Minor Leagues Team updates: theFUTURE

There is a lot of news around the Washington Nationals Minor leagues, so let's get right to it. Here is what is happening around the Washington Nationals minor leagues for August 16, 2024.

Editors Note: Our Friday Editions will review the previous night's action and provide a forward-looking preview of the weekend's matchups.

Rochester Red Wings: 4 - Syracuse Mets: 2 
W: Medina (7-2; 3.21 ERA)
L: Orze (4-1; 3.56 ERA)
S: Ri. Garica (17; 3.88 ERA)

Brady House continued his hot streak, launching two home runs last night – his second and third in the last three games. The first, a two-run shot, left his bat at a blistering 98.4 MPH, while the solo bomb traveled 407 feet. The third baseman finished the night 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. House has been particularly dominant against Syracuse this season, racking up eight extra-base hits (four home runs, four doubles) in just six games. He's batting a robust .360 (nine hits in 25 at-bats) against the Mets affiliate. Tonight marked House’s first multi-home run game in Triple-A and the second of his career overall.

Carlos Romero was the definition of dominant on the mound tonight, tossing two hitless innings of relief. He struck out one batter and walked another, earning his second hitless outing. Romero has shown impressive control, allowing just one earned run in his first four appearances with Rochester.

Rico Garcia solidified his position as the International League’s save leader, notching his 17th of the season. Despite allowing a hit and walking two batters, Garcia struck out three to preserve the shutout in the ninth inning. He's the first Red Wing to reach 17 saves since Anthony Slama accomplished the feat in 2010.

Jackson Cluff extended his hitting streak to three games with a single last night and stole his 16th base of the season. His .356 on-base percentage ranks sixth among Red Wings with at least 150 at-bats. Remarkably, Cluff is a perfect 16-for-16 in stolen base attempts this season, leading all of Triple-A without being caught stealing.

Up tonight:

The Rochester Red Wings will continue to host the Syracuse Mets. The Red Wings are sending LHP Andrew Alvarez, who enters the game with a 6-5 record and a 3.73 ERA.

Harrisburg Senators: 8 - 5 Richmond Flying Squirrels
W: Guasch (1-0; 0.00 ERA)
L: Corry (2-2; 5.47 ERA)
SV: Sinclair (4; 2.23 ERA)

On Thursday night, the Harrisburg Senators rallied from a 5-2 deficit to defeat the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-5 at FNB Field.

A three-run home run by Yohandy Morales in the bottom of the sixth inning tied the game at 5-5. The Senators took the lead in the seventh and added insurance runs in the eighth to secure the victory.

Key players included Yohandy Morales, who went 2-for-3 with a game-tying three-run home run, his second in as many games. Dérmis Garcia drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the seventh inning. J.T. Arruda extended his hitting streak to six games with a 1-for-3 performance, including an RBI double. Tyler Stuart pitched five innings, allowing two runs while striking out five. Daison Acosta escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning without allowing a run. Jack Sinclair earned his fourth save with a scoreless ninth inning, striking out the side.

The Senators overcame a sluggish start, leaving 13 runners on base and enduring a three-hour and eleven-minute game, the longest nine-inning contest of the season. The game featured a combined 13 walks and seven hit batters.

Up tonight:

The Harrisburg Senators will continue their series against the Richmond Flying Squirrels tonight in Harrisburg. The Senators will send RHP Rodney Theophile with a 5-6 record with an ERA of 3.68. Richmond Flying Squirrels will send LHP John Michael Bertrand to the mound with a record of 6-7 with a 4.31 ERA.

Wilmington Blue Rocks: 6 - Brooklyn Cyclones: 4
W: Young (4-10, 4.58)
L: De La Cruz (3-7, 4.40)
S: Gomez, M. (3)

The Wilmington Blue Rocks overcame a shaky start from Jarlin Susana to defeat the Brooklyn Cyclones 6-4 on Wednesday night.

Susana appeared dominant early, but the Cyclones broke through with four walks in the fifth inning, erasing a 3-0 deficit. The outing was a departure from the right-hander's previous five starts, where he had walked just four batters total.

The Blue Rocks quickly responded in their half of the fifth. A Roismar Quintana double and a Murphy Stehly walk set the stage for a game-changing error by Brooklyn first baseman Estarling Mercado, allowing both runners to score and reclaim the lead.

Wilmington's offense provided early support with a four-run first inning, highlighted by Murphy Stehly's two-RBI triple. The Blue Rocks bullpen held strong after Susana's exit, preserving the lead and securing the victory.

Up tonight:

The Blue Rocks will continue the series against the Cyclones, with the first pitch at 6:35 p.m. EDT. The Blue Rocks will send RHP Riley Cornelio to the mound with a 6-10 record and a 6.01 ERA.

Fredericksburg Nationals: 4 - Salem Red Sox: 3
W: RHP Matthew Bollenbacher (1-1; 2.61 ERA)
L: RHP Royman Blanco (8-4; 3.21 ERA)
SV: RHP Anthony Arguelles (7)

The Fredericksburg Nationals capitalized on four Salem Red Sox errors to secure a 4-3 victory last night. With the win, the Fredericksburg Nationals improve to 28-16 (63-47) while Salem drops to 24-20 (58-52).

Fredericksburg jumped out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to a Seaver King triple and a Nick Peoples RBI single, aided by a Salem error. Starting pitcher Travis Sykora held the lead through 4.2 innings before running into trouble in the fifth. Reliever Matt Bollenbacher entered the game and allowed a two-run double, tying the game at 2-2.

The FredNats regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on a Nate Ochoa RBI groundout, which benefited from another Salem error. Angel Roman pitched effectively in relief, and Jose Colmenares added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.

Salem mounted a late rally in the ninth, scoring one run but ultimately falling short. Anthony Arguelles closed the door with two strikeouts to earn the save. Bollenbacher picked up his first win of the season, while Royman Blanco suffered the loss for Salem.

Up tonight:

The Fredericksburg Nationals will continue their series against the Salem Red Sox tonight in Fredericksburg. The Fredericksburg Nationals will send LHP Alex Clemmey with a 1-5 record and a 4.86 ERA and will face LHP Eduardo Rivera.