With the first half wrapped up on Thursday night, the P-Nats were scheduled to have a doubleheader on Friday night. Instead, they only got in one game, losing 4-2 to Winston-Salem.
This was also the first start for John Simms after he struck out a career-high of 14 last Saturday. Simply put, he was bound to do worse because it would have been very difficult to do better.
His teammates gave him runs in the first two innings. Jeff Kobernus beat out an infield hit to third and was balked to second when the pitcher slipped as the game was begun with a light but steady rain*. He would score on two-out single by Shawn Pleffner.
* It should be noted that in years past, the deluge that struck earlier in the day would have been enough to postpone both games.
In the 2nd, Mike McQuillan, Justin Miller, and Estarlin Martinez went back-to-back-to-back with singles to left-center, left field, and a seeing five-hopper between 1B and 2B that gave Potomac a 2-1 lead.
Winston-Salem took the lead back for good in the 3rd with a pair of doubles sandwiched around a walk. Simms struck out two in the inning — five in the game — but couldn’t get Keenyn Walker a second time, as the 24-y.o. drove one to left, spinning Kobernus around for a two-run knock.
Simms would set down the side in order in the 5th (and his final inning) on three groundouts. He was charged with three runs on five hits with three walks. He would suffer the loss to fall to 1-4 for the season.
Potomac put the lead runner on with a walk in the 4th and an infield single in the 5th but neither man reached second. Cole Leonida singled off the pitcher’s mitt and took third on a McQuillan double but Miller and Martinez both grounded out to end the threat.
The Dash got their final run in the 6th as Wander Suero let up a leadoff single and a one-out double to put runners on second and third. Walker singled to right to get one run in but Martinez gunned down the trail runner for the second out and keep the P-Nats within striking distance.
Kobernus drew a leadoff walk in the 7th and stole second but watched the next two batters strike out and ran in while Pleffner flew out to CF to end it.
Rain postponed the second game, forcing a doubleheader tonight. Potomac has not announced who will start tonight while Winston-Salem will send out Brad Goldberg (2-4, 5.17) to pitch the opener and RHP Frank Montas (3-0, 1.23) to throw in the nightcap.