The Senators finally got the kind of night that can steady a series and settle a dugout: pitching that held up, offense that kept piling on, and enough breathing room to finish the job.
Harrisburg beat Richmond 7-2 on July 2 at FNB Field, evening the series at one game apiece and setting up Game 3 of six with first pitch at 6:30. The crowd of 1,367 braved a scorching night on City Island and watched the Senators string together one of their more complete performances of the season.
Nationals prospect Sam Petersen jump-started the home offense in the second inning, launching Yunior Marte’s 0-1 pitch deep to right, over the bullpen and onto the boardwalk. A few batters later, Max Romero Jr., who had walked, came around on a Leandro Pineda RBI hit to make it 2-0.
Richmond chipped away in the fifth. Jack Payton singled, moved to second on a bunt from Jean Carlos Sio, and Zane Zielinski followed with a base hit to bring Payton home and cut the deficit to 2-1. The Flying Squirrels stayed in it until they tied the game at 2 on a long homer to right, but that was as far as they got.
Harrisburg answered right back and then some.
A Devin Fitz-Gerald double opened the inning, Cayden Wallace followed with a single, and Petersen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Romero Jr. was then hit to force in the go-ahead run.
TJ White followed with a bloop single that found grass between Richmond defenders and drove in Wallace and Petersen. Cortland Lawson added the final big swing with a two-run single that scored Romero Jr. and White, pushing the lead to 7-2.
That was more than enough for the Senators’ pitching staff, which took over after Richmond briefly evened things up. Alex Clemmey worked five innings and was in position for the win, allowing one run on three hits while walking four and striking out four on 87 pitches.
Once the game was tied, the bullpen shut it down. Jared Simpson, Seth Shuman and Holden Powell combined for four innings, giving up one run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
On the Richmond side, the night started with Cesar Perdomo, who had faced the Senators twice in the previous series. In the first meeting, he was nearly untouchable, allowing just one hit over seven innings.
In the finale, Harrisburg got to him and chased him after four innings. He enters this game at 2-3 with a 3.88 ERA.
Richmond is set to go with Issac Lyon, who will make his seventh start of the season. Lyon is 1-3 with a 5.74 ERA and comes in after two strong outings.
His last start against Richmond in the previous series went differently: the Flying Squirrels got to him, chased him after four innings and tagged him for three runs in a loss. The Senators see tonight as a measuring stick against a Richmond lineup with as dangerous a 1-through-5 as anyone.
For Friday’s Fourth of July Weekend game, Harrisburg is scheduled to send recently promoted Riley Maddox to the mound for his Double-A and Senators debut. Maddox, an eighth-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, has been pitching well for A+ Wilmington. He made 15 appearances for the Blue Rocks, starting 14 of them, and has thrown 74 innings with a 4-5 record and a 4.14 ERA.
Richmond is slated to counter with left-hander Greg Farone, who has been hit hard in June. Over 21 innings this month, he has allowed 17 runs, 24 hits, five homers, 15 walks and 16 strikeouts.
Even so, he did earn a win in his last appearance against the Senators in the previous series. He is 1-7 with a 6.79 ERA.
In Other News...
Nationals Just Sent Another Bullpen Message With Fridays Roster Moves
Fridays bullpen shuffling came against a backdrop of the Nationals affiliates grinding through another full slate, with Rochester, Harrisburg, Wilmington and Fredericksburg all turning in the kind of nightly mix of pitching lines, game results and individual standouts that front offices keep a close eye on. It was the sort of minor league snapshot that reminds you how much of the organizations day-to-day evaluation happens far from Washington, where every outing can nudge a relievers standing or a prospects timeline.
There were also a few offensive notes worth filing away, including Yoyo Morales continuing to pile up power and Phillip Glasser extending a productive run of multi-hit games. Even so, the bigger takeaway for the Nationals is the message sent by the roster moves themselves, which suggest the club is still sorting through the edges of its bullpen picture and not waiting long to make another adjustment when it thinks the fit is no longer there. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Bring Back A Familiar Arm As Bullpen Depth Shifts Again
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Pilkington arrives after a stop with Detroits Triple-A affiliate, where he was released last week, and he now gets another chance to work his way back into Washingtons plans. The move comes as the Nationals keep adjusting the back end of their pitching depth, with the organization looking for arms that can provide cover if the major league bullpen needs another reset. [Read more 🡒]
Max Kranick Is Giving Nationals Fans A Reason To Hope
Max Kranick is starting to look like one of the more encouraging pitching developments on the Nationals radar. The right-hander, signed in May while working back from flexor tendon surgery, has been getting his feet under him in rehab outings at Harrisburg, and the early returns have been steady enough to matter. His stuff has shown up, his command has been sharp, and the overall picture is of a pitcher beginning to find a rhythm again rather than merely checking boxes on the way back.
Through four rehab appearances, Kranick has yet to issue a walk in 5.2 innings and has posted a 3.18 ERA, which is exactly the kind of clean work Washington can use to map out the next phase. The organization is expected to keep stretching him toward tougher assignments, with back-to-back throwing days and AAA appearances likely next before any conversation about a return to the major league bullpen gets serious. [Read more 🡒]