Despite just one run over the first half of Friday night’s contest, the Winston-Salem Dash (21-20, 45-66) ran away with a victory over the Potomac Nationals (16-24, 49-61). The Dash scored in the first, took advantage of two errors and scored twice in the fifth, used two walks in a two-run seventh, and put the game to bed on a three-run home run by DH Eloy Jimenez in the eighth. A night after a 9-2 victory, the Dash came away victorious 8-2.
Potomac fell behind early for the fifth straight game, as the first two Dash hitters reached base in the home half of the first inning. 2B Bryant Flete led off the inning with a triple to right field, and scored one batter later on an RBI single by CF Joel Booker. RHP Joan Baez (L, 1-8) settled in after that and allowed just two more runs, both unearned, over his 4.2 inning outing. After a seven walk start last time out, Baez walked three and gave up seven hits in the loss.
The P-Nats once again managed very little against the Winston-Salem starting rotation, as LHP Bernardo Flores (W, 1-3) earned his first Carolina League victory with five-shutout innings. Potomac threatened multiple times against the lefty, but failed to capitalize. The P-Nats left a man at second base in the first inning, runners on the corners in the second frame, men at first and second in the fourth, and a man on in the fifth. Potomac finished the night 2-10 with RISP and the club is just 3-19 with RISP in the first two games of the series.
Winston-Salem ran the lead to 3-0 due to two errors by Potomac in the fifth inning. Flete led off the frame with a fly ball to CF Michael A. Taylor, but the Washington Nationals’ centerfielder dropped the ball on the warning track. Two batters later, Jimenez made it 2-0 with an RBI single, and he later scored on a throwing error by SS Edwin Lora.
After 4.2 innings from Baez, RHP Tommy Peterson entered from the Potomac bullpen. Peterson retired the first five men that he faced, but issued two consecutive one-out walks in the seventh. C Seby Zavala made it 4-0 with an RBI single, while 3B Brady Conlan made it 5-0 with a sacrifice fly. LHP R.C. Orlan pitched the eighth inning, and after he quickly retired the first two men of the inning, allowed three straight men to reach. Flete doubled over the third base bag, Booker got hit by a pitch, and Jimenez launched his 13th home run of the season, which made it 9-2.
Potomac’s only offense came against RHP Jake Elliott in the eighth inning. In his Carolina League debut, Elliot issued a leadoff walk to 2B Austin Davidson. C Jakson Reetz followed two batters later with a single, while Elliot hit 3B David Masters with a pitch, which loaded the bases. Lora’s groundout plated a run, and LF Dale Carey drove home Potomac’s final run of the night with a two-out RBI single.
Outscored 17-4 in the first two games of the season, the P-Nats will need a victory on Saturday night to avoid a guaranteed series loss and potential sweep on Sunday. RHP Luis Reyes (7-10, 4.60) will look to follow up a five-inning shutout performance last time out with a start on Saturday night. For the Dash, RHP Alec Hansen (1-4, 2.78) is set to take the mound. Hansen is 1-3 but sports a 1.99 ERA over his last four starts.
First pitch on Saturday night is set for 6:30pm. The Potomac broadcast will get underway at 6:15pm with the P-Nats Leadoff Show. You can listen to the Potomac broadcast at potomacnationals.com or on the TuneIn Radio App.
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Chris Graham
