The Potomac Nationals (71-62, 37-28) would not let a repeat of Wednesday night’s blown lead push their playoff berth any further back. Despite a Frederick Keys (67-68, 31-34) rally from an early 4-0 deficit, Potomac scored seven of the final eight runs of the game in route to an 11-5 victory. The win earned Potomac a berth in the Carolina League playoffs and a matchup with the Lynchburg Hillcats next week.
In his third start in three weeks vs. Frederick, RHP J.D. Martin (W, 1-2) had his knuckleball working better than any of his first two vs. the Keys. Though Martin allowed five earned runs, the righty tossed a season high 7.2 innings.
The P-Nats tallied a quick 2-0 lead for the second night in a row. The first five Potomac hitters reached in the first inning, as an RBI single by RF Drew Vettleson made it 1-0 Potomac and, 2B Bryan Mejia followed with the first of his three sacrifice flies to centerfield, which made it 2-0.
Martin cruised through four innings and got into the fifth in shutout fashion. Potomac doubled up its lead behind Martin to 4-0 with another pair of runs in the third inning against LHP Trevor Belicek (ND). Consecutive singles by SS Osvaldo Abreu and 1B Kelvin Gutierrez put two men on for Vettleson. The Potomac right fielder hit a ground ball to 1B Aderlin Rodriguez, who completely missed on the fielding attempt. Rodriguez’s error made it 4-0 Potomac.
Frederick stormed back against Martin and plated four runs in the fifth inning. 3B Jomar Reyes singled and scored on an RBI double by RF Jay Gonzalez. Gonzalez scored on a passed ball, and a two-run, two-out single by 1B Aderlin Rodriguez tied the game at four.
RHP Austin Urban (L, 2-4) worked two scoreless innings after four frames from Belicek, but the righty gave up three runs in the seventh. DH Austin Davidson led off with a walk and Abreu singled. After a sacrifice bunt by3B Kelvin Gutierrez, Frederick intentionally walked Vettleson. With the bases loaded, Mejia put the P-Nats on top 5-4 with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. 1B Matt Page made it 6-4 with an RBI single, and another two-run error by Rodriguez made it 8-4.
The Keys got a run back on a solo home run by LF D.J. Stewart in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Martin got out of the inning without any further damage. The righty gave up a double and then a single in the eighth inning, but LHP Justin Thomas got pinch-hitter Yermin Mercedes to ground out.
Potomac put the game away with three runs in the ninth inning, as RHP Ivan Hernandez gave up a double to Vettleson, a two-run home run to Mejia, a triple to 1B David Masters, and a sacrifice fly to C Jake Lowery. The P-Nats took an 11-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth, and despite two singles, RHP Ryan Brinley closed the door and got Potomac into the playoffs.
With the playoff spot clinched, the P-Nats remain in a race for the top of the Northern Division. With five games left, Potomac is one game behind Lynchburg. The P-Nats will turn to RHP Boone Whiting (10-3, 3.58) in the series finale vs. Frederick Thursday night. For the Keys, RHP Jon Keller (0-2, 3.18) is set to take the ball in the final meeting between the two teams in 2016. First pitch Wednesday night is scheduled for 7:00pm.
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