Though the Potomac Nationals (17-16) did not go to extra innings for the first time in five games, the tough eight-game road trip continued, as the P-Nats fell 4-2 to the Winston Salem Dash (14-22) at BB&T Ballpark. Potomac jumped out to a 2-0 lead through five innings, but a misplay on a potential double play ball in the sixth led to the eventual winning run, as the Dash scored the final four runs of the game. Potomac is now 1-5 on the three-city trip so far.
RHP Wirkin Estevez (ND) was brilliant over five-shutout innings, as the righty allowed just four hits, walked one, and struck out a pair. In his best start of the season, the righty threw 64 pitches, 41 of them for strikes, and left with a 2-0 lead in line for the victory.
In his eighth start for the Dash, RHP Spencer Adams (W, 4-2) had his longest professional outing. The righty went eight innings and gave up just two runs on three hits. Potomac CF Andrew Stevenson led off the fourth inning with a triple and he scored on DH Alec Keller’ssacrifice fly. In the fifth inning, LF Dale Carey cleared the wall in left field, his third home run of the season. Just four batters reached base over Adams’ eight innings, as Stevenson also tallied a single in the seventh and 1B Jose Marmolejos walked in the fourth.
In his 2016 debut, RHP Robert Benincasa (L, 0-2) relieved Estevez to start the sixth inning. Benincasa walked CF Adam Engel to start the frame. An error by Marmolejos on a pickoff attempt allowed Engel to get to third base, and he scored on LF Hunter Jones’ RBI single. After 3B Gerson Montilla walked, 1B Keon Barnum singled, which loaded the bases. Benincasa got DH Marcus Davis to foul out to 3B Drew Ward and induced a ground ball off the bat of C Brett Austin. Marmolejos fielded Austin’s grounder and threw to second base to retire Barnum, but SS David Masters’ turn to first base went over the head of Benincasa covering the bag. A successful double play would have kept Potomac ahead 2-1, but instead two runs scored and the Dash led 3-2. Benincasa was charged with two earned runs in the frame as Masters was charged with his second error of 2016.
The Dash added an insurance run in the eighth inning against RHP Matthew Spann. Jones led off the frame with a triple, his third hit of the night. With the infield drawn in, Montilla chopped a ball up the middle into centerfield, as he picked up his team best 21st RBI of the season. Winston-Salem led 4-2 after eight innings.
Out of the pen after eight brilliant innings from Adams, RHP Jacob Morris (SV, 2) narrowly avoided a blown save. Stevenson led off the ninth inning with a single, Keller flied out to right field, Morris hit Marmolejos in the foot with a curveball, but struck out Ward looking. With men on first and second, 2B Khayyan Norfork went the other way on a 2-2 pitch, a single to right field which loaded the bases. On a 3-2 offering,C Matt Reistetter nearly cleared the bases with a double down the right field line, but it landed just inches foul. Reistetter flied out to right field on the next pitch, as Morris stranded the bases loaded and secured the Winston-Salem Win.
Just four Potomac hitters reached base in the loss. Stevenson had three hits, Marmolejos walked and was hit by a pitch, Norfork singled, and Carey homered. The other five Potomac starters were a combined 0-17 with seven strikeouts. The five-shutout inning start was the second of the season for Estevez, though he has not factored in the decision in either outing.
Sunday afternoon will feature an opportunity for the P-Nats to get back into the series, as RHP Erick Fedde (1-3, 6.21) looks to follow up his last outing, 6.1 innings and two earned runs, with another quality start. Opposite the former first round pick will be RHP Brandon Brennan (0-2, 5.40) who started the season with AA-Birmingham and has gone more than five innings in just one of his six total starts this season. His two starts with Winston-Salem have both been losses vs. Myrtle Beach. First pitch is set for 2:00pm at BB&T Ballpark.
The Potomac Nationals Baseball Network will carry live coverage of the game beginning with the “P-Nats Lead-Off Show” at 1:45pm. P-Nats Gameday Audio on the Potomac Nationals Baseball Network is available at www.potomacnationals.com or via the TuneIn Radio App.