P-Nats roll over Salem

The Potomac Nationals scored in the first four innings in a 13-4 win over the Salem Red Sox to take a three-game series.  All National batters had a hit with seven collecting multiple knocks as Potomac pounded a season-high 19 hits.

Potomac started the scoring in the first against Salem starter RHP Miguel Celestino on a Jason Martinson RBI single.  They added two more in the second inning to increase the lead to 3-0.

Salem climbed back into the game facing Nationals starter RHP Adam Olbrychowski in the second.  Olbrychowski walked the first two batters of the inning then Christian Vasquez hit a three-run homer to tie the game 3-3.  It was the fourth home run of the season for Vasquez.

The teams traded jabs in the third inning with Ricky Hague scoring on a throwing error by Celestino and Michael Almanzar hitting an RBI single to make it 4-4 through three innings.  Then the Nationals delivered in the knock out punch in the fourth sending 10 batters to the plate.

The inning started with JP Ramirez knocking a double.  He scored on a Adrian Sanchez double to give the Nationals the lead 5-4.   The P-Nats added two on a Hague double and another run with Martinson getting his third hit in as many at bats with a single to increase the lead to 9-4.   David Freitas scored on a errant pick off attempt by reliever Ruben Flores to increase the advantage to 10-4 at the conclusion of the inning.

From then on, the Nationals would shut down the Red Sox.  Adam Carr, Neil Holland and Rob Wort out of the bullpen combined to go four scoreless innings in support of Olbychowski who tossed five innings.

The P-Nats added a run in the seventh and two in the eighth to increase the advantage to 13-4 which was the final score.

Olbrychowski (3-6) got the win tossing five innings givine up four runs and striking out four.  Celestino (5-4) took the loss going three and a third innings yielding six runs.

The Potomac offense belted out a season-high 19 hits.  Randolph Oduber, Stephen King and Jason Martinson all had three hit days for the P-Nats. Eight players scored a run and seven had RBI in the winning effort.