Bonifacio tearing up Triple-A pitching with Columbus
Second baseman Emilio Bonifacio, who was acquired last week in the trade that sent Jon Rauch to the Arizona Diamondbacks, has been outstanding with the Columbus Clippers.
After Sunday's game, Bonifacio is batting .625 (10-16) with a double, seven runs scored and three stolen bases in three attempts in just three games. He has a .667 OBP, .667 slugging percentage and a 1.333 OPS.
Don't be surprised to see Bonifacio as the Nationals starting second baseman when the rosters expand in September or even prior to that. Bonifacio was rated as the number six prospect in the D-Backs organization, and Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden has already said he will be the everyday second baseman in 2009.
I really like what the organization is doing with all the young talented players they are using as building blocks for the future. Here is what the team will look like when everyone is healthy; Nick Johnson at first, Bonifacio and Cristian Guzman as the middle infielders, Ryan Zimmerman at the hot corner and Jesus Flores behind the plate. Elijah Dukes in left, Lastings Milledge in center and Austin Kearns in right.
All of the names mentioned are under 31 and the oldest is Guzman who will have just turned 31 when the season starts. Five of the eight will be under 25.
Triple-A Columbus International League West Division
57-49, 3rd place, 4 ½ games behind
The Clippers split their six games this past week and lost a half game in the standings. With the emergence of Bonifacio and the steady play of outfielder Roger Bernadina, the Clippers have a solid duo for the near future. That is until one or both get promoted to "The Show". In 13 games with the Clippers, Bernadina is batting .413 with 12 doubles, five homers, 39 RBI and he's 6-6 in stolen bases. Maybe the time he's spending with the Clippers will erase what he did in 10 games with the Nationals, when he hit just .125.
Double-A Harrisburg Senators Eastern League Southern Division
59-48, 3rd place, 5 games out of first
The Senators went 3-6 this past week. They have dropped two straight games and fall to third place, 5 ½ games out of first. They begin a 4-game series with the Reading Phillies tonight at Commerce Bank Park.
One player who won't be in town is Matt Rogelstad. Rogelstad left after Sunday's game to join Team Canada for the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. He was batting .333 with eight RBI in 13 games for the Senators.
Single-A Potomac Nationals Carolina League Northern Division
19-16, 1st place, 2 game lead (2nd half)
The P-Nats snapped a 4-game losing streak on Sunday with a 15-5 drubbing of Fredrick.
Left-fielder Dee Brown went 3-4 with a homer and three RBI and second baseman Michael Martinez had four RBI. Starter Luis Atilano won his fourth straight decision by tossing five-innings of 1-hit ball and striking out five. Atilano has only given up four earned runs in his last 20 innings.
The Nationals return home for a 3-game series against Wilmington beginning tonight at Pfitzner Stadium.
Single-A Hagerstown Suns South Atlantic League Northern Division
17-19, 4th place, 9 1/2 games out of first (2nd Half)
The Suns remain in fourth place after going 3-3 last week, but lost 2 ½ games in the standings. On Sunday, Hagerstown fell behind 2-0 after the first and never rebounded, falling 8-1 to the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Colton Willems suffered the loss, his eighth of the year. He gave up five runs on five hits in four innings. Willems is 0-4 in five July starts and he has only pitched past the fifth once.
The Suns and Grasshoppers will play the final game of their four game series tonight at 7:05 p.m. The game will be the final Feed-Your-Face Monday at Municipal Stadium for 2008 and gates will open at 6:05 p.m.
Short-Season Single-A Vermont Lake Monsters
New York-Penn League Stedler Division
15-14, 2nd place, ½ game back
The Lake Monsters went 3-5 last week, losing five straight games and dropped to third in the division, one game out of first place. Outfielder Michael Guerrero, a 21st-round draft pick in this year's First-Year Player Draft out of University of Mississippi, has been their most consistent player. In 36 games, Guerrero is batting .292 with six homers and 24 RBI and 18 runs scored. He leads the team in average, homers and RBI.
Guerrero has been solid in every aspect of his game, committing one error all season. I would expect to see the 22-year old promoted very soon.
Gulf Coast League Nationals
Gulf Coast League East Division
18-12, 2nd Place, 4 ½ games out of first
The Nationals went 7-1 last week to move into a first place tie with the Dodgers. They have won three straight games including a 3-0 win over Los Angeles on Sunday. Josh Smoker picked up his first win by tossing six innings of 1-hit ball. In two starts for the GCL Nationals, Smoker has yet to give up a run in 9 2/3 innings. Both starts have come against the Dodgers. Smoker was winless in five starts for the Hagerstown Suns prior to joining the Nationals.
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