It wasn’t as pretty as the box score might indicate, but it was just what Potomac needed.
Blake Schwartz and newcomer Travis Henke combined on a six-hit shutout as the P-Nats stopped a four-game slide with a 2-0 win over the Mudcats.
Schwartz became the first 10-game winner at a single level in the Nationals organization with seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out one. He had, however, just one 1-2-3 frame (the 5th) as Carolina put on a runner six times against the ace of the P-Nats staff.
But, as any pitching coach will tell you, getting the leadoff man out in any inning is the key to success and Schwartz did that in six of seven opportunities. The one time he didn’t was the only true scoring threat that Carolina mounted on the night.
That’s also when it’s a good reminder that there are seven guys behind you and Schwartz got some help from both corner OFs in the 3rd. No. 9 batter Todd Hankins drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and took third on a line drive to right that Randolph Oduber snared on the run for the inning’s first out.
After walking the next batter, Schwartz induced a flyball to medium left. Down 1-0, Carolina gambled that newcomer Brandon Miller’s jitters from the night before would be enough to risk a play at the plate. The decision proved to be unwise as Miller’s throw had Hankins beat by six feet for the inning-ending double play.
Miller had gotten Potomac on the board in the 1st with an RBI groundout, cashing in back-to-back singles by Cutter Dykstra and Caleb Ramsey for the 1-0 lead. After walking in the 3rd with two outs, the 23-y.o. Georgian extended his hit streak to 13 games with a wall-ball double to left-center in the 6th that turned out to be Potomac’s final hit of the night.
The fifth hit was Cole Leonida’s tenth HR, a solo shot in the 4th that put the score to its eventual final of 2-0.
Travis Henke made his High-A debut in the 8th. After a shaky eighth, in which he gave up a pair of singles, Henke went 1-2-3 in the 9th, handling two comebackers to the mound for the save.
The win was Potomac’s 70th of the season and improved them to 28-20 in the 2nd half, reducing the magic number to clinch to 17 over Lynchburg with 22 games left to play. The Hillcats are the P-Nats likely first-round opponent as the second-best team in the Carolina North with a 56-59 mark, three games ahead of the Keys and four in front of the Blue Rocks.
Weather permitting, Rauh (3-1, 3.02) will take the hill today in a noontime start against Carolina RHP Robert Whitenack (0-1, 4.30).