In all three games in the weekend set between the Potomac Nationals (64-56, 28-26) and Carolina Mudcats (59-65, 25-29), the hometown Mudcats scored first. But in each of the latter two games of the series, Potomac came away with a victory, as Sunday’s 4-2 win secured a Potomac series win. RF Rhett Wiseman and LF Telmito Agustin each homered for Potomac in the rubber match.
Back in the rotation after a brief stint in the bullpen, LHP Matthew Crownover (W, 4-8) allowed just one run over six innings. Crownover issued a leadoff walk to 1B Weston Wilson in the second inning, who eventually scored on a safety squeeze bunt from RF Ryan Aguilar. Crownover rarely got into trouble over the rest of his start, as he tallied his first win since June 6th.
Potomac went hitless through four innings against RHP Bowden Francis (L, 0-2), who made his second career Carolina League start. After four shutout innings, Francis surrendered a leadoff home run to Wiseman in the fifth inning. Wiseman’s team-leading 21st home run of the season tied the game at 1-1. SS David Masters followed with a walk, while Agustin then tucked a home run inside the right field foul pole. The fifth home run of the season for Agustin gave Potomac a 3-1 lead and proved to be the difference in the game.
After six innings from Crownover, LHP Ben Braymer (SV, 1) worked three innings out of the Potomac bullpen. Braymer issued a one-out walk to DH Cooper Hummel in the seventh inning, and then gave up an RBI triple to RF Ryan Aguilar. Aguilar’s two-out hit made it a one run game and put the tying run at third base, but Braymer retired 2B Nick Roscetti and kept Potomac on top 3-2. Braymer worked around a walk and a HBP in the eighth, and then tallied a perfect ninth inning.
LHP Nathan Kirby relieved Francis to begin the seventh inning. Kirby got out of a 1st/2nd, nobody out jam in his first inning of work, but gave up a two-out, two-strike, RBI single to Wiseman in the eighth inning. Wiseman’s second RBI of the game made it 4-2 Potomac, the eventual final.
Off of the series win, Potomac will have Monday off, before the club is set to begin a three-game series at the home of the Lynchburg Hillcats. The three-game set could preview the Northern Division Championship Series, as Lynchburg currently sits atop the Second Half Northern Division standings.
First pitch at Calvin Falwell Field on Tuesday is set for 6:30pm. The Potomac broadcast will get underway at 6:15pm with the P-Nats Leadoff Show. You can listen to the Potomac broadcast at potomacnationals.com, at http://bit.ly/P-NatsBroadcast, or on the TuneIn Radio App.
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Chris Graham
