After consecutive one-run losses at Pfitzner Stadium, the Potomac Nationals (46-39, 12-5) survived two late threats from the Carolina Mudcats (37-52, 8-11) and escaped with a 6-5 win, which earned the club a split of the four game series.
Down 2-0 after half an inning on back-to-back RBI groundouts by 1B Isaias Tejeda and RF Braxton Davidson, the P-Nats cut the deficit in half in bottom of the first inning. CF Victor Robles greeted RHP Caleb Beech (ND) with a solo home run over the left field wall, the 19-year-old’s second home run of the season.
Following a two-run first frame, RHP Austen Williams (ND) settled in and tallied his fifth quality start in six outings for Potomac, yet remained winless on the season. The P-Nats tied the game in the third inning on a bases loaded sacrifice fly hit by 1B Jose Marmolejos, while Williams kept the Mudcats off of the scoreboard until the sixth inning. 2B Max Schrock extended his hit streak to 14 games with a third inning single but was left at third base. Schrock later doubled and picked up his 12th multi-hit game in 14 starts.
Potomac took a two-run lead in the fifth inning. After the first two men reached in the bottom half of the frame, Schrock hit into a double play, but SS Osvaldo Abreu followed with a two-out RBI single, and Marmolejos drove in his second run of the night with a two-out RBI double, his league best 30th double of the season. Potomac led 4-2 after five innings.
With a two-run lead, Williams came back out for the sixth inning and surrendered a towering home run over the right field wall to RF Braxton Davidson. Despite that, Williams retired the next three hitters and left with the lead and in line for the victory. Out of the Potomac bullpen, LHP RC Orlan walked LF Joseph Daris to start the seventh inning. A sacrifice bunt moved Daris to second base, while SS Luis Valenzuela reached on an error by Marmolejos. Valenzuela grounded out to Marmolejos’ right, but the first baseman’s throw got past Orlan covering the bag, which allowed Daris to score and tie the game. With Valenzuela on third base and two outs,RHP Tommy Peterson came in and struck out Tejeda.
The P-Nats plated the eventual winning run in the home half of the seventh inning. RHP Carlos Salazar (L, 1-4), who worked a scoreless sixth inning, walked both Abreu and Marmolejos with one out in the seventh. RHP Chad Sobotka entered from the Carolina pen and surrendered a double to C Raudy Read, which brought both runners home. Read’s double put Potomac ahead 6-4.
Back for the eighth inning, Peterson issued a four-pitch leadoff walk to Davidson. C Sal Giardina, the hero ofSaturday night’s Carolina victory, made it a one run game with an RBI double to left field. With the tying run in scoring position, Potomac went back to the bullpen, as RHP Gilberto Mendez (W, 2-0) got DH Jordan Edgerton to fly out to centerfield and 3B Reed Harper to ground out to first base. With the tying run at third base and two outs, Daris hit what appeared to be a bloop RBI single to right-centerfield, but Robles made a sensational game-saving diving catch, which ended the inning.
After Potomac stranded runners at second and third base in the bottom of the eighth inning, Mendez returned for the ninth frame and nearly saw the Mudcats come from behind for a third straight night. With a 6-5 lead, Mendez hit Valenzuela with one out, while a double by 2B Omar Obregon put men at second and third base with still only one out. Mendez induced a ground ball off the bat of Tejeda that went no more than three feet in front of the plate, which held the runners, and then struck out Davidson, which ended the game.
With the longest homestand of the season in the books, Potomac will be off on Tuesday and then start a three game series vs. the Winston-Salem Dash Wednesday night. RHP Mark Blackmar (1-0, 1.29) will make his second start of the season for Potomac, while LHP Tanner Banks (4-0, 3.60) is set to get the series opening start for the Dash. First pitch is set for 7:00pm Wednesday night at BB&T Ballpark.
The Potomac Nationals Baseball Network will carry live coverage beginning with the “P-Nats Leadoff Show” at6:45pm. P-Nats Gameday Audio on the Potomac Nationals Baseball Network is available at www.potomacnationals.com or via the TuneIn Radio App.
Share
Contributors
