Wagner continues long road back to Majors
It's been a long road for Nationals right-handed pitcher Ryan Wagner. He hasn't pitched in the Majors since May 6, 2007.
Due to inflammation in his right rotator cuff, Wagner was placed on the 15-day disabled list the following day.
Less than a month later, he was having surgery to repair the torn labrum, also known as SLAP (superior labrum anterior to posterior) in his right shoulder.
Wagner was removed from the 60-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Columbus on August 1st, but his first few outingd didn't go well. In six games for Columbus, Wagner is 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA, giving up six earned runs and walking seven batters in seven innings.
Wagner told me back at the end of June that he missed the competition and can't wait to "pitch under the lights and be able to compete."
He's one of the nicest guys I've met in all of baseball, and I can only hope things get better for Wagner and that he continues the long road back to the Nationals.
Triple-A Columbus International League West Division
60-54, 3rd place, 7 games behind
The Clippers lost 2 ½ games in the standings in going 3-5 last week. With Sunday's 2-1 setback, they have now lost three straight games, all by one run.
The hottest Clipper is right-handed starter Marco Estrada. In 10 starts for Columbus, he's 3-1 with a 4.17 ERA. He has only given up one earned run in his last 13 innings, going 1-0.
The Clippers host the Norfolk Tides for a 4-game set beginning Monday night.
Double-A Harrisburg Senators Eastern League Southern Division
63-51, 3rd place, 4 1/2 games out of first
The Senators went 4-3 this past week and picked up a ½ game on Akron. They split their 2-game series with the Aeros, winning on Sunday 7-5.
Mike Daniel hit a grand slam in the second to put the Senators up 4-0. Akron put up a five spot to take a 5-4 lead in the fifth, but Harrisburg answered with a 3-run fourth. Javi Herrera hit his first homer of the year to tie the game. Bill Rhinehart's ground out gave the Senators the 6-5 lead and Marvin Lowrence added an insurance run.
They begin a 3-game series at Erie Monday night.
Single-A Potomac Nationals Carolina League Northern Division
24-18, 1st place, 5 game lead (2nd half)
The P-Nats opened up a five game lead on Wilmington by going 5-2 last week, but got shutout 5-0 on Sunday by Winston-Salem. With the win, the Warthogs earned the series split in the 4-game set.
Potomac will travel to Lynchburg Monday, to begin a seven-game road trip with three games against the Hillcats and four against Winston-Salem. Hassan Pena (0-1, 5.06) is slated to start for the P-Nats on Monday at Falwell Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Single-A Hagerstown Suns South Atlantic League Northern Division
19-24, 4th place, 10 games out of first (2nd Half)
The Suns remain in fourth place after going 2-5 last week, but only lost ½ game in the standings. The Suns have dropped their last two games and five of six, getting outscored 36-17 in those six games.
In the first two games, of their 4-game series with Kannapolis, the Suns have managed just three runs on 10 hits, losing both games. They continue the series Monday night at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium.
Short-Season Single-A Vermont Lake Monsters
New York-Penn League Stedler Division
19-25, 3rd place, 5 games back
The Lake Monsters went 4-11 last week, to drop into third place, five games behind Lowell and Oneonta. Vermont has lost six straight games and 11 of their last 12.
Monday night they try to salvage one game of their 4-game series from the Lowell Spinners. Six of the Spinners hits went for extra bases in their 7-1 win over the Lake Monsters.
Gulf Coast League Nationals
Gulf Coast League East Division
22-14, 1st Place, ½ game lead
The Nationals went 4-2 last week to take sole possession of first place from the Dodgers. They are 7-3 in their last 10 and have a 2-game winning streak. Outfielder Chris Curran is tearing up GCL pitching, batting .321 in 36 games and leads the league with 36 runs and 44 hits.
Right-handed pitcher Paul Demny is undefeated on the season in seven games, three starts. Demny, who turned 19 on Sunday, picked up a win in his outing, tossing four innings of no-hit ball. In three starts this year, Demny has a paper thin 1.29 ERA, giving up two runs, one earned, on three hits in seven innings.
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