Boone Whiting and Wirkin “For The Weekend” Estevez combined on a two-hit shutout while the P-Nats broke a six-game losing streak for a 6-0 win over the Keys.
Whiting allowed just two of the four baserunners he allowed to reach second base: an infield single and his own error in the 2nd, a two-out walk followed by a single to right in 7th. In between, he retired 15 straight batters en route to his second win in three starts against Frederick.
The final line for the new Daddy in his first start since returning from paternity leave: 6⅔ IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 6K.
Of course, it always helps to pitch with a big lead and Potomac wasted no time giving him one. Andrew Stevenson tripled down the right field line to lead off the game and could have played hopscotch on his way home from third as Osvaldo Abreu tripled over the head of the centerfielder to send the All-Star in. Jose “Orange” Marmolejos drove in Abreu with a double to right-center to plate Abreu to give Potomac a 2-0 lead after one.
In the 2nd, Drew Vettleson opened with a single, stole second and third while David Masters walked (quite literally in the case of the latter), and scored on a Khayyan Norfork sac fly to push the lead to 3-0.
After a Stevenson chop to third pushed Masters to second for the second out, Abreu drew a walk. Back-to-back singles by Marmolejos and Raudy Read pushed the lead to 5-0.
Potomac struck for the final time with two outs in the 5th as All-Stars Drew Ward (double) and Alec Keller (single) combined to score the sixth run for the home team.
Estevez came on to get Whiting out of trouble and stranded both baserunners by getting the last out of the 7th. “The Weekend” issued just a walk over the final two and 1/3rd innings while striking out four to close out the game and complete the shutout.
The five-game series continues with a doubleheader tonight at 5 p.m. Neither team has announced its starters, but recently demoted Austen Williams and long reliever Mario Sanchez have not pitched since June 5th and it would be fair to guess that one or both of them may tonight start for Potomac.