| Crews to Skip High-A for AA; Morales, Pinckney Bumped to Wilmington
Both hands on the keyboard – according to multiple online reports, the Nats’ #1 prospect is headed to Harrisburg. Meanwhile, Yohandy Morales (#7) and Andrew Pinckney (#20) will be decamping for Wilmington. Longtime readers will recall that this has happened twice before, infamously in 2011 with Bryce Harper, then the next summer with Brian Goodwin. As many have noted in the comments previously (and repeatedly), Crews probably should have started the season in Wilmington anyway. But with the Blue Rocks on the road the past two weeks, it’s possible if not probable that the Nats preferred to have him closer to home to evaluate and acclimate him. Meanwhile, Morales and Pinckney should add some juice to a lineup that’s dead last in the Sally Lg. on offense, joining Daylen Lile and Jeremy De La Rosa, and displacing Yasel Antuna at the very least and perhaps sending Jared McKenzie back to Fredericksburg. Corresponding moves have not yet been made, and given the Nats’ history of roster shenanigans, it would not be a surprise to see one or two sent to the I.L. with a case of the Hellenic Flu. |
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Probables |
| Rochester | Lost, 5-1 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 6-4 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Wilmington | Won, 4-3 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Fredericksburg | Won, 7-0 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| FCL Nationals | OFF DAY | vs. FCL Cardinals, 10 a.m. | |
| DSL Nationals | OFF DAY | vs. DSL Miami, 10 a.m. |
Buffalo 5 Rochester 1
• T. Romero (L, 4-5) 2⅔ IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 2K, HR
• Banda 2⅓ IP, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 2K, 2-0 IR-S
• Mengden ⅓ IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 0K
• Blankenhorn 2-4, R, 3B, OF assist @ 3B
• Noll 0-2, HBP, SF, RBI
Rochester dropped its fourth straight to Buffalo, 5-1 and lost the series, 4-1. Tommy Romero got the start and the loss as he gave up two runs on five hits (one HR) and two walks over two and 2/3rds innings. The Red Wings were no-hit… except for Travis Blankenhorn, who singled in the 1st and tripled in the 4th. Jake Noll ended the shutout with a sac fly in the 4th to send in Blankenhorn and account for the 0-1 mark with RISP. Roster moves: IF Careter Kieboom recalled to Washington; RHP Cory Abbott optioned from Washington.
Richmond 6 Harrisburg 4
• Cuevas (L, 2-6) 1IP, 4H, 5R, 5ER, 0BB, 0K, HR, HBP
• Sinclair 2⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 4K, WP, PO @ 1B
• Lipscomb 2-4, R, BB, HR, 2RBI
• Vega 2-3, BB
The Flying Squirrels went, um, nuts on Michael Cuevas for a five-run 1st and held off the Sens to win the game, 6-4, and take the series, 5-1. Cuevas gave up four hits, including a three-run HR, and did not strike out a batter (though he hit one). He threw 33 pitches, 21 for strikes. Harrisburg got single runs on groundouts in the 1st and 4th before Trey Lipscomb hit a two-run HR in the 7th. The Senators were unable to capitalize on eight walks drawn and were a woeful 1-for-13 with RISP with 12 runners left on base.
Wilmington 4 Aberdeen 3
• Luckham (W, 4-6) 5IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, 2BB, 5K
• M. Perez (SV, 2) 2IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 2K
• Stehly 3-5, 2B, SB
• V. Peña 2-4, 2RBI
• Antuna 2-4, 2RBI
It was another one-run game between Wilmington and Aberdeen, but the Blue Rocks were able to hold on for a 4-3 win. They lost the series, 4-2. Kyle Luckham picked up his fourth win with five innings of one-run ball on two hits and two walks while striking out five. Chance Huff and Marlon Perez both gave up a run over two innings, but that was good enough to get the hold and the save, respectively. Murphy Stehly led the Wilmington hit column with two single and a double, followed by Yasel Antuna and Viandel Peña, who both went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
• Sullivan 3IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 6K
• Amaral (W, 1-1) 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 7K
• Morales 3-5, 2B(10), 3RBI
• Quintana 2-3, R, BB
• Nuñez 2-4, 2R, BB, RBI, SB
Five FredNats pitchers combined to shut out the GreenJackets, 7-0 on one-hit and secure a 5-1 series win. Starter Liam Sullivan no-hit Augusta for three innings with one walk allowed and six strikeouts. Austin Amaral picked up the win but lost the no-no with a single in the 5th as he one-upped Sullivan with seven whiffs over three innings. Orlando Ribalta and Mike Tepper picked up holds while putting up a goose egg each while Marquis Grissom Jr. worked a 1-2-3 ninth while fanning two for nos. 15 & 16 on the afternoon. Yohandy Morales drove in another three runs while going 3-for-5 with his 10th double while Roismar Quintana and Elijah Nuñez both singled twice and walked once to power the Fredericksburg offense.
FCL Nationals 23-25, 5th Place FCL East, 7½ GB
The FCL Nationals bullpen twice blew winnable games that ended any chance of finishing higher than 5th and seriously damaged their chances of even finishing at .500. The short season ends tomorrow on a short week of two games, with a handful of players expected to make the jump to Low-A (see above).
DSL Nationals, 10-39, 9th place DSL South, 29½ GB
It’s almost over.