Last Night In Woodbridge

It’s a familiar story to Nationals fans at nearly every level: When the pitching is there, the hitting is not. Evan Bronson was the latest victim on Tuesday night, allowing just two runs on nine hits over seven innings with one walk.

But he still lost 2-0.

While by no means overpowering, Bronson was throwing strikes: 58 out of 87 pitches, which is more than good enough to beat a young team with only one true batting threat (Eric Hosmer, who collected three of the Blue Rocks’ 10 hits). It was his third consecutive quality start and second straight outing of seven innings.

Offensively, the team was shut out for the eighth time in 82 games, collecting just seven hits and 12 baserunners overall. Ten times runners reached second or third, and all ten times the batters behind them made an out.

With the loss, Potomac falls to 5-7 in the 2nd half, tied with Lynchburg for last place in the Carolina League’s North Division. The team heads north to second-place Frederick for three games before heading to Fenway Park to face the Salem Red Sox as part of the fifth annual “Futures at Fenway” on Saturday.