Perhaps it was a sign of things to come when the P-Nats walked the bases loaded in the 1st and somehow wriggled out of it with the 0-0 score still intact. Or maybe it just was one of those nights where there no black cats or broken mirrors, just rabbit’s foots and four-leaf clovers.
Whatever it was, Potomac will take it because they scored six times with two outs and seven times total without an answer for a 7-2 in over Lynchburg.
Carson Teel was making his third straight start and fourth overall but had trouble locating his pitches, as he issued walks to three of the first four batters he faced before striking out two with the bases loaded.
After retiring seven of eight, losing his no-hitter on a bunt hit, he then gave up two no-doubt long hits – a double to right by 21-y.o. Oscar Gonzalez (remember that name) then a two-run HR by catcher Jonathan Laureano to fall behind 2-0.
Potomac matched those two runs with some luck as what should have been a whiff to end the inning instead skipped past Laureano far enough for Gage Canning get to first on the wild pitch. Osvaldo Abreu then ripped a single into the left that the left fielder stabbed at and missed, enabling both Alex Dunlap, who had hit a one-out double and Canning to score for a 2-2 tie.
Two innings later, Abreu would draw a one our walk, then scored on a two-out double by Nick Banks—his third of four hits on the night—after a Cole Freeman* walk, Aldrem Corredor deposited his fifth HR over all three levels of signage in right-center for an Earl Weaver Special and a 6-2 lead.
* Pfitz PA Guy, it’s pronounced FREE-man, not FREED-man. #kthxbai
The “W” however did not go to Teel, who set career highs in innings pitched (5), walks (4), and strikeouts (7), but instead to Jeremy McKinney, who led a trio of relievers to blank Lynchburg for the final four innings and rack up four more K’s.
Banks, Corredor, and Dunlap would combine for eight of the team’s 11 hits and four of the team’s seven walks as the team went 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
The four-game series concludes on Sunday afternoon with another southpaw matchup, as Nick Raquet (4-5, 5.06) takes the hill for the P-Nats while Juan Hillman (3-5, 2.90) does the same for the Hillcats.