CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Potomac Nationals Game Notes

Published on August 27, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


TONIGHT: The Potomac Nationals and Salem Avalanche meet in game three of a four-game series...The P-Nats fell in game two of the series with the Avalanche 4-2 as Salem plated three unearned runs...Potomac enters today 3.5 games ahead of Wilmington atop the Carolina League Northern Division.

TONIGHT'S STARTER: The Potomac Nationals send right-hander Luis Atilano to the mound to making his second start since being placed on the DL on August 14 with tightness in his right shoulder...The last time he took the hill on Friday night, Atilano allowed just one run on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks in a five-inning no decision against Lynchburg...The 23-year-old had a personal four-game winning streak snapped with a 5-1 loss to Winston-Salem on August 1...He allowed four runs in the contest, all unearned, in a disastrous fifth inning...Prior to that outing, the Puerto Rican gave up just four runs in 20 innings over his four-game winning streak (1.80ERA) allowing just 11 hits while striking out 13 and walking only three...He earned Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing five scoreless innings against both Kinston (7/22) and Frederick (7/27) allowing just one hit in each of those outings...The former supplemental first-round pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2003 (Tom Glavine) was traded to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Daryle Ward on August 31, 2006, 21 days after he underwent "Tommy John" surgery...Atilano is limited to five innings or 70-75 pitches and will not throw more than 100 innings for the season.

STILL STANDING TALL: The Potomac Nationals have only spent two days were they were not in or had a share of the division lead since moving to the top spot on April 10...Potomac had a string of 91 straight days in first place snapped with a 4-1 loss to Wilmington on July 9...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 second half Northern Division title is at three...Any combination of Potomac wins and Wilmington losses would net the P-Nats the half title...The Nationals are trying to become the first team in the 31-year history of the franchise to win both halves.

LAST LAUGH FOR LAST PLACE: The Potomac Nationals have had trouble with the two teams they're facing during the final seven-game regular season homestand, Lynchburg and Salem...The P-Nats are just 19-19 against the cellar dwellers in the Northern and Southern Divisions...Against the teams with the three worst overall records for the season (Frederick, Salem and Lynchburg), Potomac is a combined 28-30...Meanwhile, against the other four teams in the league, the Nationals are 48-28.

SEUSS ON THE LOOSE: Aaron Seuss has hits in six straight games after going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored...Over that span, the 23-year-old is 11-for-25 (.440) with two doubles, a homer, two RBI, and eight runs scored...He has also struck out just once during the streak...It matches the longest hit streak for the California-native since joining the P-Nats on June 30.

BURGESS IS DA BOMB: Michael Burgess homered for the sixth time in his 14th game as a member of the Potomac Nationals...The 19-year-old slugger is averaging a home run nearly every nine at-bats (6 in 53 ABs)...Burgess homered once every 22 at-bats with Low-A Hagerstown (18 in 401 ABs)...The Florida-native has crushed 24 long balls in his first full season since being selected in the supplemental first round, number 49 overall, in last June's draft...He has hit one more homer than former P-Nat Leonard Davis for the lead among all Washington farmhands.

EYE ON 80: With Monday night's win, the Potomac Nationals passed the 1984 Prince William Pirates for second-most wins in a single season...On August 12 the P-Nats became just the eighth team in the 31-year history of the Alexandria/Prince William/Potomac franchise to win at least 70 games...The last time the franchise netted at least 70 wins was 1998 when it was still known as the Prince William Cannons...The win marked the first time the franchise won 70 games in a season since changing its name to Potomac in 1999...The most wins in a season came in 1982 when the Alexandria Dukes won 80 games.

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Carolina League Stories from August 27, 2008


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