Rain washed out the first crack at Syracuse and Rochester, but the Red Wings and Mets will try again tonight in a twi-night twinbill. The postponement also came with roster movement out of Washington, as right-handers Paxton Schultz and Gus Varland were optioned, while left-hander Matt Krook was outrighted and elected free agency.
Harrisburg had a much better Thursday, and it came in dramatic fashion. The Senators trailed Portland 6-4 before erupting for five runs in the ninth to steal a 9-6 win.
Isaac Lyon gave them a solid foundation with five innings of one-run ball, allowing six hits and three walks while striking out a career-best eight. Thomas Schultz took over in the sixth with a 4-1 lead but didn’t retire any of the five batters he faced, and Holden Powell couldn’t clean up the mess with the bases loaded.
Branden Boissiere did plenty of damage at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs, a homer, four RBI and two strikeouts. T.J.
White added a single, a double, a run and an RBI, while Kervin Pichardo reached base twice and scored twice. Ethan Petry finished the comeback with his eighth Double-A homer.
Frederick and Wilmington split a doubleheader, with both games decided by offense and late swings. In the opener, the Blue Rocks pushed across five of their six runs via the long ball, but the Keys answered enough to force extras and then finished the job in the 10th for a 7-6 win.
Travis “Sunday” Sthele was hit hard, charged with six runs on six hits and three walks over 3 1/3 innings, including a homer. Austin Amaral took the loss after allowing the free runner to score on a two-out single.
Angel Feliz drove in three runs with a homer and a sacrifice fly, Jack Moroknek launched a two-run shot, and Elijah Green added a solo homer in a five-hit Wilmington attack.
The second game flipped the script. Wilmington scored in each of its first six trips to the plate and rolled to a 12-6 win to earn the split.
Liam Sullivan lasted two innings and gave up three runs on four hits, including two homers, while Grant Manning worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up his first High-A win. Jacob Walsh led the way with a walk, two singles and a homer, Rafael Ramirez Jr. chipped in a single, walk and homer, and Elijah Green kept stacking extra-base hits with two doubles and a walk.
Each of the three drove in two runs.
Fredericksburg had a rough night in Wilson, where a 1-0 lead disappeared in the fifth and the Nationals were beaten 9-1. Noah Millikan took the loss in his Low-A debut after allowing four runs on seven hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings, with five strikeouts.
The Warbirds kept the damage from getting even worse, as Gavin Fien and Luke Dickerson both threw out runners at the plate, though the staff still issued 12 walks. Juan Cruz singled twice and stole two bases, and Manuel Cabrera broke up both the no-hitter and the shutout with a home run.
In Other News...
Nationals Face A Deadline Dilemma That Could Define This Week
With Mondays deadline closing in, the Nationals are still sorting through a familiar kind of midsummer question: whether to chase short-term bullpen help or keep the focus on the long view. Their postseason odds have slipped to 9.1 percent after a rough stretch, which has only sharpened the pressure on a club that is trying to balance immediate competitiveness with the value of its lower-tier prospects. The next few days will tell whether Washington leans into a modest addition or stays patient while the market unfolds.
The timing matters because the Nationals are heading into a critical series against the Braves with the bullpen and the lineups platoon tendencies both under the microscope. Orlando Ribalta and Clayton Beeter have given the relief group a better look lately, and Luis Garca Jr. and Dylan Crews have each flashed some pop from the less favorable side of the matchup. Even so, the deadline still hangs over everything, and Washington has not yet tipped its hand on how aggressive it wants to be. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Rotation Decision Just Raised The Stakes In The Wild Card Race
The Nationals are getting a rotation piece back at a time when every series feels a little heavier in the Wild Card chase. Jake Irvin is being activated from the 60-day injured list and will take the ball in the opener in Atlanta, a notable step after he spent just over two months sidelined by a shoulder strain and worked his way through two rehab outings with Double-A Harrisburg.
Irvins return also tightens the roster picture in Washington, with the club optioning reliever Paxton Schultz to make room and leaving the 40-man full. It comes with the rotation still sorting itself out behind Foster Griffin, Cade Cavalli, Zack Littell and Miles Mikolas, and with Griffins status as a possible trade chip hanging over the group as the deadline picture continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]