CarL1 Frederick Keys

Kemp Gives Keys Sixth Walk-Off Win of Season

July 20, 2015 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Frederick Keys News Release


FREDERICK, Md.-Jeff Kemp lifted the Frederick Keys to their sixth walk-off win of the season thanks to a two-run, two-out single as the orange and black defeated the Potomac Nationals 6-5 on Monday night at Nymeo Field. In the process, the Keys earned their first home series win since May 17 and moved past .500 (13-12) for the first time in the second-half. On Tuesday, the club will try for its second series sweep of the year.

In a game that saw the lead change hands five times in the last four innings, Frederick had the final say in the home ninth. Opening the inning on the mound, Justin Thomas plunked Tad Gold with the first pitch of the frame and would be removed for Manny Rodriguez. Having thrown only two wild pitches in his previous 11 games, the right-hander threw consecutive wild pitches with Tanner Witt at-bat to move the tying run 90 feet from home.

Witt earned a walk, but Rodriguez (1-2) bounced back to strike out Jay Gonzalez and Josh Hart. That sent up Chance Sisco who also picked up a free ticket to load the bases for Kemp. After taking the 0-1 pitch from Rodriguez, the former Radford star stroked the next offering to center to give the club its first walk-off win since May 6.

John Wooten temporarily gave Potomac the lead in the eighth inning, after the Keys posted two runs in the seventh. Following a one-out fielder's choice, Stephen Perez singled and Grant DeBruin walked to load the bases against Jon Keller. Needing just one more out, the right-hander jumped ahead against Wooten 1-2, but the Potomac five-hole batter chipped a single to center to give the P-Nats their last advantage of the evening.

The lead would be exchanged in the seventh, as singles by Wynston Sawyer and Conor Bierfeldt plated two runners in scoring position. Those runs came on the heels of a three-run Potomac seventh highlighted by a solo home run from Drew Ward and an RBI single by infield single by Estarlin Martinez. The base knock scored Khayyan Norfork who reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. The wild pitch also allowed DeBruin to score.

Neither side got on the board until the sixth, as starting pitchers Luis Gonzalez and Matt Purke combined on five innings of scoreless baseball to open things up. Frederick cracked the board in the sixth though against Brian Dupra. After a two-out double by Witt, Gonzalez smacked an RBI single, while Hart drove home his teammate with a double to center.

Dylan Rheault (2-2) picked up the win for the Keys tossing a scoreless ninth inning. Rodriguez suffered the loss for Potomac as well as his first blown save. Pitching two-thirds of an inning, he gave up a run on a hit, walked two and struck out two.

The Keys and the Nationals conclude their three-game series on Tuesday afternoon. Left-hander Mitch Horacek (6-9, 4.30) makes the start for the orange and black and will be opposed by P-Nats right-hander John Simms (5-6, 3.01). First pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m and the broadcast can be heard on 1450 AM The Source and frederickkeys.com. It is Super Splash Day at Nymeo Field, and the Giant Eagle Fun Zone will be turned into a water park, complete with the Big Kahuna Water Slide. For tickets, fans can contact the Keys at 301-815-9939 or visit frederickkeys.com.

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Carolina League Stories from July 20, 2015


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