Thanks to a five-run second inning, and a dominant start from LHP Taylor Guilbeau (W, 3-3), the Potomac Nationals (18-25, 51-61) picked up a 7-2 victory over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (16-28, 59-55) Tuesday night at Pfitzner Stadium. The Potomac pitching trio of Guilbeau, RHP Ronald Pena, and LHP R.C. Orlan retired the final 13 Myrtle Beach hitters of the night, as the P-Nats held the Pelicans to just four hits.
Myrtle Beach took an early lead, as the P-Nats fell behind just two batters into the game. DH Zack Short led off the game with a triple, and scored one batter later on a groundout by C P.J. Higgins. That was the final earned run of the night that Guilbeau allowed, as the run he surrendered in the fifth inning came due to a Potomac error.
The P-Nats sent nine men to the plate in the second inning, tallied six hits, and scored five runs in frame against RHP Casey Bloomquist (L, 3-5). 3B David Masters tied the game with an RBI single, RF Rhett Wiseman put Potomac ahead 2-1 with a sacrifice fly, CF Daniel Johnson plated two runs with a two-out double, and LF Jack Sundberg capped off the scoring in the inning with an RBI single. The P-Nats took a 5-1 lead into the third frame.
Guilbeau cruised through much of his outing, as he allowed just six men to reach base over seven innings. The left-handed starter set a season high with nine strikeouts. Guilbeau gave up an unearned run in the fifth inning, as 1B Tyler Alamo led off the inning with a double, and scored on a two-out throwing error by SS Edwin Lora.
Potomac wrapped up the scoring in the game with two insurance runs in the eighth inning off of RHP David Berg. Masters led off the inning with a single, and Wiseman followed with a two-run home run, his 11th home run of the season. Pena pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the P-Nats, while Orlan struck out the side in the final frame of the night. The Potomac pitching staff faced the minimum in six innings.
In the victory, the P-Nats improved to 7-2 vs. Myrtle Beach this season. With a chance to take the third and final series of the season between the two teams, Potomac will send RHP Sterling Sharp (0-1, 9.00) to the mound on Wednesday night. Sharp allowed six runs on nine hits over six innings in his Carolina League debut on 8/3. For the Pelicans, RHP Thomas Hatch (4-9, 4.14) will make his third start of the season vs. Potomac. Hatch is 0-2 with a 6.37 ERA in his first two outings vs. the P-Nats. First pitch is set for 7:05pm. The Potomac broadcast will get underway at 6:50pm with the P-Nats Leadoff Show. You can listen to the Potomac broadcast at potomacnationals.com or on the TuneIn Radio App.
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Chris Graham
