Despite a 5-3 lead entering the ninth inning, the Potomac Nationals (45-38, 11-4) fell Saturday night to the Carolina Mudcats (36-51, 7-10), 6-5.
With two men on, two outs, and down two strikes, C Sal Giardina hit a two-run double over the head of CF Victor Robles, which made it 6-5, the eventual final. The Mudcats also plated a run in the inning on a sacrifice fly, as LHP RC Orlan (L, 5-3) was charged with three runs despite recording just one out in the ninth.
The P-Nats got off to an early lead against RHP Matt Withrow (ND), as they scored a run in each of the first two innings. 2B Max Schrock extended his hit streak to 12 games with a solo home run in the first frame, while RF Drew Vettleson singled in the second inning, stole two bases, and scored on a throwing error by Giardina.
Ahead 2-0, Potomac allowed two runs in the third inning. LHP Matthew Crownover (ND), who matched his season long outing over 5.2 innings, gave up three consecutive extra base hits with one out in the third. 1B Isaias Tejeda double, Giardina tripled home Tejeda and then scored on an RBI double by DH Jose Fernandez. Crownover stranded Fernandez at second base and faced the minimum over the next two innings.
Crownover nearly made it through six innings for the first time with Potomac, but the lefty issued a two-out walk to SS Reed Harper in the sixth. LHP Matthew Spann came in and got LF Joseph Daris to fly out to centerfield, as Crownover ended up with another no-decision.
Potomac took its second lead of the night in the bottom of the sixth. 1B Jose Marmolejos led off the inning with a walk, and after Withrow retired the next two Potomac hitters, Vettleson gave the P-Nats the lead with an RBI single.
Both sides scored a run due to an error by the opposition in the seventh, as the Mudcats tied the game on a two-out RBI double by Tejeda in the top of the inning, while the P-Nats took their third lead of the game on a two-out RBI single by Schrock in the bottom of the frame. An error by SS Bryan Mejia led to Carolina’s run, while an error by 3B Jordan Edgerton led to the Potomac run. The Mudcats committed six errors in the game, the most by a team against Potomac in 2016. The P-Nats added another unearned run in the eighth, as DH Alec Kellerreached on an error by Tejeda and scored on a single by Mejia. Mejia’s single extended his on-base streak to 12 games.
Up 5-3 entering the ninth, Potomac turned to Orlan. The Potomac closer gave up back-to-back singles to Daris and RF Erison Mendez before CF Keith Curcio grounded into a fielder’s choice. With men on the corners, Braxton Davidson pinch hit for 2B Omar Obregon and drew a walk, which loaded the bases. Tejeda’s sacrifice fly made it 5-4, while Giardina provided the eventual game-winning hit with a two-strike, two-run double to centerfield.
RHP Taylor Lewis (W, 2-1), who allowed an unearned run in each of his two innings of work, was the beneficiary of Carolina’s comeback win. RHP Sean McLaughlin (SV, 5) retired the P-Nats in order in the ninth.
Schrock had his 10th multi-hit game in his first 12 starts, while Potomac lost for the first time this season when leading after eight innings. The P-Nats stole five bases, two by Vettleson, two by Keller, and one by Robles, one shy of the team’s season high.
Off of a tough defeat, the P-Nats look to RHP Whit Mayberry (1-0, 2.25) Sunday night. Mayberry has back-to-back quality starts and allowed just one run over six innings in a win over Wilmington earlier on the homestand. First pitch is set for 6:05pm Sunday night at Pfitzner Stadium.
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