Potomac Nationals set season-high in runs, blanks Frederick

In a game highlighted by the rehab assignment of CF Adam Eaton, the Potomac Nationals (28-25) put together their most dominant performance of the season, a 15-0 shutout of the Frederick Keys (23-31).

Potomac scored 15 runs, a new season-high, on 16 hits, picking up base hits from all nine starters against the five Frederick pitchers they faced on Tuesday night.

The P-Nats scored all of their runs in just three frames, four in the second, six in the fourth, and five in the fifth. RF Rhett Wiseman broke open the scoring with his team-high 10th home run of the season, the second-most in the Carolina League. After Wiseman’s two-run long ball, Eaton (1) hit a two-run blast of his own three batters later to make it a 4-0 game.

Frederick starter Ofelky Peralta (L, 1-6) would not make it out of the inning, only lasting 1.2 innings in his 10th start of the year.

The offense continued for Potomac in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six runs on six hits off of LHP Travis Seabrooke. Eaton connected on an RBI single for his second base hit of the day, the first of four straight singles for The P-Nats. After 3B Jake Noll picked up an RBI single, DH Alec Keller cleared the bases with a three-run triple to extend the lead to 9-0. C Jakson Reetz drove in Keller on an RBI ground out to cap off the six run inning.

With the lead well in hand, The P-Nats tacked on five more runs in the bottom of the fifth. After RHP Darren O’Day, pitching for the Keys on a rehab assignment, walked three Nationals to load the bases, Noll hit a grand slam down the right field line, his sixth home run of the season. Reetz notched his second RBI on a double to score Keller to put the exclamation point on a 15-run outburst for the Nationals’ offense.

Lost amidst the offensive breakthrough was the excellent outing by RHP Tyler Mapes (4-1). The 26-year old put together arguably his best start of the season, pitching seven innings of scoreless baseball, striking out six batters while giving up only three hits.

LHP Ben Braymer maintained the shutout, striking out one batter in two scoreless innings to secure the win.

With a chance at clinching a series win, LHP Matthew Crownover (2-4, 6.29) will take the ball for Potomac in game two against the Frederick Keys. Crownover is looking to get back on track after giving up six runs in his last start. LHP Alex Wells (3-3, 3.69), a top 30 prospect in the Baltimore Orioles’ system, will make the start for Frederick.

First pitch at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium on Wednesday Night 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.