The Potomac Nationals (45-49 Overall, 20-26 Road, 12-12 Second-Half) exploded for seven runs on 14 base hits to shut out the Frederick Keys (45-51 Overall, 25-23 Home, 13-13 Second-Half) 7-0 on getaway day at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium in the series finale of a three-game set.
After dropping the first two games of the series, the Nationals salvaged their road trip by collecting their ninth shutout victory in 2015.
Potomac is now a (7-9) club against the Frederick Keys this season.
Washington Nationals IF Anthony Rendon (left quadriceps strain) appeared in the contest on rehab and received five plate appearances. Rendon went 1-for-3 with two walks, one run scored, and a strike out looking. The 2014 Silver Slugger Award winner stashed a single grounded into center field in the 9th inning and also grounded into a double play in the 3rd but was robbed of a base hit on the play as Keys SS Adrian Marin made a diving stop before starting a 6-4-3 twin killing.
P-Nats starter, RHP John Simms (6-6) turned in the best staring outing from a Nationals hurler in ’15 by firing 8.0 scoreless innings in which he allowed two separated singles to Frederick 1B Wynston Sawyer and RF Tad Gold while giving out two walks and striking out a campaign-high 10 men.
Simms slung 101 total pitches with 63 offerings going for strikes en route to his sixth win this year.
Nationals RF John Wooten finished the contest a triple shy of hitting for the cycle but still submitted a 4-for-5 effort with one run scored, one double, one home run, and two RBIs.
Simms’ gem was initially supported by a Potomac run in the 1st inning off Frederick starting slinger, LHP Mitch Horacek (6-10) courtesy of a run-scoring 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Nationals C Spencer Kieboom that scored the leadoff infield single by Potomac CF Alec Keller.
Horacek suffered his 10th loss of the 2015 journey after surrendering six earned runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings. Horacek fanned a pair, walked two, unleashed a wild pitch, and served up a pair of home run balls.
The Nationals took a 2-0 lead in the 4th frame against Horacek when Wooten blasted his sixth home run of the season off the third tier of signage in left field.
The P-Nats’ huge stanza was their four-run 5th as eight men got to swing propelling the visiting team to a 6-0 lead. Potomac SS Stephen Perez lined a 3-2 pitch for an RBI single into left field before Kieboom clobbered the first three-run home run of the entire 2015 ledger for the Potomac Nationals out to dead center field. The clout, smacked off Horacek, traveled directly over the 400-foot marker in dead center field and slammed into the dark blue batter’s eye.
Keys RHP Williams Louico gave up an RBI double to Wooten lofted to the right field barrier in the 7th. Kieboom, who led off with a single shot into center field, scored. On the odd play, Wooten tried to hit for the cycle by stretching the double into a triple, and Wooten was thrown out at the third base bag 9-4-5. Meanwhile, Nationals 3B Drew Ward, thinking Wooten was going to settle for just a double, had to advance to home plate at the end of the play with Wooten barreling down towards the third base bag, and Ward was retired 5-2 at the dish.
Louico went 2.1 relief innings and gave up that one earned run on three hits. The power righty walked one and fanned four.
Keys RHP Nik Nowottnick pitched 2.0 scoreless frames behind Louico.
The Nationals called upon RHP Derek Self to finish the game. Self sidestepped a leadoff single given up to Frederick CF Jay Gonzalez in the 9th then retired the next three hitters in succession to close out the proceedings from the Gateway to Western Maryland. Self got LF Josh Hart on a hard line out to SS Cody Dent, pinch hitter Conor Bierfeldt on a popup to Dent along the left field line, and C Austin Wynns on a swinging strikeout.
Potomac will return home to Pfitzner Stadium tonight to prepare to open up a three-game homestand tomorrowagainst the same Frederick Keys (Baltimore Orioles) the P-Nats just clashed with to create a de facto six-game away and home slate against their Northern Division “Battle of the Beltway” rivals.
This is the only time during the 2015 slate the Nationals will play a team on the road and then play that same club at The Pfitz in the very next scheduled series.
In the series opener on Wednesday night, which begins with a 7:05pm first pitch, the P-Nats send RHP Austen Williams (1-1, 1.64) to the mound to clash with Frederick LHP Chris Lee (2-5, 3.63).
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.
Wednesday night at The Pfitz will be a Bellybuster Wednesday in which fans can upgrade their ticket to enjoy select all-you-can-eat offerings available in the Pfitzner Stadium bullpen picnic area.
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