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The Harrisburg Senators (2-4) visit the Altoona Curve (5-1) through July 3, then host the Curve until July 6.
June 22 – June 28 Harrisburg Senators Weekly Recap
The Harrisburg Senators (2-4) opened the second half of the Eastern League season in Akron in a state of inconsistency. Washington National rehab relievers opened games, forcing Sens starters to enter later with poor results. Some hitters who started the season on fire have turned to ice, but call-ups are taking advantage of their opportunities, giving the team a fighting chance.
This AA team has four players who are more than 30-years-old, including Paul De Jong. The roster includes eight members 23 or younger. What does that mean for development and the Nats future?
One of the newcomers doing well is third baseman Murphy Stehly. He hit .318 last week with three doubles and scored four runs. Shortstop Phillip Glasser had four RBI, hit .391 with a 1.136 OPS over six games. Carlos De La Cruz hit .316 with a homer. Unfortunately, he also struck out six times.
As Dickinson wrote it was the best of times and worst of times. Top third base prospect Cayden Wallace batted .160 in June. First baseman Joe Naranjo hit .186. Catcher Maxwell Romero socked just .164 in June with three extra base hits. Twenty-eight-year-old CJ Stubbs was hitting .140 behind the Harrisburg plate before he was promoted to Rochester on June 25.
One week into the new half-season, the Sens are 10th in the 12-team EL in hitting. The team is last in walks, with 98 fewer than Akron, the first-place team, but it leads the EL in triples. Free passes lead to stolen base opportunities, scoring opportunities and higher OPS.
Harrisburg remains at the bottom of the league in pitching but shows signs of improving. Bryce Conley (2-4) took a no-hitter into the ninth June 24 and finished with a one-hitter over 8 2/3 innings and a curly W. Hyun-il Choi (4-1) allowed just two socks and one eared run in 6 1/3 frames besting Akron June 27.
Sens pitchers have struggled with WHIP and ERA all season, but their current 1.33 WHIP and 3.81 ERA rank seventh in the league. Harrisburg pitchers have thrown the fewest strikeouts in the league but are closing in on Reading and New Hampshire to get out of the cellar.
Roster Moves
Harrisburg activated C Matt Suggs, LHP Dustin Saenz and Travis Sykora June 26. Jared McKenzie was assigned to Wilmington Blue Rocks and C C.J. Stubbs Rochester Red Wings on June 26. The Washington Nationals sent RHP Derek Law on a rehab assignment to the Rochester Red Wings June 25.