On Wednesday night at Pfitzner Stadium, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (78-54 Overall, 39-26 Road, 37-26 Second Half) swooped down on the Potomac Nationals (63-71 Overall, 32-33 Home, 30-34 Second Half) and took a 4-2 win in series Game Two of a three-game set using a three-run 6th inning to carry the First Half Southern Division Champions to their Carolina League-best 78th win.
The Nationals are now just (4-13) against the “birds” on the current ledger.
Potomac starter, RHP Austen Williams (4-5) threw 5.2 no-hit innings but faltered in the 6th in his quest to keep the Pelicans off the hits and runs section of the scoreboard. Williams allowed three unearned runs on three hits and two errors behind him in the 6th. In his fifth loss in 2015 with the Nationals, Williams tossed 6.0 stanzas and allowed just the three unearned run tallies on three hits and two walks while fanning a pair.
Opposite Williams, Pelicans starting slinger, RHP Jonathan Martinez (9-2) earned his ninth win and maintained his lowest earned run average in the circuit crown with the fine performance (2.58). Martinez tossed 6.0 scoreless innings and allowed four base knocks amid three walks and two strikeouts.
In the 6th frame, 2B Chesny Young reached on a one-out fielding error committed by Nationals 3B Drew Ward, Pelicans RF Mark Zagunis raked an infield single on a low line drive towards P-Nats 2B Khayyan Norfork to break up Williams’ “no-no,” and with two outs, Pelicans C Victor Caratini blasted a two-RBI double to the right field wall. Caratini advanced to third base on a missed catch charged to Potomac C Raudy Read. Myrtle Beach 1B Jacob Rogers yanked an RBI single on the ground into right-center field to deliver Caratini to the plate to give the birds a 3-0 lead.
In the 7th, off Potomac RHP Brian Dupra, Pelicans CF Jeffrey Baez, in his CL debut, laced a triple that was misplayed by Nationals RF Brenden Webb and scored on an RBI single down the left field line sprayed by C Ben Carhart.
Dupra went 2.0 relief innings and allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk.
Myrtle Beach LHP Michael Heesch whirled 1.2 innings and surrendered two earned runs on four hits in the 8th. The double of P-Nats 1B Grant DeBruin scored on an RBI groundout by Webb and Ward filleted a run-scoring single to left field sending DeBruin plateward to cut the Pelicans’ lead to 4-2. Myrtle Beach RHP David Berg (4 SV) saw Read reach on a fielding mistake by Myrtle Beach SS Gleyber Torres before Norfork struck out swinging.
Berg notched his fourth save in 2015 in his fourth save chance with 1.1 innings pitched in which he didn’t allow a run. Berg gave up one hit, walked none, and struck out one.
Torres, like Baez, played in his Pelicans’ debut. The MLBPipeline.com #1 prospect in the Chicago Cubs’ Minor League organization went 0-for-2 with one walk.
Pitching for the first time since August 1st, Nationals RHP Manny Rodriguez unfurled a perfect 9th inning.
The home club, in the last of the 9th, LF Estarlin Martinez chopped a corner-to-corner groundout, SS David Masters rapped a 6-3 groundout, and CF Rafael Bautista bounded an infield single. Potomac DH Alec Keller punched a grounder to Torres that ended the game.
The Nationals left nine men on base and went just 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the clash while the Pelicans went 3-for-8 with RISP.
Only three P-Nats hitters turned in multi-hit efforts (Bautista, Ward, and Martinez) in the game.
In the rubber match on Thursday night, the P-Nats will throw LHP Matthew Spann (2-7, 4.66) and the Pelicans will turn to RHP Duane Underwood Jr. (6-3, 2.63).
Potomac is (5-7) in their rubber games during the 2015 season.
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.
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