The Potomac Nationals put up a four spot in the bottom of the third inning en route to a 5-2 win over the Salem Red Sox at Pfitzner Stadium Monday night. The win was the P-Nats sixth straight over the Red Sox this season, all of them in Woodbridge.
Dakota Bacus was very good in the victory. Despite surrendering eight hits, Bacus allowed just one Salem run to score, without a walk and two strikeouts. Justin Haley was solid for five of his six innings, but a four run third was his downfall. Haley picked up his third loss of the season, allowing eight hits and five runs in his six frames of work.
The Red Sox got out to a lead in the second inning for a second consecutive night. Jantzen Witte led of the frame with a single. He moved up to second on a ground out by Matt Gedman and scored on an RBI single by Mario Martinez. Martinez became the first Red Sox to reach 40 RBIs on the season.
But once again, the P-Nats struck back and took the lead in the bottom of the third. Will Piwnica-Worms led off with a double. A single by Tony Renda drove home the tying run. Then a walk to Bryce Harper put two on for Wilson Ramos, who drove one right down the right field line over the wall for a three run shot and a 4-1 P-Nats lead.
Harper finished 1-1 with a walk and a run before ending his rehab appearance after three innings. Ramos caught all nine innings, going 3-4, with a run and three RBIs.
The P-Nats added a fifth run off Haley in the fourth. Randolph Oduber scored after his lead-off double, driven in on a Piwnica-Worms single.
The game would stay 5-1 until the top of the eight. Matty Johnson led off with a triple on a ball over the head of Oscar Tejeda in left field. Then after a walk to Reed Gragnani, and two outs, a throwing error by Khayyan Norfork allowed Carson Blair to reach and Johnson to score to cut the lead to 5-2.
The Red Sox brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Gilberto Mendez struck out Kevin Heller and got Ryan Dent to fly out for his fourth save in five chances this year.
The Sox loss drops them to 1-4 on the second half. Salem and Potomac are back at it for the series finale Tuesday night at Pfitzner Stadium. Pat Light goes for the Sox with Austin Voth making his Carolina League debut for the Nationals. Harper and Ramos are expected to be back in the lineup.
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