The Nationals (30-36) are now into the second half of the Carolina League schedule, which officially began on Friday. The Freddies are 0-3 since then, including back-to-back, one-run losses to the Fireflies on Saturday (3-2) and Sunday (7-6) to conclude the series. Columbia trailed 6-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning Sunday before hitting the go-ahead grand slam.
Fredericksburg took the first game against the Fireflies, 5-1, in a game that began last Tuesday before being suspended, rained out Wednesday and finally completed on Thursday. The Nats then dropped another 3-2 decision in Thursday’s second game of a doubleheader. Columbia recorded a 5-0 shutout on Friday.
Elijah Green (No. 4) continues to struggle at the plate, as he struck out 10 times in his 12 at-bats in Columbia last week.
The bat of shortstop Armando Cruz (No. 13) continues to heat up, as he collected five hits and seven total bases while driving in four runs in just 10 at-bats last week against the Fireflies.
Daylen Lile (No. 15) cranked out six hits and 10 total bases while also adding four RBI in four games in Columbia. Lile is batting .282 with 14 doubles, 4 triples, 6 home runs, a team-high 40 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 54 games this season. Roismar Quintana (No. 16) was 1-for-10 with a single in three games against the Fireflies.
Jarlin Susana (No. 6) pitched another gem on Thursday, giving up a pair of runs (neither of them earned) on two hits while striking out six and walking two across 4.2 innings.
Over his last seven outings, Susana has allowed just four runs across 28.2 innings, giving him a 1.26 ERA during that stretch. He’s fanned 26 batters and walked 11, with a 0.98 WHIP (walks + hits per inning pitched) and an opposing batting average of .167. On the year, Susana is 0-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 11 starts.
This Week’s Opponent
Fredericksburg is back at Virginia Credit Union Stadium this week with a home series against Salem, beginning Wednesday and running through next Monday. The FredNats took four of five meetings with the Red Sox (31-35, 1-2 second half) in Salem last month.
A side note for fans thinking about attending a game this weekend — there will be fireworks after the game at Virginia Credit Union Stadium on both Friday night and Monday night, if Mother Nature cooperates, as well as a postgame party featuring live music following Saturday’s game.
The Sox took five of seven on their home field against Delmarva two weeks ago, winning the last four of that series, but lost three of four last week to Down East in a rain-shortened set that saw two contests canceled due to rain.
Right fielder Miguel Bleis (No. 4 in the Boston organization) is a 19-year-old international prospect who managed just one hit in 14 at-bats across three games last month against the Freddies.
Cutter Coffey (No. 17) is 12-for-39 (.308) with a pair of homers and 6 RBI in his past 10 games. He was 5-for-16 with 3 RBI in four games last month against the FredNats. Fellow shortstop Luis Ravelo (No. 25) is batting .257 in 2023.
Right-hander Luis Perales (No. 12) had a solid outing on May 27 against Fredericksburg, striking out 10 Nats and allowing a run on four hits in five innings of work. Perales is 2-4 on the season with an ERA of 3.95.
Another talented righty, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (No. 22), also registered 10 punchouts against the Nats when they faced off in May, giving up three runs on four hits across five innings.
Notes
- Former FredNat Brady House, who was promoted to High-A Wilmington earlier this month, will participate in the MLB All-Star Futures Game in Seattle on Saturday, July 8.
- The Freddies will hit the road again next week, as they travel to face Delmarva for a six-game set heading into the July break (10-13).
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