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Potomac Nationals

[P-Nats Media] Potomac Nationals 2016 Game Notes vs. Myrtle Beach

September 4, 2016 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


Potomac Nationals-WAS (72-64 Overall, 36-31 Home, 36-33 Road, 33-31 S. Div.) VS. Myrtle Beach Pelicans-CHC (81-56 Overall, 40-28 Home, 41-28 Away, 38-29 N. Div.)

Home Game #68 of 69 TODAY'S PITCHING MATCHUP Nationals LHP Matthew Crownover (4-4, 4.27) VS. Pelicans RHP Erick Leal (10-4, 2.98) Pfitzner Stadium (6,000) SAT 9/3/16 6:35 PM

Monday, September 4th VS. MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 1:05 PM POT RHP J.D. Martin (1-2, 5.96) vs. MB TBD Wednesday, September 6th VS. LYNCHBURG HILLCATS TBD POT TBD vs. LYN TBD

LAST TIME OUT...In the longest game of the season for the Potomac Nationals (72-64, 38-30), the visiting Myrtle Beach Pelicans (81-56, 45-22) celebrated a second half Southern Division title with a 5-4 14-inning win at Pfitzner Stadium. On their home soil, the P-Nats stranded eight runners on base in extra innings and left the winning run at third base in three straight frames. It was the second straight one-run loss for Potomac to the Pelicans. The second game of the four-game series between the two squads got off to a disastrous start for LHP Matthew Crownover (ND) and the P-Nats. Crownover, who had given up just two earned runs in total over his past three starts, gave up a single to LF Charcer Burks to open the game and a base hit to CF Donnie Dewees one batter later. With two men on and no outs, 3B David Bote cleared everything in left field, as the third baseman's sixth home run of the season made it 3-0 Myrtle Beach. Crownover settled in after that and struck out five straight in route to a career high nine strikeouts. The left-handed starter retired 16 of the next 17 Myrtle Beach batters after Bote's first inning home run. Potomac clawed its way back into the game with four runs spread over the first four innings against RHP Erick Leal (ND). Leal, who had given up just two total runs in his first three starts vs. Potomac, struggled to command his fastball and had trouble putting hitters away. After 17 strikeouts in his first three starts vs. the P-Nats, all victories, the righty did not strike out a single hitter over four innings. C Raudy Read got Potomac on the board with a two-out RBI double in the first inning, while LF Matt Page made it a one run game with an RBI groundout in the second frame. Down 3-2 after 3.5 innings, the P-Nats' bottom half of the order turned a deficit into a lead. After RF Drew Vettleson grounded out, SS Osvaldo Abreu and 2B Bryan Mejia each singled. Page lined out to centerfield, but with two strikes and two outs, 1B David Masters plated both runners with a double down the left field line. The P-Nats took a 4-3 lead into the fifth inning, their lone lead of the night. A sloppy defensive sixth inning for Potomac allowed the Pelicans to get back into the game and score the final run until the final frame. 3B David Bote singled with one out. After Crownover struck out 1B Yasiel Balaguert, DH Ian Rice singled to centerfield, and a bobble by CF Victor Robles allowed Bote to get to third base. The first error of the year for Robles proved to be costly, as with the tying run at third base, Read failed to handle a pitch up high from Crownover and was charged with a passed ball that allowed Bote to score. The defensive misplays made it 4-4, the score the teams took into extra innings and eventually the 14th frame. After leaving a man in scoring position in the seventh and eighth innings, Potomac went quietly in the ninth and 10th against the Myrtle Beach bullpen. RHP Daniel Lewis entered to pitch the 11th inning and gave up a leadoff single to Vettleson. A sacrifice bunt by Abreu moved Vettleson to second base, while a groundout by Mejia put Vettleson at third base. With the winning run at third, the Pelicans intentionally walked Page, but Masters grounded out to SS Andrew Ely. In the 12th, DH Austin Davidson pinch hit for Dale Carey and walked. 3B Kelvin Gutierrez followed with a walk, and after Read popped out to Bote at third base, both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Myrtle Beach issued an intentional walk to Vettleson, which loaded the bases, but Abreu grounded into a force out at third base to end the inning. Potomac's best chance to win came in the 13th inning, as Mejia led off the frame with a single against Lewis. A successful hit and run put Mejia at third base and Page at first. With men on the corners and no outs, Masters grounded out to Ely, who threw Mejia out at the plate by a good margin. The Pelicans went back to the bullpen, as RHP Scott Effross (W, 1-0) got Robles to fly out. Narciso Mesa pinch ran for Page at second base and promptly stole third base, while Effross walked Davidson, which loaded the bases once again. For the third straight inning, Potomac came up short, as Gutierrez grounded out to Ely to end the frame. In the top of the 14th inning, LHP RC Orlan (L, 5-6) became the fifth pitcher of the night for the P-Nats. C Tyler Pearson, who came in as a defensive replacement in the 10th inning, reached on an infield single to third base to start the frame. A wild pitch by Orlan allowed Pearson to get to second base, while a fly out to right field from Burks got Pearson to third base with one out. With the infield drawn in, Dewees singled sharply through the right side of the infield, which plated Pearson and put the Pelicans on top 5-4. Orlan stranded a man at third base, though the P-Nats went quickly in the bottom of the frame. Read began the bottom of the 14th with a bloop single to centerfield, but after Vettleson struck out, Abreu grounded into a game-ending double play. In a matchup that took 4:42, the two teams left 25 total men on base and went a combined 5-31 with RISP. Myrtle Beach's only hits with a man in scoring position were Bote's first inning home run and Dewees' 14th inning go-ahead RBI single. The Pelicans guaranteed themselves a game one at home in the first round of the Southern Division playoffs vs. the Salem Red Sox with a win, while a loss by the Lynchburg Hillcats dropped Potomac's magic number to host game one of the first round of the Northern Division playoffs to two.

BACK IN THE PLAYOFFS...With Potomac's 11-5 win Wednesday night over the Frederick Keys, the P-Nats earned a spot in the 2016 Carolina League playoffs.

Despite a rocky August and a small surge from the Keys, Potomac still clinched a playoff berth with five games to go. The P-Nats will meet the Lynchburg Hillcats in the first round of the playoffs in a best of three series. Game two will be at Calvin Falwell Field in Lynchburg, as will game three if necessary. If the P-Nats are able to end the second half tied or with a lead in the Northern Division, game one would be at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge. If Lynchburg wins the second half outright, all three potential first round games will be at the home of the Hillcats.

AN ALL-STAR, AGAIN...RHP Ryan Brinley was named to the Carolina League Postseason All-Star team on Saturday. Brinley, a 27th round pick by Washington in the 2015 MLB Draft was a mid-season All-Star as well. Brinley has a 1.53 ERA and 15 saves in 29 outings for Potomac. The Potomac closer is third in the league in saves and second in the Nationals' organization.

POTOMAC'S RECENT POSTSEASON SUCCESS...Despite missing the playoffs in 2015, the P-Nats have now reached the playoffs in six of 12 seasons under the current franchise name. In three of the first five trips to the playoffs, Potomac came away with the Mills Cup Championship. In 2014, the P-Nats beat Lynchburg in two games in the semifinals and took down Myrtle Beach in four games in the finals. In 2010, Potomac defeated the Keys in a best of five series in the semifinals and beat Winston-Salem in four games for the title. In 2008, the P-Nats swept Wilmington in three games and then took down Myrtle Beach in four games in the finals. Potomac also made the playoffs in 2011, but lost in five games to Frederick in the first round. In 2013, the P-Nats took down Lynchburg in the semifinals but was swept by Salem in the Championship matchup.

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