Needing a victory to assure a home playoff game, the Potomac Nationals (73-65, 39-31) tallied a run in the first inning and took a shutout into the ninth inning in route to an easy 3-1 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (82-57, 46-23). RHP Whit Mayberry (W, 4-4) allowed a hit in the first inning and did not allow another base hit over seven-shutout frames.
After falling behind early in the first three games of the series, all losses, Potomac saw RF Daniel Spingola double with one out in the first inning, but Mayberry stranded the right fielder in scoring position. Stepping up to the plate not trailing for the first time in three days, the P-Nats tagged RHP Jeremy Null (L, 5-6) for a run in the bottom of the first. CF Victor Robles led off with a single and 3B Austin Davidson followed with a base hit. After Null retired DH Stephen Drew and SS Osvaldo Abreu, 2B Bryan Mejia made it 1-0 with a two-out RBI single to right field.
The sole run in the first was more than enough for Mayberry. Over seven innings, just four Myrtle Beach hitters reached base. Spingola doubled in the first, SS Andrew Ely drew a walk in the second, 3B Jesse Hodges reached on an error by Abreu in the fifth frame, and 1B Ian Rice reached on an error by Davidson in the seventh. Mayberry struck out a career high nine in the victory.
The P-Nats plated a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. After RHP Craig Brooks struck out the side in the fourth in relief of Null, the righty gave up consecutive one-out singles to Robles and Davidson. After Robles reached on a bunt single, Brooks’ throw went past first base, which allowed the centerfielder to get to second base, and then score on Davidson’s single to left field. After Brooks hit Drew with a pitch, Abreu made it 3-0 with an RBI single. The P-Nats left two men on in the frame and nine in the game.
Mayberry turned the ball over to RHP Gilberto Mendez for the eighth inning, and despite a two-out single by LF Charcer Burks, Mendez put another zero on the scoreboard for Potomac. RHP Ryan Brinley (SV, 16) entered for the ninth inning against the heart of the Myrtle Beach lineup. 2B Bryan Flete reached on an error by Mejia to lead off the inning, Potomac’s third error of the game. After Brinley retired the next two hitters, CF Jeffrey Baez brought the tying run to the plate with a single to left field, and Ely made it 3-1 with an RBI single. With the tying runs on base, Brinley got Hodges to fly out to left field, which secured a victory and a home playoff game for the P-Nats.
Potomac is set to host the Lynchburg Hillcats Wednesday night in the first game of the Northern Division Championship Series. RHP Boone Whiting (11-3, 3.45) is slated to start the series opener for Potomac. Whiting has allowed one earned run in each of his last two starts, both victories. The righty is 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA in five starts this season vs. Lynchburg. For Lynchburg, RHP Matt Esparza (2-4, 3.92) is scheduled to start the first game of the series. Esparza has picked up the loss in each of his last two outings, as the righty has surrendered 10 earned runs in his last nine innings. Esparza is 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in three starts vs. Potomac in 2016. First pitch Wednesday night at Pfitzner Stadium is set for 7:05pm.
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Chris Graham
