Playing a third game in less than 24 hours, the Potomac Nationals (7-6) used a three-run home run from SS Edwin Lora in route to a 6-2 victory over the Down East Wood Ducks (7-7) Wednesday afternoon at Pfitzner Stadium. LHP Hector Silvestre (W, 2-0) did not allow a run over six innings in Potomac’s best starting pitching outing thus far in 2017.
After three scoreless innings from both Silvestre and RHP Pedro Payano (L, 0-1), Potomac finally put the first runs on the board. After C Taylor Gushue reached on a fielder’s choice groundout in the fourth frame, RF Rhett Wiseman singled. With two men on and one out, Lora hit his second home run of the season, a three-run home run that put Potomac on top 3-0 and proved to be enough offense for Potomac.
The P-Nats tagged Payano for a run in the fifth frame on a sacrifice fly from 1B Ian Sagdal, before the right-handed starter departed the game for RHP Tyler Davis. Davis stranded men on the corners in the fifth inning, but gave up a leadoff double in the sixth to LF Dale Carey, who advanced to third on a wild pitch. The wild pitch proved costly, as 2B Bryan Mejia followed with a sacrifice fly. Potomac led 5-0 after six innings.
Out of the bullpen, RHP Mariano Rivera (SV, 1) worked the final three innings on the mound for Potomac. Rivera gave up a home run to the first man that he faced in the seventh frame, as CF LeDarious Clark tallied his first home run of the season. Rivera got out of a jam in the inning, as he got 2B Luis La O to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Potomac got the run back in the home half of the seventh inning against LHP Jason Richman. Sagdal led off the inning with a single and then stole second base. Four batters later, Lora had a two-out RBI single, which capped off Potomac’s scoring and made it 6-1. Lora had a season best four RBIs in the victory.
Rivera gave up another run in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Clark, but the righty took advantage of a base running blunder, as LF Eduard Pinto was thrown out at 3B on Clark’s single, which ended the inning. Rivera gave up a two-out double to 3B Josh Altmann in the ninth inning, but got La O to ground out to end the game. The Wood Ducks finished the matinee just 2-9 with RISP, while Potomac went 5-16 in similar situations.
With the series victory and a record back over .500, the P-Nats will head out for a brief four-game road trip, which will lead the P-Nats to their first true day off of the season. Potomac will head to Lynchburg, VA for a series with the Hillcats. RHP Jefry Rodriguez (0-1, 7.20) is set to make his third start of the season for Potomac. The righty has given up four earned runs in each of his first two starts of the season. For the Hillcats, RHP Jared Robinson (1-1, 2.00) will make his third start of 2017. Robinson did not allow an earned run in his last start, a victory over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. First pitch at Calvin Falwell Field is set for 6:30pm Thursday night. The Potomac broadcast gets underway with the “P-Nats Leadoff Show” at 6:15pm. The broadcast can be heard on potomacnationals.com or via the TuneIn Radio App.
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