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CarL1 Potomac Nationals

P-Nats tripped up in opener with P-Cans

August 24, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, SC- With their ace on the hill against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in the opener of a four-game series from BB&T Coastal Field, the Potomac Nationals felt pretty good about their chances against the reigning Southern Division Champions. Unfortunately for the P-Nats, the Pelicans are also fighting for their playoff lives and came out swinging on Monday as the Nats dropped game one to the Pelicans 5-3.

Tom Milone came into the contest as one of the best starting pitchers in the Carolina League. He owned an ERA of just 0.74 in the month of August and had won his last five starts on the hill, as well as seven of his last eight decisions. Just one of three pitchers in the league with double-digit wins, Milone had solidified his spot as one of the top lefties in the league, but he ran into trouble against the Pelicans on Monday night.

The P-Nats actually took the lead in this ballgame just two batters into the contest as Michael Martinez led off the game with a triple to left-center, one of two he would hit on the night, and he came around to score on an RBI groundout from Danny Espinosa.

Milone (10-5) then went to work with the lead, but Jesus Sucre knotted the game at one with his fourth home run of the season in the second inning, a towering shot that just snuck inside the left-field foul pole. The P-Cans took advantage of the second Potomac error of the game in the third inning, plating three runs to increase their lead to 4-1. Cole Miles led off with a slow ground ball to the right side, advancing to second base when the ball was thrown into the crowd. He came around to score on an RBI single from Donell Linares, and with the bases loaded, it was Sucre once again coming through with a two-run single up the middle to plate the third and fourth runs.

Milone settled down after that, lasting through the fifth and retiring the last five men he faced.

The P-Nats would make a game of it in the fourth when Martinez stepped to the plate with men on second and third and two outs, crushing a hanging breaking ball from reliever Tommy Palica for a three-bagger into the left-centerfield gap once again to plate two. Martinez now leads the team with five triples on the season.

The scoring would mostly cease from there as both bullpens exchanged zeroes for the majority of the rest of the game, the only other run coming on an eighth-inning solo home run from Gerry Rodriguez to make the Pelican lead 5-3. Cory Gearrin came on to close out the game in the ninth, dispatching the P-Nats quickly for his 17th save of the season.

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Carolina League Stories from August 24, 2009


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