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Potomac Nationals

Potomac Nationals 2016 Game Notes

July 9, 2016 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


LAST TIME OUT...For the first time in nearly a month, RHP Erick Fedde (W, 5-3) did not have his start affected by rain, as he dealt six innings of one-run baseball in a 5-1 victory for the Potomac Nationals (45-37, 11-3) over the Carolina Mudcats (35-51, 6-10). 2B Max Schrock extended his hit streak to 11 games with his ninth multi-hit night, and CF Victor Robles reached base four times and had two RBIs in the Potomac win. With the Mudcats in town for the first time since mid-May, Potomac got off to an early lead and went wire-to- wire in the first game of the four game series. RHP Enderson Franco (L, 5-6) issued a leadoff four-pitch walk to Robles in the bottom of the first inning, and the Potomac centerfielder scored three batters later on an RBI triple by 1B Jose Marmolejos, Marmolejos' league- leading 42nd extra base hit. The P-Nats then loaded the bases with one out in the second inning on two singles and a walk, and despite a 1-2 count, Franco hit Robles in the left arm, which plated LF Alec Keller and made it 2-0. It was the first of three HBP's for Robles on the night. Fedde, who tossed just one inning in his last start due to a rain delay, appeared dialed in from the get-go, as he retired the first six Carolina hitters that he faced, three via a strikeout. The right-handed starter allowed just three hits and walked only one. The lone run he allowed came in the fourth, as RF Braxton Davidson led off the frame with a solo home run. Fedde retired the final five hitters that he faced and the last three via the strikeout. The righty struck out eight over six innings. Potomac added a run in the sixth inning, as Schrock's two-out RBI single plated 3B Bryan Mejia. Mejia had three hits and scored twice in the win, while Schrock put the game to rest with another two-out RBI hit in the eighth. The P-Nats turned the game over to the bullpen after the sixth inning, as RHP Tommy Peterson struck out two in a perfect seventh inning. LHP Justin Thomas (SV, 3) allowed just a two-out single in the ninth, as the Potomac pen retired nine of the 10 Carolina hitters that came to the plate over the final three innings. Up 3-1 entering the eighth, Potomac plated a pair against LHP Michael O'Neal in their final trip to the plate. Mejia doubled with one out, while DH Austin Davidson, in his Potomac debut, drew a walk. After Mejia stole third base, he scored on a sacrifice fly by Robles, while Schrock plated Davidson with a two-out RBI double. The second baseman's second hit of the night made it 5-1 Potomac, as Thomas tossed a scoreless ninth and secured Potomac's fourth straight win.

FEASTING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE...Potomac's longest homestand of the season features the bottom two teams in the standings in the Carolina League. With a third of the P-Nats' wins in the first half coming against the Wilmington Blue Rocks, the success has continued in the second half. Despite a 12-1 loss in the series opener vs. the Blue Rocks, Potomac picked up a win in the next three games and improved to 14-4 vs. Wilmington. Potomac won the final three games of the series by a combined 21 runs and kept Wilmington in the basement of the Northern Division. The back half of the homestand features a four-game series vs. the last place Carolina Mudcats of the Southern Division. Though the P-Nats split the first half season series with Carolina, with each team tallying a series victory at their home ballpark, Potomac took the opener Friday night 5-1 and has now outscored the opponent 31-6 over the current four-game win streak.

WHAT'S WITH ALL THE WEATHER...Potomac had a league high eight doubleheaders in the first half of the 2016. The P-Nats went 9- 7 in their 16 games in their twin bills. Potomac also had two games cancelled, one vs. Wilmington on May 1st and one at Salem on June 15th . In addition, Potomac lost an off day and played a make up game vs. Lynchburg on May 9th . Potomac swept a doubleheader in Wilmington 4-3 and 4-0 on 4/21, swept a doubleheader in Carolina with two shutouts, 3-0 and 2-0 on 5/18, split a doubleheader in Frederick on 5/23 with a 1-0 loss and a 2-0 win, doubled up with a pair of wins at home vs. Frederick 6-5 and 9-2 on 6/2, fell 3-4 twice in Myrtle Beach on 6/7, got shut out twice in Frederick on 6/11 2-0 and 3-0, swept Myrtle Beach in a pair at home on 6/17 4-2 and 4-3, and got swept the next day in a twin bill 2-1 and 4-0. Carolina also played eight doubleheaders in the first half, but went 4-12, while Potomac's nine wins in doubleheaders is two more than any other team in the league. POT got rained out of the second half opener and already has a doubleheader scheduled in LYN for August 2nd, then rained out on 6/28 vs. WS, which will be made up as a doubleheader on July 23rd . The P-Nats had the finale on 7/3 @ MB delayed 90 minutes due to rain after the first inning, then had rain throughout much of the night on July 4th at home vs. Wilmington.

SCHROCK'S SPECTACULAR START...Despite being the third youngest position player on the Potomac roster, 2B Max Schrock has played like a longtime veteran since his call up from Single-A Hagerstown. Schrock has tallied a hit in each of his 11 starts and has multiple hits in nine of those games. In less than two weeks, Schrock has three game-winning hits, including a walk-off single vs.

Winston-Salem in the 11th inning on June 29th and a walk-off home run in the 10th inning on July 7th vs. Wilmington. In between, Schrock had the game-winning hit in the 10th inning on June 30th in Myrtle Beach. Each of Potomac's last three extra innings victories has come on a hit by Schrock.

ONE RUN SUCCESS...Potomac has recently had very good success in close games. The P-Nats are 11-10 overall in one-run affairs, the second best win percentage in the Carolina League, but even more impressive, Potomac has won its past five one-run matchups.

The P-Nats are 4-0 in one-run games in the second half, which includes three walk-off wins. Potomac picked up a 3-2 win in 12 innings in Lynchburg on 6/25, walked off with a 3-2 win in 11 innings vs. Winston-Salem at 6/29, picked up a 3-2 win in 10 innings in Myrtle Beach on 6/30, and walked-off on a home run in 10 innings vs. Wilmington on 7/6. Potomac has far and away the best record in extra innings in the Carolina League this season, as the club is 10-4. Lynchburg is the closes team at 6-3 in extra innings games, while no other team has more than four wins past the requisite amount of innings.

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