Behind a three-run fourth inning and a sparkling start on the mound from RHP Kyle Johnston (W, 4-4), the Potomac Nationals (15-23) earned a four-game series split with the Down East Wood Ducks (29-12) on Thursday night with a 4-0 win. Johnston tallied his third consecutive quality start, while Potomac handed the Wood Ducks just their third road loss in 21 road games in 2019.
Johnston and RHP Jason Bahr (L, 2-1) traded zeroes over the first three innings. Bahr didn’t allow a baserunner over the first third of the game, while Johnston didn’t see a man reach scoring position against him until the fourth inning.
Potomac took advantage from some sloppiness from the league’s top ranked defense in the three-run fourth inning. A throwing error by 2B Yonny Hernandez started the frame, while a bunt single from 2B Cole Freeman put two men on base with no outs. 1B Aldrem Corredor followed with an RBI single to left field, while Down East LF Eric Jenkins whiffed on his attempt to scoop the ball off the grass. The error on Jenkins plated Freeman, as two runs scored on Corredor’s single. DH KJ Harrison followed with an RBI double, which made it 3-0 Potomac. Bahr was charged with just one earned run over five innings in the loss.
The Wood Ducks got their first hit on a one-out double from 3B Diosbel Arias in the fourth inning, but Johnston then retired the next nine Down East batters and faced the minimum over the remainder of his seven-inning performance. Johnston became the first Potomac pitcher to pitch more than six innings over the team’s first 38 games.
Out of the Potomac bullpen, RHP Jeremy McKinney worked around a leadoff HBP in a scoreless eighth inning, while the P-Nats added an insurance run on an RBI single from Corredor in the home half of the inning. RHP Jhonatan German worked a scoreless ninth inning and closed out Potomac’s 4-0 win.
Off of a series split over the top team in the Carolina League’s Southern Division, the P-Nats will welcome in the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Kansas City Royals), the top team in the Northern Division for a four-game series over the next three days. The teams will play a single game on Friday, a doubleheader on Saturday (5:00pm), and a single game on Sunday (1:05pm).
First pitch at Northwest Federal Field on Friday 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.
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