Offense Goes Quiet in 3-1 Loss to Down East

Woodbridge, VA-A night after a wild walk-off win, the Potomac Nationals (14-22) mustered very little offense in a 3-1 loss to the league-best Down East Wood Ducks (28-11). Down East scored in the opening inning and never relinquished the lead. The Wood Ducks improved to a league-best 17-2 on the road with the win.
For the second straight night, 2B Yonny Hernandez led off the game with a walk for Down East. Unlike on Monday night when the Wood Ducks failed to score in the first inning, they pushed Hernandez across the plate on Tuesday night. On the mound for Potomac, RHP Andrew Lee (L, 1-2) saw 3B Anderson Franco follow the walk with an error, while 3B Ryan Dorow drew a one-out walk, which loaded the bases. Lee then brought the run in on his own, as he walked Diosbel Arias with the bases loaded and forced in the game's first run. Despite 35 pitches in the opening frame, Lee helped save the Potomac bullpen with a five-inning performance.

Potomac failed to do anything on offense over the first four innings, as LHP Jake Latz (W, 1-1) faced the minimum over his first four frames despite a hit from C Jakson Reetz in the third inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Wood Ducks expanded their lead to 2-0 with a pair of doubles off of Lee. Arias notched his first hit of the series with a one-out double, while 1B Yohel Pozo extended his hit streak to six games with a two-out RBI double.
The P-Nats scratched their lone run across the plate against Latz in the fifth inning on singles from DH KJ Harrison and RF Nick Banks paired with a throwing error by Latz on a bunt attempt from LF Telmito Agustin . The error on Latz pulled Potomac within a run at 2-1 and put two men in scoring position with no outs in the inning, but the left-handed Down East starter struck out both Reetz and Franco, while CF Armond Upshaw grounded out, which ended the inning.
After two scoreless innings out of the Potomac bullpen for LHP Hayden Howard , Down East plated an insurance run in the eighth inning against RHP Jhonatan German . CF Leody Taveras led off the inning with a triple to the right field wall, while SS Anderson Tejeda plated him with a sacrifice fly.
Out of the Down East bullpen, three pitchers combined for four-shutout innings. RHP Joe Barlow (SV, 3) entered with a runner on base and two outs in the eighth inning and struck out 1B Aldrem Corredor . Barlow then struck out the side in the ninth, as he closed out the Wood Ducks' 3-1 win.
In his first game on rehab assignment from the Washington Nationals, SS Trea Turner went 1-4 with a single and two strikeouts.
With the series knotted at one game apiece, Potomac will send RHP Malvin Pena (2-2, 7.18) to the hill on Wednesday night. In his last start, Pena tallied his first quality start of the season, though he picked up the loss in a six-inning performance against the Frederick Keys. RHP Reid Anderson (2-0, 2.05) is scheduled to start for the Wood Ducks. Anderson allowed just one earned run over his first four starts but has allowed three earned runs in each of his last two outings.
                                                                                                                                            
First pitch at Northwest Federal Field on Wednesday 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.
The Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League play at Northwest Federal Field at 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. Sponsorship opportunities for the P-Nats' 2018 season and beyond are available, as well as all-inclusive corporate picnic outings to watch the future stars of the Washington Nationals at The Pfitz. 2018 Potomac Nationals season tickets and mini plans are now on sale. For more information on Potomac Nationals 2018 season tickets, mini plans, group outings, picnic packages, fundraisers, and all things Red, White, and Blue, visit the P-Nats online at www.potomacnationals.com, follow the P-Nats on Facebook (@PotomacNationals), Twitter (@PNats42), and Instagram (@pnats42), or call the Potomac Nationals' Extreme Custom Collision Ticket Office at 703-590-2311.
                                                                                             
-- Potomac Nationals --