CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Two-Out Rally Lifts P-Nats in Wilmington

August 15, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


WILMINGTON, De- A night after the Potomac Nationals made a statement to the first-place Wilmington Blue Rocks by pounding the Blue Crew 8-1 in their own ballpark, Saturday night brought more of the same for the P-Nats. Feeding off a solid start from Brad Peacock and a timely two-out rally in the top of the seventh inning, the P-Nats took game two of this all-important three-game series with Wilmington by the score of 3-1.

Peacock (2-1), making just his third Carolina League start, enjoyed his best outing with the P-Nats. The 21-year-old right-hander went six innings in this ballgame, allowing just one unearned run on three Wilmington base hits, striking out two Blue Crew batters in the process. He worked through trouble all game long, overcoming three Potomac errors behind him to hold the Blue Rocks to just one unearned run.

Top prospect Danny Duffy got the nod on the hill for the Blue Rocks, but the lefty was on a pitch count after coming out of his last start on July 28 after just 3 1/3 innings with lower back stiffness. Thankfully for the P-Nats, Duffy left the game after four scoreless frames allowing just one hit but striking out seven in the process.

The only run the Blue Rocks tallied came in the bottom of the third inning when Anthony Seratelli reached second base on a two-error play, coming around to score on a Derrick Robinson RBI single to give the Rocks an early lead by the count of 1-0. But that lone run would be all the Rocks could muster as the P-Nat pitching staff would continue to put up zeroes until the offense finally came through in the seventh inning.

Devin Ivany lined a one-out single to left, but the catcher was erased at second base on a fielder's choice for the second out in the frame. Tim Pahuta then followed with a hard single to right field, and Greg Veloz, the newest member of the P-Nat organization, clubbed a triple off the wall in left field for his first hit as a National to tie the game at one apiece.

The next batter Boomer Whiting then lifted a towering fly ball to right field that got over the head of Nick Van Stratten to plate Veloz with the go-ahead run as Whiting reached third base with his second triple of the week. A Michael Martinez single scored Whiting and all of a sudden, the P-Nats had stunned the nearly 5,000 fans at Frawley Stadium, taking a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

Hassan Pena came out of the bullpen to toss 2 2/3 scoreless stanzas, allowing just one hit while striking out three. He came just one out away from his first career save, but with two men on, Cole Kimball came on to retire the speedy Derrick Robinson on a groundout for his seventh save of the season.

With back-to-back wins against Wilmington, the P-Nats move to just a half-game behind the Blue Rocks for first place in the Northern Division with a chance for a sweep in tomorrow afternoon's contest. The team has allowed just two unearned runs in the first two games of this series to the Blue Rocks.

This is the first time the Blue Rocks have dropped consecutive home games since July 14-15, and the Blue Crew are now looking over their shoulder as the P-Nats are looking to reclaim the divisional lead in tomorrow's contest.

You can catch tomorrow afternoon's action for the 1:35 start time live on www.potomacnationals.com with Dan McGinn and Anthony Masterson starting with the pregame show at 1:05 ET.

For more information on tickets, daily promotions, and all things P-Nats, call (703) 590-2311 or log onto www.potomacnationals.com to join the party!

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Carolina League Stories from August 15, 2009


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