Sunday’s slate brought a mixed bag for the Nationals’ affiliates, with Rochester, Harrisburg, and Wilmington all coming away with wins, while Fredericksburg split a doubleheader and the FCL and DSL clubs were off.
Rochester edged Jacksonville 6-5 behind a late wild pitch, after Trey Lipscomb’s three-run homer and Abimelec Ortiz’s two-run ground-rule double helped swing the game back and forth. Chandler Champlain wasn’t as sharp as the Red Wings needed, lasting 4⅔ innings and allowing three runs on four hits, including a homer, while walking none and striking out one.
The bullpen finished the job, with Julian Varland earning the win after a scoreless inning. Ortiz finished 2-for-3 with a run, two walks, a double, and two RBIs, Andrew Pinckney had two singles, and Cayden Wallace added a single in Rochester’s six-hit, seven-walk attack.
Harrisburg also rallied, using a three-run fourth and a three-run eighth to beat New Hampshire 7-4. Alex Clemmey worked four innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out six.
Aaron Shortridge handled two scoreless innings for the win, and Seth Shuman added two more scoreless frames for the hold. Ethan Petry did the heavy lifting at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double, a homer, and five RBIs.
Sam Brown reached base three times on two singles and a walk, and Diego Ortiz drove in two. The Senators also made a roster move, with catcher Caleb Farmer reassigned from Wilmington.
Wilmington put together its own rally in a 7-4 win over Jersey Shore. The Blue Rocks sent nine hitters to the plate in the fourth and scored five times to build a 7-2 cushion, then let the bullpen protect it.
Miguel Sime Jr. allowed one hit and one run over 2⅓ innings but also issued five walks and threw two wild pitches. Bryan Polanco took the win despite a blown save, giving up three runs over 2⅓ innings, and Baron Stuart locked down the ninth with a 1-2-3 frame.
Jacob Walsh doubled twice and scored twice, while Angel Feliz singled, doubled, and scored a run. Green also reached base once on a walk.
Fredericksburg’s day was split between frustration and a brief burst of offense. In the opener, Hill City won 7-5 even though the FredNats hit three solo home runs.
Grant Manning took the loss after allowing four runs on three hits and three walks over four-plus innings. Elian Soto led the way with three hits, including a double, while Luke Dickerson reached base three times with a homer and two walks and stole his 15th base.
Fien also homered for Fredericksburg.
In the nightcap, Hill City took the second game 4-1. Fredericksburg managed just a few chances at the plate, with D.
Tejeda going 1-for-2 with a run, a walk, a double, and a caught stealing, and R. Ramirez driving in the lone run.
Huesman took the loss after two innings, allowing one run on one hit and two walks. Dannelly worked a scoreless inning in relief.
In Other News...
Nationals Bullpen Takes Another Hit As Familiar Lefty Suddenly Returns
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Krooks return gives Washington another option at a time when the relief mix is being reshuffled on the fly, and the expectation is that he will be leaned on more heavily now than he was before the injuries. For a Nationals club trying to patch together innings, the timing matters as much as the name, and Krook suddenly finds himself back in the middle of a bullpen picture that has changed fast. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Starter Takes A Crucial Step With Washington Watching
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Harrisburgs offense gave the club a lift in that comeback effort, led by Ethan Petrys 4-for-4 night with five RBIs, and the Senators now have a chance to carry that momentum into the middle game of the set. After this three-game stretch, they will turn quickly to a six-game series against Reading, but for Washington, the bigger focus is on how Irvin looks in a setting that matters beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Suddenly Have A Zack Littell Problem Before The Deadline
Zack Littells first season in Washington has gone sideways fast enough to create a real deadline dilemma for the Nationals. The right-hander has a 5.43 ERA, and the underlying numbers have been just as rough, with too many home runs, too few strikeouts and a profile that has not helped his case as July gives way to August.
For a club trying to sort out its pitching picture, Littell now sits in an awkward middle ground: not quite reliable enough to count on, and not productive enough to assume there will be a strong market for him. Washington has to decide whether to ride it out with him the rest of the season and factor in the 2027 mutual option, or keep exploring a move even as the clock toward the Aug. 3 deadline keeps ticking. [Read more 🡒]