Despite getting outscored by only three runs in the series, the Potomac Nationals (59-69, 26-32) were swept by the Salem Red Sox (71-58, 31-29) courtesy of a second straight walk-off.
After 1B Conrad Gregor provided a walk-off single in the 10th inning on Wednesday night, SS Jeremy Rivera connected on a walk-off home run with one out in the ninth inning on Thursday night. Rivera’s second professional home run wrapped up Salem’s third straight one-run victory over the P-Nats.
For the third time in the series, Potomac built an early multi-run lead. CF Daniel Johnson led off the game with a home run, his fifth home run of the season. LHP Kyle Hart (ND) worked around two walks later in the first inning, worked a perfect second frame, but ran into control problems again in the third. DH Jack Sundberg drew a one-out walk in the top of the third, while 1B Austin Davidson followed with a single. 3B David Mastersmade it 2-0 with an RBI double, while C Jakson Reetz built the lead to 3-0 with an RBI groundout.
After two scoreless frames on the mound, LHP Taylor Guilbeau (ND) saw things fall apart in the home half of the third inning. After Guilbeau retired the leadoff man, seven consecutive Salem hitters tallied a hit. Three singles and four straight RBI doubles later, Salem led 5-3. Guilbeau did not allow another run over his five-inning outing, as Potomac held Salem scoreless after the five-run frame until the final batter of the game.
The P-Nats chipped away at the Salem advantage, as they plated a run in the fifth inning against Hart and scored the game-tying run against RHP Harrison Cooney in the seventh. Both times it was Masters, as the Potomac shortstop pulled the P-Nats within one run with a two-out RBI double in the fifth inning, and tied the game with a two-out RBI single in the seventh. Potomac had just two hits in nine tries with RISP, both hits came from Masters.
Out of the Potomac bullpen, RHP Ronald Pena tossed three shutout frames. Pena worked out of a jam in the seventh inning, and then escaped a bases loaded situation in the eighth. LHP Daniel McGrath (W, 4-8) entered for Cooney to begin the eighth inning. McGrath gave up a leadoff single to 2B Jake Noll, but immediately picked him off as part of a scoreless eighth inning. In the ninth, Sundberg and Davidson had consecutive two-out singles, but Masters flied out to centerfield to end the frame.
Tied heading into the bottom of the ninth, the P-Nats called upon RHP Gilberto Mendez (L, 3-4). Mendez quickly retired LF Mike Meyers for the first out of the inning, but Rivera followed with a looping fly ball that barely cleared the right field wall for a walk-off home run. Mendez has now allowed at least one earned run in four straight outings, with losses in two of those appearances.
With the sweep at the hands of Salem, the P-Nats now sit four games back of the Red Sox for a playoff spot with 12 games remaining. Potomac is three games back of the Frederick Keys, though Potomac and the Keys will face off in nine of the final 12 games of the season.
Potomac is set for a doubleheader on Friday night, as the Keys come to town for five games in a three-day period. In the opener of the series, RHP Sterling Sharp (2-1, 6.43) is set to toss for Potomac. Frederick is slated to start RHP Cristian Alvarado (6-9, 5.49) in game one of the doubleheader. In game two, RHP Jefry Rodriguez (3-2, 3.35) is set to pitch for Potomac, while Frederick’s starter is still TBD.
Washington Nationals OF Jayson Werth and SS Trea Turner are expected to be with the team as part of their rehabilitation assignment.
First pitch on Friday is set for 5:00pm. The Potomac broadcast will get underway at 4:45pm with the P-Nats Leadoff Show. You can listen to the Potomac broadcast at potomacnationals.com or on the TuneIn Radio App.
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Chris Graham
