On a picture perfect day for baseball, the end result for the Potomac Nationals (6-4 Overall, 1-3 Home) was anything but. Despite a good first few innings from RHP Luis Reyes (l, 0-2), the P-Nats could not survive the big inning, as the Wilmington Blue Rocks (4-6 Overall, 3-1 Road) won their first series of the season. The Blue Rocks scored a single run in the fourth inning, a run in the fifth inning, and plated six in the sixth in route to the win, as LHP Colin Rodgers (W, 1-0) and the Wilmington bullpen worked in and out of trouble much of the day.
For the fourth time in four games, the Blue Rocks struck first. After a stretch in which Reyes set down nine in a row, 1B Ryan O’Hearn hit his third home run of the series, a solo home run that made it 1-0. Reyes then hit RF Brandon Downes with a pitch and allowed a double to C Chad Johnson, but stranded a pair of runners in scoring position.
Potomac answered immediately and took the lead in the home half of the fourth inning. DH Jose Marmolejos began the frame with a double off of Rodgers, and after 3B Drew Ward walked, LF Alec Keller plated them both with a two-out, two-strike, two-RBI double to left field. Keller’s second double of the season made it 2-1 Potomac after four.
The Blue Rocks tied it up with a run in the fifth against Reyes. The right-handed starter hit LF Robert Pehl with a pitch, one of three HBP’s on the day for the Potomac starter, to begin the fifth. 3B Austin Bailey grounded into what could have been a double play, but Potomac SS Osvaldo Abreu lost the ball on the transfer and it proved costly, as the following batter, 2B Corey Toups, tied the game with an RBI double.
Things spiraled out of control in the sixth inning, as Wilmington sent 11 men to the plate as part of a six-run frame. A missed infield pop-up that turned into a fielder’s choice, an error on Reyes, and four RBI hits put the game out of reach. Bailey had an RBI double, SS Humberto Arteaga had an RBI single, O’Hearn plated two with a single, and Downes scored one with a base it. RHP Andrew Robinson relieved Reyes with two outs in the frame, but recorded just one out, walked one, and gave up three runs, only one earned, as Wilmington led 8-2 after 5.5 innings.
Reyes struggled with his command for the second straight start, as the righty walked three and gave up five hits and five earned runs over 5.2 innings. Rodgers meanwhile allowed just two runs on five hits over five innings, though he struggled with his control as well. The lefty issued a season high four walks in the win.
The P-Nats threated against Wilmington LHP Tim Hill in the eighth inning. Marmolejos doubled with one out, and after a walk to RF Dale Carey, Ward plated Marmolejos with an RBI single, which made it 8-3. Following a pop-out by 2B Bryan Mejia and a walk to Keller, the Blue Rocks went to the pen, as with the bases loaded, LHP Brennan Henry (SV, 1) got C Matt Reistetter to ground out sharply to first base to end the inning. The P-Nats then went down 1-2-3 in the ninth inning.
In the loss, the back end of the Potomac bullpen pitched well, as RHP Jake Johansen tossed two no-hit innings, while RHP Koda Gloverfinished the game with three strikeouts in a shutout ninth. With a single in the first inning, CF Andrew Stevenson extended his hit streak to a league high eight games. Potomac gave up 24 runs in the four game series, the first series loss of the season for the P-Nats.
On tap is a set vs. the Lynchburg Hillcats (8-3 Overall, 4-0 Road) that gets started Monday evening at 7:05. On the mound for Potomac will beRHP Phillips Valdez (2-0, 4.50), while RHP Mitch Brown (0-1, 7.71) is set to go for Lynchburg. Both starters appeared in the three game series between the two squads less than a week ago, a series in which Potomac took two of three from the Hillcats on the road. The P-Nats broadcast will get underway at 6:50 with the “P-Nats Lead-Off Show” and can be heard on Potomacnationals.com or via the TuneIn Radio App.
Monday night is Dollar Night at The Pfitz, as GA tickets and hot dogs will be sold for just $1 each. Tuesday will be the first $2 Tuesday, with Grandstand Tickets and rotating concession specials for just $2. The homestand wraps up Wednesday with a special 10:35am start time and Middle School Profession Day presented by SPARK.
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