Late Rally Falls Short for Potomac vs. Frederick
Woodbridge, VA---Potomac (11-17-Overall, 5-9-Home) had the tying run on second base and the winning run on first in the bottom of the ninth but failed to score, falling 8-7 in Game One of the four game series to the Frederick Keys (16-13-Overall, 5-10-Road) on Friday night at Pfitzner Stadium.
The much heralded righty Lucas Giolito (0-0, 10.38) finally made his Carolina League debut in front of a packed Pfitzner Stadium on a sunny Friday evening. The #1 overall prospect in the Nationals organization according to Baseball America got off to a nice start, retiring the Keys in order in the first with a strikeout, throwing 10 pitches and seven for strikes. He allowed his first hit in the second but bounced back to strike out two and hold the Keys scoreless for a second consecutive frame.
Potomac jumped out in front in the bottom of the second against Keys starter LHP Luis Gonzalez (2-2, 5.93) when 3B Drew Ward launched his second home run of the season, a solo drive to straightaway centerfield that gave Potomac a 1-0 lead. 2B Christopher Bostick slapped a single next and after two more singles loaded the bags, SS Stephen Perez knocked in Bostick for a 2-0 advantage.
Giolito came back out for the third inning and the Keys jumped on the Santa Monica, CA native. Three straight Keys singled to begin the inning with 2B Anthony Caronia scoring on LF Tucker Nathans RBI single to make it a 2-1 game. After a walk loaded the bases, reigning Carolina League Player of the Week, 3B Drew Dosch tied the game with an RBI groundout that scored CF Johnny Ruettiger for a 2-2 score. 1B Trey Mancini and DH Adrian Marin both followed with RBI singles and the lead for Frederick was 4-2.
Potomac answered with a lone run off Gonzalez in the third frame when C Spencer Kieboom, who had a three-hit night, smacked his first triple of the season. He came home on 1B John Wooten's RBI groundout that cut the lead to 4-3 Frederick.
Giolito danced through a jam in the fourth inning, stranding two runners on base while holding Dosch hitless in three attempts to end the frame.
The P-Nats tied the game in the fourth when CF Narciso Mesa walked with two outs. Gonzalez was charged with a balk that pushed Mesa to second. He scored on LF Isaac Ballou's RBI single for a 4-4 game.
Giolito gave up a one-out double to RF Brenden Webb and that spelled the end of the night for the righty. He logged 4.1 innings and was hit for five runs (all earned) on eight hits; he walked two and struck out five. Giolito was hung with the loss and fell to 0-1. LHP Justin Thomas came in and Marin greeted him with an RBI single that reclaimed the lead for Frederick 5-4. Marin himself came home to score two batters later on Caronia's RBI double for a 6-4 lead.
Thomas pitched just .2 thirds of an inning, allowing one run on two hits. After a perfect sixth inning from RHP Erik Davis, who is in Potomac on a Major League rehab assignment, the red, white and blue added a run in the bottom of the sixth. Gonzalez pitched five innings for Frederick, he allowed four runs (all earned) on nine hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Gonzalez held on for his second win of the season.
RHP Austin Urban was dinged for the run in the sixth Mesa doubled and Perez drove him in for a 6-5 deficit. Perez went 2-4 with two RBIs and two walks in the losing effort.
LHP Nick Lee emerged from the bullpen for Tripp Keister's Nationals and he allowed two runs over two innings. In the seventh C Austin Wynns singled home Mancini who singled for a 7-5 Keys advantage and in the eighth SS Jeff Kemp doubled home Nathans, who singled before him for an 8-5 lead.
Potomac tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth after a RF Estarlin Martinez triple, Mesa picked up his first sacrifice fly to make it 8-6 ballgame.
RHP Brian Dupra pitched a scoreless ninth and Potomac, with one out got a single from Kieboom, who extended his on-base streak to 15 games. Two batters later the youngster Ward put a ball into the left-centerfield gap for an RBI double that plated Kieboom and made it an 8-7 game. Khayyan Norfork entered as a pinch runner and Bostick walked. Brandon Miller came out to pinch hit with the tying run on second base. He fell behind 0-2 before working the count back to 2-2 against LHP Cody Wheeler, who was in to close out the win for Frederick. Wheeler induced a ground ball from Miller to the shortstop Kemp and that's how the ballgame ended.
Potomac has now lost 12 of their last 15 ballgames and look to garner some momentum with three games to play on the home stand.
In Game Two of the four game set, the Nationals will turn to RHP John Simms (0-2, 12.71), who will face off against RHP Jarrett Miller (1-0, 4.30) for the Keys.
First pitch tomorrow night is at 6:35 with the gates opening at 5:30 and "The P-Nats Lead-Off Show" will kick start the broadcast live from the Brixx Box at 6:20 pm.
Tomorrow night the first 1,000 fans will receive an Anthony Rendon T-shirt courtesy of Little Caesars of Dale City/Woodbridge/Warrenton, it's also Al Pacino night at the ballpark. The players will wear special Al Pacino themed jerseys to be autographed and auctioned off after the game while Al Pacino related trivia will be asked all night. Fans will be treated to a free beer tasting courtesy of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Fireworks will be shot off after the contest thanks to WTOP and Iron Workers Local 5. It's also Garfield High School Fundraiser Night brought to you by Metro Region Reality and Kids Run the Bases thanks to Glory Days Grill.
The Potomac Nationals play at G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia, and are the Carolina League affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Potomac Nationals have claimed five Carolina League Championship titles (1982, 1989, 2008, 2010, and 2014) and nine CL Northern Division Championships. The P-Nats are the defending Carolina League Champions after winning the 2014 Mills Cup Championship Series. Potomac Nationals 2015 season tickets and mini plans are now on sale. Sponsorship opportunities for the 2015 season and beyond are available. Corporate outing reservations for the 2015 season to watch the future stars of the Washington Nationals at The Pfitz may be placed now as the P-Nats offer discounted group rates and all-inclusive picnics. Visit the P-Nats online at www.potomacnationals.com or call the Potomac Nationals Ticket Office at 703-590-2311 for more information!
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