The Potomac Nationals (19-27 Overall, 10-12 Home) were tamped in both ends of a Wednesday twin bill at Pfitzner Stadium by the Wilmington Blue Rocks (27-18 Overall, 8-9 Road) losing by the final scores of 3-1 and 5-1 in the first two series games, respectively, of four contests in three days.
The Blue Rocks have clinched a six-game winning streak while the P-Nats are now mired in a three-game losing slide.
The Nationals turned in identical one run on four hits with one error line scores in both seven-inning games.
The red, white, and blue are a (3-7) club in doubleheaders on the current campaign.
In the frontend matchup, Blue Rocks starter, RHP Alec Mills (3-3) was stupendous over the course of a complete 7.0 innings to earn his third win of the season. The righty allowed just the one earned run on four hits while walking one batter and collecting a “snowman figure” of strikeouts (eight).
Mills surrendered just an RBI single shot into left-center field by Nationals C Craig Manuel to plate the double of 3B Drew Ward in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Manuel was retired in between first and second base on a 7-5-3-4 putout.
Wilmington used the first home run of the season for SS Jack Lopez to get a 1-0 lead in the opening stanza.
Lopez sailed a line drive into the second tier of signage in left field off losing pitcher of record, Potomac LHP Matthew Spann (0-5), who remains defeated in five starts in the Carolina League in 2015. Spann allowed three earned runs on nine hits in 6.0 innings to earn a quality start amid one walk and six strikeouts.
The other two runs were plated by the Blue Rocks in the 4th frame to break up a 1-1 tie courtesy of an RBI triple gashed to deep center field by LF Logan Moon and an RBI single corralled not in time by Potomac 2B Christopher Bostick in shallow right field off the stick of C Cam Gallagher, who left the game after stumbling around the second base bag.
Moon doubled, tripled, walked, drove in one run, and score one run in the affair going 2-for-2 in the process.
P-Nats RHP Kevin Perez tossed up a zero in the 7th despite unleashing a wild pitch but Mills shut down the Nationals in the bottom of the 7th submitting a one-two-three frame.
In the nightcap, Potomac RHP Tyler Mapes, in a spot start, was very effective. Mapes tossed 4.0 shutout innings and surrendered five hits, no walks, and fanned a quartet in a no-decision.
The P-Nats witnessed Wilmington bring nine batters to the plate in the 5th frame against reliever, RHP Jake Johansen (1-4), who allowed five runs (four earned runs) on six hits in 3.0 innings of work. Johansen walked no one but struck out just one hitter. Johansen’s offerings resulted in an RBI double to left-center field by 2B Ramon Torres, a two-run single from 2B Carlos Garcia, a throwing error by Ward at third base allowing one run to score, and a run-scoring double sent to the right field wall from 1B Frank Schwindel.
Johansen suffered his fourth losing decision of the 2015 journey.
In his Wilmington debut, Garcia went 3-for-4 with a double, one run scored, and two RBIs.
Blue Rocks LHP Luis Rico (3-2) coasted to his third victory using 5.0 innings of one-run-allowed hurling. Rico allowed three hits and two walks while fanning five.
It was too little, too late for the home club in the 6th when SS Stephen Perez sprayed an RBI sacrifice fly to left field in advance of a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of CF Isaac Ballou.
The visiting team sent RHP Matt Alvarez to the bump to go the final two innings and he did not allow a run to finish the game and seal the doubleheader sweep for the “Blue Crew.”
In series Game Three, the P-Nats will throw RHP John Simms (1-4, 4.44) at Wilmington RHP Yender Caramo (2-2, 2.40) for a 7:05pm first pitch at The Pfitz on Thursday night.
The Potomac Nationals Baseball Network will carry live coverage of the game beginning with the “P-Nats Lead-Off Show” at 6:50pm before the live play-by-play at 7:05pm. P-Nats Gameday Audio on the Potomac Nationals Baseball Network is accessible at www.potomacnationals.com or with the TuneIn Radio App.
The Potomac Nationals will host Thursday Cheers tomorrow evening in which the P-Nats’ faithful will enjoy drink specials.
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