Rochester has won nine games in a row while Luis Garcia continues to impress at short and at the plate …
WASHINGTON – While the Nationals struggle in the Major Leagues, the top farm club for Washington is thriving.
The Triple-A Rochester Red Wings won their ninth game in a row Sunday and improved to 24-12 with a 7-4 comeback in 10 innings over Worcester, the top farm club of the Boston Red Sox.
Matt LeCroy, a former catcher for the Twins and Nationals, has been impressed with many facets of the game for Washington’s affiliate in upstate New York.
“The offense has been scoring a lot of runs with [two] outs. Big hits and the bullpen has been outstanding,” the South Carolina native wrote to Federal Baseball late Monday night.
“We have also been very good on the bases.”
And it should be no surprise that Luis García continues to excel at the plate with improved defense at short, according to LeCroy.
Another BIG week from Luis Garcia earns him @Wendys Player of the Week honors!
✅ .360 AVG (9-for-25)
✅ 1.065 OPS
✅ 2 HR
✅ 7 RBI pic.twitter.com/Ut2Rg5kfxP— Rochester Red WWWWWWWWWings (@RocRedWings) May 16, 2022
García made his MLB debut at Baltimore with the Nationals in 2020 and split time between the majors and the minors last year.
That could happen later this month if the Nationals want to gain another year of control for Garcia, who has played mostly second in the majors.
The fact the Nationals had a ghostly play on Monday night at Miami – which began with a ball hit to Dee Strange-Gordon at short – will quicken the call of Garcia to come up from many fans.
“Garcia is progressing well at SS making all the plays,” LeCroy noted.
Garcia is hitting .354 with an OPS of 1.054 in 130 at-bats with eight homers and 27 RBI even though he was hitless in five at-bats Sunday.
The @RocRedWings’ nine-game win streak calls for a new Monday notebook. Today’s topics:
-Why this win streak is drastically different than the 10-gamer in 1992.
-Cade Cavalli’s changeup
-New catcher Taylor Gushue
-Cole Freeman’s emergencehttps://t.co/6IJK7htY2j— Chuckie Maggio (@chuckiemaggio) May 16, 2022
Andrew Stevenson, back at Triple-A this season, was hitless in six trips Sunday from the leadoff spot but is still batting .287.
Veteran pitcher Tyler Clippard of Rochester got four outs and didn’t allow a run Sunday and his ERA fell to 4.02 at Triple-A.
Rochester has not lost an extra-inning game this year.
Jackson Tetrault, a right-hander, started on the mound for Rochester and allowed three hits and fanned five in three innings on Sunday.
The Red Wings begin a series at home Tuesday with Lehigh Valley, the top farm team of the Phillies.