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Saturday’s News & Notes

Team Yesterday Today Pitching Probables
Rochester Won, 6-2;
Won, 4-1		 @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 1:05 p.m. Ward (7-5, 5.40) vs. Maciejewski (1-3, 5.57)
Harrisburg Lost, 6-3 vs. Portland, 6 p.m. Saenz (0-3, 13.50) vs. Early (1-1, 4.84)
Wilmington Won, 3-1 vs. Aberdeen, 6:05 p.m. Susana (3-2, 4.58) vs. Fruit (3-4, 3.09)
Fredericksburg Lost, 4-3 @ Kannapolis, 7 p.m. Sykora (4-3, 2.31) vs. Brizuela (3-0, 3.18)

Rochester 6 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 2
• Rutledge 4IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 4BB, 8K, 96-54 PIT-K
• Weems (W, 1-0) 1⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 2K
• Dunn 1-2, R, HR, 3RBI, SAC
• Meneses 2-3, R, RBI
• Adams 2-4, R,

Jack Dunn done did it with an Earl Weaver Special in the 4th to break open a one-run game as the Red Wings tripled up the RailRiders, 6-2 in the opener. Jackson Rutledge needed 96 pitches to get 12 outs, allowing one run on two hits and four walks while striking out eight. Jordan “The End Justifies The” Weems oicked up the win with goose egg in the 5th. Joey Meneses singled twice and Riley Adams both singled twice and scored a run to pace the six-hit, four-walk Rochester offense.


• Watkins 4IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 4K, WP, PO @ 1B
• Medina (W, 8-2) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Willingham (SV, 1) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Pinckney 2-4, R, HR, RBI
• Cluff 2-3, R

In the nightcap, back-to-back doubles by Joey Meneses and Jake Alu broke open a one-run game as Rochester completed the doubleheader sweep with a 4-1 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Moosic/Lackawanaa/Pennyslvania. Spenser Watkins went the first four, allowing the RailRriders run on three hits and a walk. Adonis Medina, Zach Brzykcy, and Amos Willingham each put up a donut to earn the win, hold, and save respectively. Andrew Pinckney singled and homered while Jackson Cluff had two safteies to lead the Red Wings hit column of nine. Roster moves: RHP Spenser Watkins activated form the 7-Day I.L.

Portland 6 Harrisburg 3
• Luckham (L, 3-8) 6IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 6K, 2HR
• Cronin 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Morales 2-4, RBI
• Pineda 2-4, RBI

The Sea Dogs scored in three straight “ups” in the middle innings to erase a 2-0 deficit as they doubled up the Senators, 6-3. Kyle Luckham pitched past the 5th for the 15th time in 24 starts, giving up the first four Portland runs on six hits (two HR) and two walks while tying his season high of six whiffs. He lost for the 8th time. Yoyo Morales and Israel Pineda both went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Harrisburg offense.



Wilmington 3 Aberdeen 1
• Atencio (W, 3-11) 6IP, 5H, 0R, 3BB, 4K
• M. Gomez (H, 8) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Thomas 1-4, R, RBI, 2K
• M. Romero 1-3, SF, RBI

There must have been astonishment on the face of José Atencio as his teammates scored not one, but two runs for him in a 3-1 Wilmington win over Aberdeen. The erstwhile Venezuelan won for just the third time while notching his seventh quality start with six shutout innings, allowin five hits and three walks while striking out four. Johnathan Thomas drove in the first Blue Rocks run and scored the second while Max Romero singled and hit a sac fly to lead the Blue Rocks’ five-single barrage.

Kannapolis 4 Fredericksburg 3
• B. Romero 5IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 3K
• Beeker (BS, 2) 2IP, 2H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 2K, HR
• B. Sanchez (L, 1-6) 1IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 1K
• Vaquero 2-4, R
• Pimentel 1-4, 2B, 2RBI, SB

The FredNats’ bullpen woes continued as they blew a 3-0 lead after six to drop their third straight, 4-3 and sink into second place in the C.L. North. Brayan Romero soaked the Cannon Ballers powder for five innings, with one hit, one walk, and three whiffs. Merritt Beeker blew his second save as he was torched for three runs on two hits, including a two-run HR in the 7th that tied the game at 3-3. The loss went to Bryan Sanchez with a run in the 8th on two hits and a walk. Christhian Vaquero singled twice and scored once while Brandon Pimentel doubled in two runs as Fredericksburg left on nine and struck out nine times to pull within one of the league lead.

6 Commments

  1. Atencio 127 IP in a season with scant run support . What a bullpen determination, Jose !
    Some guys would get down after 14 outings .

  2. Bulldog not bullpen in last comment
    Coffee ain’t working even with expresssssooooi

    1. I’m not sure how far Atencio can go but one thing I’m pretty sure of is that he will not get discouraged or intimidated. hook the kid up with Rutledge in instrux.

  3. As we get toward the end of their first full pro year, there’s a lot to like about the Nats’ 2023 draft, particularly the top four picks who got most of the money. Crews is in the majors (probably to stay), Pinckney is in AAA, Morales is ending the AA season strong after missing time to injury, and Sykora has dominated at low A. There’s still not the power hoped for from Crews, Morales, and Pinckney, but all in all, we shouldn’t complain, all the more in comparison to the top of the 2022 class.

    Not too much so far from the others in 2023 beyond Glasser playing at three levels. Thus far he’s been significantly better than Marcus Brown.

  4. good test for Sykora against the leagues top hitting team. the WaPo did a nice story on him this week and the amount of preparation and notes he takes on his daily routines.

    there seems to be an increase in the amount of coverage the prospects are getting in the local media though still less than what’s hoped for.

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