Preview: Shorebirds, Nationals Continue Series in Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Interstat) — The Fredericksburg Nationals will look to continue their recent dominance of the Delmarva Shorebirds when the teams meet Saturday at Virginia Credit Union Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. EDT under clear skies with a game-time temperature of 79 degrees.

The Nationals (7-5) have won two straight in this series, including an 8-2 victory Thursday and a 10-0 shutout Friday, outscoring the Shorebirds 18-2 over the last two contests. Delmarva (4-8) took the series opener 7-5 on Wednesday but has dropped seven of its last nine games overall.

Fredericksburg will send right-hander Alexander Meckley to the mound. Meckley (0-0) was sharp in his last outing, holding these same Shorebirds to two hits and one earned run over five innings with five strikeouts in Thursday’s win. In two appearances this season, he has allowed just one earned run in 7.2 innings with 11 strikeouts.

Delmarva will counter with right-hander Christian Rodriguez (0-0), making his first start of the season. The Shorebirds’ bullpen, a bright spot recently, will be a key factor. Reliever Todd Kniebbe has been effective, posting four scoreless outings in five appearances this year, including 2.1 shutout innings against Fredericksburg on Thursday.

For the Nationals, center fielder Yeremy Cabrera looks to stay hot after a 2-for-4 performance with a home run and two RBIs in the last meeting. Fredericksburg’s offense erupted for 21 runs in Tuesday’s series-opening win.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is Fredericksburg 4, Delmarva 3.

The six-game series concludes Sunday before both teams embark on new series Tuesday. Delmarva will host the Wilson Warbirds, while Fredericksburg hits the road to face the Salem RidgeYaks.