CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Potomac Nationals Game Notes

Published on September 9, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


POTOMAC NATIONALS (4-0, 79-61) VS. MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (3-2, 89-51)

RHP JEFF MANDEL (6-6, 3.68) VS. LHP CARLOS RIVAS (6-4, 5.20)

September 9, 2008 -- 7:05 p.m.

BB&T Coastal Field

Mills Cup Finals Game #2

Internet Webcast -- www.potomacnationals.com

TONIGHT: The Potomac Nationals and Myrtle Beach Pelicans meet in Game 2 of the best-of-five Mills Cup Finals...The P-Nats dominated game one of the series Monday night notching the club's biggest win of the season, 15-0, over the Pelicans...Potomac pitching posted its second straight shutout and has not allowed a run in its last 24 innings.

TONIGHT'S STARTER: The Potomac Nationals send right-hander Jeff Mandel to the mound trying give the P-Nats a 2-0 lead in the Mills Cup Finals in his first postseason start...In his last outing, he tossed six innings against Wilmington on August 31 and allowed just two runs on four hits...Mandel also matched a career-high in walks in a game with three while striking out five...It was his fifth straight quality start...Over his last five outings, the Baylor product has allowed 12 runs, only seven earned, on 29 hits in 32 2/3 innings (1.93 ERA)...In his outing against Winston-Salem on August 10, Mandel got his first win since July 15, working six innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits...In the four outings prior to his win, the Houston, Texas, native was 0-2 with a pair of no decisions and had given up 19 runs, all earned, on 37 hits in 21 1/3 innings (8.02 ERA)...He saw his ERA inflate from 2.83 to 4.60...Mandel has fared better at home than on the road, going 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA in six starts at the Pfitz while going 4-5 with a 4.31 ERA in 11 road starts...The 23-year-old had served up seven gopher balls in six starts from July 21 through August 15...Mandel was 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in a pair of starts against the Pelicans during the regular season.

FINALS PREVIEW: The Potomac Nationals and Myrtle Beach Pelicans meet for the Mills Cup Championship...The P-Nats were 11-9 against the Pelicans this season, the only team in the Carolina League to post a winning record against Myrtle Beach....While the Birds outscored the P-Nats 90-70, 14 of the 20 games in the regular season series were decided by just three runs and Potomac was 11-3 in those contests...Myrtle Beach outhit Potomac posting a .241 batting average against the Nationals as opposed to a .222 average for the P-Nats...The Pelicans also posted a sub-three ERA at 2.97 against the Norther Division Champs compared to the Nationals 4.10 ERA...Potomac made the fewest errors during the season (131) as opposed to Myrtle Beach's league-high 173.

POTOMAC IN THE POSTSEASON: The postseason appearance by the P-Nats is 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 August 29th's clinching win over Wilmington, 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 12 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 17 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: The Potomac Nationals fell one win shy of the franchise record for most victories in a single season with 79...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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