Blue Rocks Roll Over P-Nats 8-3
Rehabbing pitcher Drew Storen made his fourth appearance with the P-Nats. In his first inning of work he struck out three batters and yielded a bunt single in the seventh. In the eighth inning, he gave up a lead-off homer to Angel Franco but was able to get out of the inning striking out two more batters brining his total to five punch outs on the night. It was his first multi-inning outing for the P-Nats.
The Rocks struck first in the first off lefty Robbie Ray. Cheslor Cuthbert scored on a fielding error by Stephen King with two outs to give Wilmington a 1-0 lead.
The biggest inning of the game was the top of the fourth for Wilmington. Matt Fields led off the inning with a a homer -- his second in as many nights against Potomac and his eighth in his last 11 contests. Geulin Beltre knocked an RBI double and Kevin David hit a two-run single to extend the Blue Rocks lead to 5-0.
Ray (4-6) took the loss giving up five runs over four innings with four of the runs earned. He struck out four batters.
The Blue Rocks scored twice in the fifth on a weird play. With runners at first and second, Brett Eibner hit an apparent home run out to left and circled the bases coming home. But it was ruled that Eibner ran passed Lane Adams who was at first base. Eibner was credited with two RBI and a single but was also out as Wilmington's lead grew to 7-0.
The Nationals were finally able to score off of Rocks' hurler Andy Ferguson who was making his Carolina League debut in the sixth. Kevin Keyes led off the inning with a towering homer down the left field line. The next three batters reached loading the bases with no outs for rehabber Xavier Nady who grounded into a 4-6-3 double play scoring a run. Jason Martinson singled home another run and the lead was cut to 7-3 for Wilmington.
Ferguson (1-0) struck out eight batters in the first four innings and ended up yielding three runs over five and two-thirds innings. He earned the win.
The Blue Rocks would go onto add the insurance run off of Storen in the eighth to seal a 8-3 win.
Xavier Nady went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and rolled into two double plays for the Nationals in his fifth game rehabbing.
The Nationals and Blue Rocks continue their series tomorrow night at 7:05 PM in Delaware. LHP Matt Grace (4-8, 6.12) takes the hill for the P-Nats against RHP Jason Adam (1-9, 3.94) of Wilmington. Potomac returns home on Monday, July 16th to start a seven-game home stand against the Lynchburg Hillcats. The Potomac Nationals are celebrating their 35th Anniversary of professional baseball and family fun, for all your ticket needs please visit www.potomacnationals.com.