The Potomac Nationals (29-35 Overall, 14-19 Road) clipped the Lynchburg Hillcats (31-33 Overall, 14-16 Home) 6-4 in the series opener of a three-game road set on Calvin Falwell Field at Lynchburg City Stadium Monday evening to remain mathematically in the Carolina League’s First-Half Northern Division title race.
The Nationals’ elimination number is one with six contests to play before the 2015 Carolina League All-Star Break.
Potomac starter, RHP Reynaldo Lopez (4-3) won his fourth decision this season after going 5.1 innings and surrendering just two runs (both earned runs) on six hits and two walks. Lopez fanned eight Hillcats while overcoming one hit batter and service of a home run ball.
Nationals closer, RHP Manny Rodriguez (SV 2) closed out the two-run win to catalyze a (5-7) club record in two-run contests in ’15.
Hillcats starting arm, RHP Mitch Brown (2-7), who took his seventh losing decision, allowed five runs (four earned runs) on six base knocks including one home run and five free passes. Brown struck out four men and his two wild pitches both led directly to runs.
Lynchburg RF Clint Frazier got the scoring started with a lead-off solo home run off Lopez cranked over the 390-foot marker in dead center field over the green batter’s eye. The clout was Frazier’s seventh homer of the current campaign.
The P-Nats answered with two runs in the 3rd inning on a wild pitch from Brown (the lead-off walk of 2B Adrian Sanchez scored) and an RBI single grounded into right field by SS Stephen Perez.
The Hillcats got one run back in the last of the 3rd when 1B Nellie Rodriguez swept a run-scoring single through the deep hole at shortstop to tie the contest at 2-2.
Potomac pulled ahead 3-1 an inning later in the 4th courtesy of a another wild offering from Brown that summoned home Nationals 1B John Wooten, who had reached on a fielder’s choice groundball and advanced into scoring position on an errant throw into the reserved seating bowl by Hillcats 2B Joe Sever on a double-play attempt.
Nationals DH Brandon Miller later gashed his sixth longball of the season, a two-run shot on a pitch from Brown, over two tiers of signage in left field in the 7th to up the Nationals’ advantage to 5-2.
The home club scored an individual run in the last of the 7th via a wild one from Potomac RHP Wander Suero to yield a 5-3 score. Lynchburg SS Ivan Castillo rapped an infield single to get aboard leading off the frame and scored on Suero’s misfire.
Suero had already stranded the bags jacked in the 6th despite Lopez allowing a single to CF Bradley Zimmer, a double to Rodriguez to the left field wall, and a single off the stick of Sever served into right field. Zimmer was thrown out attempting to steal by C Spencer Kieboom, who caught two potential basestealers in the contest. Suero walked Lynchburg LF Mike Papi to put three ‘Cats aboard before DH James Roberts popped out on one pitch and C Juan De La Cruz flew out to center field to end the threat.
The righty reliever, Suero gunned through 2.1 innings in relief of Lopez and gave up two earned runs on one base hit, two walks, and two hit batters. Suero fanned one in the outing.
In the bottom of the 8th, after the Nationals had already scored in their half of the stanza on an RBI sacrifice safety squeeze bunt deadened by Potomac 3B Drew Ward, the Hillcats loaded the bases against Suero and forced his exit. Sever was plunked on the lead arm, Papi walked, and pinch-hitter C Eric Haase was hit in the back to pack the bags. Against Rodriguez, Castillo worked an RBI base-on-balls to cut the Nationals’ lead to 6-4 but the next swinger, Frazier, struck out hacking to leave the bases loaded for the second time in the affair.
The Hillcats left a whopping 10 men on base during the game.
After failing to provide further insurance in the top of the 9th, Potomac sent Rodriguez out to finish the job. “Man-Rod” induced a 6-3 groundout off the bat of Hillcats 3B Paul Hendrix, Zimmer laced a single on the infield towards Perez at shortstop, Rodriguez struck out looking, and the fateful last out for Sever came on a grounder to Perez who tossed cap-high to Wooten at first base which inked Rodriguez’s second save in as many save opportunities this year.
The P-Nats clash with the Lynchburg Hillcats (Cleveland Indians) tomorrow night (Tuesday) in series Game Two scheduled for 6:30pm at Lynchburg City Stadium.
Nationals RHP Nick Pivetta (5-4, 2.58) deals against Hillcats RHP Dace Kime (2-2, 4.55) in the divisional standoff.
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Chris Graham
