The Red Wings had a lead and let it slip, Harrisburg got tagged in a 8-4 loss, Wilmington ended its season with a walkoff, and Fredericksburg finished a sweep in Monday’s action.
At Syracuse, Rochester dropped a 4-3 decision after the bullpen couldn’t hold a 3-1 advantage. DJ Herz gave the Red Wings 4⅓ innings, allowing two hits and one run, with no walks and four strikeouts.
Ben Grable then ran into trouble in the eighth, surrendering two runs on two walks and two doubles while recording just two outs. Eddie Yean followed and was charged with the loss after a leadoff single, a walk, and a sacrifice bunt thrown past the runner-batter and first baseman to seal the defeat.
Trey Lipscomb did plenty of damage at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, a walk, a double, a home run, and an RBI. Riley Adams also chipped in with a walk, a double, and an RBI.
The roster note from the day: RHP Max Kranick was outrighted from Washington.
Harrisburg’s afternoon went the other way in Altoona, where the Senators fell 8-4 and settled for a series split. Jarlin “Oh” Susana struck out five, but he was also charged with two runs over 2⅓ innings after allowing a double, three walks, and two hit batsmen.
Ethan Petry provided the loudest swing for the Sens, hitting his 15th Double-A homer and 24th overall while driving in two. Edgardo Figueroa, just 18 years old, added a pinch-hit triple in the ninth and came around on an error.
Wilmington’s season ended with a bang. The Blue Rocks erased a 5-0 deficit and walked off Hudson Valley 6-5 on Jack Moroknek’s two-run homer.
Austin Amaral, Bryan polanco, and Adam Boucher were part of the early hole, but the final five pitchers kept the visitors scoreless. Euri Montero got the win.
At the plate, Nate Rombach finished 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs, while Teo Banks also went 2-for-3 and scored twice. Moroknek added a 1-for-4 line with a run, two RBIs, and the game-winning blast.
Fredericksburg wrapped up the day by finishing off a six-game sweep of Wilson with a 7-2 win. Juan Reyes was sharp from the start, tying his career high with nine strikeouts while working 5⅓ innings for his third win.
He allowed two hits, no runs, and one walk, and he got help from a clean 1⅔ innings out of Broderson. Hunter Hines filled up the box score with a walk, double, single, two runs, and two RBIs, while Juan Cruz went 2-for-4 with a run.
A. Ortiz also added a double and an RBI.
In Other News...
Nationals Have A Growing Nasim Nunez Problem At Shortstop
Nasim Nunez has kept himself in the Nationals lineup because of the things he does away from the batters box. His defense and baserunning have value, and Washington has continued to give him chances at shortstop, hoping the rest of his game can help cover for the offensive gaps. But for a player being treated like an everyday option, the bat has been too light for too long, and the underlying numbers only reinforce what the eye test has shown.
The concern now is that the production has slipped even further at a time when the Nationals need more from that spot, not less. Nunezs recent stretch has dragged down an already difficult season at the plate, and it has pushed the question from whether he can survive there to whether Washington can keep running him out regularly without getting burned on offense. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Bullpen Is Chasing The Wrong Kind Of History
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There is still more uncertainty ahead, too, because one of the more important relief options is dealing with a forearm issue that could keep him out for a while. For a staff already chasing the wrong kind of milestone, any absence only adds to the challenge of keeping games within reach and avoiding another entry in a season full of negative firsts. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Still Have A Few Ways To Turn Promise Into Frustration
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Dylan Crews has given Washington a reason to look up with a late-July burst, and CJ Abrams has handled a move away from shortstop, but those are the kinds of developments that can still shift on the Nationals quickly. Young players are often the first place a season can change shape, for better or worse, and the club does not have much margin if either the bat or the alignment stops working as cleanly as it has in flashes. The broader concern is not just whether the Nationals can finish on a better note, but whether the gains they are banking on survive long enough to matter when the offseason arrives. [Read more 🡒]