Thursday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Probables |
| Rochester | Lost, 6-4 | @ Indianapolis, 6:35 p.m. | Rutledge (4-9, 7.16) vs. Shortridge (2-3, 5.45) |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 3-0 | vs. Reading, 6:30 p.m. | Lara (9-6, 3.55) vs. TBD |
| Fredericksburg | OFF DAY | @ Carolina, 6:30 p.m. | Sykora (5-3, 2.33) vs. M. Rodriguez (4-6, 3.23) |
Indianapolis 6 Rocehster 4
• Watkins (L, 7-7) 7IP, 10H, 5R, 5ER, 1BB, 4K, 2HR
• Meneses 2-4, R, 2B(10), RBI
• Adams 1-2, 2R, HR, RBI
Rochester scored two in the 1st and two in the 9th. In between, not so much as Indianapolis tied the game with two in the 4th and went ahead for good with a three-run 5th en route to a 6-4 win. Spenser Watkins ate seven innings and gave up five runs on ten hits (two HR) and a walk and four whiffs. It was his seventh loss. Joey Meneses ans Stone Garrett both doubled while Riley Adams homered to lead the Red Wings offense.
Reading 3 Harrisburg 0
• Saenz (L, 1-5) 6IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 3BB, 3K, WP
• Peterson 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• De La Rosa 2-4, 2B(5), CS
• Lawson 2-3, 2B, SB(10)
The Fightins knocked out the Senators, 3-0 on seven hits to even the series. Dustin Saenz was not to blame as he turned in six innings of one-run ball for his first quality start of the year. He nevertheless lost for the 5th time at AA. Jeremy De La Rosa singled and doubled for his third multi-hit game of September while Cortland Lawson matched him hit-for-hit and added a stolen base and a Robles. The rest of the lineup went 3-for-25, including 0-for-4 with RISP.
Fredericksburg Nationals – OFF DAY
Fredericksburg will be in Zebulon, NC for at least one night, possibly two, as they lead the Carolina League Division Series, 1-0. That’s two chances to beat first-half champion Carolina with the staff ace Travis Sykora on the bump tonight for perhaps as many as five innings, six if he can keep his pitch count down. The bad news is the Mudcats are sending 19-y.o. Manuel Rodriguez, who dominated the FredNats in two regular-season starts, giving up two runs on seven hits over 13 innings and striking out 13. He hasn’t faced the current 3-4-5 trio of Seaver King, Kevin Bazzell, and Chad Lomavita, so it may be fair to say as they go, so will Fredericksburg.
I’m not sure if it’s entirely fair, but I’m increasingly associating Adams and Lipscomb as similar players in my mind. I think it’s because they’re establishing themselves as your typical AAAA player, i.e. guys who thrive in AAA but fail in the majors (we just lost our other epitome of AAAA guy in Blankenhorn).
Since Adams was demoted in late August, he’s hit a very good .290/.325/.500. Likewise, since Lipscomb’s mid-August demotion, he’s slashing .303/.384/.408.
It’s a bit strange because both guys put up pretty different profiles to the one they displayed in DC. In the 10 games since his demotion, Adams has hit 2 HR, which is the total he hit 41 games in the majors, and he also really struggled to hit for average .224, compared to a very healthy .290 AVG in Rochester.
Lipscomb, too, failed at hitting for average in DC (.207), which had previously been a strength of his in the minors (.281). He’s never shown much power anywhere, even in his stint since demotion, but what’s perhaps most impressive is that he’s suddenly walking at a rate he’s never before displayed. In 23 games in Rochester, he’s walked 10 times (11.5%) which is twice his career in the minors (5.6%), and 50% better than his rate in the majors (7.8%).
Altogether, it sounds like both Adams and Lipscomb have been given instructions to work on some weaknesses, and it seems that it’s working so far. I’m not ready to write either of them off yet, especially when you consider the guys ahead of them in the depth charts aren’t anything special either. Hope they show up for ST next year ready to impress, and make the most of their positive finishes to the season.
There are a few big differences between Adams and Lipscomb.
Adams is 28, and is a horrible defensive catcher and really can’t play anywhere else.
Lipscomb is 24 and is at least an above-average defensive player (and could become elite) at multiple defensive positions. Agree that the big problem for Lipscomb is that he has no power, and doesn’t look like he has the frame to add much as he gets older.
Feel like Adams has hit his ceiling, but think that Lipscomb could develop into a solid multi-positional bench player on the MLB level.
It’s also instructive to note that Lipscomb was just drafted two summers ago. He’s been pushed ahead quite rapidly.
One big question with Lipscomb is whether they see him as “SS-capable” enough to play that role as an emergency backup at the MLB. Worst-case scenario is that he’s still got two years of options so can be the shuttle guy until other middle infielders mature.
I’ve said before that my comps for Lipscomb would be a floor of Vargas and a ceiling of Josh Harrison. I’ll stand by that. In his full season in the minors last year, Lipscomb had 14 homers and an impressive 29 doubles, which seems to promise at least sufficient power for a middle infielder. He’s not likely to be your starting 3B, but I don’t know that that was ever the goal for him.
I doubt Rutledge can do anything to salvage what has been a dismal season but I’m not ready to give up on him yet. He’s totally lost what command he had but is still getting Ks at a decent rate. I don’t see him as a reliever but if he finds a coach who can instill some confidence in his stuff he can still make it to the show. That person does not work in upstate NY.
I dunno. I see Rutledge as a two pitch 6-8 guy with velocity. He’s fastball (well, fangraphs may also call it a sinker) and slider and that’s it.
https://www.fangraphs.com/players/jackson-rutledge/26215/stats?position=P
Both his sinker and slider are effective, nothing else he tries is effective at all.
To me, that screams late-inning reliever. Give him one inning, he ramps it up, increases his mph from 96 average to maybe 98-99, counters it with his best pitch the 85mph slider, and you have a great reliever.
I won’t argue that he has yet to find success with his current arsenal although he does throw two fastballs, a two seamer and a four seamer. he just doesn’t seem to have the makeup of a high leverage late inning guy. and when I see Irvin and Herz at least finding some success with basically two pitches I think it can be done if they’re really good. it comes down to command and this year, Rutledge just hasn’t had it.
The only way to find out if a guy has the makeup for a late-inning guy is to let him practice doing it, which the Nats don’t seem to let their failing starters do. If a guy does get easily rattled by a walk, blooper, or error, it is fair to question how he’d handle MLB pressure situations, though.
In Rutledge’s case, it’s (past) time to put him in the bullpen and find out. He’s had a legion of pitching coaches in the organization work with him, and nothing has clicked.
And the irony of that is that every other organization prefers to have their pitchers start until they fail. THAT’S THE POINT of not grooming them as starters. I agree with Todd — have Rutledge use his two best pitches, and then every once in a blue moon, throw a curve or a change when it’s least expected. How many of you remember when Kent Tekulve would throw an overhand curve to get a tough lefty?
I’ve been having a debate with friends about pitch arsenal. It seems Nats starters have a hard time coming up with a third pitch, even in the minors.
My question to you knowledgeable posters is: can you succeed as a starter by simply living off variations of your fastball and one other pitch or having the tried and true fastball, change up and curveball repertoire ?
I like Davey Martinez as a person, but I don’t know how much more I can take of him telling his starters to establish the fastball and pitch down in the zone. Seems too basic to me.
I don’t think the issue of a third pitch is unique to the Nats, first of all. Strasburg had three quality pitches and he was a superstar. other pitchers may be able to command three or more pitches but none of them is elite and yet they get hit, ex Atencio. if you can LOCATE two quality pitches you can survive with a third mixed in for an occasional surprise, IMO.
The 4 year starter, has a 23-25 record and a 5.25 ERA with not so good peripherals. At 6’8″, Rutledge may carve out a career as a reliever, relying on his two best pitches, or not! What plans will the Nationals have for him?
Checking in on the new-draftee heart of the FredNats order:
King: .295/.367/.385
Bazzell: .273/.433/.386
Lomavita: .213/.310/.246
Very small sample sizes. I’m sure the Nats hope that all three can start 2025 at Wilmington, although with both Bazzell and Lomavita playing the same position, they may get separated.