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CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Potomac Nationals Game Notes vs. Myrtle Beach

July 30, 2014 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


P-NATS LAST TIME OUT...The Potomac Nationals (58-48, 20-17) dropped game two of a three game series against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (65-43, 21-19) by an 8-6 count on Tuesday night. The Pelicans struck first in the top of the first inning with three straight hits from LF Chris Garia, C Jorge Alfaro and DH Preston Beck to take a 2-0 lead. The P-Nats countered in the bottom of the inning when 1B Shawn Pleffner drove in DH Tony Renda with a sacrifice fly. Potomac tied the game up in the second on a Garia error in left field. Garia dropped a lazy fly ball in the corner, and 2B Khayyan Norfork scored all the way from first base with two outs. The Pelicans scrounged up single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a 5-2 lead. CF Lewis Brinson knocked in Alfaro in the third and fifth, and Garia scored 2B Christopher Bostick with a single in the fourth. In a 5-3 game in the seventh inning, Myrtle Beach added three important insurance runs off RHP Richie Mirowski. All three runs came unearned after a throwing error by SS Stephen Perez that put Alfaro on base. Alfaro would score his fourth run of the game in the frame on a Brinson fielder's choice. Two more runs came across when Bostick laced a triple to the right-center field gap. The P-Nats were not done, however, as they grabbed all three runs back in the eighth. Five consecutive hits off Pelicans' LHP Cody Ege made it an 8-6 game. The Nats couldn't muster up any more offense as they were stymied by RHP Abel De Los Santos in the eighth and RHP Jose LeClerc (Sv, 12) in the ninth. Potomac had the tying run to the plate in the ninth with one out, but LeClerc fanned RF Brandon Miller and got 3B John Wooten to fly out to end the game. Pelicans' starter LHP Luis Parra (W, 8-6) picked up the win while P-Nats starter LHP Matthew Spann (L, 7-5) took the loss.

STREAKY STRETCH...The P-Nats have been a streaky club of late. After being swept by the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Kansas City Royals) from 7/16 to 7/18 at home in a four-game set, the Nationals went on the road and broomed the Salem Red Sox (Boston) in three straight contests. Potomac avoided a three-game series sweep in Winston-Salem vs. the Dash (Chicago White Sox) with an 11-inning 9-6 victory on 7/24. The red, white, and blue then took three straight games from the Carolina Mudcats 7/25 to 7/27 and are now in danger of being swept by the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Texas Rangers) after dropping the first two games in this current three-gamer. The Nationals have swept the opposition six times in 2014 and have been swept once this season.

ENCARNACION COMING OFF "W"...Nationals RHP Pedro Encarnacion got the win on 7/26 coming out of the bullpen. Despite surrendering the lead in the 9th, Encarnacion allowed just one earned run in 3.0 relief innings on five hits and two walks while fanning a trio. The Nationals earned a walk-off win when 3B Oscar Tejeda blasted a solo home run off the video board.

TIGHT GAMES...The P-Nats are (25-10) in one-run games this season, which serves as the best winning percentage (.714)in those situations amidst the eight-club Carolina League. Potomac beat Carolina 6-5 in 11 innings on 7/27 (last one-run game).

SEVERINO IS SCORCHING...Potomac C Pedro Severino is batting .458 (11-for-24) in his last seven games with five runsscored, two home runs, and three RBIs. Severino is rated as the #1 defensive catcher in the Nats' system by Baseball America.

BALLOU MAKING MOVES...Potomac OF Isaac Ballou, who was promoted in advance of this current six-game homestand, owns a four-game hitting streak (5-for-19) to begin his Nationals career. Ballou has scored one run, doubled twice, and driven in a trio of runs. The former member of the Marshall Thundering Herd has served as Tripp Keister's leadoff man in all games.

TEJEDA RECEIVES LATEST LEAGUE HITTING HONOR...Nationals 3B/DH Oscar Tejeda was awarded as the Carolina League Player of the Week for the period of July 21-27. Tejeda is the third P-Nat to garner a Player of the Week award in the month of July after RHP Austin Voth took the honor on the pitcher's side two weeks in a row. Tejeda hit .437 (14-32) over his award-winning week with six runs, seven RBIs, four doubles and two homers. His two home runs came on Sunday night against Carolina including the P-Nats first walk-off shot of the year. Tejeda was the first Nationals player to take two balls out of the yard in the same contest in 2014. He also blasted a pair of home runs on the Saturday and Sunday before the beginning of the new award week in Salem, VA. Tejeda was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg immediately following his two-homer night. He and Voth are both Senators now after winning their respective awards.

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