Home Potomac blows late lead, falls to Frederick, 4-3
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Potomac blows late lead, falls to Frederick, 4-3

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potomac nationalsThe Potomac Nationals (37-40-Overall, 16-23-Road, 4-3-Second Half) blew a one run lead in the bottom of the eighth to fall to the Frederick Keys (35-43-Overall, 21-19-Home, 3-5-Second Half) 4-3 at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium on Thursday night.

Leading 3-2 heading to the bottom of the eighth frame with RHP Derek Self (2-2, 4.79) on the mound in relief of RHP Reynaldo Lopez, rehabbing big Leaguer 2B Jonathan Schoop hit a monster home run over three tiers of signage in left to tie the game 3-3 followed by a C Chance Sisco single with two outs. SS Jeff Kemp came up and hit a dump shot double to right field that RF Brandon Miller came charging in on. At the last minute he lunged forward for the ball but had it go off his glove for an RBI double with Sisco scoring from first base with two outs and a 4-3 Keys lead.

Lopez made the start for Potomac needing a win to clinch back-to-back series wins for the Nationals and Lopez did not disappoint, logging seven innings allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits, he did not issue a walk and he struck out seven Keys in the loss.

RHP David Hess, the reigning Carolina League Pitcher of the Week, made the start for Frederick, his second against Potomac this season. Hess logged a career high seven innings, giving up identical hits and runs as Lopez, two runs (both earned) on five hits, he walked two and struck out four.

The game was scoreless through three frames until Potomac broke the stalemate in the fourth when SS Stephen Perez doubled to begin the frame. Three batters later with two outs 3B Drew Ward knocked in Perez with an RBI single to give the P-Nats a 1-0 lead.

It remained 1-0 Potomac until the top of the sixth when 1B John Wooten crushed a pitch from Hess over the signage in left field for his fifth home run of the season, a solo blast that gave Potomac a 2-0 lead.

Frederick was held scoreless by Lopez through the first six innings but in the seventh they finally got to the Dominican born righty. Lopez retired the first two batters of the inning only to allow a single to 1B Wynston Sawyer. DH Brenden Webb then singled, moving Sawyer to second base and RF Connor Bierfeldt brought them both home with a two-run double to tie the game. The two runs for the Keys in the inning broke a 29.2 consecutive innings streak of having not scored a single run.

Frederick went to the bullpen in the eighth frame and in came LHP Donnie Hart for the second consecutive night. LF Alec Keller laced a double and moved to third on CF Narciso Mesa’s infield bunt single. Perez then hit into a 6-4-3 double play but Keller came home from third for a 3-2 Nationals lead.

Potomac countered in the bottom half of the eighth with Self that set up the two run come-from-behind victory for Frederick.

The P-Nats tied their season long winning streak of four consecutive games but saw it end in the 4-3 loss and now Potomac looks to win back-to-back series for the first time since June 15th – June 21st when they took two-out-of-three from Lynchburg followed by three-out-of-four from Carolina.

The rubber match is now set for tomorrow in the series finale with Potomac sending RHP Phillips Valdez (2-2, 5.34) to the mound against LHP Ariel Miranda (0-0, 4.50) for the Keys.

First pitch in Game Two is set for 7:00 pm and you can listen starting at 6:45 pm starting with the “P-Nats Lead-Off Show” and you can listen live via the TuneIn Radio App or at www.potomacnationals.com.

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