McGowin blanks Salem as P-Nats take series

For the first time since May 3^rd, the Potomac Nationals (57-65, 24-28) earned a 1-0 shutout victory. Thursday night, the P-Nats blanked the Salem Red Sox (68-54, 28-26) and thus earned a series win. The Red Sox outhit Potomac 8-7, while the teams combined for an 0-15 night with RISP.

In his second start with Potomac, RHP Kyle McGowin (W, 1-1) pitched a gem. The righty entered the game 0-10 in his last 10 starts, but threw six innings of five-hit shutout baseball. McGowin struck out four and walked just one.

Opposite McGowin, LHP Logan Boyd (L, 3-1) pitched nearly as well. Boyd allowed just four hits over six innings and walked just one, but tallied his first Carolina League loss. Boyd surrendered a leadoff triple to 2B Tyler Beckwith in the third inning, and then walked CF Daniel Johnson. DH Jack Sundberg grounded into a double play, which plated Beckwith, and made it 1-0, the eventual final.

Both bullpens locked in after quality starts from both starters. RHP Austin Glorius gave up three hits over two-shutout frames for the Red Sox, while RHP Jorge Pantoja and LHP Jordan Mills (SV, 1) combined for three shutout frames for the Potomac. Pantoja stranded the tying run at second base in the seventh inning, while Mills got the final out of the eighth frame, and then worked around a one-out single in the ninth.

Seven different Potomac hitters tallied a single hit in the win, while RF Rhett Wiseman and Beckwith notched the lone extra-base hits for the P-Nats.

Just three games back of the Red Sox for a playoff spot with 18 games remaining, the P-Nats will welcome in the Winston-Salem Dash (Chicago White Sox) for a three-game series over the weekend. The first meeting between the two teams at Pfitzner Stadium this season will be Friday night, as LHP Taylor Guilbeau (4-3, 4.58) will get the start for Potomac. Guilbeau is 2-0 with a 2.76 ERA over his last two starts. For the Dash, RHP Jimmy Lambert (3-3, 4.97) will make his first career appearance against Potomac. Lambert has given up at least three earned runs in each of his last four starts, and has just one win in his last seven outings.

First pitch on Friday is set for 7:05pm. The Potomac broadcast will get underway at 6:50pm with the P-Nats Leadoff Show. You can listen to the Potomac broadcast at potomacnationals.com or on the TuneIn Radio App.