Rochester’s bats wasted no time making Saturday look easy, and the Red Wings backed that up with a 7-2 win over Jacksonville. The big swing in the game came in the third and fourth innings, when Rochester stacked crooked numbers and pushed the lead to 5-1 before cruising home.
Jackson Kent handled the rest. He worked five innings for his sixth Triple-A win, allowing one run on two hits while striking out eight and not issuing a walk.
The lone damage came on a solo homer and a double. Erik Tolman then helped finish it off as part of a bullpen effort that kept Jacksonville quiet the rest of the way.
At the plate, Abimelec Ortiz did plenty of damage with three doubles in a 3-for-4 night, scoring twice and driving in a run. Christian “Hey It’s” Franklin matched him with a 3-for-4 performance of his own, reaching base four times with two singles, a double, a walk, two runs scored, and an RBI.
Donta’ Pinckney added two hits, including a double, with two RBI. Rochester finished with 13 hits.
Harrisburg, meanwhile, couldn’t shake its skid. The Senators fell 5-2 to New Hampshire, their fourth straight loss, after Isaac Lyon gave up two runs on three hits and a walk over 4⅓ innings and took the defeat.
Devin Fitz-Gerald had two hits and an RBI, while Cortland Lawson reached base three times with a single and two walks. Roster-wise, RHP Blake Brown was reassigned from Fredericksburg.
Wilmington pulled off the cleanest finish of the night. The Blue Rocks erased a blown 3-0 lead, then rallied in the ninth for a 5-4 walk-off win over Jersey Shore.
Mikey Tepper started and gave up one run on three hits, including a homer, across four innings with six strikeouts. After the BlueClaws went ahead 4-3 in the top of the ninth, Elijah Green opened the bottom half with a double, Teo Banks tied it with a single, and Eli Willits followed with the game-winning two-bagger.
Jacob Roberts, who allowed the go-ahead run in the ninth, still got credit for his second High-A win.
Fredericksburg’s game with Hill City was postponed.
In the Dominican Summer League, the Nationals nearly pulled off a wild comeback but came up short in a 7-6 loss. They trailed 7-1 before scoring five in the ninth, but the rally stopped there.
Jhoan Thomas pitched a career-high four innings and allowed two runs on five hits with no walks and four strikeouts, taking his first loss of ’26. Rony Bello and Esnaider Vargas powered the offense, combining for eight hits, two doubles from Vargas, and two RBI.
Bello also stole a base and was caught stealing once, while Vargas added a stolen base of his own.
In Other News...
Nationals Just Moved On From Another Bullpen Problem
The Nationals bullpen shuffle continued before the All-Star break, with the club designating a left-handed reliever for assignment to clear space for first base prospect Abimelec Ortiz. It was the latest sign that Washington is still trying to sort out a relief corps that has been under pressure during recent games, and the move fit the pattern of a team looking inward for answers while it waits for the bigger roster decisions ahead.
After clearing waivers, the reliever elected free agency, leaving Washington with one less left-handed option in a bullpen that has already been a problem area. The Nationals are still evaluating internal ways to steady the relief mix, and with the trade deadline approaching, the next move could say plenty about how aggressively they plan to address the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Suddenly Face A Luis Garca Jr. Decision They Can't Ignore
Luis Garca Jr. has turned a strong season into one of the more interesting decisions on the Nationals summer board. By the All-Star break, he had already reached a career-best 20 home runs and carried an .871 OPS, production that has made him one of the most valuable pieces on a roster still trying to sort out its long-term direction. He is also the longest-tenured National, which gives his rise a little extra weight inside the clubhouse as Washington weighs what kind of team it wants to be beyond this season.
The challenge now is figuring out how to balance that value against the realities of the market and the calendar. Garca remains under team control through 2027, so the Nationals do not have to rush into anything, and the front office still has time to sort through whether keeping him in place matters more than any return that might come before the Aug. 3 deadline. For a club trying to build something sturdier, moving a player like this would carry consequences well beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]