CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Carlton Smith silences Potomac

Published on May 10, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


KINSTON, N.C. - Carlton Smith had never won a game above Low-A entering his start against the Potomac Nationals tonight. That would change as Smith (1-1) and his 6.10 ERA dominated the P-Nats over seven innings helping the Indians defeat the Nationals 3-1 Saturday night at Grainger Stadium.

The Nationals generated no offense against the 22-year-old who used eleven ground ball outs to keep the Nationals bats dormant. Potomac scrapped just three hits off of Smith, who allowed only two runners to reach second base en route to his first victory of the season. Two of the three hits came from Francisco Plasencia, who highlighted the offensive line with a 3-3 night.

Meanwhile, Craig Stammen pitched brilliantly in his second start for the P-Nats throwing a season-high six innings. Stammen struck out three while giving up four hits and one run. The run, which came in the first inning unfortunately cost Stammen a loss. Edgardo Baez lost Adam Davis' line drive in the sun to lead off the game resulting in a double. Beau Mills then knocked in Davis with an RBI single to right field for a 1-0 lead.

Stammen (0-1) put up zeros the rest of the way and really showed his resilience getting out of a major jam in the bottom of the sixth. After walking Jason Denham to load the bases, Stammen induced a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Beau Mills, the 2007 first-round pick of the Indians.

The 1-0 score would hold until the bottom of the seventh when Carlos Martinez took over for Stammen. Martinez entered with a microscopic 0.81 ERA in 10 appearances but struggled. With runners at first and third, Carlos Rivero hit a ground ball to Seth Bynum who came home, but Brian Peacock could not handle the throw as it slipped under his glove and he was charged with an error allowing a run to score. Then, with Niuman Romero at the plate, Martinez threw a wild pitch allowing Nick Weglarz to score all the way from second base and putting the Nationals in a 3-0 hole.

Potomac got on the board in the top of the ninth inning against Sung-Wei Tseng. With two outs, Marvin Lowrance fisted a double down the left field line bringing in Matt Rogelstad. Edgardo Baez came to the plate representing the tying run, but Tseng struck out Baez looking on a fastball to end the threat and the game. Tseng struck out all six Nationals hitters he faced in his two innings of work.

The seven-game road trip for the Nationals concludes tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Right-hander Adrian Alaniz (3-0, 2.61) puts his undefeated record on the line against Jeanmar Gomez (1-4, 5.65).

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Carolina League Stories from May 10, 2008


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