CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Potomac Nationals Game Notes

Published on September 3, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


POTOMAC NATIONALS (0-0, 79-61) VS. WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS (0-0, 69-71)

RHP LUIS ATILANO (5-2, 2.32) VS. RHP MATT KNIGINYZKY (9-8, 3.57)

September 3, 2008 -- 7:05 p.m.

G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium

Northern Division Championship Series Game #1

Internet Webcast -- www.potomacnationals.com

TONIGHT: The Potomac Nationals and Wilmington Blue Rocks meet in game one of the best-of-five Northern Division Championship Series...The P-Nats rallied for three runs in the ninth inning with two outs to win the regular season finale 9-5 in ten frames.

TONIGHT'S STARTER: The Potomac Nationals send right-hander Luis Atilano to the mound to in game one of the Northern Division Championship Series...In his last outing on August 27, Atilano failed to go his allotted five innings for the first time since June 30 at Kinston and was saddled with the loss after giving up three runs in 4 1/3 innings...Tonight will be his third start since being placed on the DL on August 14 with tightness in his right shoulder...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...After being limited to five innings or 70-75 pitches for most of the season, Atilano will be allowed to go six innings or 85 pitches tonight.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: The Potomac Nationals and Wilmington Blue Rocks meet in the first round of the 2008 Carolina League playoffs...The P-Nats went 13-7 against the Rocks this season, the only Northern Division opponent which they have a winning record against...Potomac outscored Wilmington 114-74 in the series...The Nationals own a .285 batting average against Blue Rocks pitching while posting a 3.18 ERA and limiting the Rocks to a .242 batting average against...The P-Nats have also been able to slow down the Rocks running as Wilmington is 26-for-44 in stolen base tries against Potomac, the lowest success rate (59%) against any team in the league.

POTOMAC IN THE POSTSEASON: The postseason appearance by the P-Nats will be just the sixth in the 31-year history of the Alexandria/Prince William/Potomac franchise (1982, 1989, 1991, 1995, 2004)...the Carolina League playoffs return to Pfitzner Stadium for the first time since 2004 when the Potomac Cannons dropped two of three games to the Wilmington Blue Rocks...The franchise has not played in the Mills Cup finals since winning its last league title in 1989...The 1982 Alexandria Dukes and 1989 Prince William Cannons are the only two teams in franchise history to ever win a Carolina League Championship.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: With Friday night's clinching win, the Potomac Nationals, became the first team in the 31-year history of the franchise to win both halves...The club is also the first full-season Washington Nationals affiliate ever to advance to the postseason.

THE FEW AND THE PROUD: Only 13 active members remain on the P-Nats roster for the club that clinched the first half title on June 9 against Winston-Salem...Just six players for Opening Day remain on the active roster and four of those (Detwiler, Wilkie, Martinez, and Brown) have been on the roster the entire season...Potomac has had a record 67 different players, counting eight rehabs, in uniform this season...The club has used 16 different starting pitchers not counting rehabs.

WIRE TO WIRE: 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.

JUST MISSED: With Sunday's loss, the Potomac Nationals fell one win shy of the franchise record for most victories in a single season...The most wins in a season came in 1982 when the Alexandria Dukes won 80 games...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.

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