By Will Flemming
For PotomacLocal.com
Wilmington, Del. –– Steven Souza’s red-hot bat very nearly led the Potomac Nationals to a victory in their first road game of the season, but the bullpen betrayed the P-Nats in a 5-4 set back in Wilmington.
Souza’s second triple of the season in the sixth inning cleared the bases and staked the P-Nats to a 4-1 lead, but Potomac’s relief pitchers surrendered four runs in the seventh and the Blue Rocks held on to win their home opener in front of a capacity crowd on a chilly Friday night.
Both southpaw starters struggled early before settling into dominant form. The Potomac Nationals’ Jeff Kobernus staked Potomac to a 1-0 lead with an impressive home run to left in the first. Wilmington answered back in their half of the opening frame.
After a one out walk to Alex McClure, Rey Navarro roped the first of what would be four hits on the night to put runners at the corners. Nick Francis knotted the game with a bullet up the middle and into center field.
But then the starting pitchers took over. Rosenbaum retired 12 of the next 15 including five strikeouts. His counterpart Justin Marks sent down 12 of the following 14 Nationals to keep the game knotted.
Potomac broke through in the sixth, as Eury Perez led off the inning with a single but was thrown out trying to move to third when Cutter Dykstra knocked a hit to right. Kobernus then walked before J.P. Ramirez bounced into a fielders’ choice.
Marks then made his biggest mistake of the game, issuing a two-out walk to Destin Hood that brought Souza to the plate. His second triple in as many games cleared the bags and put Rosenbaum in line for his first win of the year.
The bullpen did not cooperate, however.
After escaping a jam in the sixth, Kyle Morrison got in more trouble in the seventh. After retiring Joey Lewis to open the inning, he walked Deivy Batista and surrendered a single to Whit Merrifield that moved Batista – who had stolen second – to third. Batista then scored on a passed ball to cut the Nats’ lead to two.
Alex McClure then tied the game for Wilmington with a home run into the visiting bullpen in left. The Blue Rocks scored the eventual winning run off Rob Wort, who came in after the homer. Navarro singled before Francis struck out, but John Whittleman doubled to right center to put Wilmington ahead for good.
Double plays doomed Potomac in their final two at-bats. Perez rolled a made-to-order rally killer to second to end the eighth, and Steven King bounced into a 3-6-3 twin killer to end the ninth and the ballgame.
Potomac has now played five one-run games in their first six and won just two of them. The P-Nats will look to even the series tomorrow, weather permitting. Trevor Holder will take the mound for the Nationals against Jake Odorizzi.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM, with the broadcast beginning on potomacnationals.com at 5:35 p.m.
Will Flemming is the Director of Broadcasting for the Potomac Nationals.
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