Sox Rally Comes Up a Run Short

The Potomac Nationals survived a furious ninth inning rally by the Salem Red Sox to win 12-11 in a wild game at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia. With the tying run a third, and go ahead run on second, Derek Self struck out Ryan Dent to end the ballgame. Dent had been 5-5 before the at bat.

 

Wander Suero came away with the win, after going three and a third innings, allowing just a run on three hits. Kyle Kraus was credited with the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) and six hits in two and a third innings. Self picked up his third save. Luis Diaz started for the Red Sox, going four and two third innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, walking three and striking out three.

 

A long day of scoring started early in the top of the first. Matty Johnson led of the game for the Sox with a walk. Dent then picked up his first of five hits with a single. They both came home on a triple by Reed Gragnani, who would score himself on a wild pitch by Nats starter Ian Dickson.

 

Down 3-0, the P-Nats would scratch across five over the next two innings to take a 5-3 lead. In the bottom of the first, Randolph Oduber singled and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Oscar Tejeda. Then in the second, a walk, single, and walk off Diaz would load the bases. Tony Renda tripled home all three runs. Later Renda would score on a double by Ryan Zimmerman to make it 5-1 Nationals.

 

The Red Sox would take the lead back in the top of the third. Dent doubled, Gragnani walked, and Kevin Heller was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Carson Blair drove home all three with a double and the Sox went back ahead 6-5.

 

For the Red Sox, Dent, Gragnani, and Blair went a combined 9-13 with five extra base hits, seven runs scored and eight RBIs.

 

The Sox would add a run in the fifth and sixth on RBI hits by Roberson and Gragnani to go up 8-5.

 

The Nationals would claw their way back in it in the sixth off of Kraus. Zimmerman picked up his second RBI of the game on a single, scoring Justin Miller who had doubled. Zimmerman finished 2-4 with 2 RBIs and played seven innings in left field. Later in the frame Shawn Pleffner would single home Tony Renda, who had singled, to cut the lead to 8-7.

 

With Kraus still pitching in the seventh, Cole Leonida hit a solo home run to tie the game at eight. Two batters later, after Will Piwnica-Worms reached on a error, Justin Miller hit his first home run of the year to give the Nationals a 10-8 lead.

 

The P-Nats would extend their lead with two unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs, Pleffner and Khayyan Norfork singled, and Leonida reached on another error. Piwnica-Worms singled home Pleffner and Norfork to give Potomac a 12-8 lead.

 

Derek Self had come on to get the last out of the eight. On the season, Self had only allowed one run and seven hits in 22 innings pitched. To start the ninth, Self surrendered a single to Heller and Blair homered to cut the lead to 12-10. Then with one out, Tim Roberson and pinch hitter Michael Miller both singled. Then after Self got Dreily Guerrero to ground out, Matty Johnson hit a flair infield single behind second, scoring Roberson and cutting the lead to one. Johnson would steal second to set up second and third with two out. On a 3-2 pitch, Self struck out Dent looking to end the game.

 

The teams combined to go 12-27 (.444) with runners in scoring position, while each leaving nine on base.

 

With the loss, Salem has dropped five in a row for only the second time this season. The Red Sox are under .500 (27-28) for just the second time. The last time was April 16th when Salem was 6-7. The Sox try to avoid the sweep tomorrow night at Pfitzner Stadium. Pat Light goes for the Red Sox and John Simms gets the ball for the Nationals. First pitch is at 7:05.