Sunday brought a little of everything for the Nationals system: a tight bullpen win in Rochester, a comeback loss in Harrisburg, an extra-inning escape for Wilmington, a frustrating finish in Fredericksburg, and another rough ending for the DSL Nationals.
Rochester made 3-1 look like a grind, and that’s exactly what it was. The Red Wings used eight pitchers to piece together the win over Syracuse, with Jared Simpson setting the tone by throwing two scoreless innings and Brad Lord handling the third as the club worked through the rest of the staff.
Konnor Pilkington got the win after 2/3 of an inning, and Gus Varland finished it off with a clean ninth for his first save. Offensively, Leandro Pineda supplied the first big swing with an RBI triple in the second and added two doubles, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, and three extra-base hits.
Christian “Hey It’s” Franklin drove in two more with a double and a single, and Rochester’s nine-hit attack was enough to back the bullpen parade. The Red Wings also had a roster move, with RHP Brad Lord assigned from Washington for MLB Rehab.
Harrisburg’s day went the opposite direction. The Senators jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Portland erased it all and kept going, scoring seven straight in a 7-4 loss.
Yoel Tejeda Jr. worked five innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits, four walks, and a hit batter while striking out five. The late collapse landed on Brady Hill, who took the blown-save loss in his AA debut after surrendering four runs in one inning on three hits and two walks.
Kervin Pichardo gave Harrisburg early life with a two-run homer in the first, Caleb Farmer added an RBI single in the second, and Branden Boissiere doubled in the third. The Senators still had a chance late, loading the bases on three straight singles in the eighth, but T.J.
White grounded out to end it.
Wilmington needed 11 innings, but the Blue Rocks found a way. They beat Frederick 4-3 with six relievers and just three hits, squeezing out enough offense through walks, patience, and one big swing from Eli Willits.
Willits hit his seventh High-A homer, 13th overall, and scored twice. Angel Feliz added a double, and Ronny Cruz delivered the decisive blow with a two-out single in the 11th that drove in the final two runs.
Tucker Biven opened with two scoreless innings, Eiker Huizi earned the win by throwing the ninth and 10th without allowing a run, and Jackson Dannelly allowed the free runner but still finished the game for the save. Wilmington had been 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position before Cruz came through.
Fredericksburg had its own late-inning letdown. The FredNats carried a 1-0 lead into the seventh before Wilson scored three times and held on for a 3-1 win.
Xander Meckley was tagged with the loss despite a quality start, giving up three earned runs on five hits and a walk over 6 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts. Cesar Rojas allowed two inherited runners to score in the seventh, then walked another batter in the eighth.
The Fredericksburg offense never got rolling, finishing with four singles and scoring its lone run on back-to-back passed balls.
The DSL Nationals also had a lead slip away in a 7-6 loss to the DSL Mariners. They led by two runs twice and were in front 6-5 after the seventh, only to watch the game turn on five straight walks in the bottom half of the inning.
Ranger Sarit was sharp early, striking out a career-high six over three innings while allowing one hit and three walks. Edinson Hernandez took the blown-save loss after walking the first four batters he faced in the seventh, and Jhondel Salas was charged with the game-winner after walking in the final run to the only batter he faced.
At the plate, Samil Serrano singled and homered, Jonierbis Garces collected two hits, and Manuel Bello added a double and a walk.
In Other News...
Red Sox Eye One More Deadline Move To Fix A Lingering Problem
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Luis Garcia Jr. is the latest Washington name drawing attention, and his strong season has only added to the appeal if the Red Sox decide to push again. Any talks would come with real moving parts, with names such as Jarren Duran or Patrick Sandoval floated as possible centerpieces, but nothing has been finalized yet as both sides weigh whether this is the kind of upgrade worth making late in the process. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Just Made A Surprising Bet On Their Pitching Future
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Luis Garcia Jr. had been one of Washingtons more productive bats this season, so parting with him was no small call. But the return fits the organizations broader timeline, with Jack Cebert, Yovanny Cruz, Ben Grable and Jake Bird giving the Nationals a mix of pitchers at different stages of readiness and potential roles, the kind of bet teams make when they think the next wave on the mound matters more than the lineup today. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Still Have A Deadline Problem They May Finally Have To Pay For
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One name drawing attention is CJ Abrams, who is also in the middle of a career year and has already set a new personal best with 28 home runs. With the deadline clock running down, the Nationals are in that uncomfortable spot where interest around their players is real, the market is moving, and the next step could reshape the infield picture as much as any move they have made so far. [Read more 🡒]