Monday brought a clean slate for most of the Nationals’ affiliates, but the weekend’s final box scores still had plenty to sort through. Rochester, Harrisburg, Wilmington, and Fredericksburg all wrapped up their games with losses, while the FCL Nationals and DSL Nationals were both off.
Rochester had a lead in hand and still couldn’t close the door. The Red Wings erased an early 2-0 hole and moved ahead 3-2, only to watch the bullpen unravel late in a 5-3 loss to Lehigh Valley in the series finale.
Chandler Champlain handled the first five innings, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out four. Jack Sinclair faced three batters in the eighth and all three reached, with the tying run charged as his fourth blown save.
Gus Varland then took the loss after retiring just one of the six hitters he saw in the ninth, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks. Joey Wiemer went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Abimelec Ortiz supplied the lone homer for Rochester with his 16th of the season.
The day also brought roster movement, with RHP Eddie Yean added to Washington’s 40-man roster and recalled to Washington, while OF Robert Hassell was designated for assignment.
Harrisburg flipped its game in the other direction. Down 5-1, the Senators scored once in the sixth, once in the seventh, and then put up three in the eighth to steal a 6-5 win over Richmond.
Josh Randall was tagged for all five Richmond runs over five innings, including two home runs, while walking one and striking out four. Jared Simpson and Kyle Luckham each delivered two scoreless innings, and Luckham picked up his fifth win.
The offense came from Sam Petersen, who singled, walked, and homered, and Chad Lomavita, who doubled, homered, and drove in two.
Wilmington had chances, speed, and traffic on the bases, but Hudson Valley still ended up with the last word. The Blue Rocks stole eight bases, drew six walks, and benefited from four errors while building a 6-4 lead going into the bottom of the ninth.
Euri Montero couldn’t finish it off, though, and the game ended on a walk-off homer in a 7-6 loss. Miguel Sime Jr. lasted two innings and was charged with two runs on two hits and four walks over 49 pitches.
Teo Banks reached four times with two singles and two walks, matching Jacob Walsh and Angel Feliz, who also got on base four times. Nate Rombach had Wilmington’s only extra-base hit.
Fredericksburg’s offense never got untracked in a 3-0 loss to Columbia. The FredNats were held to one hit and split the series.
Liam Sullivan took the loss after allowing all three runs on one hit and four walks in three innings, while Branden Boissiere’s single to lead off the fifth was the only hit of the night for Fredericksburg. The lineup drew three walks and was hit by pitches twice, with Dickerson and R.
Ramirez each finishing 0-for-2 with a walk and a hit by pitch.
At the complex level, the FCL Nationals sit at 22-20 and second in the FCL East, 9 1/2 games back. They dropped another game behind the F-Astros but remain four games ahead of the F-Mets. This week brings four road games, with three of them outside West Palm Beach, plus an off day tomorrow and a home game on Friday.
The DSL Nationals are still stuck in the bottom spot at 5-18, seventh in the DSL South and 12 1/2 games back. They’re on another losing streak and hold only a half-game edge over the 5-19 DSL Padres for the worst record in the league. Their week includes home games on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, an off day tomorrow, and road games on Thursday and Friday.
In Other News...
Nationals Suddenly Face A Trade Dilemma That Could Define Their Season
The Nationals have spent most of the summer trying to prove their record is no fluke, and at 47-45 they are still squarely in the postseason picture. That makes Foster Griffin one of the more interesting names on their roster right now, because the left-hander has quietly turned in a strong season with a 2.87 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 18 starts, enough production to draw attention beyond Washington.
MLB insider Robert Murray reports the interest in Griffin is expected to be plenty, which puts the Nationals in a familiar but tricky spot for a team trying to move forward without giving up too much ground. For a club that has already spent months climbing into contention, the question around Griffin is not just about what he has done so far, but what Washington is willing to risk if the market keeps building before the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Former Royals Arm Is Suddenly Raising A Familiar Question Again
Foster Griffin has quietly given the Nationals a stretch of steady work, and it comes at a time when clubs are always looking for left-handed pitching depth that can travel well into October. The former Royals arm has leaned on a seven-pitch mix this season, added a sinker, and shown enough consistency to keep his name in the conversation as a useful bullpen piece.
The control issues have not disappeared, but his recent run has been hard to ignore. Over his last four appearances, Griffin has put up a 0.95 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 28.1 innings despite 10 walks, and his overall line for Washington remains solid at 2.87 ERA with a 4.27 FIP and 1.04 WHIP. He also brings recent experience from Japan, where he worked from 2023 to 2025, and that background only adds to the appeal for a contender weighing whether he might fit a late-season bullpen puzzle. [Read more 🡒]
CJ Abrams Deadline Tension Just Got Real For Nationals Fans
CJ Abrams has spent the summer carrying the pressure that comes with being a two-time All-Star and the Nationals starting shortstop, and lately that burden has only grown heavier. His recent struggles at the plate have put him back in the trade-rumor conversation ahead of the deadline, even as Washington keeps pushing in the postseason race and needs its young core to stay steady.
Abrams has been trying to keep the outside noise from taking over, using meditation to stay centered while the speculation around him keeps building. He gave the Nationals a jolt with a key three-run homer against the Astros, a reminder of how quickly his bat can change a game, but the larger question hanging over him and the club is whether Washingtons surprising run changes the way the front office views his future. [Read more 🡒]