Saturday’s News & Notes

RailRiders 6 Red Wings 3
• Fuentes (L, 0-2) 1+ IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 0K, 2HR
• Baez 4IP, 4H, R, ER, 4BB, 1K, HBP, 3WP
• Bautista 1-4, 2R, HR, RBI
• Kieboom 0-1, 3BB

Steven Fuentes was lifted after one-plus inning and three runs let in as the RailRiders doubled up the Red Wings, 6-3. The 24-y.o. did not look sharp and had diminished velocity as he gave up three runs on three hits, including two HRs. Fuentes threw 29 pitches, 14 for strikes before he was lifted. Joan Baez followed and turned in four innings of one-run relief. Rafael Bautista homered while Carter Kieboom drew three walks to lead the Rochester offense. Roster moves: RHP Stephen Strasburg removed from roster; RHP Paolo Espino optioned from Washington.

Altoona 4 Harrisburg 2
• Cate 6IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 6K
• J. Romero (L, 0-1) 1IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 2K
• Corredor 2-4, 2B, RBI
• Sagdal 2-4, RBI

Harrisburg tied it in the 7th but the bullpen faltered with two runs in the 8th as Altoona took a second straight game, 4-2. Tim Cate turned in his first quality start of the season with two runs given up on five hits and a walk while fanning six. The “L” went to Jhon Romero, with the aforementioned two runs on three hits. Ian Sagdal and Aldrem Corredor both went 2-for-4 with an RBI but the rest of the lineup went 1-for-23 with three walks and nine of the ten Sens’ whiffs on the night.

Aberdeen 5 Wilmington 2
• Rutledge (L, 0-3) ⅓ IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 0K, WP
• Brzykcy 3⅓ IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 4K, 1-0 IR-S
• Canning 1-3, R, HR, RBI
• Lara 1-3, RBI

The MiLB.tv archive for this game isn’t working—which is probably just a coincidence^*—this morning so I can’t comment on exactly why Jackson Rutledge was lifted after just 17 pitches, but it was enough to saddle him with his third loss in as many starts as the Blue Rocks fell back to .500 with a 5-2 loss to the IronBirds. Zach Brzykcy took over but was only marginally more effective as he gave up the third and fourth Aberdeen runs on three hits and two walks over three and a 1/3rd innings. Wilmington avoided the shutout with Gage Canning’s third HR while Gilbert Lara singled in Jacob Rhinesmith to account for the second hit and the second run for the Blue Rocks.
^{* Narrator: It is probably not a coincidence}

Fredericksburg 2 Salem 1
• Seijas (W, 1-1) 7IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB, 8K, WP
• Knowles (SV, 1) 2IP, 2H, R, ER, 0BB, 4K
• Arruda 3-4, R, SB
• Cutts 2-4, R

The Nationals nightmare is over in Fredericksburg as they finally broke into the win column with a 2-1 victory over Salem to end a 15-game losing streak. Karlo Seijas turned in arguably the best outing of the season at any level with seven shutout innings, with just three hits allowed, no walks, and eight K’s to get the “W.” Lucas Knowles had a Jeckyll-and-Hyde outing, striking out the side in the 8th while cordero’ing through the 9th on a pair of doubles to earn the save. Newcomer Jackson Coutts scored the first run on a Jeremy Ydens RBI single in the 2nd while J.T. Arruda singled and scored the second run on a wild pitch in the 3rd. The two combined for five of the F-Nats’ nine singles on the night, as the outstanding pitching masked a 1-for-12 mark with RISP, including hitting into three double plays. According to Fredericksburg Media Relations/Broadcaster Erik Bremer, the win ended the longest losing streak to begin a season since 1968, when the Leesburg (Fla.) A’s lost their first 16 games.