P-Nats even series

The Frederick Keys held the Potomac Nationals’ offense in check for seven innings, and stood six outs away from the Carolina League championship series.  But Potomac rallied for six runs in the eighth and came from behind for a 6-1 win that sent the Northern Division Series to a deciding Game Five Monday in Frederick.

Ryohei Tanaka kept the Nationals at bay for six innings; he allowed just two hits and departed with Frederick in front 1-0. Justin Moore retired the Nationals in the seventh, but hit a wall in the eighth.

Eury Perez bounced a single on the infield to start the inning before Francisco Soriano walked. Jeff Kobernus squared to bunt, and was hit by a pitch on the right wrist to load the bases. With the infield drawn in, Destin Hood bounced a single through the middle into centerfield to give the Nationals the lead. Jose Lozada then singled two home, and a Zach Walters triple to right field made it 6-1.

Adam Olbrychowski kept the Nationals in the game with an outstanding start. He went five and a third innings, allowed just one run on six hits and struck out five. The Keys only run came in the fourth, when Brian Ward singled home Mike Flacco.

Neil Holland, Joe Testa and Cameron Selik kept it a 1-0 ball game before the offense went to work in the eighth.

Hector Nelo came on in the ninth. He allowed a one-out double to Ward but retired Glynn Davis and Bobby Stevens to wrap up the win.

Game Five is set for 7 P.M. in Frederick on Monday night.

P-Nats fall to Keys, trail 2-1 in playoff series

The Frederick Keys held the Potomac Nationals to just three hits on Saturday night in Woodbridge in a 5-1 victory that pushed them one win away from the Mills Cup Championship Series. Scott Copeland was in command for seven outstanding innings, the middle of the Keys’ order shone, and Potomac was held without a hit after the fourth inning in the Game 3 loss.

For the first time in the series, Frederick took the first lead of the ballgame. Fittingly, Jonathan Schoop and Manny Machado were right in the middle of the opening rally. With one out, Schoop singled off Nationals’ starter Evan Bronson. Machado then doubled him home with a laser down the right field line to put the Keys ahead 1-0.

Potomac, held to two infield singles in the first three innings, tied the game with a ball hit decidedly out of the infield. Destin Hood hit an impressive home run to right field that knotted the score at one.

That would be the Nationals’ last hit.

The Keys – led by Schoop, Machado and Aaron Baker – kept on coming. In the fifth, Schoop doubled with one out. Machado brought him home with a sharp single to right field, and would score on a Baker double to deep left-center.

Bobby Stevens led off the sixth with a single. After Dale Mollenhauer grounded out, Schoop walked. Machado hit a hard line drive to third base that was dropped by Jose Lozada. It deflected off his glove and into the corner by the left field bullpen, and allowed Bobby Stevens to score from second. Baker then hit a sacrifice fly to right to plate Schoop, make it 5-1 and close out the scoring.

Copeland retired 11 of the last 12 Nationals batters he faced; his lone miscue was a pitch that hit Steven Souza in the seventh.

Ryan Berry pitched a perfect eighth and ninth to push the Keys to the brink of the Championship Series against the Kinston Indians. Kinston defeated Myrtle Beach 9-2 to close out the Southern Division Series.

The Nationals turn to Adam Olbrychowski in Sunday’s elimination game. Ryohei Tanaka takes the mound for the Keys at 1:05 P.M.

P-Nats even playoff series

The Potomac Nationals used a pair of early two-out rallies in Game 2 on Friday night to stake Sammy Solis to a lead. The lefthander and a trio of bullpen arms had no intention of relinquishing it, and the Nationals cruised to an 8-0 win that leveled the Northern Division Series at one game apiece.

In the first inning, Keys starter Rick Zagone got the first two outs without incident. But Destin Hood then worked a spectacular 12-pitch walk to extend the inning for Brian Peacock. Peacock then blasted a home run to straightaway center field that put Potomac ahead 2-0.

After Solis struck out a pair in the first inning, the Nationals went to work again in the second – and again, they did so with two outs. Jose Lozada drew a walk and Eury Perez singled down the right field line. Francisco Soriano then belted a 2-2 breaking ball over the wall in left field that staked Potomac to a 5-0 advantage.

Solis allowed just one hit in each of the next four innings, and struck out five more for a total of seven punchouts. But a tight strike zone ran his pitch count to 91, and after a two-out walk of Jonathan Schoop put runners at the corners in the fifth, Solis was lifted for Neil Holland. Holland struck out Manny Machado to end the threat.

Holland pitched two and a third scoreless innings; Joe Testa and Cameron Selik followed and preserved the shutout.

Potomac tacked ons single runs in the fourth, seventh and ninth innings – and all of them were scored by Perez. After reaching on a fielder’s choice in the fourth, Perez advanced to second on a wild pitch, to third on an error by Keys catcher Brian Ward, and scored on yet another wild Ryan O’Shea offering. In the seventh, Destin Hood plated Perez with a two-out single. Soriano’s double brought Perez home in the ninth.

Game 3 is set for 6:35 P.M. at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge. Evan Bronson takes the mound for the Nationals against the veteran righthander Ryohei Tanaka.