By Will Flemming
For PotomacLocal.com
Winston-Salem, N.C. –– For the second straight night, the Potomac Nationals surrendered the lead in the late innings as the Winston-Salem Dash stormed back for a 5-3 victory at BB&T Ballpark.
The Nationals belted two home runs for just the third time all year, but those were two of only five hits for Potomac, whose offensive woes continued. The P-Nats (11-20) fell to a season-low nine games below .500 and need to win the series finale in Winston-Salem to avoid six losses on their seven-game road trip.
Destin Hood got Potomac on the board in the first with a massive home run to left, his first of the season.
The Dash took the lead back in the second inning, with some help from the Potomac defense. With one out, Kyle Shelton doubled to center. Luis Sierra lined the next pitch into center, but Shelton held at third as the throw came home in plenty of time.
But Sandy Leon tried to throw behind Shelton, and fired into left field, which allowed Shelton to score and Sierra to move to second. After a wild pitch, the Dash took the lead when Nick Ciolli grounded out to second.
J.P. Ramirez surged the Nats back in front in the fourth. After Steven Souza walked with two outs, Ramirez drilled his second homer in as many days over the wall in right, and the Nationals led 3-2.
From there, Holder (1-4) found an incredible groove. From the third to seventh innings, he retired 13 Dash hitters in a row. But with one out in the seventh, things unraveled. Andy Wilkins singled to center and Shelton doubled to left to put two men in scoring position with one out. Sierra then slapped a ball into left field to tie the game at three.
Nick Ciolli then hit a blooper to right center field; Eury Perez took a sharp line to the ball and allowed it to roll all the way to the wall. Two runs scored (including Sierra all the way from first), and the Dash had the lead for good.
Addison Reed pitched two scoreless innings for his first save. Santos Rodriguez (2-0), brought on to pitch the seventh, got the win.
Potomac looks to Paul Demny to salvage the finale in Winston-Salem against Andre Rienzo at 7 p.m.
Will Flemming is the broadcast director for the Potomac Nationals.
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