CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Early offense helps Pelicans pull even

Published on September 9, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, S.C..- A night after suffering their worst loss of the season, 15-0, in Game 1 of the Mills Cup Finals, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans responded by slugging two early home runs and holding on late to win Game 2 6-4 and even the series 1-1.

The Potomac Nationals had not trailed in their first four postseason games until Travis Jones belted a three-run homer off of starter Jeff Mandel (0-1) in the bottom of the second inning.

The Pelicans added to the lead as Ernesto Mejia took Mandel deep with one out in the bottom of the third putting the Nationals in a 4-0 hole.

After walking Brandon Hicks to start the bottom of the fourth, it looked like Mandel was going to be to finally work a scoreless inning as he bounced back to strike out Jason Heyward and retire Concepcion Rodriguez. Gorkys Hernandez then hit a high chopper to third that Stephen King couldn't field cleanly putting runners at the corners after the infield single. Mandel followed by inducing a fly ball to center field off of the bat Willie Cabrera that Francisco Plasencia appeared to have been in position for, but the 24-year-old simply missed the ball allowing two more runs to score giving the Pelicans a 6-0 advantage.

It turned out to be the winning margin as the P-Nats battled back against the Myrtle Beach bullpen after being shutout by starter Carlos Rivas (1-1) for six innings. Michael Martinez hit a one-out, two-run single to center field with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning off of reliever Craig Kimbrel to get Potomac on the board 6-2. After walking Andrew Lefave, Kimbrel was pulled in favor of Nick Fellman who got Dee Brown to fly out to right field for the second out of the inning, but it scored Dan Lyons from third making a 6-3 game.

Jhonatan Solano got to Fellman in the top of the eighth after the right-hander struck out the first two batters in the inning by cranking a solo homer into the left field bleachers narrowing the gap to 6-4.

Ferdin Tejeda came on for the Pelicans in the ninth and after issuing a two-out walk to Lefave, got Brown to hit a looping liner to second to end the contest and seal Myrtle Beach's 6-4 win.

Mandel last just 3 2/3 innings in his postseason debut allowing all six Myrtle Beach runs, four earned, on five hits while striking out four and walking two. One of the bright spots in the loss was the continued excellence of the bullpen as three Potomac relievers combined on 4 1/3 scoreless innings of work keeping the game within reach. The Nationals relief corps has allowed just one run in 21 1/3 innings in postseason play.

The Mills Cup Finals will return to Pfitzner Stadium for the first time since 1989 on Thursday, September 11, with Game 3 of the best-of-five series beginning at 7:05 p.m. Left-hander Ross Detwiler (1-0) gets the start opposite right-hander Ryne Reynoso (1-0).

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Carolina League Stories from September 9, 2008


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