Washington Nationals Daily Minor League Affiliate Report

From staff and wire reports:

SYRACUSE (AAA International League): The Chiefs beat the Rochester Red Wings, 1-0, on Monday night at NBT Bank Stadium. The win marks the Chiefs' eighth straight at home and fifth in a row overall. Syracuse is now 8-3 in one-run games this year.

Syracuse (14-9) posted the lone run of the game in the fourth inning. Trea Turner led off the inning against Jason Wheeler with a single and stole second. Turner moved to third on a fly out, and scored on Matt Skole's single to give the Chiefs an early lead.

Paolo Espino kept the score 1-0 with an outstanding start for the Chiefs. Espino held the Red Wings to just four hits in seven scoreless innings. The right-hander did not walk a batter and struck out five, including the last three hitters he faced.

Rochester (11-14) put two runners on base in the eighth and ninth innings, but Trevor Gott and Rafael Martin got out of each inning respectively to seal the win. Martin picked up his fourth save.

The Chiefs and Red Wings return to NBT Bank Stadium Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. A.J. Cole is scheduled to start for Syracuse opposite Logan Darnell for Rochester.

HARRISBURG (AA Eastern League): The Senators took advantage of three Hartford errors in besting the Yard Goats, 5-4, on Monday night at FNB Field. The Harrisburg victory snapped the Yard Goats’ nine-game winning streak.

The Senators (9-13) took an early 1-0 lead in the third inning as Zach Collier raced home from second base when Hartford right fielder David Dahl bobbled a single by Rafael Bautista. The lead would be short lived, however, as the Yard Goats would get to Harrisburg starting pitcher Tyler Mapes in the next half-inning.

Hartford rallied to begin the frame with two singles and a walk that loaded the bases. Rosell Herrera delivered the big blow for the Yard Goats as he laced a triple into the right field corner that plated all three runners. Mapes (4-1) stranded Herrera at third base though to get out of the inning without further damage.

Harrisburg returned the favor an inning later as they loaded the bases on three singles from Mapes, Bautista, and Shawn Pleffner. With two outs, Chris Bostick came through with a clutch single to score two and even the game at 3.

Mapes continued to help himself out with the bat as the pitcher doubled to the right-center field wall. Harrisburg would take a 4-3 lead when Bautista sharply grounded to Hartford first baseman Corelle Prime. With reliever Devin Burke covering first, Prime threw the ball past him and into the Harrisburg dugout as Mapes came around to score the go ahead run.

Harrisburg added an insurance run in the eighth inning after Cutter Dykstra doubled, advanced to third on a bunt, and scored on a Collier sacrifice fly out. It was a run they desperately needed as Prime led off the ninth with an opposite field home run off Bryan Harper. The Senators’ southpaw regained his composure and got the final three outs to secure the victory.

Mapes scattered four hits over six innings while walking two and striking out one. Koda Glover pitched two innings of relief notching three strikeouts. Despite the Yard Goats getting the tying run on second base in both the seventh and eighth innings, Glover departed unscathed. Harper pocketed his first save of the season for his work in the ninth inning.

The Senators’ offense was led by multi-hit games from Bautista, Bostick, Dykstra, Pleffner and Mapes as the team reached double-digits in hits for the second game in a row.

On Tuesday, Harrisburg sends Reynaldo Lopez to the hill looking to continue their winning streak against Hartford’s German Marquez. The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. at FNB Field.

POTOMAC (HIGH-A Carolina League): For the third time in less than a week, the Nationals had rain alter their playing schedule. On Monday night, in the midst of Potomac’s at-bat in the fifth inning, a major rainstorm pulled on top of Lynchburg and caused the series opener between the P-Nats and Northern Division leading Lynchburg Hillcats (17-7 Overall, 7-4 Home) to be suspended.

Just prior to the suspension,Jose Marmolejos led off the fifth inning with his third home run of the season, which made it 4-2 Potomac. P-Nats’ starter Wirkin Estevez struggled in the first inning, allowing runs on a bases-loaded walk and sac fly, but did not allow another man to reach base over four innings.

The P-Nats (14-8) answered right away against Sean Brady. Dale Carey opened up the second with a walk, Drew Ward followed with a single, Bryan Mejia made it 2-1 with an RBI double, and Alec Keller tied the game with an RBI single.

Despite leaving the bases loaded in the second, the P-Nats took the lead in the third against Brady. Once again, Carey drew a walk and then stole second base. Mejia’s second RBI hit of the ballgame plated Carey and put Potomac on top 3-2.

Brady returned for the fifth inning near the 90-pitch mark, and Marmolejos quickly made it 4-2 with a solo home run over the right field wall. Carey then reached for the third time in less than five full innings with a single, before the umpires pulled everyone off the field and the skies opened up.

The two teams will resume the game with Ward at the plate, Carey on first base, and no outs in the top of the fifth inning at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening. The teams will play the full nine innings from the suspended game, and then follow it up with a seven-inning back half of the modified doubleheader.

Erick Fedde (1-2, 4.91) is scheduled to start the full game Tuesday for Potomac, while Lynchburg is set to counter with LHP Justus Sheffield (2-1, 3.33).

HAGERSTOWN (LOW-A South Atlantic League): In a makeup of Sunday's postponed game, the Suns got two runs in the fifth inning to beat the Rome Braves 4-1 in seven innings. In the regularly scheduled game, a seventh-inning comeback fell just short in a 5-4 loss to the Braves.

With one out, Ian Sagdal singled to center, moving Jorge Tillero, who's singled, to 2nd. Victor Robles (2 for 4) then singled to center to load the bases. Max Schrock singles on a line drive to right, plating two runs and Robles moved up to third, but Schrock was out at second on the throw from right fielder Bradley Keller. Kelvin Gutierrez then struck out swinging to end the rally.

Jefry Rodriguez took the loss (2-2), allowing all five runs on six hits and three walks over dive innings.

In the makeup, Austin Davidson led the fifth inning off with a double on a line drive to right field. Robles (1 for 3, .357) followed with his third homers of the season, a line drive to right field. With one out, Gutierrez (2 for 3, .333) doubled to left and went to third on a ground  out, but was stranded when Sagdal popped out to third to end the rally.

Joan Baez started and pitched four innings, allowing one run on two hits and five walks, striking out three. Jorge Pantoja earned the win (3-0) with two shutout innings of relief, allowing one hit and striking out two. Tommy Peters pitched a scoreless inning for his third save.

Schrock was 1 for 3 (.352) with his 10th stolen base of the season.

Hagerstown (17-7) has Tuesday off and will travel to Kannapolis at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday.