Monday brought a little bit of everything across the Nationals’ affiliates: a one-run pitchers’ duel in Harrisburg, a back-and-forth mess in Fredericksburg, a bullpen collapse in Rochester, and a lead that slipped away in Wilmington.
The cleanest result of the day belonged to Harrisburg, where the Senators squeezed out a 1-0 win over Chesapeake. Elijah Green’s first Double-A homer was the difference, and it also snapped a perfect-game bid in the process.
Jack Cebert handled the first four innings, striking out six while allowing just an infield single and two walks. Robert Cranz followed with a scoreless fifth, then Issac Lyon finished the last four innings for his first career save.
Lyon allowed five hits, didn’t issue a walk, and struck out five.
Harrisburg didn’t exactly light up the box score, either. The Senators were limited to two hits, and Sam Brown’s double in the eighth made him the second and final baserunner of the night. After that, Green flew out and Devin Ortiz popped out, leaving Harrisburg 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position.
Rochester’s game had a lot more noise and a lot less control. The Red Wings hit three homers, but the bullpen couldn’t hold up in a 9-8 loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Chandler Champlain started and gave up two runs on six hits across three innings, with no walks and three strikeouts. Riley Cornelio was sharp in relief, working two scoreless innings, but the final four relievers combined to allow seven runs over the last three frames.
Gus Varland took the blown-save loss after letting both inherited runners score and giving up two of his own, though those runs were unearned. Seaver King went 3-for-5 with two runs, a homer, and an RBI.
Sam Petersen added a pair of doubles. Leandro Pineda launched his fourth homer, and Trey Lipscomb stayed hot, extending his seven-game hit streak with a grand slam - his third homer during the streak - that gave Rochester a 5-3 lead.
The roster also moved: RHP Jake Bird was recalled to Washington, while LHP Carson Palmquist was optioned from Washington.
Wilmington had its own early lead and its own late letdown. The Blue Rocks were up 5-1 after three innings, but Brooklyn climbed back for an 8-6 win.
Liam Sullivan opened the game with three innings of work, allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out five. Brady Hill was charged with the blown save after the Cyclones broke through in the seventh, and Chance Huff took the loss by allowing the final two runs in his first High-A defeat.
Yeremy Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Robert Cruz finished 2-for-5 with two runs and a stolen base, his 20th. Eli Willits reached base four times, scoring twice while drawing two walks and adding a double and a steal.
Fredericksburg got the wildest finish of the day, and the FredNats survived it. They beat Delmarva 9-8 on a walkoff in a game that kept swinging all the way through the late innings.
R.J. Sales made his first appearance since September 2025, but it was a rough return: he allowed five hits and two runs over two and one-third innings.
Noah Millikan followed and was hit for six runs in three innings, leaving Fredericksburg in a deep hole.
The FredNats answered with three runs in the eighth, then pulled off the win with a two-out walk, a line-drive single, and a dying quail that brought home the game-winner. Coy James, Sir Jamison Jones, and Hunter Hines were the big bats. Together they combined for seven hits, a double from Hines, a triple from James, three home runs, four runs scored, and six RBI.
As for the DSL Nationals, they’re still searching for a win. They’re 10-37, sitting seventh in the DSL South and 20 games back.
The D-Nats haven’t won since July 23, and they have seven more chances to lose over the next nine days. This week brings road games today, Friday, and Saturday, home games Tuesday and Thursday, and an off day on Wednesday.
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Nationals Prospects Are Giving Fans A Reason To Pay Attention
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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
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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 🡒]