Don’t look now, but the Potomac Nationals have just won three in a row, beating the Salem Red Sox, 10-4.
With five runs in the 6th and three more in the 7th, the P-Nats bats feasted on the Salem bullpen for eight of their 10 hits. Like most big innings, it started slowly: a walk to David Freitas, the team’s leader in OBP (.419), and singles by Justin Bloxom and Kevin Keyes to clog the bases.
After a strikeout by Wade Moore, one of 13 on the night, the thought of an inning-ending DP was the fear for the home crowd and the hope for the beleaguered reliever.
For an instant, it looked like that might happen, but the grounder off the bat of Adrian Sanchez took a 15-foot hop that the speedy infielder beat out for a hit and an RBI, giving Potomac a 3-2 lead with the bases still juiced.
The No. 9 batter Francisco Soriano had been hitless at the Pfitz last weekend, but connected for a triple down the right field line to empty the bases and the rout was on.
Early on, though, this was a pitcher’s duel of sorts. Both pitchers had their moments of wildness (4BB for Salem’s Miguel Celestino, 3BB for Potomac’s Bobby Hansen Jr.) and their flashes of brilliance — Hansen catching Sox prospects Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts looking in the first, Celestino retiring the last seven batters he faced.
Hansen still struggled some with leaving fastballs up and over the plate, but with three of his five K’s written backwards in the scorebook, he’s also showing some skill at working the corners. But most important: he got seven of his 10 other outs on the ground, something that everybody ought to appreciate.
Paul Applebee got the win with two scoreless innings of relief, while Shane McCatty made his first appearance since joining the club yesterday. McCatty was charged with two runs in the 9th thanks to another error-called-a-hit as Soriano misplayed what should have been an inning-ending popup, which was instead recorded as two-run double. On a ball hit to shallow left field. Really.
The win improves Potomac to 6-6, their first day at .500 in the 2012 season. The series continues tonight with Adam Olbrychowski (0-2, 6.97) taking the hill against Brandon Workman, making his first start of the season.