Nats prospect picks up save for World Team at Futures Game
Washington Nationals Minor League prospect, RHP Shairon Martis picked up the save for the World Team in Sunday's All-Star Futures Game against the U.S. team at Yankee Stadium.
Martis, a member of the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, pitched one inning and gave up one hit and a walk, in the 3-0 win. He threw 19 pitches, nine for strikes.
Over his last three starts, Martis has a 2.89 ERA, six earned runs in 18 2/3 innings. In his last start, July 8th, he allowed one run in seven innings but received a no-decision at Indianapolis. Martis is a combined 4-5 with a 3.94 ERA in 18 starts with Columbus and Harrisburg.
Movin' Up
INF/OF Leonard Davis was promoted to Triple-A Columbus last Thursday. Davis was destroying pitching at the Double-A level and deserved the promotion. He was hitting .488 with a double, four home runs, 10 RBI and eight runs scored; he had a .588 on-base-percentage and a .805 slugging percentage in 10 games with the Harrisburg Senators. Davis hit safely in nine of those 10 games.
Davis was just as good with Potomac in Single-A. The eighth-round pick in the 2004 draft, Davis batted .335 with 14 doubles, 14 homers and 37 RBI in 63 games with the P-Nats.
Triple-A Columbus International League West Division
52-44, 3rd place, 3 games behind
The Clippers had an awful week, going 1-6. They started the week in first place, with a one game lead, but finished in third, three games out of first. They have lost five straight games and were outscored 33-15.
Columbus has three days off for the Triple-A All-Star game, starting today, and it couldn't come at a better time. RHP Brian Sanches is the lone representative for the Clippers in Wednesday night's game in Louisville, Kentucky. Sanches, who is 1-0 with a 1.37 ERA and 11 saves in 23 games for the Clippers, was 2-0 with a 7.36 ERA in 12 games with the Nationals from May 23rd until June 21st.
Double-A Harrisburg Senators Eastern League Southern Division
53-41, 2nd place, 6 ½ games out of first
The Senators went 5-2 this past week, but didn't pick up any ground on first place Akron. They did leap-frog Bowie in the standings. RHP Bobby Brownlie improved to 8-0 with a 4-2 win on Sunday. He gave up two runs in five innings. The Senators and Baysox finish the four-game series today at Commerce Bank Park in a 12:05 p.m. start. It will be a battle of Eastern League All-Stars as RHP Jordan Zimmermann (4-2, 3.68 ERA) starts for Harrisburg, while Bowie counters with RHP Chris Tillman (7-3, 3.12).
Single-A Potomac Nationals Carolina League Northern Division
13-10, 1st place tie (2nd half)
The P-Nats went 3-4 this past week and sit in a tie for first place with the Lynchburg Hillcats. The big news for Potomac is that the Nationals Ryan Zimmerman will join the team today to begin his rehab assignment. Zimmerman will DH today and Tuesday before heading to Columbus on Thursday. The good news for Potomac--they are still in first place in the second half; the bad news--they are losing players due to promotions. RHP Carlos Martinez is heading to Triple-A Columbus and Outfielder Marvin Lowrance and infielder Matt Rogelstad to Double-A Harrisburg. Taking Lowrance's spot on the roster is outfielder Brandon "Boomer" Whiting. Pat Nichols takes Rogelstad's spot.
Single-A Hagerstown Suns South Atlantic League Northern Division
10-13, 5th place, 7 ½ games out of first (2nd Half)
The Suns won only one of six games this past week and fell to fifth place in the division. Their game with the Hickory Crawdads was suspended due to rain on Sunday. Hickory was leading the game 1-0 at the end of the third inning when the rain started falling at Municipal Stadium. Hickory had scored in the top of the second inning off Suns starter Bradley Meyers. The game will resume at the start of the fourth inning today at 5 p.m. and will be followed by a seven-inning game starting 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
Short-Season Single-A Vermont Lake Monsters
New York-Penn League Stedler Division
15-11, 1st place, 1 ½ games ahead
The Lake Monsters' season is only 26 games old, but they are in first place and have a youngster who is tearing up pitching in the New York-Penn League. Outfielder Michael Guerrero, in just his third week of professional ball, earned Player of the Week honors for the week of June 30-July 6. Guerrero batted .367 (11-for-30) with four doubles, three homers, 11 RBI and four runs in seven games during that span. Overall, the 21-year-old is hitting .303 with eight doubles, four home runs, 18 RBI and 15 runs in 22 games. Guerrero was selected in the 21st round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Mississippi. 19 year-old RHP P.J. Dean is 2-0 with a 0.41 ERA and a .118 batting average against in 4 starts. Dean has not allowed a run in his last three starts. Dean was a 7th round pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft.
Gulf Coast League Nationals
Gulf Coast League East Division
9-9, 2nd Place, 4 ½ games out of first
The Nationals have one of the best players in the entire league in INF Smiley Gonzalez. Gonzalez, a non-drafted free agent signee, leads the GCL in hitting with a .412 average and 7 doubles. He is second hits (21) and RBI (16), third in runs scored with 13 and fourth with a .464 on-base percentage. Gonzalez has posted multi-hit and multi-RBI efforts in six of 13 games to begin the season. LHP Jack McGeary allowed one earned run in five innings to earn his first win as a professional last Tuesday vs. GCL Marlins. McGeary struck out five and walked one. McGeary, whom Washington selected in the 6th round of the 2007 Draft, attends Stanford University in the fall and spring and plays pro ball with the Nationals in the summer.
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