention is usually on some other prospects (Ray, Cole, Peacock, Milone), but Solis is a good prospect in his own right and has been good so far in Potomac. He’s not going to have overpowering numbers, but he gets ground balls and has a bright future as well.

Hitter to Watch: Eury Perez, Potomac. He’s finally showing some plate discipline in July, as he has a .425 OBP this month. He has speed and he can make contact, so if he can draw some walks, it’s a huge bonus.