P-Nats blank Frederick, 12-0

For the second time in less than a week, the Potomac Nationals (60-49, 23-19) shut out the Frederick Keys (54-60, 19-26) 12-0. Last Thursday, the P-Nats used a pair of home runs from CF Nick Banks in route to the shutout, while on Tuesday night, 1B Aldrem Corredor put the ball over the wall twice in the shutout. Corredor and SS Luis Garcia each had four RBIs in the win.

After LHP Nick Raquet (W, 2-2) worked around a leadoff walk in the first inning, Potomac put a run on the board in the home half of the frame against RHP Michael Baumann (L, 7-3). After two quick outs, Baumann gave up a double to 3B Ian Sagdal. The league-leading hitter notched three hits on the night. C Tres Barrera followed with an RBI single to centerfield, as Potomac led 1-0 after one inning.

The P-Nats began to run away with the game with three runs in the second inning against Baumann. Consecutive walks to begin the inning to RF Rhett Wiseman and LF Telmito Agustin brought DH Jack Sundberg to the plate. On a bunt in front of the plate, Baumann fielding it and threw it away past first base. Sundberg got credit for a single, while an E1 scored Wiseman. Two batters later, Garcia picked up the first of his two, two-run singles on the night. The P-Nats led 4-0 after two frames.

Baumann’s struggles continued into the fourth inning, as the first five Potomac hitters that stepped up to the plate connected with a hit. 2B Bryan Mejia made it 5-0 with an RBI double, Garcia made it 7-0 with another two-run single, while Corredor drew a walk and knocked Baumann out of the game. LHP Travis Seabrooke entered for Frederick and gave up a sacrifice fly to Banks. Baumann surrendered eight runs, seven earned, over just 3.1 innings. The Keys trailed 8-0 after four innings.

Potomac went to the long ball in the latter half of the shutout, as Corredor launched a three-run home run off of Seabrooke in the sixth inning, and the first baseman then greeted RHP Mike Burke with a first pitch leadoff home run in the eighth frame. Corredor’s four RBIs on his two home runs made it 12-0 Potomac, the eventual final.

Following five-shutout frames from Raquet, RHP Carlos Acevedo allowed one hit over two scoreless innings, while RHP Steven Fuentes and RHP Jeremy McKinney each worked a perfect frame. McKinney closed out Potomac’s second consecutive shutout, and fourth shutout in the past five games.

A perfect 4-0 on the homestand, the P-Nats will turn to LHP Matthew Crownover (3-8, 5.36) on Wednesday night. Crownover’s first 16 appearances of the season for Potomac came as a starting pitcher, but his last three outings have been out of the bullpen. The left-handed starter is 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA in two starts vs. Frederick this season. For the Keys, RHP Matthias Dietz (0-4, 8.31) will aim to pick up his first career Carolina League win. Dietz allowed four runs over 3.1 innings in a loss to Potomac on 8/2.

First pitch at Northwest Federal Field on Wednesday 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, at http://bit.ly/P-NatsBroadcast, or on the TuneIn Radio App.