The Fredericksburg Nationals beat the Delmarva Shorebirds 9-0 on Aug. 27, 2026, in Salisbury, Maryland, securing their second consecutive shutout. The victory marked the 11th shutout of the season for Fredericksburg, the most in FredNats history. Nationals pitchers have not allowed a run in 25 innings.
Fredericksburg Nationals Build Early Lead
Delmarva Shorebirds starter Esteban Mejia walked the first two batters before exiting during an at-bat against the third batter due to an injury. Brandon Downer entered and allowed the three walks to score on a two-RBI single by Juan Cruz and Kevin Made’s fielder’s choice.
The Fredericksburg Nationals expanded their lead in the third inning when Rafael Ramirez Jr. hit a one-out triple, his first triple of the year. He scored on Juan Cruz’s sacrifice fly. Ramirez Jr. doubled in the fifth inning and later scored on an error, extending the lead to 5-0.
Rafael Ramirez Jr. and Juan Cruz Lead the Offense
Ramirez Jr. hit a leadoff double in the seventh inning for his third extra-base hit of the game. Cruz followed with a single that scored Ramirez Jr., giving Cruz his fourth RBI of the night. Cruz then scored on Cashel Dugger’s sacrifice fly, pushing the lead to 7-0.
In the eighth inning, Fredericksburg added two runs. With the bases loaded, Made singled to score Dashyll Tejeda and Ramirez Jr., who scored for the fifth time in the game. Ramirez Jr. finished with a triple and two doubles, while Cruz recorded four RBIs.
Leuris Portorreal Returns to the Mound
Fredericksburg Nationals’ opening day starter Leuris Portorreal returned from a month-long stint on the development list. The right-hander pitched 3.1 innings, allowing one hit and no runs while issuing no walks and recording two strikeouts.
Portorreal retired the final seven batters he faced after allowing a two-out single in the first inning. Noah Millikan followed with three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and recording four strikeouts.
Fredericksburg Nationals Tie Shutout History Against Delmarva
The win was the Fredericksburg Nationals’ 18th of the season against the Delmarva Shorebirds, tying the 2024 season series record for the most wins against a single opponent in FredNats history.
The Fredericksburg Nationals will face the Delmarva Shorebirds again tomorrow. Right-hander Landon Harmon is scheduled to face Delmarva right-hander Juan Nunez, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. at Virginia Credit Union Stadium.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Rafael Ramirez Jr. scored five times and recorded three extra-base hits in the Fredericksburg Nationals’ 9-0 victory. Juan Cruz supplied four RBIs, including the two-run single that opened the scoring.
The shutout extended the Nationals’ scoreless pitching streak to 25 innings. Portorreal allowed no runs in his return, and Millikan added three scoreless innings as Fredericksburg recorded its second consecutive shutout.
Source: Original report
