A night after clinching the Carolina League Northern Division First Half Championship, the Potomac Nationals (36-29) shutout the Buies Creek Astros (36-31) 4-0. Potomac has now guaranteed at least a series split with the Astros in the final series of the 2018 first half.
In front of 5,742 fans, another sellout crowd at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium, RHP Tyler Mapes (W, 5-1) put together nine innings of shutout baseball in what was the first complete game of the year for the P-Nats. Mapes also became the first Potomac pitcher to work more than seven innings in a single game this season.
The offense took the lead in the bottom of the first off of Buies Creek RHP Carson LaRue (L, 3-4) and tacked on single runs in the fifth, sixth, and eighth. CF Blake Perkins led off the game with a single and scored all the way from first on a double from SS Carter Kieboom.
3B Jake Noll drilled a solo home run off of LaRue in the sixth, his eighth home run of the season. DH Edwin Lora and C Jakson Reetz each contributed with RBI doubles in the win.
With Friday night’s shutout, the Potomac Nationals have blanked the Buies Creek Astros for 18 consecutive innings to start off the four-game series. P-Nats pitchers are now on a season-high 20-inning scoreless streak, dating back to the second game of their doubleheader with Salem on 6/13.
Both sides are back in action on Saturday night, the third game of the four-game set. Potomac LHP Matthew Crownover (3-4, 5.46), who had a quality start in his most recent home appearance, will take the ball for the Nationals. Buies Creek will counter with RHP Gabriel Valdez (2-3, 4.50), making his fifth start of the season.
First pitch at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium on Thursday Night is set for 6:35pm. The Potomac broadcast will get underway at 6:20pm 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
