Sunday delivered a little bit of everything across the Nationals’ system: a shutout powered by a home run parade in Rochester, a doubleheader split in Wilmington that turned into a sweep, a needed series win for Fredericksburg, and more frustration for Harrisburg and the DSL Nationals.
Rochester’s offense was the loudest story of the day. The Red Wings rolled to a 9-0 win at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with 13 hits and four home runs, and they did it with seven relievers piecing together the shutout.
Cole Henry got the day started by working around a two-out single in the first, then Erik Tolman earned the win after a clean second inning. Seaver King, Leandro Pineda, Yoyo Morales, and Trey Lipscomb all left the yard.
King finished 2-for-3 with three runs, two walks, a homer, and an RBI. Lipscomb went 2-for-5 with two runs, a double, his 20th homer, an RBI, and even picked up an outfield assist at the plate.
Jared Glasser added a 3-for-5 day with a triple and two RBIs. The roster also shifted a bit, with RHP Paxton Schultz placed on the 7-day I.L. and RHP Connor Van Scoyoc activated from the Development List.
Harrisburg, meanwhile, dropped another one to Chesapeake, 5-2, and that result clinched a series loss. Holden Powell started and allowed a solo homer and a walk over two innings, striking out two.
Jhancarlos Lara was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs on two hits and four walks in 1 1/3 innings. Kervin Pichardo gave the Senators a short-lived 1-0 lead with his 10th homer, and Devin Ortiz later went deep in the fifth for Harrisburg’s second run.
Wilmington’s day came in two very different halves. In Game 1 against Brooklyn, the Blue Rocks blew a 3-1 lead, fell behind 5-4 heading to the ninth, and still walked it off for a 6-5 win when Brooklyn’s Joe “Believe it or not” Scarborough issued four walks and then wild-pitched home the winning run.
Miguel Sime Jr. went 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits and three walks while striking out seven. Bryan Polanco picked up the win after giving up the go-ahead run in his second inning of work.
Eli Willits was all over the place in the box score, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a triple, three RBIs, a stolen base, and an error. Jorgelys Mota singled three times, and Jacob Walsh homered as Wilmington finished with six hits.
The second game was much cleaner. Riley Maddox came within one out of a complete-game shutout as Wilmington beat Brooklyn 4-0 to complete the doubleheader sweep.
Maddox was charged with three hits and no runs over 6 2/3 innings, walking none and striking out six for his fifth A+ win. Jacob Roberts handled the final third of an inning, walking one and then wild-pitching him into scoring position before getting the last batter looking.
Kevin Bazzell and Teo Banks each went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Eli Willits doubled and Yeremy Cabrera tripled. The Blue Rocks also made roster moves, with IF Chris Hacopian reassigned from the FCL, UT Luke Dickerson promoted from Fredericksburg, and RHP Grant Manning placed on the 7-day I.L.
Fredericksburg’s 9-5 win over Delmarva was the kind of game that keeps a clubhouse moving in the right direction. The FredNats scored in bunches four different times and clinched their first series win since mid-June.
DJ Herz opened by loading the bases with nobody out before striking out the side in his lone inning. Luke Johnson then covered the next 11 outs, allowing four hits with no walks and three strikeouts to earn his sixth win.
Cashel Dugger had a memorable day, collecting his first pro hit with a single in the sixth, then tripling in the seventh as he reached base three times and scored three times. Jordan Williams went 2-for-4 with a double, homer, and three RBIs.
Christhian Vaquero, Hunter Hines, and Rafael Ramirez Jr. also homered.
The DSL Nationals closed the day with another loss, falling 6-3 to DSL Arizona Red. Franniel Reynoso took the defeat after allowing four runs on four hits, two walks, and three hit batsmen over 2 1/3 innings.
He struck out one and dropped to 0-5. Esnaider Vargas broke up the no-hitter with a fifth-inning triple, and Angel Ramirez provided the only real punch for the offense with a two-run homer in the sixth.
In Other News...
Nationals Just Made A Pitching Depth Move Fans Will Notice
Washingtons pitching depth has been a moving target lately, and the latest roster shuffle gives the club another fresh arm to work with as it tries to steady the staff. The organization has been sifting through performances at Rochester, Harrisburg, Wilmington and Fredericksburg, where the day-to-day results and individual pitching lines have offered a clearer look at who is pushing for attention and who is still developing in the minors.
Against that backdrop, the most notable transaction was a familiar one for fans tracking the bullpen mix. Jake Bird is back in Washington, a move that signals the Nationals are once again looking for help from within while the front office keeps managing the back end of the staff. On the flip side, Carson Palmquist was sent back down, a reminder that these depth decisions are still very much in flux as the club sorts out which arms fit best right now. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Prospects Are Giving Fans A Reason To Pay Attention
The Nationals rebuild has kept the focus on the future for most of the season, and lately theres been a little more reason to watch the farm closely. Washington has moved multiple top prospects up through the system, a sign the organization is giving its younger talent chances to keep climbing and show where they fit in the long run.
First-round pick Chris Hacopian has now started his pro career at High-A Wilmington and picked up his first hit in a recent game, a small step but an important one for any player settling into the next level. Right-hander Jack Cebert, acquired from the Yankees, has already given Harrisburg something to notice too, turning in four scoreless innings with six strikeouts in his Double-A debut and adding another arm to a system that suddenly has a few storylines worth tracking. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Fans Should Be Excited About Seaver Kings Growing Buzz
The Nationals have reason to keep an eye on Seaver King, whose rise through the system has only added to the buzz around a player the organization believes can be part of its next wave. The Wake Forest connection helps explain why his name keeps surfacing in conversations around the 2024 MLB Draft, especially since he and Reds right-hander Chase Burns were college teammates before both heard their names called in the top 10.
King has already moved steadily through Washingtons minor league ranks and is projected to be in position to reach the majors next season. Burns praise has only added to the intrigue, with the former teammate pointing to Kings leadership and athletic ability as traits that stand out beyond the stat sheet, which is exactly the kind of endorsement Nationals fans tend to notice when a prospect starts to look more like a real big-league piece. [Read more 🡒]