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Potomac Nationals

Potomac Nationals Game Notes

August 14, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


POTOMAC NATIONALS (27-19, 64-49) VS. WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS (29-16, 67-47) LHP Tom Milone (8-4, 3.32) vs. RHP Mario Santiago (6-11, 4.13)

August 14, 2009 -- 7:05 p.m. Judy Johnson Field @ Daniel S. Frawley Stadium - Wilmington, Delaware Game #114/Road #58

TODAY: The Potomac Nationals hit the road and play another important weekend series with plenty of playoff implications when they face the first-place Wilmington Blue Rocks from Judy Johnson Field. This will be the P-Nats 11th straight game against a divisional opponent with the Nationals just 3-7 against playoff contenders Wilmington and Frederick over the past week. The Blue Rocks now lead the Northern Division by 2.5 games over Potomac entering tonight's opener with the P-Nats needing a series win or a sweep to keep their hopes for defending the Mills Cup championship alive.

VS. THE ROCKS: The P-Nats lead this season series 10-7 over the Blue Rocks including six consecutive victories from April 30-June 15. Potomac is still under .500 (4-6) on the year against their division rivals from the comforts of Pfitzner Stadium but have done well in Delaware where the Nationals are 6-1 including four shutouts. The Nationals offense is hitting just .272 against Wilmington and after his huge offensive showing last Saturday against the Rocks, Michael Burgess has driven in 11 runs vs. the Rocks. Danny Espinosa has also done well against the Carolina League's best club hitting at a .311 clip with 3 HR and a team-high 12 RBI. Tom Milone's efforts (6.1IP, 0ER, 6K) in his last start against Wilmington helped Potomac notch their 12th shutout of the season with six of those blankings coming at the expense of the "Blue Crew." The P-Nats pitching staff has posted an ERA of 3.31 in 17 showdowns with Wilmington.

TODAY'S OPPOSING STARTER: RHP Mario Santiago, 24, was selected in the 16th round by the Kansas City Royals in the 2005 amateur player draft out of Laredo Community College (TX). Born in Guayama, Puerto Rico, Santiago has spent parts of five seasons in the Royals organization compiling a career record of 16-29 with a 4.33 ERA in 81G/67GS. He spent the entire 2008 season pitching for the Blue Rocks where he tossed a career-best 141.2 innings and went 8-8 with a 3.43 ERA against Carolina League competition.

Santiago, now 6-11 with a 4.13 ERA this season, has been the victim of the lowest run support of any Rocks starter this season (3.0R/G) The former Carolina League Pitcher of the week has lost six of his last nine decisions including four consecutive defeats from June 15 - July 3 that featured a pair of losses against the P-Nats. In four starts against Potomac, the Puerto Rico native is 1-3 with a 3.52 ERA with a 21/5 strikeout-to-walk ratio against the defending champs. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits in 5.0 innings in his last appearance against the P-Nats lineup on June 27 and took a tough luck loss against Terrence Engles who won his first career game in a Potomac uniform.

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