The Potomac Nationals (4-8, 34-45) played seven innings of solid baseball in their series opener against the Wilmington Blue Rocks (7-5, 51-30), but allowed a pair of big innings in a 9-4 loss on Monday night.
The Blue Rocks scored five in the third and four in the eighth, collecting seven of their nine hits on the night in well-timed rallies. 1B Nick Pratto’s three-run homer in the third spoiled the start of RHP Kyle Johnston (L, 8-8), who took his eighth loss of the year.
Potomac briefly took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI double from 3B Omar Meregildo before Wilmington’s big inning. The early run support helped Blue Rocks LHP Kris Bubic (W, 2-1) settle in as he worked into the sixth inning to earn the win.
The P-Nats scratched their way back in the game when 1B Aldrem Corredor hit a two-run double in the fifth, drawing the deficit to 5-3. On the heels of a five-RBI game on Sunday, Corredor now leads the league with 61 runs batted in.
LF Telmito Agustin reached first on a passed ball in the sixth, and SS Osvaldo Abreu’s double set up a run-scoring wild pitch to make the score 5-4. RHP Luis Reyes worked two solid innings in relief of Johnston before running into trouble in the eighth, allowing an RBI single to 3B Dennicher Carrasco before RHP Jeremy McKinney let in two inherited runners with 2B Kyle Kasser’s two-run single.
LHP Josh Dye and LHP Holden Capps pitched effective relief for the Blue Rocks before RHP Tad Ratliff closed the door with an effective ninth.
The P-Nats continue their series against Wilmington as LHP Nick Raquet faces off against LHP Daniel Tillo on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 pm, with the Potomac broadcast starting at 6:20 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
