CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Potomac Nationals Game Notes

Published on May 25, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


Last Time Out... Early Monday night, the Potomac Nationals looked ready to cruise to an opening victory over the Kinston Indians. More than five hours later, the K-Tribe finalized a come-from-behind 10-6 victory to open the three-game set at Pfitzner Stadium. Kyle Bellows' 15th-inning grand slam snapped a 6-6 tie. The Nats and Indians had played an entire nine-inning game since the previous run had scored on a bases-loaded walk in the sixth.

After Midnight... Monday night was the longest game of 2010. In five hours and eleven minutes, the P-Nats lost to the Kinston Indians. The 15-inning affair came just two days after the Nats played their quickest tilt of the season in 2:12 at Salem.

Moore Than He Could Handle... Tyler Moore would like to erase Monday night from his memory bank. Tyler went 0-7 with four strikeouts. Remarkably, that was not the worst stat line of the night; Kinston's Chris Kersten went 0-for-8 with six strikeouts, one shy of the Carolina League record (Thomas Epperly fanned seven times for Lynchburg August 20, 1972).

You Shut Your Mouth When You're Talking to Me... Sunday in Salem, the Potomac pitching staff recorded its fourth shutout of 2010, second most in the Carolina League. The visiting Kinston Indians lead the league with five.

Wearing Their Sunday Finest... The P-Nats have thrived on Sundays in 2010. Their series-clinching victory in Salem was their fifth win in seven tries on Sunday. Potomac is also now 5-2 in rubber matches, 6-4 in day games, and 9-4 in series finales.

Be Like Mike... Mike Burgess continues to drive in runs at a torrid clip. Burgess broke a 4-4 tie Friday night with his 34th RBI, the third game in the last five the rightfielder has plated baserunners. Incredibly, Burgess has at least one RBI in 16 of the last 23 games, and had a stretch of nine straight contests with an RBI from April 29 to May 8. In those 16 run-producing games, Burgess has driven two in nine times and three once, on May 12 against Winston Salem.

Pat on the Back... Thursday in Frederick was a microcosm of Patrick Lehman's season. The righthander was brilliant at times, unlucky at others, and once again gave up the long ball. Lehman, who leads the Carolina League with eight homers yielded, gave up a solo shot to Bobby Stevens in the third - after he had retired the Keys in order the first two innings. He then retired seven of the next nine before an unfortunate sequence in the sixth threatened to ruin another start. After a close call at first base that gave Xavier Avery an infield single, Kyle Hudson singled and Ronnie Welty walked. Joe Mahoney then cleared the bases with a double, and it was 6-4. Cory VanAllen and Cole Kimball kept the Keys off the board the rest of the way and secured Lehman's second win.

The General Storen... Drew Storen got his first win in the Major Leagues on Wednesday night. Storen had made his major league debut Monday night at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The tenth overall pick in 2010 came on with one on and one out in the seventh inning. Storen got Felipe Lopez to fly out, hit Ryan Ludwick with a pitch and struck out Matt Holliday to get out of the jam. The Nats lost to the RedBirds 6-2.

Commander in Chief(s)... Stephen Strasburg allowed his first earned run in four starts for the Syracuse Chiefs. Monday night against Toledo, Strasburg went five innings, allowed just the lone earned run on five hits with five strikeouts. In nine minor league starts, Strasburg has an ERA of 0.99 (45.1 IP, 5 ER). He has struck out 54 against just 10 walks, and has a WHIP of 0.706.

Rolling Bones... Tom "Bones" Milone, the P-Nats leader with 12 wins in 2009, has won three of four dominant starts at AA Harrisburg. Saturday night in Akron, Milone gave up only one earned run in 4.1 innings. Last Sunday against New Britain, the southpaw from Saugus, CA gave up one earned run in seven and a third innings pitched. Over his last three starts, Milone has gone 18 2/3 innings and yielded only three runs and walked none. In 2010, Tom is 4-1 with an ERA 3.14. In 43.0 innings he has struck out 34 and walked six.

Carolina On My Mind.. The P-Nats rank near the middle of the Carolina League in most statistical categories - with a few notable exceptions. Potomac is second to Kinston in the league in walks (188), and lead the Carolina League in home runs yielded (38) and hit batters (29). Here is how the Nats shake out against the rest of the circuit in the major categories: Offense: Average 6th (.243), Runs 4th (204), Doubles 4th (89), Triples T3 (12), HR T4th (30), Strikeouts 6th (334), OBP 6th (.329), SLG 4th (.376), SB 3rd (42). Pitching: ERA 6th (4.61), Hits 7th (424), Shutouts 2nd (4), Walks 4th (160), Strikeouts 4th (361).

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Carolina League Stories from May 25, 2010


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