The Potomac Nationals (62-49, 24-18) bested the Winston-Salem Dash (54-60, 24-21) 6-2 on Tuesday evening at Pfitzner Stadium to improve their win streak to four.
Nationals starter, RHP Brian Rauh (2-1) was stellar through 6.0 scoreless innings in which he scattered three base hits, walked four, and fanned four en route to his second win of the 2014 campaign.
Potomac plated a trio of runs off the eventual losing pitcher of record, RHP J.B. Wendelken (6-9) in the 3rd inning courtesy of a two-run triple blasted off the right field wall on the fly by CF Isaac Ballou followed by an RBI sacrifice fly to center field off the stick of 2B Tony Renda.
Wendelken allowed four earned runs in 4.2 innings on six hits and two walks while striking out three batters.
The P-Nats tacked on another run in the 5th frame via a run-scoring single ripped into right field by 1B Shawn Pleffner.
Runs number five and six were summoned home in the 6th inning against Dash RHP Euclides Layer on an error committed by Winston-Salem 3B Justin Jirschele after RF Brandon Miller cranked a hard groundball his way, and a run-scoring single blooped into center field by C Pedro Severino.
Winston-Salem got on the board in the 7th inning with four soft singles in a row off Nationals RHP Richie Mirowski. Dash 2B Jake Peter drifted a single to right field before Mirowski broke three straight bats. The lumber shattered on Jirschele, DH Keenyn Walker, and CF Jacob May but all collected on-base knocks. Walker received an RBI and Jirschele scored on a fielding error made by SS Stephen Perez.
Dash LHP Sean Hagan and RHP Brad Goldberg combined for 2.1 scoreless innings.
Nationals LHP Bryan Harper turned in a perfect 8th frame and RHP Cody Davis stranded two runners in the 9th while closing the door on the P-Nats’ 62nd victory of the season and #24 in the second half.
Davis induced RF Jason Coats into a groundout to 3B John Wooten to end the contest.
The red, white, and blue were 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position while Winston-Salem went just 2-for-13 with men at second and/or third base.
P-Nats LHP Matthew Spann (7-5, 4.65) will oppose Dash RHP James Dykstra (2-0, 2.70) in Game Two on Wednesday night at The Pfitz.
The Potomac Nationals Baseball Network, accessible by heading online to www.potomacnationals.com, will provide live broadcast coverage of Game Two in Woodbridge, VA beginning with the P-Nats Leadoff Show at 6:50pm before the play-by-play at 7:05pm.
It will be a Bellybuster Wednesday and Government Employee Night tomorrow evening in which government employees with valid identification will receive a ticket discount at the Potomac Nationals Ticket Office.
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Chris Graham
