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 Potomac Nationals

Potomac Nationals Game Notes V Down East

April 19, 2017 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


Potomac Nationals-WASHINGTON (6-6 Overall, 0-0 Home, 5-5 N. Div.) vs. Down East Wood Ducks RANGERS (7-6 Overall, 0-0 Road, 3-3 N. Div.)WEDNESDAY, 4/19/17 (10:35 am)

Home Game #7 of 70 TODAY'S PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LHP Hector Silvestre (1-0, 6.30 ) vs. Wood Ducks RHP Pedro Payano (0-0, 2.79) G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium (6,000)

LAST TIME OUT... The P-Nats split the doubleheader with Down East yesterday. Each team registered a shutout in the split with Down East taking the first game 3-0, and Potomac taking the second game 6-0. RHP Luis Reyes surrendered three runs in the first three innings of game one and that was enough for the Wood Ducks to win their first game ever at Pfitzner stadium. DH Jairo Beras and CF Michael O'Neill each drove in a run in Game One and 2B Luis La O crushed a home run in the top of the third. That would be all the runs LHP Joe Palumbo would need. Although Palumbo would leave the game after 4.2 with an apparent arm injury. However, the bullpen would close it down for Down East. The Potomac bats came alive in game two and put up runs consistently against Wood Ducks pitching. C Jake Lowery began it all in the bottom of the second inning. Lowery launched a three-run home run well over the right- field fence to give the P-Nats a lead it would hold throughout the game. The P-Nats added one more in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI bunt single from CF Telmito Agustin. 2B Austin Davidson capped off the scoring with a two-run bases-loaded insurance single to cap off the 6-run performance for Potomac. LHP Matthew Crowonver was magnificent in a spot start for Potomac shutting out the Wood Ducks for five innings, allowing just seven hits and striking out four, earning his second win of the season. Ronald Pena continued his scoreless innings streak with two more innings of shutout baseball out of the pen last night to close out the win.

RETURNING PLAYERS... The P-Nats are returning 13 players from their roster from the 2016 season. The returning pitchers are RHP Dakota Bacus, LHP Matt Crownover, RHP Wirkin Estevez, LHP R.C. Orlan, RHP Luis Reyes, LHP Hector Silvestre, C Jake Lowery, INF Austin Davidson, 3B Kelvin Gutierrez, INF David Masters, INF Bryan Mejia, OF Dale Carey, and OF Victor Robles. Last season, the P-Nats finished in second place in the Northern Division with a record of (73-65). In the final playoff game of the season, Robles started in CF, Davidson at DH, Gutierrez at 3B, Mejia at 2B and Carey in LF. Returning pitchers Matthew Crownover and RC Orlan threw a combined 7.2 innings in the 3-1 loss on September 9th, 2016. Just over half the team has donned the Red, White and Blue in their career and most of these players have played together at some point and continue to move through the rankings together.

INTERNATIONAL FLARE... The P-Nats are proud to boast 10 international players to begin the season, including an all Dominican-born pitching rotation. RHP Luis Reyes (Sabana Grande de Palenque, DR), RHP Joan Baez (San Cristobal, DR), LHP Hector Silvestre (San Pedro De Macoris, DR) and RHP Jefry Rodriguez (Haina, DR) begin the season as the starting rotation for Potomac. Other foreign-born players include RHP Wirkin Estevez (Santo Domingo, DR), 3B Kelvin Gutierrez (Pimentel, DR), 2B Bryan Mejia (Bani, DR), INF Edwin Lora (Santo Domingo, DR), OF Telmito Agustin (Carlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands), and OF Victor Robles (Santo Domingo Este, DR). All international players have signed since 2010 when Washington revamped their international scouting and signings. Estevez's signing in 2010 makes him a pioneer for the Nationals Dominican Academy that has now created an influx of Major League talent from the Dominican Republic. The 2013 international free agent class is the most highly touted on this roster. Robles (#1), Gutierrez (#16), and Agustin (#28) were all signed in 2013 and make up 3/5 of the Baseball America top prospects for the Nationals that begin the season in Woodbridge.

TOP PROSPECTS... Potomac's Opening Day Roster contains five of Baseball America's top prospects in the Nationals organization. OF Victor Robles is the most coveted prospect in the Nationals organization at the moment, and he begins the season with the P-Nats. According to Baseball America, Robles is the top prospect in the Washington system and is ranked in the top 20 overall by every writer in the Prospect Handbook. Robles is a 19-year old prospect who is considered a five-tool player with average-near elite rankings in every skill set. 3B Kelvin Gutierrez is considered the 16th best prospect for the Nationals in 2017. He also is considered to have the best arm in the infield in the entire farm system. INF Edwin Lora (#23), OF Telmito Agustin (#28), and RHP Joan Baez (#29) round out the list for Baseball America top prospects. MLB.com Pipeline also places OF Rhett Wiseman 22nd on their list of top prospects.

GUSHUE IN... Taylor Gushue has been one of the hottest hitters in the entire Carolina League. The switch-hitting catcher has two home runs in each of the past two series. Against Frederick, the University of Florida product went 4-9 (.444) in two games with two home runs (including a GS on 4/10) and 8 RBIs. In the last series against Wilmington he hit two more home runs and finished 3-10 at the plate with four more RBIs. His four home runs and 12 RBIs place him at the top of the league in home runs, RBIs and SLG. This is the 23-year olds first year in the Nationals organization.

DON'T TRIPP... Tripp Keister is three wins away from sole possession of second place for most wins as a Potomac Manager.

Keister currently has 222 and sits in third. Second place currently belongs to Johnny Lippon at 224. Joe Cunningham is the all- time leader in wins for Potomac with 313 wins for The Red, White, and Blue.

DOWN EAST... The Wood Ducks make their debut at Pfitzner Stadium with a doubleheader against Potomac. Down East is one of two new franchises to join the Carolina League in 2017 along with the Buies Creek Astros. The Wood Ducks are the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and are located in Kinston, NC. The team takes over the Rangers affiliation from the High Desert Mavericks, previously of the California league. Professional baseball in Kinston dates back to 1908 and has served as an affiliate for eleven different major league franchises. The Kinston Indians were the last franchise to play in the Carolina League. The team played their final season in 2011. ----1982, 1989, 2008, 2010, 2014 CAROLINA LEAGUE CHAMPIONS--

Upcoming G ames and Pitching Proba bles (Third Ga me of Three -Ga me Se ries) Thursday, April 20th @ LYNCHBURG HILLCATS 6:30 pm Potomac RHP Jefry Rodriguez (0-1, 7.20) vs. Lynchburg RHP Jared Robinson (1-1, 2.00) Friday, April 21st @ LYNCHBURG HILLCATS 6:30 pm Potomac RHP Joan Baez (0-1, 7.88) vs. Lynchburg RHP Shao-Ching Chiang (1-1, 1.46) Saturday, April 22nd @ LYNCHBURG HILLCATS 6:00 pm Potomac RHP Wirkin Estevez (0-1, 6.75) vs. Lynchburg RHP Matt Esparza (1-2, 4.80)

2017 P-Nats by t he Numbers


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