Frederick (48-51-Overall, 23-28-Road, 16-13-Second Half) broke a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning, scoring three times en route to a 5-1 win, sweeping the Potomac Nationals (45-52-Overall, 25-26-Home, 12=15-Second Half) at Pfitzner Stadium on Friday night.
RHP Phillips Valdez made the start for Potomac and he battled through his four innings of work, allowing two hits, three walks and struck out two while holding the Keys scoreless. Valdez did not factor into the decision.
For Frederick, LHP Matt Taylor (1-0, 2.86) got the nod and he hurled five shutout innings, allowing three hits in the win.
The scoreless stalemate was broken up by the Keys in the top of the sixth inning against LHP Justin Thomas (0-6, 4.42). With one out SS Ramon Ramirez reached on an error charged to 3B Drew Ward. 1B Wynston Sawyer then singled, followed by a DH Conor Bierfeldt RBI double for a 1-0 Keys lead. 2B Anthony Caronia followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 2-0 and then LF Jay Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly scoring Bierfeldt for a 3-0 Keys advantage.
Thomas took the loss, pitching four innings while allowing five hits, five runs (three earned), with a walk and a strikeout.
The final two tallies against Potomac came in the top of the eighth. Thomas was still on the mound and Sawyer tripled. Bierfeldt then left the building, a two run home run to make it 5-0 Frederick.
RHP Tyler Mapes pitched a scoreless ninth frame, allowing one hit and a walk with a strikeout.
Potomac’s only run of the game came in the bottom of the eighth against RHP Nik Nowottnick after RHP Jon Keller fired two scoreless innings.
DH Anthony Rendon, who finished the night two-for-three with a double, a walks and a run, worked a lead-off walk in the bottom of the eighth against Nowottnick. RF John Wooten then lined an RBI double into the left-centerfield gap to make it a 5-1 ballgame.
Nowottnick then sealed the 5-1 win with a scoreless ninth inning to give Frederick the three game sweep at The Pfitz.
Potomac has now lost ten-of 12 and three straight series as they head to Salem to open up a three game set with the Red Sox. Tomorrow night’s series opener has a 6:05 pm first pitch and you can listen live starting at 5:50 pm with the “P-Nats Lead-Off Show” via the TuneIn Radio App or at www.potomacnationals.com.
Tomorrow night’s game one sees RHP Reynaldo Lopez (5-6, 4.82) for Potomac against RHP Aaron Wilkerson (7-2, 2.77) for the Red Sox.
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Chris Graham
