CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Potomac Nationals Game Notes

Published on July 5, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


POTOMAC NATIONALS (10-5, 52-33) VS. SALEM AVALANCHE (4-11, 34-51)

RHP RYAN WAGNER (0-0, 0.00)/RHP LUIS ATILANO (0-0, 2.03) VS. LHP SERGIO SEVERINO (0-1, 9.27)

July 5, 2008 -- 6:35 p.m.

G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium

Game #86/Home #45

Internet Webcast -- www.potomacnationals.com

TONIGHT: The Potomac Nationals and Salem Avalanche meet in the first game of a three-game series...The P-Nats scored three runs in the sixth inning to win the series finale against Myrtle Beach 6-3....Potomac's lead over second-place Lynchburg in the Carolina League Northern Division is 1.0 game.

TONIGHT: The Potomac Nationals send Washington Nationals right-hander Ryan Wagner to the mound on a rehab assignment to start tonight's contest with Salem...He is expected to thrown just one inning...The 25-year-old has not pitched all season after he was placed on the 60-day disabled list in May of 2007 because of SLAP (superior labrum anterior to posterior) repair surgery on his right shoulder...The Texas-native was acquired by the Washington Nationals from the Cincinnati Reds with Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez in exchange for Gary Majewski, Bill Bray, Brendan Harris, Royce Clayton, and Daryl Thompson on July 13, 2006...The right-hander was the first player from the 2003-First-Year-Player Draft to reach the Major Leagues going 2-0 with the Cincinnati Reds in 17 appearances...Wagner becomes the seventh Washington player this season to play with Potomac after Johnny Estrada, Ronnie Belliard, Paul Lo Duca, Shawn Hill, Chad Cordero, and Elijah Dukes all had brief stints with the P-Nats while recovering from injury...Right-hander Luis Atilano will follow Wagner's outing...Also bouncing back from injury, having underwent "Tommy John" surgery in 2006, Atilano is expected to toss four innings or approximately 65 pitches...The 23-year-old got the start on Monday in Kinston and allowed two runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings...The Puerto Rico-native has made one other start with Potomac on June 1 in game two of a doubleheader against Kinston and tossed four scoreless frames...The former 2003 first-round pick is seeking his first win since knocking off Potomac while with Myrtle Beach on July 24, 2006 when he allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

VIEW FROM THE TOP: Today marks the 87th consecutive day the P-Nats have been in or had a share of the division lead since moving to the top spot on April 10...Last season the Nationals spent 31 consecutive days in first from April 5 through May 5...The P-Nats ended the first half in last place, 10 games under .500 and only saw first place for one day, June 21, after May 5.

ROAR FROM THE LYONS DEN: Recently promoted infielder Dan Lyons has hits in each of his first fours starts with the P-Nats...Over his last four contests he is 8-for-16 with a double, two RBI, one run, three walks and two strikeouts...Lyons had a career-night Tuesday night in Kinston going 4-for-4 and reaching base all five times he came to the plate including a double, RBI, and a walk...The 23-year-old previously had two three-hit performances in Low-A Hagerstown...Lyons was a 14th-round selection in the 2007 draft out of the University of Minnesota.

BROOM BAN: With last night's 6-3 win over Myrtle Beach, the Potomac Nationals remain the only club in the eight-team Carolina League not to get swept this season...The P-Nats have single-handedly dished out sweeps to Myrtle Beach, Kinston, Lynchburg, Winston-Salem, and Frederick...Salem just got swept in a three-game set at Lynchburg and Wilmington suffered its first series-sweep to Myrtle Beach May 9-11.

HERE'S JOHNNY!: Washington Nationals catcher Johnny Estrada began a rehab stint with Potomac last night and went 1-for-4 with a RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to drive in the sixth run of the game for the P-Nats...He was also intentionally walked the inning before and struck out in the first...The 32-year-old was placed on the DL on May 9 with ulnar neuritis in his right elbow...The veteran Major Leaguer has played with five clubs in his 12-year career including Philadelphia, Atlanta, Arizona, Milwaukee and Washington...The former 2004 NL All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner was signed by the Nationals as a free agent this past January.

OH THANK '07- THE 2007 DRAFT CLASS' TOP PERFORMERS

Michael Burgess OF 1st Rd.(Sup) .266 BA with 15 HR and 51 RBI through 78G with HAG...SAL All-Star...won HR Derby

Jordan Zimmermann RHP 2nd Rd. 3-1, 1.65 ERA in 5G/4GS with POT...2-2, 4.33 ERA in 10GS with HAR...EL All-Star

Adrian Alaniz RHP 8th Rd. 9-0, 2.62 ERA in 12GS with POT...CL All-Star...0-1, 4.50 ERA in 4GS with HAR

Bill Rhinehart INF 11th Rd. .295 BA with 9 HR and 56 RBI in 65G with HAG...SAL All-Star MVP...now with HAR

Dan Lyons INF 14th Rd. .285 BA with 5 HR and 38 RBI in 76G with HAG...reached base in 7 straight PA with POT

Jeff Mandel RHP 19th Rd. 3-1, 2.97 ERA in 6GS with POT...8 straight starts allowing 2 runs or less 5/14-6/22...3 QS

Aaron Seuss OF 27th Rd. .304 BA with 10 HR and 49 RBI in 71G with HAG...3 2B and HR 1st 4 hits with POT

Martin Beno RHP 36th Rd. 0-0, 2.63 ERA in 13G, 5-5 in SVO w/ POT...0-1, 3.38 ERA in 15G, 6-8 in SVO w/ HAG.

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