Potomac split a pair of games with the Salem Red Sox on Thursday, losing the rain-suspended game from last night 5-3 in 10 innings before winning the nightcap 8-0.
Despite the series finale win, Potomac dropped the series at home for the first time since April 13-15.
Game 1: Salem 5, Potomac 3 (10)
Nearly 18 hours after the game was suspended last night, the Sox and P-Nats resumed Game 2 of the series in the bottom of the 9th with the game tied 3-3. Salem emerged victorious with two runs in the top of the 10th to secure the victory 5-3.
Potomac had an excellent chance to walk off with a win in the ninth, but Adrian Sanchez hit into a 5-3 double play with the winning run at third base.
Xander Bogaerts delivered for Salem in the top of the 10th inning. With Heiker Meneses and Brandon Jacobs on the base paths, Bogaerts lined a two-run double to right-center field to give Salem their first lead of the game at 5-3.
Will Latimer (1-0) pitched the ninth and tenth for his first win of the year while Adam Olbrychowski (4-10) took the loss allowing both runs in the top of the tenth.
Game 2: Potomac 8, Salem 0
In Game 2 of the night, Nathan Karns continued his dominance throwing five scoreless innings as the Nationals salvaged the series finale winning 8-0 over the Sox. The shutout was the sixth of the year for the Nationals.
Karns (8-2) has now won eight of his last nine starts and has allowed just one run in his last 28.1 innings. In his five scoreless frames tonight, he scattered three hits and three walks while striking out six batters.
Like the suspended game from last night, Potomac struck for three runs in the first inning. Ricky Hague singled home the first run of the night and after a sacrifice fly by Jason Martinson, J.P. Ramirez lined a single down the right field line to boost the P-Nats lead to 3-0.
The P-Nats added another run in the fourth inning. J.P Ramirez singled with one out and came in to score on a double by Stephen King to make it 4-0 Nationals.
Miguel Celestino (7-7) recovered nicely after the first inning but was handed the loss for Salem. He went the first six innings allowing four earned runs on eight hits.
Potomac put the game out of reach in the eighth inning. After Sanchez and Hague reached to start the inning, Kevin Keyes hit his team-best 16th home run of the season to push the lead to 7-0. Later in the inning, Blake Kelso doubled home Martinson to make it 8-0.
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Chris Graham
