The Potomac Nationals used a pair of early two-out rallies in Game 2 on Friday night to stake Sammy Solis to a lead. The lefthander and a trio of bullpen arms had no intention of relinquishing it, and the Nationals cruised to an 8-0 win that leveled the Northern Division Series at one game apiece.
In the first inning, Keys starter Rick Zagone got the first two outs without incident. But Destin Hood then worked a spectacular 12-pitch walk to extend the inning for Brian Peacock. Peacock then blasted a home run to straightaway center field that put Potomac ahead 2-0.
After Solis struck out a pair in the first inning, the Nationals went to work again in the second – and again, they did so with two outs. Jose Lozada drew a walk and Eury Perez singled down the right field line. Francisco Soriano then belted a 2-2 breaking ball over the wall in left field that staked Potomac to a 5-0 advantage.
Solis allowed just one hit in each of the next four innings, and struck out five more for a total of seven punchouts. But a tight strike zone ran his pitch count to 91, and after a two-out walk of Jonathan Schoop put runners at the corners in the fifth, Solis was lifted for Neil Holland. Holland struck out Manny Machado to end the threat.
Holland pitched two and a third scoreless innings; Joe Testa and Cameron Selik followed and preserved the shutout.
Potomac tacked ons single runs in the fourth, seventh and ninth innings – and all of them were scored by Perez. After reaching on a fielder’s choice in the fourth, Perez advanced to second on a wild pitch, to third on an error by Keys catcher Brian Ward, and scored on yet another wild Ryan O’Shea offering. In the seventh, Destin Hood plated Perez with a two-out single. Soriano’s double brought Perez home in the ninth.
Game 3 is set for 6:35 P.M. at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge. Evan Bronson takes the mound for the Nationals against the veteran righthander Ryohei Tanaka.
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Chris Graham
