Potomac Nationals lose slugfest

The Potomac Nationals fell 10-8 to the Winston-Salem Dash in a game that included five home runs between the teams.  The P-Nats are still winless in North Carolina including losses in all nine games in Winston-Salem.

A solo shot from Marcus Semien in the first inning off of Potomac starter Robbie Ray opened the scoring.  The Dash added another in the first on a Dan Black RBI double and led 2-0.

The Nationals took a brief lead with three runs in the top the of second inning.  Blake Kelso and James Skelton each had RBI in the inning that put the P-Nats up 3-2 on Winston-Salem starter Scott Snodgress.

The Dash tied the game in the bottom of the second with a solo home run by David Herbeck.  They put the game out of reach with six runs in the third.  Black hit a two-run shot to break the 3-3 tie.  Ray left the game with the bases loaded replaced by Matt Swynenberg who allowed all three runs to score.  Semien walked with the bags loaded to extend the lead to 7-3. The next batter Trayce Thompson knocked in two runners with a single for his Carolina League leading 85th and 86th RBI to make it 9-3.

The P-Nats tried to claw back into the game with Jason Martinson hitting lead-off home run in the fourth to bring Potomac within 9-4.  Winston-Salem responded with a run on a Keenyn Walker double in the fifth to make the lead six runs again at 10-4.

A based loaded walk by Francisco Soriano made it a 10-5 game but the P-Nats left them loaded in the sixth.  Kevin Keyes blasted a solo shot– his team leading 17th home run of the year in the seventh to make it 10-6 in favor of Winston-Salem.  The Nationals had a chance in the eighth withe bases loaded and one out but a 4-6 line out double play ended the threat.

In the ninth, Potomac got an RBI single from Martinson which was his 100th RBI of the season between his time with the P-Nats and Hagerstown.  Kelso smacked a double to put runners at second and third with two outs for Skelton with the Nationals trailing 10-8.  But Skelton struck out against Stephen Upchurch to end the game.

Snodgress (2-0) got the win by going five and two-thirds innings throwing 103 pitches and giving up five runs with four earned in his first game against Potomac.  Ray (4-8) took the loss and falls to 1-6 on the road as he gave up a career-high eight runs.  The three homers he gave up were also a career high.