Despite a valiant rally in the final frame of each half of Tuesday night’s doubleheader, the Potomac Nationals (29-27, 17-15 Home) failed to plate the tying run, as they dropped both halves of the twin bill 4-3 to the Myrtle beach Pelicans (32-26 Overall, 16-14 Home).
The P-Nats entered the seventh inning in game one down 4-0, but plated three and left the tying man at third base. Potomac entered the seventh inning in game two down 4-2 and left the tying run at second base.
In game one Tuesday night, RHP Erick Leal (W, 8-2) shut out Potomac through the first six innings. Prior to the seventh, the P-Nats had just three hits, all singles. Meanwhile, the Pelicans quickly jumped on Potomac RHP Phillips Valdez (L, 6-3). The first three Myrtle Beach hitters of the game singled, as 2B Ian Happ’s RBI single made it 1-0 Myrtle Beach. After Valdez retired the next two men, RF Jeffrey Baez had a two-out RBI single. Two-out RBI hits became the major problem for Potomac in each game of the doubleheader.
Myrtle Beach made it 3-0 against Valdez in the third inning. SS Gleyber Torres led off the frame with a single, and a two-out RBI single by DH Jason Vosler plated the Pelicans’ third run of the game. Valdez went four innings, allowed seven singles, walked one, and struck out four in the loss.
In relief of Valdez, LHP Matthew Spann had trouble finding the strike zone. Spann walked the first two hitters in the fifth frame, but worked out of the jam. He could not do the same in the sixth, as again he walked the first two men that stepped in. CF Rashad Crawford had an RBI single, which made it 4-0, what proved to be a necessary hit for the Pelicans. The single knocked Spann out of the game, as RHP Tommy Peterson made his 2016 Potomac debut and got a bases loaded double play to keep the deficit at four.
The Potomac offense finally got going in the seventh and final frame. Leal came back to the hill in search of the complete game shutout, but DH Jose Marmolejos and C Raudy Read hit consecutive singles to start the inning and knocked the righty out of the game. LHP Tommy Thorpe entered and walked 3B Drew Ward, which loaded the bases for LF Alec Keller. Keller drove home a run on a groundout, before RF Drew Vettleson made it a one run game with a two-RBI double. Vettleson’s first 2016 Potomac hit brought on another pitching change, as RHP Ryan McNeil (SV, 3) entered in search of the save. SS Bryan Mejia grounded out to Torres, which moved Vettleson to third base, but 1B Grant DeBruin flied out to left field, which ended game one.
Game two got off to a nearly opposite start to game one. RHP Jeremy Null (W, 2-2), who entered the game with an ERA of 1.99, allowed a one-out first inning single to Mejia. Marmolejos followed with an opposite field, two-run home run, his eighth blast of the season. At 2-0, Potomac had its first lead of the four-game series. However, after the rough first inning, Null faced the minimum in each of the next five innings and kept Myrtle Beach within striking distance.
In his first 2016 start, RHP Dakota Bacus (ND) cruised through the first three innings vs. the Pelicans and faced just one over the minimum. The Pelicans though started the bottom of the fourth inning with a walk, and a double by Happ put the tying men in scoring position with no outs. 1B Yasiel Balaguert then grounded a ball down the third base line, just out of the reach of Ward. Balaguert’s two-run single tied the game. Bacus got a double play to help get out of the inning. The righty went four innings and allowed just two runs in his first start.
Out of the bullpen in game two, both LHP RC Orlan (L, 2-1) and RHP Ryan Brinley gave up a run in an inning of work. The two have been the two best back end relief pitchers for Potomac this season. Orlan gave up a single to DH Daniel Lockhart that started the fifth, and a two-out RBI single by Crawford put the Pelicans ahead. Against Brinley in the seventh, C Gioskar Amaya had a one-out single, and RF Trey Martin had a two-out RBI base hit. Martin’s RBI hit proved to be the game two winner.
Once again in the seventh, Potomac brought the deficit to one and left the tying man in scoring position. Ward led off the seventh with a solo home run, his team best ninth of the season. Null followed with consecutive strikeouts of Keller and CF Dale Carey, before Vettleson ended Null’s night with a double. The Pelicans then went to the pen in search of a one-out save. As LHP Jordan Minch (SV, 2) entered the game, the P-Nats pinch-hit Read for C Matt Reistetter. Read flied out to centerfield, which ended game two.
With two one-run losses Tuesday night, Potomac is now 5-8 in one-run games. The doubleheader sweep by the Pelicans highlighted their four-game sweep of the P-Nats. Potomac has now dropped five straight, a season high. The P-Nats got an extra base hit from Vettleson in the final frame in each game, but left the outfielder in scoring position both times.
With an off day Wednesday, the P-Nats will regroup and get set for a five-game, four-day series vs. the Frederick Keys. The series gets underway Thursday night at 7:05pm at Pfitzner Stadium.
The homestand gets started with “Thursday Cheers” vs. the Keys, as there will be $1 drink specials throughout Thursday’s matchup. Friday night, the first 1,000 fans to The Pfitz can take home a Potomac Nationals playing card set presented by US Foods. The P-Nats will also be partnering with Inova Blood Donor Services for a blood drive at the ballpark Friday afternoon from noon to 4pm. All presenting donors will receive two reserve tickets to Friday night’s game as well as a Ginchy 50’s Soda Fountain Tumbler. Saturday night, the doubleheader between the P-Nats and Keys gets underway at 5pm. Gates open at 4:30pm, as it is the second bobblehead giveaway of the season.
The first 1,500 fans can take home an Anthony “The Ant” Rendon figurine courtesy of Lindsay Automotive. The P-Nats will also wear special “Superhero Night” jerseys, which will be signed and auctioned throughout the game. The homestand wraps up Sunday afternoon with a 1:05pm start vs. the Keys. Family Fun Days at the Pfitz include an opportunity for kids to run the bases, presented by Kids N Motion, and a catch for families on the field after the game.
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