Potomac Nationals Fall 9 Straight

By Will Flemming
For PotomacLocal.com

Winston-Salem, N.C. –– Ryan Buch was literally unhittable for nearly seven innings in Winston-Salem on Memorial Day.  The righthander was lifted from the game with a no-hitter with two outs in the seventh inning, but a pair of relievers shut down the Nationals and allowed only one hit in a 7-1 Dash victory.

Buch had thrown 104 pitches when he was removed, and was rewarded with his first Carolina League win in just his second start with the Dash. With the loss, Potomac has now lost nine games in a row and falls to 18-32.

Jeff Kobernus finally broke the no hitter with two outs in the eighth inning with a sharp single to center off Santos Rodriguez, who replaced Buch in the seventh. By that time, the game was well in hand thanks to a barrage of Winston-Salem hits and a sloppier defense from the Nats.

Danny Rosenbaum (2-3) allowed seven runs on 13 hits over seven and two thirds innings – but only three of them were earned. In the second inning with two outs, Kyle Colligan singled. Rosenbaum then had him picked off at first, but Steven Souza threw wildly into left field to keep the inning. After the throwing error, Jason Bour doubled to score Colligan and score the game’s first run. Bour scored when Daniel Wagner lined the first pitch into center field, and the Dash led 2-0 on a pair of unearned runs.

They would get two more unearned in the third. A leadoff walk was followed by Jared Mitchell’s second single of the day. Jose Martinez then lined out to center for the inning’s first out. Ian Gac hit a chopper to third that could have been a double play; Justin Bloxom booted the ball and allowed Tyler Saladino to score. Jake Oester then singled to score Mitchell and it was 4-0.

A leadoff single in the fourth catalyzed another run for Winston. Bour singled for one of his three hits on the day (he entered the game mired in a 0-for-14 slump) to open the frame. After a one-out hit by Saladino, Mitchell hit a sacrifice fly to left to plate Bour.

The Nationals finally got on the board in the eighth, and they scored their first run without a hit. Jose Lozada drew a leadoff walk (the Nationals walked eight times in the game), stole second and moved to third on a Cutter Dykstra groundout. Eury Perez – who turned 21 on Monday – then grounded out to bring Lozada home and break up the shutout. For good measure, the next batter Kobernus broke up the no-no with his single. Kobernus had been 0-for-22 against the Dash prior to the base-knock.

Winston-Salem got two more runs in the eighth inning. A one-out single by Andy Wilkins preceded a run-scoring triple from Jake Oester that made it 6-1; Bour then hit a sacrifice fly to score Oester and close out the scoring.

Ryan Kussmaul pitched a scoreless ninth for the Dash to complete the one-hitter, though he did walk the first two batters in the inning.

The one-hitter for the Dash is the best team pitching performance of the year. The previous high-water mark had been set by the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, who led by Joe Wieland, two-hit the Kinston Indians on May 11.

The Nationals look to snap their nine-game skid on Tuesday night at BB&T Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., and the broadcast can be heard beginning at 6:45 p.m. on potomacnationals.com.

Will Flemming is the broadcast director for the Potomac Nationals.