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Saturday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Probables
Rochester Won, 5-3 @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 6:05 p.m. Peralta (3-6, 5.98) vs. Spence (8-6, 5.02)
Harrisburg Won, 13-3 @ Erie, 6:05 p.m. Herz (1-1, 3.97 @ So. Lg.) vs Wolf (3-2, 3.11)
Wilmington Lost, 6-3 vs. Hudson Valley, 6:35 p.m. A. Lara (4-7, 5.30) vs. Pestana (A+ debut)
Fredericksburg Won, 8-2;
Won, 7-3		 vs. Salem, 6:05 p.m. Susana (1-6, 4.73) vs. Paez (3-4, 3.70)
FCL Nationals Tied, 2-2
(Susp. Bot. 3)		 vs. FCL Astros, 12 p.m.
DSL Nationals Cancelled vs. DSL Twins, 10 a.m. (DH)

Rochester 5 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 3
• Muñoz 4IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 4K
• Mengden (W, 1-1) 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Blankenhorn 3-5, 2R, HR, 2RBI, 2K
• Dunn 2-3, 2B
• Baker 1-3, BB, SB(10)

The Red Wings rallied for two in the 8th to tie and two in the 9th to win, 5-3, and stop a three-game slide. Roddery Muñoz made his first start since being claimed on waivers, pitching four innings and allowing two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four. Daniel Mengden got the win in relief with two perfect innings of relief with three whiffs. Travis Blankenhorn led the Rochester hit column with two singles and his 17th HR, which drove in the deciding runs in the 9th. Jack Dunn singled and doubled while Darren Baker singled, walked, and stole his 10th AAA base. Roster moves: OF Blake Rutherford added to 40-man, recalled to Washington.

Harrisburg 13 Erie 3
• M. Cuevas 2⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 2K
• A. Hernandez (W, 4-16) 4⅓ IP, 10H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 3K, HR
• Lipscomb 4-5, 2R, RBI
• Cluff 1-1, 3R, 3BB, HR, 2RBI
• Tostado 2-5, 2R, HR(GS), 4RBI
• Arruda 2-5, 2R, HR, 2RBI

The Harrisburg-Erie series continues to be like a Rocky movie, with every game a series of haymakers, as the Sens floored the SeaWolves, 13-3. Michael Cuevas got the start and went two and 2/3rds before he was lifted, allowing one hit and two walks without a run scoring. Alemao Hernandez came on in relief, as it appears that the rotation is being rearranged again. Hernandez won despite giving up three runs on ten hits (one HR) over four and 1/3rd. He walked none and struck out three. Trey Lipscomb singled four times in five trips to the plate for his fourth straight multi-hit game while Jackson Cluff, Frankie Tostado, and J.T. Arruda each went deep with Tostado smacking a grand slam in Harrisburg’s six-run 8th inning.

Hudson Valley 6 Wilmington 3
• Cáceres 5IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 3K, HR
• C. Romero (L, 1-1) 1IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 0K, HR
• Lawson 2-4, R
• Farmer 1-3, R, BB, 2B, RBI

The Blue Rocks had matched the Renegades rallies in the 3rd and 5th but had no answer for their three-run 8th as Hudson Valley doubled up Wilmington, 6-3. Bryan Cáceres pitched more innings (5) than runs allowed (3) for the second time in seven High-A starts. Carlos Romero somehow lost for only the first time in 21 appearances since his demotion, coughing up three in the 8th on four hits (one HR) and a walk. Cortland Lawson was the sole Blue Rocks batter to have multiple hits while Sammy Infante hit his first High-A HR to lead the Wilmington offense.

Fredericksburg 8 Salem 2 – GM. 1
• L. Young (W, 3-4) 5IP, 6H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 8K, HR
• M. Diaz 2IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Thomas 2-3, 2R, RBI, SB
• W. Perez 2-4, R, 2K
• Nunez 0-1, R, Bb, 2SF, 2RBI

In the opener, Fredericksburg opened up a 1-0 game with a four-run 2nd then piled on three more in the 3rd en route to an 8-2 win. Luke Young struck out a career-high of eight while turning in five innings of two-run ball on six hits and three walks. Johnathan Thomas singled twice, scored twice, drove in one, and stole his 37th base while Wilmer Perez singled twice and scored a run to lead the FredNats’ attack.

Fredericksburg 7 Salem 3 – GM. 2
• Amaral 1⅓ IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 2K, 34-21 PIT-K
• K. Rodriguez (W, 3-1) 1⅔ IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, 1K, HBP, WP, 1-1 IR-S
• Grissom (SV, 7) 2IP, 3H, 2R, 1ER, 2BB, 1K, HR
• Cruz 3-3, 2R
• Morales 2-3, R, 2B, 3B, 3RBI
• Pinckney 1-3, R, BB, 2RBI, SB, OF assist @ HP

Like Ollie & Jerry in ’84, there’s no stopping the FredNats as they completed the doubleheader sweep with a 7-3 win to take their sixth straight. Austin “Amazingly, not related to Rich” Amaral made his Low-A debut and was lifted after getting four outs on 34 pitches, which seemed to explain why he was taken out after allowing a walk and a double while striking out two. Kevin Rodriguez let in Amaral’s unearned run while getting out of the 2nd and got through the top of the 3rd unscathed. Thanks to Andrew Pinckney’s two-run single in the bottom of the 3rd, that would be enough to give Rodriguez the win as Frederickburg also scored in 4th, 5th, and 6th innings, led by Yohandy Moales with a double and bases-clearing triple and Armando Cruz’s three singles.



FCL Mets 2 FCL Nationals 2 – SUSP.
• Zapata 2⅓ IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 0K, HR
• Ochoa Leyva 1-2, R

Two things you can count on from Florida: crazy and rain. The latter struck again, forcing another FCL Nationals game to be suspended. This changed the July 28 F-Nats/Mets game from a postponement into a cancellation, as they’ll finish this one and play the regularly scheduled game on August 19.

DSL Nationals vs. DSL Red Sox Red
Rain canceled the final meeting between the D-Nats and the D-Red Sox Red in the 2023 season.

22 Commments

  1. I don’t think Trey Lipscomb got a big enough bonus to pay to keep the team at Erie, but he might try. In the four games this week, he is 13 for 18, 22 total bases, 9 RBIs, 7 runs scored. The four games have inflated his slash from .289/.315/.428 to .333/.355/.508. And apparently defensive positioning hasn’t affected his concentration at the plate, as he has played SS, 3B, 2B, and 1B in successive days.

    1. That’s really impressive. He appears to have more pop than either Alu or, especially, Baker so he may be the one best-suited to challenge Luis Garcia at 2nd.

      Or he could be a great utility man.

      1. Lipscomb’s bat will play at any position, the flexibility is a major asset.

        Yoyo Morales is starting strong.

        1. I just have to say this
          Yo – Han Ahh Dohnnn
          Joan Adon
          Cavilli and Henry return to full health 2024 along with Thaddeus Ward
          Gray , Gore , … brass and fans will be happy .. crossed fingers
          Lighted candies ..

        2. Jaime the developmental coach gets ejected ? What’s next the bat girl gets tossed ?
          Humidity rising
          Oh Susana GS tater to a guy who now has 2 taters
          Well some guys are still maturing growing
          2024 let’s see ..

    2. Fred MD
      FRED should have a sellout with Crewx up on the Swingin Georges or Swingin Wigs
      Let’s see how Orlando Ribalta rehabs to get back to Sens pen by August 31

    3. I wonder if City Isle has similar dimensions to the tiny Vols park
      Oops that’s Vandy but worth asking ?
      On Oh Susana Saturday
      Could we have Oh Brother in Cincy with Adon appearance ?

    5. Herz gives up an Adon esque three run dinger to Donny “ Hotel “ Sands coupled with a House error
      Let’s see what Herz does next go out

  2. Like the nickname on Amaral Luke
    No reason for Cuevas getting lifted so early or did Delino sense another Haymaker coming from the Yankee affiliate bout ?
    The TBD for Saturday Sens starter is Cole Henry in question ?

    1. Just answering the obvious question since among the many Nats fetishes are picking sons of former major leaguers…

  3. I’ll ask again, has Travis Blankenhorn done enough to get added to the 40-man roster and get a call-up? His 17 HRs is good, but not elite AAA production. But is it interesting enough to see if it plays in the bigs?

    1. Someone mentioned Dan Uggla the other day. Blankenhorn, at 238 pounds, seems to profile similar to Uggla, except the Nats have moved him off 2B. He’s been almost exclusively 1B/LF. There’s no doubt he has some pop, with 17 homers and 24 doubles in 91 games, but also 94 K’s.

    2. I would much rather see what Blankenhorn (or Rutherford for that matter) could do at 1B instead of Dominic Smith. After 7 seasons, we know Smith isn’t good. And even if he was, he has no role to play in the Nats’ future. Blankenhorn and Rutherford might. And that’s way more important to learn.

      I understand the point of signing Smith. But now that the deadline has passed, that purpose is now gone.

      2. You have a point Will
        Rutherford and Blakenhorn chip in on the rebuild like the players
        Cincy used in their progressional rebuild .

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