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Wednesday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Probables
Rochester Lost, 13-5 vs. Syracuse, 6:05 p.m. Watkins (1-0, 6.11) vs Lucchesi (2-1, 2.42)
Harrisburg Won, 3-2 vs. Altoona, 12 p.m. Alvarez (0-2, 3.24) vs. Sullivan (0-3, 3.06)
Wilmington Lost, 12-2 vs. Hudson Valley, 6:35 p.m. L. Young (2-0, 1.69) vs. Fristoe (0-0, 5.40)
Fredericksburg Won, 8-7
(10 inn.)		 vs. Down East, 12:05 p.m. Sykora (pro debut) vs. Lobus (3-0, 1.86)

Syracuse 13 Rochester 5
• Rutledge 5IP, 3H, 4R, 3ER, 3BB, 4K, HR, WP, 86-51 PIT-K
• Nogosek (L, 0-1) ⅔ IP, 1H, 2R, 2ER, 4BB, 0K, HR
• Baker 2-3, R, RBI
• Dunn 2-4, 2R, 2B(5)
• Robles 1-3, R, 3B, RBI, 0HBP

A seven-run 7th put this one away as the Red Wings fell, 13-5 in the series opener. Jackson Rutledge made it through five innings for just the second time this year—though he neeed 86 pitches to do it—but gave up four runs (three earned) on three hits (one HR) and three walks while striking out four. Former Met Stephen Nogosek took the loss as he walked four of seven batters faced and let in two runs in the 6th. Darren Baker singled twice while Jack Dunn went 2-for-4 with a double to lead the Rochester offense. Roster moves: OF Victor Robles assigned from Washington for MLB rehab.

Harrisburg 3 Altoona 2
• Cuevas 6IP, 3H, 0R, 1BB, 9K
• S. Reyes (BS, 1; W, 1-1) 2IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 1K, HR
• Ribalta (SV, 1) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Hassell 3-4, R, HR, RBI, HBP
• House 3-4, 2R, HR, RBI

Harrisburg scored in each of its last two “ups” to eke out a 3-2 win against Altoona. Michael Cuevas turned in his best AA start of his career, matching his career high in strikeouts with nine over six scoreless innings. He was rewarded with a no-decision when Samuel Reyes served up a two-run HR with nobody out in the 7th. Robert Hassell picked a fine time to his his first HR, an opposite-field jack that tied the game at 2-2 in the 7th. Brady House, who also homered to give the Sens their first lead at 1-0, singled for his third hit, took second on Yoyo Morales’s second safety, and scored when Israel Pineda threaded the 5/6 hole when the Curve drew in the infield. Orlando Ribalta got the save with a 1-2-3 ninth and two whiffs. Roster moves: C Ivan Murzi reassigned from Wilmington.



Hudson Valley 12 Wilmington 2
• Caceres (L, 0-1) 5IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 0BB, 1K, HR, 2HBP, WP
• M. Perez 1⅔ IP, 6H, 5R, 5ER, 0BB, 2K, 2HR
• Lile 2-3, R, 3B, BB, RBI, SB
• Glasser 1-3, BB

The Renegades had it made against the Blue Rocks ‘pen, retrieving a nine-run bounty in the 7th to turn a 3-2 nailbiter into a 12-2 defenestration. Bryan Caceres took the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits (one HR) and two Robles. He struck out one. Daylen Lile extended his hit streak to five games with a single and a triple while Phillip Glasser reached base twice on a single and a walk. Roster moves: C Matt Suggs reassigned from Harrisburg.

Fredericksburg 8 Down East 7 (10 inn.)
• B. Sanchez 3+ IP, 6H, 6R, 6ER, 2BB, 1K, HR
• Schultz (BS, 1) 2IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 4K
• M. Diaz (W, 1-0) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Pimentel 3-5, 2R, 2RBI
• Dugas 2-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI
• Colmenares 2-4, RBI

Fredericksburg used the longball dig themselves out of a 5-2 hole, blew the lead in the 9th, then won it in extras, 8-7. Bryan Sanchez got knocked from the box in the 4th, charged with six runs on six hits (one HR) and two walks while striking out one. After Samuel Vasquez and Mikey Tepper combined for four scoreless innings of relief, Thomas Schultz added a fifth goose egg in the 8th but let in a run in the 9th to tie the game. The FredNats threatened in the 9th but didn’t come through until the 10th when… wait for it… Brandon Pimentel drove in his second run of the game with his third single. The win went to Moises Diaz with an assist from Pimentel, who snagged a liner and doubled off the free runner on the first batter before Diaz induced a flyout to end the Wood Ducks’ 10th.

25 Commments

  1. My brother and I are off to Fredericksburg to see Sykora’s debut. Also our first trip to VCU (not THAT VCU) Stadium. Any tips on the ballpark?

    1. Should be interesting to see how many die hard Nats fans turn out for Sykora debut
      I recall attending an Oakland matinee game for the debut of the vaunted Todd Van Poppell . Another tall Texan .
      I guess we will disregard JRs outing since TJ Zeutsch had an outing worthy of a pink slip . Ok call me out sounding like a Phillies fan throwing batteries at Christian JD Drew !! Yikes Nats scouts there is kicking the tires and kicking a dead horse .
      Luke I was expecting you to say that Hassell picked a fine time , Lucille , to hit that tater .
      Backyard with coffee , birds chirping like some fans on a low scoring affiliate .
      I notice how the two seniors on the Fred’s picked up the mojo last night .
      Cooper trying his best to be a table setter .
      Isn’t this unseasonably warm for May 1??

    2. Did Fredtoday just make two Ranger prospects look like Gray last night vs Nats ?

    3. Why not teach Spencer Watkins the knuckler?? Why not ? He’s picked up the cutter slider but not carrying the Gaylord Perry Vaseline or back pocket tools !! Lol!

      1. I would imagine the 2024 draft might target for Nats the next wave of everyday players to seed Fred later in season . Find a couple Pimentals in the NDFA post draft vacuum ?

  2. Here’s the career WAR of our drafted and signed players. I’m hoping that Lipscomb, Young, Irvin, Parker, Cavalli will be able to reach a milestone of getting 2 WAR (and staying with the Nats). Players in parentheses have < 2 WAR.

    2011: A. Rendon 33.6,
    B. Burns 2.0 (Blevins trade)
    (A. Meyer, B. Goodwin, M. Purke, M. Skole, T. Hill)
    2012: L. Giolito 12.5 (Eaton trade)
    (T. Renda, S. Kieboom)
    2013: N. Pivetta 8.6 (Papelbon trade)
    (A. Voth)
    2014: (E. Fedde, J. Reetz, A. Williams, J. Borque)
    2015: B. Perkins 2.2 (Kelvin Herrera trade)
    (A. Stevenson, T. Hearn, K. Glover, T. Guilbeau, M. Schrock)
    2016: J. Luzardo 6.0 (Doolittle/Madson trade)
    D. Dunning 5.2 (Eaton trade)
    (C. Kieboom, S. Neuse, D. Johnson, T. Barrera, J. Noll, B. Braymer, S. Sharp)
    2017: (S. Romero, W. Crowe, J. Tetreault. J. Cousins)
    2018: (J. Irvin, T. Cropley, C. Wilson, A. Fletcher, E. Lee)
    2019: (J. Rutledge, A. Willingham, J. Alu)
    2020: (C. Cavalli, M. Parker)
    2021: (J. Young)
    2022: (T. Lipscomb)

    1. So no player who the Nats kept has topped 2 WAR since Rendon. Wow. That’s a pretty vivid portrait of why the Nats are in the mess they’re in now.

      1. It funny, in a bitterly depressing way, that the Nats prospects to have success in the majors have exclusively done so with other teams. That is not a coincidence, but a player development failure. Giolito was the only one close to major league ready, the rest took several more seasons in the minors before being ready, and even Giolito took three seasons to shake off the Nats’ player development stink.

        Fortunately, after a decade of futility, this appears to be changing! Young and Irvin should cross the threshold this season, and Lipscomb and Parker (and Cavalli) have an outside chance.

  3. Rutledge has gone back to his original delivery, eliminating the step toward third entirely as his first move. while the outing was hardly impressive it was better than the last few, albeit a pretty low bar. command remains the issue, he gets out of sync quickly and yanks his pitches.

    Kieboom got some action at first base, I’d have thought this would have happened sooner. with not much else going for him versatility is something

    Dunn crushed that double, it would have been a HR in most parks.

    Dusty’s kid just won’t go away, now hitting .421 with 2 outs, RISP

    1. FredMD maybe JR should meet Nolan Ryan . It worked for Randy Johnson .

    2. Mickey Tepper going to be a work horse out of Fred bullpen as swing or long man ??
      His dad taught him well .

  4. In Reyes defense, the 2 run homer he gave up was definitely wind aided. The homers by House and Hassell were not. Crews looked overmatched as he struck out 4 times.

    2. Crews had a 15.6% K rate in college, only 13% in his draft season. I truly believed that he wouldn’t suffer with contact issues. He’s currently at 36% in 2024.

      1. You simply cannot have basically every single notable player in the farm system struggle with plate discipline by coincidence. It is a product of whatever the Nats coaches are attempting to impart on the hitters. What’s most disconcerting is that even with the newest staffing shake up, the problem has persisted and even touched previously immune players like Crews and Vaquero this season.

        1. I just don’t think that’s true. Ignoring folks who have spent a decent portion of this season in the majors, here’s my list of notable offensive prospects and their change in BB/K compared to their highest level with volume last year: Wood (+142%), Crews (-67%), House (+165%), Hassell (+91%), Morales (-79%), Vaquero (-60%), Lile (+92%), Green (-19%), Pinckney (-54%), Made (+36%), and Baker (+51%).

          Most have improved significantly and the ones who haven’t mostly are either Green, who was known on draft day to be a long term swing fix project, or a prospect rushed / challenged with a AA assignment in their first full professional season. Correct as that may be for these three advanced hitters, it is certainly very aggressive and we shouldn’t ben surprised that they’re struggling against these pitchers.

          Vaquero and Crews are the only ones that I’m even a little disappointed by, and I hope they’re both working on this as the next major step in their development. But I don’t see how you can look at the system as a whole and think plate discipline is the only or main obstacle to success.

          And if you want to look at absolute walk and strikeout rates, rather than YoY improvement, I’d say that Wood, Hassell, Lile, Made and Baker have all been excellent at controlling the zone, House has been pretty good and Pinckney alright. It just hasn’t been the disaster you think it is.

  6. Green lined out to right at 112MPH and hit a home run to left center at 106MPH. the obligatory 2Ks as well but hard contact is a must for him, not just walks and singles

    1. Honestly, for Green, I think the only thing that matters is making more contact. Hard contact is the core of his eventual profile, but there’s no amount power that can compensate for the strikeouts incredibly going in the wrong direction. I don’t expect him to be good, or even better than horrible, this year, but he needs to show improvement. For me, his stock is more at risk of falling this season than any other bat in the system.

      1. The whole Fred Nats squad needs a Bob Uecker Audio per game “ swing and a miss “.

  7. Off beat topic . Wouldn’t that be interesting if home town guy Erik Fedde ended up with the As bound for Vegas in years .

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