Woodbridge, Va. - The Potomac Nationals singled three times in the ninth inning, but with the bases loaded and one out, Demarcus Evans fanned back-to-back hitters to strand the tying and winning runs on base in a 7-6 win at Pfitzner Stadium.
Woodbridge, Va. - The Potomac Nationals singled three times in the ninth inning, but with the bases loaded and one out, Demarcus Evans fanned back-to-back hitters to strand the tying and winning runs on base in a 7-6 win at Pfitzner Stadium.
Evans (win, 4-0) struck out six in two innings in relief, stranding four runners on base, as the Nationals (14-23) left 11 men aboard despite 14 hits in the ballgame. The Woodies (29-11) improve to a Minor League best 18-2 on the road this season.
Down East opened the ballgame with four runs in the second. Sam Huff doubled to lead off the inning, and then Yohel Pozo reached on an infield single. Tyreque Reed then blasted his fourth home run of the season to put the Woodies in front, 3-0. Julio Pablo Martinez then doubled down the left field line and came into score on a Leody Taveras sac fly, to make it 4-0.
The Nationals would respond in a big way in the third. They scored five runs to take the lead, sending nine men to the plate. With the bases loaded, Aldrem Corredor bounced a chopper down the left field line to plate a pair, and on batter later KJ Harrison blasted a go-ahead homer to left, his second of the year, to make it 5-4 Potomac.
The Woodies evened the score in the fourth against Malvin Pena . Yonny Hernandez bunted for a hit with two out, and then Taveras lifted a fly ball to left that was lost in the sky by Telmito Agustin and it fell in, allowing Hernandez to score from first to make it 5-5. Hernandez extended his on-base streak to 25, the longest active in the Carolina League.
Pena lasted 3.2 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits, he walked three and struck out four.
All of the damage against Woodies starter Reid Anderson came in the third. He ended up working five innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, walked three, and struck out one.
The game would remain tied until the seventh. In the top of the inning Taveras reached on a two-base error by Trea Turner at shortstop. Taveras then moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on groundout to short, where he beat Turner's throw to the plate, putting the Woodies ahead 6-5.
After Joe Kuzia stranded the bases loaded in the sixth with a strikeout and a double play, he again minimized damage in the seventh. Corredor led off the inning with a double, and scored on a Harrison single one batter later, but Harrison was thrown out at home plate to end the inning on a great throw by Hernadez from left, and a better tag from Pozo, following an Osvaldo Abreu single. That kept the game tied at 6-6.
The Woodies would then go ahead in the top of the ninth against Jhon Romero (loss, 2-1). Reed worked a leadoff walk to begin the frame, and was then pinch run for by Eric Jenkins . Jenkins advanced to second on a sac bunt and to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on a Hernandez groundout which bounced off Abreu's glove at third base and went right to Turner, whose only play was at first base.
After working around a two-out walk to strike out the side in the eighth, Evans recorded three more strikeouts in the ninth to strand the bases loaded and preserve the win.
The Woodies go for a series win against the P-Nats tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Jason Bahr (2-0, 2.08) gets the start for Down East, opposed by Potomac righty Kyle Johnston (3-4, 5.87). The broadcast will begin at 6:50 p.m. on 960AM The Bull, and online at 960thebull.com as well as on the MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Radio Apps.
