Friday’s slate brought a little bit of everything across the Nationals’ affiliates: a shutout in Rochester, a wild extra-inning collapse in Harrisburg, a blank on the scoreboard for Wilmington, and another win for Fredericksburg as it kept rolling.
Rochester was held to one extra-base hit and two walks in a 4-0 loss at Syracuse. Jack Cebert was tagged with his first Triple-A defeat, allowing two runs on six hits over four innings while walking four and striking out four.
Liover Peguero was the only Rochester hitter to avoid the “light beer man” label, since everyone else managed only a single. Phillips Glasser doubled, and Seaver King and Cayden Wallace each reached base twice with a single and a walk.
The Red Wings left eight runners on base and had only one runner thrown out at home. The roster also changed with 3B Buddy Kennedy assigned from Washington after being DFA’d by the Giants on 8/27.
Harrisburg’s night turned ugly late in a 12-7, 10-inning loss to Altoona. The Senators led into the final frame before the wheels came off, with the Curve scoring four unearned runs in the 10th.
The bullpen inherited five runners and let every one of them score, which saddled Luke Young with a blown save and Sandy Gaston with his sixth loss. Harrisburg also committed five errors, including two from Kervin Pichardo and two from Caleb Lomavita.
Nick Mitchell had four singles to lead the offense, while Devin Fitz-Gerald chipped in a single and a homer. Starter Josh Hartle gave up five runs, three earned, on five hits, including a homer, plus two walks over 4 2/3 innings.
Wilmington couldn’t get anything going in a 7-0 loss to Hudson Valley. R.J.
Sales took the loss after allowing the first Renegades run on two hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings, striking out four. The Blue Rocks did collect 10 hits, but none of them turned into runs.
Elijah Nunez finished with three singles, while Yeremy Cabrera and Angel Feliz each went 2-for-4 with a walk. Ronny Cruz and Eli Willits both doubled.
Even with three double plays, Wilmington stranded 13 baserunners.
Fredericksburg kept the momentum going with a 7-3 win over Wilson, its fourth straight victory and a result that moved the club back to .500 in the second half. Landon Harmon worked the first three innings and allowed two runs, both earned, on a first-inning homer and three hits overall.
He also walked two and struck out three. Cooper Carlgren followed with two scoreless innings to pick up his first professional win.
Dashyll Tejeda and Christhian Vaquero powered the offense, with both finishing 2-for-3 with a walk and combining for three runs and three RBI. Tejeda added a double and Vaquero tripled.
In Other News...
Nationals Homestand Exposed One Encouraging Shift Fans Needed To See
The Nationals finished a 10-game homestand with six wins, and for a club that had just been slogging through a rough August, the stretch offered something they badly needed: signs that the young core is starting to settle in. Daylen Lile was one of the brighter bats over the past week, Cade Cavalli kept giving the rotation a steady presence and rookie reliever Erik Tolman gave the bullpen a useful jolt with four scoreless outings.
Tolmans rise was especially notable because Washington has been searching for any dependable late-inning answers as it tries to sort out the next wave of arms. The homestand also showed the other side of that evaluation process, with top prospect Luis Perales struggling in his major league debut, a reminder that development rarely moves in a straight line. Even so, the Nationals left the homestand with more encouraging evidence than they had a week earlier, and that is no small thing for a team still trying to build around its younger pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Just Added Infield Depth With One Big Question Attached
The Nationals have added another layer of infield depth, bringing in Buddy Kennedy on a minor league contract after his latest stop with the Giants. Kennedy is headed to Rochester to join the Red Wings, giving Washington a familiar type of midseason insurance policy for a roster that can always use more cover around the infield.
Kennedys resume offers a little of everything the Nationals want to sort through. He showed well at Triple-A this season, which is part of why he remains an interesting option, but his limited major league looks have not gone nearly as smoothly. For Washington, the appeal is clear enough: if he can carry some of that minor league production into the organization, the next question becomes whether there is any path for it to translate when the big league need eventually arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Face A Tough Seaver King Decision At The Worst Time
With the possibility of an MLB lockout hanging over the winter, the Nationals are suddenly weighing more than the usual roster questions when it comes to their top prospects. Any player on the 40-man roster would be barred from team activities if the shutdown begins Dec. 1, a complication that could slow development if the work stoppage drags into the spring. For Washington, that puts a spotlight on a group that includes Jackson Kent, Yohandy Morales, Jared Simpson and shortstop Seaver King, whose rise has become one of the organizations most closely watched storylines.
Kings situation is the most delicate of the bunch because the club has to balance his proximity to the majors against the risk of losing development time at exactly the wrong moment. The broader CBA setup gives non-40-man players more flexibility to keep working with their minor league teams, which is why roster decisions now carry a different kind of weight. For the Nationals, the choice is no longer just about when a prospect is ready. It is also about where he stands if the calendar flips into an uncertain winter. [Read more 🡒]