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Potomac Nationals

Potomac Nationals Game Notes

June 6, 2008 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


TONIGHT: The Potomac Nationals and Wilmington Blue Rocks meet in game one of a four-game, three day series...The P-Nats offense exploded last night, blowing the Lynchburg Hillcats 16-2...Potomac‘s lead over second-place Wilmington in the Carolina League Northern Division is 5.0 games.

TONIGHT: The Potomac Nationals send right-hander Craig Stammen to the mound looking to bounce back from a rough start in his last outing against the Kinston Indians...The former Dayton Flyer gave up a season-high six runs (three earned) and eight hits in suffering his second loss of the year, both to the K-Tribe...The 24-year-old was inserted into the starting rotation on May 5 in Myrtle Beach and is 1-2 with a 2.38 ERA in six starts, limiting opponents to just a .210 batting average against him...He posted a 2.25 ERA in six relief appearances including a save and limited the opposition to just a .183 average...Stammen had a career day on Memorial Day, working a career-best eight innings and striking out a career-high 10 batters...Coming into today he ranks second in the Carolina League in ERA among active players and third overall.

VIEW FROM THE TOP: Today marks the 58th consecutive day the P-Nats have been in or had a share of the division lead since moving to the top spot on April 10...Last season the Nationals spent 31 consecutive days in first from April 5 through May 5...The P-Nats ended the first half in last place, 10 games under .500 and only saw first place for one day, June 21, after May 5.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?: The Potomac Nationals magic number to clinch the Northern Division title is seven with 11 games left in the first half...The P-Nats are trying to become the first Washington Nationals affiliate ever to reach the postseason...Last year Potomac became just the second Nationals full-season affiliate to end the year with a winning record (69-68)...It would be the first division title for the Prince William/Potomac franchise since 2004 when the Potomac Cannons won the first half title with a 37-32 record.

LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD: Last night the Potomac Nationals erupted offensively against the Lynchburg Hillcats setting a season in runs (16) and hits (23)...The 14-run margin of victory was also the largest this season eclipsing the previous high of eight...All nine batters in the Potomac order recorded hits for the second time this season as eight of the nine collected multi-hit games including six three-hit performances...The six runs scored in the fourth inning also matched a season high...Of the 23 hits for the P-Nats, 11 went for extra bases including nine doubles and two home runs...The Nationals are now tied with Salem Avalanche for the best team batting average in the Carolina League and have hit the second most home runs as a club (53).

FALSE STARTS: The Potomac Nationals have lost six of their last nine games including a season-high four-game losing streak...In the four losses, the starting pitching had struggled as Jhonny Nunez, Terrence Engles, Ross Detwiler, and Craig Stammen combined to allow 34 runs, 26 earned, on 29 hits in just 19 1/3 innings (12.10 ERA)...The P-Nats pitching staff allowed 50 hits, including a season-high 16 last Wednesday against Lynchburg, over the losing skid and was outscored 38-25.

FAST STARTS: The starters have been exceptional in the last three Potomac wins...P-Nats starters have allowed just two runs on 13 hits in 15 1/3 innings (1.17 ERA)...The Nationals notched back-to-back shutouts on Sunday and Monday, blanking Kinston 4-0 in game two of a doubleheader and edging Lynchburg 1-0 in the series opener in the Hill City.

OUCH!: The Lynchburg Hillcats handed the Potomac Nationals their worst defeat of the season in Tuesday's completed game, dropping the P-Nats 14-3...The Cats owned the previous mark with a 13-5 victory over the P-Nats last Wednesday...The 14 runs scored by Lynchburg were the most against Potomac this season.

LAWHORN ON THE HILL: Infielder Trevor Lawhorn made his mound debut in the suspended contest, working an inning and giving up a two-run homer to Jamie Romak...Prior to his outing with the P-Nats, Lawhorn and worked two scoreless frames with Low-A Hagerstown including collecting his first professional save on May 4 against Greensboro.

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Carolina League Stories from June 6, 2008


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