Friday’s slate brought a little bit of everything across the Nationals’ system: a blowout, a bullpen collapse, a clean start in Harrisburg, and another weather interruption in the Dominican Summer League.
Rochester took the hardest hit of the day. In the completion of a suspended game, Lehigh Valley buried the Red Wings 18-3 by scoring 16 times over the final five innings, including eight runs in the eighth.
Andry Lara was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs, all earned, on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts over 4-plus innings. Phillip Glasser handled the final four outs, but the line was rough: three inherited runners allowed to score, plus two of his own, on three hits and a walk.
Glasser still led Rochester at the plate with two singles, while Drew Ford added a double.
The nightcap was even uglier for Rochester’s pitching staff, and this one came down to the bullpen. Lehigh Valley outlasted the Red Wings 11-9 in Game 2 after Luke Young surrendered five runs in his lone inning and blew a 7-6 lead.
Alex Young had already put Rochester in a hole with two runs allowed in one inning. At the plate, Glasser stayed hot with two singles and a walk, Trey Lipscomb launched a two-run homer, and Yoyo Morales tied Cayden Wallace for the Nats minors home run lead with a grand slam, his 18th of the year.
The day also brought roster movement, with Trevor Gott released and Konnor Pilkington re-signed and reassigned from Washington.
Harrisburg gave the system a cleaner result. The Senators beat Richmond 8-4 behind seven strong innings from Isaac Lyon, who turned in a career-high seven frames and allowed one run on seven hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
Harrisburg built an 8-1 cushion by stacking crooked numbers in three straight middle innings, then let the bullpen finish the job. Ethan Petry and Cayden Wallace each singled and doubled, T.J.
White homered for the sixth time since his June 9 callup, and the Senators finished with 12 hits.
Wilmington couldn’t hold up its end in Hudson Valley. The Blue Rocks fell 9-7 after the Renegades turned a 3-1 game into a six-run swing in the middle innings.
Eriq Swan took the loss, giving up four runs on six hits, including a homer, while also issuing a walk, hitting a batter, and throwing a wild pitch. Angel Feliz supplied the loudest line in the Wilmington lineup with a double, a homer, a steal, and an RBI, and Jorglys Mota chipped in two hits and two stolen bases.
Fredericksburg stayed in control from the start and beat Columbia 5-1. Travis “Sunday” Sthele was one out short of qualifying for the win, but he kept the Fireflies off the board over 4⅔ innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out three.
Austin Amaral earned the victory after giving up Columbia’s lone run in three innings of relief. Juan Willams contributed a single, double, walk, RBI, and stolen base, while Luke Dickerson singled, walked, and homered.
E. Soto also had a two-hit day with a double and two RBI.
The FCL Nationals let one get away. They scored twice in the first inning but couldn’t protect the lead, eventually falling 3-2 in eight innings to the FCL Astros.
Juan Lopez was excellent for four innings, no-hitting the F-Mets while walking five and striking out six, but the bullpen couldn’t finish. Sam Broderson allowed the tying runs, and Colby Frieda took the loss after giving up a double in the eighth with nobody out.
Brayan Cortesia and Browm Martinez combined to go 4-for-8, with Cortesia scoring a run and Martinez driving one in.
The DSL Nationals didn’t finish their game at all. Their matchup was suspended by lightning and thunderstorms, and the note with the game indicated it would presumably be made up when the two teams meet again on Thursday, July 16, though the last suspended game of this kind was eventually canceled.
In Other News...
Nationals Bring Back A Familiar Arm As Bullpen Depth Shifts Again
The Nationals have added a familiar left-handed arm back into the organization, signing Konnor Pilkington to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Rochester. Pilkington already knows the Washington system from last season, when he spent time with the club before moving on in free agency, and his return gives the team another experienced depth option as it continues sorting through its bullpen mix.
Pilkington arrives after a stop with Detroits Triple-A affiliate, where he was released last week, and he now gets another chance to work his way back into Washingtons plans. The move comes as the Nationals keep adjusting the back end of their pitching depth, with the organization looking for arms that can provide cover if the major league bullpen needs another reset. [Read more 🡒]
Max Kranick Is Giving Nationals Fans A Reason To Hope
Max Kranick is starting to look like one of the more encouraging pitching developments on the Nationals radar. The right-hander, signed in May while working back from flexor tendon surgery, has been getting his feet under him in rehab outings at Harrisburg, and the early returns have been steady enough to matter. His stuff has shown up, his command has been sharp, and the overall picture is of a pitcher beginning to find a rhythm again rather than merely checking boxes on the way back.
Through four rehab appearances, Kranick has yet to issue a walk in 5.2 innings and has posted a 3.18 ERA, which is exactly the kind of clean work Washington can use to map out the next phase. The organization is expected to keep stretching him toward tougher assignments, with back-to-back throwing days and AAA appearances likely next before any conversation about a return to the major league bullpen gets serious. [Read more 🡒]