Potomac moves into first-place tie with 3-1 win over Frederic

After the first two games between the Potomac Nationals (72-62, 38-28) and the Frederick Keys (67-69, 31-35) featured a total of 43 runs, Thursday night’s series finale was anything but a slugfest. The two teams combined for just four runs on 11 hits, as the P-Nats moved into a first place tie in the Northern Division with a 3-1 win. With four games remaining in the regular season, Potomac just has to match the Lynchburg Hillcats over the final series to host game one of the Carolina League playoffs.

For the sixth time in the six-game road trip, Potomac scored the first run of the game. After RHP Jon Keller (L, 0-3) walked five and stranded the bases loaded in each of the first two innings, the righty retired the side in order in the third. Keller issued a leadoff walk to LF Matt Page in the fourth, but after two quick outs, it appeared as though Keller would escape. CF Victor Robles grounded out to SS Anthony Caronia, but the shortstop’s throw was in the dirt and got passed 1B Aderlin Rodriguez. After Robles stole second base, 3B Stephen Drew drove home two runs with a double down the right field line. In his first rehab appearance, Drew went 1-1 with two walks and a two-run double.

On the mound for Potomac, RHP Boone Whiting (W, 11-3) cruised through much of his outing, as he earned his team leading 11^th win of the season. Whiting gave up two infield singles over the first three innings and only five batters reached against the righty over the first six frames. With one out in the fourth inning, Rodriguez hit an opposite field solo home run, which cut the Potomac lead to one run, though that was the final time that Frederick crossed the plate.

The P-Nats quickly got the run back, as they tagged Keller with his only earned run of the night. C Raudy Readled off the fifth frame with a triple off the wall in the right field corner. With the infield in, SS Osvaldo Abreuswung at Keller’s first pitch and singled to right field, which plated Read and made it 3-1 Potomac, the eventual final.

Whiting returned for the seventh inning aiming to match his longest outing of the season, but the righty got just one out. C Yermin Mercedes doubled and 3B Jomar Reyes walked, which brought the go-ahead run to the plate. Potomac turned to LHP RC Orlan, while the Keys countered with a pinch hitter in SS Erick Salcedo. Orlan got Salcedo to fly out to right field, while CF Josh Hart grounded out to the mound to end the inning. After Orlan got two outs in the eighth inning, DH DJ Stewart ended Orlan’s night with a single. RHP Mario Sanchez (SV, 2) came in and struck out Rodriguez to end the inning. In the ninth, Sanchez gave up a two-out single to Reyes, but Salcedo grounded out to end the game.

Paired with a loss by the Hillcats, Potomac is back into a first place tie in the Northern Division. The four teams with tickets to the playoffs will meet in the final series of the regular season, as the P-Nats host the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, while the Hillcats host the Salem Red Sox. All four teams have a chance to host the opening game of the playoffs entering the final series.

Potomac will open the series vs. Myrtle Beach with LHP Hector Silvestre (0-0, 3.38) Friday night. Silvestre has gone only four innings in each of his first two starts with Potomac in 2016, but struck out five and allowed only one run last time out. For the Pelicans, RHP Duane Underwood (debut) will make his first start of the season in the Carolina League. Underwood went 0-5 with a 4.91 ERA for Double-A Tennessee in 13 starts and 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA for Single-A South Bend in three starts. First pitch Friday night is scheduled for 7:05pm.