Danny Rosenbaum pitched a gem on Friday night in Woodbridge and got all the run support he needed from Francisco Soriano, who belted two home runs as the Nationals survived a tumultuous ninth inning and hung on for a 4-3 win over the Kinston Indians.
Rosenbaum (4-5), who had made three quality starts against the K-Tribe and come up empty, ticked it up a notch on Friday. He held the Indians to just one run over eight masterful innings, allowing just three hits and striking out a career-high eight.
The Indians did strike first in the game, cashing in on Rosenbaum’s only walk, which came in the fourth. Adam Abraham earned the free pass, moved to third on Jeremie Tice’s single, then scored on Abner Abreu’s sacrifice fly that made it 1-0 Indians. The walk broke up a string of nine consecutive hitters retired by the Nationals’ lefty.
From that point on, Rosenbaum allowed just one more baserunner. He mowed through the Indians beginning in the fifth inning – the same frame the Nationals surged ahead for good.
Brian Peacock led off the inning with a single on the infield. After J.R. Higley and Jose Lozada were retired, the leadoff man Soriano strode to the plate. He hit a high blast over the wall in right field to push the Nats ahead 2-1. It was Soriano’s third home run of the season, his second in as many games and third in the last 11 games.
In the seventh inning, Soriano left the 3,008 fans at Pfitzner Stadium flabbergasted. With one out and Jose Lozada at third, Soriano – batting from the right side for the first time in the game – smashed a line drive off the foul poul in left field that made it 4-1.
The homer was Soriano’s fourth in 2011 (through 41 games), matching his career total, amassed over 245 games and four seasons.
Rosenbaum departed after 100 pitches and eight innings and yielded to the Nationals’ closer Hector Nelo. Nelo walked the leadoff man Tyler Holt before retiring Casey Frawley. Adam Abraham then hit a grounder to third that was fielded by Lozada. Lozada looked the runner back to second, double clutched and threw wide of first base to put two aboard and bring the tying run to the plate.
Tice singled to make it 4-2, and Abreu grounded out to second to trim the lead to a single run and move Delvi Cid (who pinch ran for Tice and stole second) to third. Fittingly, however, Soriano saved the day with a strong defensive play on an Anthony Gallas ground ball that wrapped up the 4-3 win.
With the victory, Potomac won their third straight, moved to 12-8 in the second half and stretched their lead in the Northern Division standings. The Nationals are also seven games under .500 for the first time since early May.
The Nationals and Indians will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 5:30 P.M. Sammy Solis takes the ball in Game One for Potomac.
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