CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Potomac Nationals Game Notes

Published on August 28, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


TONIGHT: The Potomac Nationals and Salem Avalanche meet in the finale of a four-game series...The P-Nats dropped their second game of the series and fifth of the homestand last night, falling victim to a three-run fifth inning in a 3-2 Avalanche win...Potomac enters today 2.5 games ahead of Wilmington atop the Carolina League Northern Division.

TONIGHT'S STARTER: The Potomac Nationals send right-hander Erik Arnesen to the mound to trying even the series with the Avalanche...In his last two starts at the Pftiz including his last outing, Arnesen has allowed 11 runs on 14 hits including five homers in losses to Frederick and Lynchburg (9.90 ERA)...The 24-year-old was brilliant against Myrtle Beach on August 17, firing 6 2/3 scoreless innings and combining on a seven-hit shutout of the Pelicans in a 3-0 win...It his first shutout since August 14, 2006, when he helped blank the State College Spikes while with the Vermont Lake Monsters...Prior to his start against the Pelicans, he had allowed 11 runs, all earned, on 13 hits in 12 innings (8.25 ERA) spanning two starts...In Arnesen's first two starts with the P-Nats, he allowed a combined four runs, two earned, in 12 2/3 innings against Wilmington and Winston-Salem (1.42 ERA)...Prior to joining Potomac on July 28, the Princeton, New Jersey, native appeared in 25 games including seven starts with the Low-A Hagerstown Suns...Arnesen went 5-2 with a 5.01 ERA in 18 relief appearances and posted a 1-2 record with a 2.90 ERA in his seven starts...He struck out 40 and walked just eight batters in 40 1/3 innings while a member of the Suns rotation.

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 19-20 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 28-31...Meanwhile, against the other four teams in the league, the Nationals are 48-28.

HELLISH HOMESTAND: The Potomac Nationals are currently just 1-5 on the final seven-game homestand of the regular season...The offense has especially struggled against Lynchburg and Salem, combining to hit just .224 (44-for-196) during the first six games...The club has been outscored 30-25 and is averaging a little more than four runs per contest...The P-Nats have struck out 38 times and walked just 12...Meanwhile, the Cats and Avs have hit a combined .272 (55-for-202) against Potomac pitching.

LEFAVE LASHES OUT: Andrew Lefave has hits in each of his last six contests after going 1-3 last night...During the streak, the 24-year-old is 9-for-23 (.391) with four doubles, five RBI, and eight runs scored...In 22 August games, the Washington state native is batting .282 (22-for-78) with six doubles, a triple, a homer, and a team-leading 19 RBI...Since coming down from Double-A Harrisburg on June 30, Lefave has walked (38) more times than he has struck out (33) in 172 at-bats (49 G).

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 28, 2008


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