CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Nats Use Ninth to Blast Past Sox

Published on July 26, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


SALEM, Va- In a battle of the two top teams in the Carolina League's second half, the Potomac Nationals and Salem Red Sox battled through three rough-and-tumble ballgames with each team earning a victory in the first two contests. The rubber match saw a bizarre contest where the P-Nats did not record a strikeout, walked double digit Red Sox batters, but used a huge ninth inning rally to overtake the homestanding Red Sox, 6-4.

Adam Carr got the nod on the mound for the P-Nats as the converted reliever looked to continue his hot streak in the starting rotation. Carr had a strange ballgame as the righty tossed four no-hit innings, keeping the Red Sox flustered all day, but walked seven batters in his four innings of work.

The Sox, in fact, did not record a base hit until the sixth inning when Zach Borowiak blooped a single over the head of Danny Espinosa to break up the no-hit bid.

At that time, the P-Nats had a 2-0 lead on the strength of an Espinosa sacrifice fly in the third and a Dan Nelson RBI double in the top of the sixth. Nelson, the number three hitter in the lineup, was just getting revved up for what turned out to be a big day for the utilityman.

An Anthony Rizzo sacrifice fly in the sixth inning off reliever Osvaldo Rodriguez cut the lead in the half at 2-1, and that is where the score would stay until the bottom of the eighth inning.

With two outs and nobody on in the frame, a walk, a hit batsman, and a double by Rizzo knotted the game at two and extra innings were looming for both clubs in the finale from Lewis-Gale Field.

But against a tough customer in Robert Coello (4-3), Devin Ivany answered the bell in a big way. Coello walked the leadoff hitter Tim Pahuta to lead off the ninth, and Ivany followed with his third home run of the season, a titanic blast over the wall in left to re-take the lead for the P-Nats. Nelson tacked on two more with a two-RBI single off Josh Papelbon to push the P-Nat lead to 6-2.

On the day, Nelson went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI, and the Nationals would need every one of the insurance runs they would pick up in the top half of the final frame.

With Dan Leatherman on the hill and runners on second and third, a sacrifice fly from Che-Hsuan Lin made it a 6-3 ballgame and a Daniel Nava double off the wall cut the advantage to 6-4 as the P-Nats had to sweat the final out of the ballgame. With the tying run at the plate, Leatherman (5-0) induced a ground ball from pinch hitter Tim Federowicz to end the contest and give the P-Nats a 6-4 win and a series victory from the Red Sox.

The win gave the Nationals a winning road trip, taking two of three from both the Lynchburg Hillcats and the Red Sox.

It was a strange game, however, where Nationals pitchers walked ten Red Sox hitters, did not strike out a batter, but did not allow a hit until the sixth inning.

The Nationals now return home to begin a seven-game homestand starting Monday evening as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans come to town for a three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 ET and it will be Dollar Monday at Pfitzner Stadium where fans can enjoy grandstand tickets and hot dogs for the low, low price of just one dollar!

For more information on tickets, daily promotions, and all things P-Nats, call (703) 590-2311 or log onto www.potomacnationals.com to join the party!

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Carolina League Stories from July 26, 2009


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