WOODBRIDGE, Va. – With an RBI single from Kevin Keyes in the eighth and an excellent relief appearance from Trevor Holder, the Potomac Nationals defeated the Winston-Salem Dash 6-5 on Middle School Science Day. The Nationals and Dash split a four-game series.
The Nationals opened the scoring in the first off of Dash starter RHP Steve McCray. Blake Kelso walked and stole second — his tenth swipe in as many attempts. Justin Bloxom knocked a double to deep right-center that scored Kelso and Potomac had a 1-0 lead.
Twenty-year-old LHP Robbie Ray made his Carolina League debut for the Nationals. After retiring the first seven batters of the game including four via the strikeout, Ray ran into trouble in the third. Miguel Gonzalez was the first batter to reach on a bloops single down the right field line. He scored on a double down the left field line by Jake Oester who was given extra life by a balk call to even the score 1-1. Originally, Oester swung and missed at a 2-2 pitch but Ray was called for a balk. Oester was thrown out on at home by Michael Taylor on a single by Marcus Semien. The Dash made it four hits in a row with a single by Carlos Sanchez that scored Semien and gave Winston-Salem their first lead 2-1.
