For the first time in nearly a month, the Potomac Nationals (66-58, 32-24) look up in the standings, as they fell into second place in the Northern Division with a 7-6 loss Saturday night to the Frederick Keys (63-62, 27-28). Frederick got just 3.1 innings out of RHP Jon Keller (ND), as he walked seven and struck out just one. RHP Boone Whiting (ND) bounced back from a three-inning outing last time out and allowed three earned runs on just four hits over 5.1 innings.
Unlike the series opener, where both sides scored in the first inning, Saturday night’s matchup went scoreless into the bottom of the second. After Keller quickly got the first two outs, the right-handed starter walked four straight, which included a bases loaded walk drawn by CF Victor Robles. The second wild pitch of the frame from Keller plated 1B Matt Page, as Potomac led 2-0 after two innings.
The Keys quickly got back into the game with one swing. Whiting issued a one-out walk in the top of the third, and LF D.J. Stewart tied the game with a towering home run to right field. Potomac then loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on a single and another two walks from Keller, but Page flied out to centerfield. The P-Nats went 2-6 with RISP and left nine men on base in the loss.
Tied at two apiece, Potomac took advantage of Keller’s final walk of the night, as Robles drew a one-out free pass in the fourth inning. LHP Trevor Belicek (W, 3-5) immediately gave up a single to 2B Max Schrock and walked SS Osvaldo Abreu, which loaded the bases for Potomac for a third straight inning. After C Raudy Read struck out, RF Drew Vettleson put Potomac on top 4-2 with a two run single to right field, though Potomac would not get another man into scoring position until the eighth inning. Belicek allowed just one run on three hits over 3.2 innings.
Frederick chipped away at the Potomac lead with a single run in the sixth and the seventh. 1B Wynston Sawyer made it a one run game with a one-out solo home run in the sixth inning, which ended Whiting’s night, whileRHP Neil Holland walked 3B Jomar Reyes and gave up a single to CF Josh Hart in the seventh. After Holland got SS Erick Salcedo to fly out to left field for the second out of the inning, Potomac went to LHP RC Orlan(L, 5-5) to face the left-handed hitting Stewart. Orlan walked Stewart, which loaded the bases, and then walked home a run as he issued a free pass to Sawyer. The bases loaded walk tied the game at four.
Orlan returned for the eighth inning after struggling to throw strikes in the seventh, and the Keys quickly jumped on the lefty. 2B Cam Kneeland reached on a strikeout/wild pitch, while C Austin Wynns singled. After Reyes grounded out, which put runners at second and third base, Orlan intentionally walked DH Yermin Mercedes. With the bases loaded, the P-Nats called upon LHP Justin Thomas to face Hart with one out. Behind in the count 1-2, Hart hit a double down the right field line, which plated a pair and gave Frederick a 6-4 lead. Salcedo followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Mercedes, as the Keys led 7-4.
The P-Nats did not go away quietly, as they scored in each of the final two frames. RHP Tanner Chleborad (SV, 2) entered to begin the eighth inning and gave up a leadoff double to DH Austin Davidson. Page followed with an RBI single, which made it a two-run game, but LF Dale Carey grounded into a double play and Potomac left a man at first base. In the ninth, Read hit a solo home run, his eighth home run of the season, which cut the deficit to one run, but Vettleson grounded out and 3B Bryan Mejia lined out to Salcedo, as Chleborad escaped with the save.
With a season high seventh straight loss, Potomac now sits one game behind the Lynchburg Hillcats in the Northern Division and just 4.5 games ahead of the Keys for a playoff spot. The P-Nats have dropped 10 of their past 12 games and four consecutive series. It’s the first time since July 26th that Potomac has not been at least tied for the division lead and they have never been more than one game outside the division lead in the second half.
Targeting their first win in more than a week, Potomac will take on the Keys in the series finale Sunday night. First pitch is set for 6:05pm.
Share
Contributors
