With an opportunity to clinch a home playoff game with a win, the Potomac Nationals (72-65, 38-31) saw the visiting Myrtle Beach Pelicans (82-56, 46-22) score three batters into the game and plate six runs in the first inning, as the Pelicans handed Potomac its third straight defeat. Myrtle Beach scored nine times over the first three innings in route to an 11-4 victory.
One night prior, the Pelicans got a three run home run from 3B David Bote three batters into the game. Sunday night, Bote made it 1-0 Myrtle Beach three batters into the matchup with an RBI double off of RHP Austen Williams (L, 4-6). 1B Yasiel Balaguert followed with a two-run home run, his 19th home run of the season. The Pelicans then loaded the bases on a single, a walk, and a hit by pitch, and with a 2-2 count on SS Andrew Ely, Williams departed for RHP Jorge Pantoja. Ely tallied an RBI with a bases loaded walk, LF Charcer Burks made it 5-0 with an RBI single, and CF Donnie Dewees made it 6-0 with an RBI single of his own. Pantoja got Bote to ground out to end the frame. Williams surrendered six earned runs on four hits over 0.2 innings. It was the right-handed starter’s third consecutive start in which he allowed six earned runs.
Pantoja continued for Potomac and gave up at least a run in each of his two full innings. In the top of the second, Balaguert led off with a double and scored on a fielder’s choice groundout by RF Daniel Spingola. Myrtle Beach plated another pair of runs on a two-out, two-run single by Balaguert in the third frame, as the Pelicans scored nine of the first 11 runs of the game. Pantoja gave up three runs, but just one earned, over 2.1 innings.
RHP James Pugliese (W, 7-5) allowed four runs, but just two earned, over 5.2 innings in the victory. Already ahead 7-0 after 1.5 innings, the righty gave up a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. C Raudy Read led off the frame with a single and moved to second base as 3B Austin Davidson drew a walk. After Pugliese got SS Osvaldo Abreu to fly out, RF Drew Vettleson moved both runners up 90 feet on a groundout to first base. With men at second and third and two outs, 1B Matt Page cut the deficit to five runs with a two-run single.
With the Pelicans’ two runs off of Pantoja in the third, they took a 9-2 lead into the second half of the game. Potomac trimmed the deficit back to five runs with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pugliese quickly got the first two outs in the frame but then gave up a double to Davidson and a single to Abreu. After Abreu stole second base, Vettleson hit a pop up right in front of the plate, but C Erick Castillo missed on a basket catch attempt, which allowed both Davidson and Abreu to score. Those were the final two runs of the night for Potomac, as Myrtle Beach led 9-4 after six innings.
The Pelicans capped off the scoring with two runs in the eighth inning against RHP Mario Sanchez. Sanchez, who saved the Potomac bullpen with six innings of relief out of the pen, did not allow a run in his first four innings. Balaguert led off the eighth inning with a single, his fourth hit of the night, and 2B Bryant Flete reached on a HBP. Two batters later, Spingola wrapped up the offensive outburst for Myrtle Beach with a two-run double.
After two-shutout innings from RHP Daury Torrez, Myrtle Beach went to their closer, as RHP Ryan McNeil got the final four outs of the game. McNeil gave up a double to Davidson in the eighth inning, but the right-handed reliever retired the final four men that he faced and closed out the 11-4 win.
All nine Myrtle Beach starters reached base in the victory, while seven of the nine had at least one hit. Balaguert had a game high four hits, while Burks and Dewees each had three hits. With the loss, Williams fell to 0-3 in three starts vs. the Pelicans. The righty has an 11.57 ERA in his three losses to the Myrtle Beach.
Despite three straight losses, the P-Nats still control their own destiny to host a playoff game. With a win Monday afternoon, the P-Nats would host the Lynchburg Hillcats Wednesday night for game one of the Northern Division Series. A loss by the Hillcats Monday afternoon would also get the P-Nats a home playoff game. First pitch in the regular season finale between Potomac and Myrtle Beach is set for 1:05pm Monday afternoon at Pfitzner Stadium.
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