Detwiler gem allows Potomac to widen Northern Division lead

Ross Detwiler slowly walked off the pitcher’s mound to cheers from the 888 fans in attendance at Pfitzner Stadium.
He had just thrown his final pitch, a fastball which Wilmington’s Josh Johnson watched go by for a called third strike.
Detwiler showed no emotion, only a calm demeanor after his sixth and final inning.
That inning concluded a performance in which Detwiler surrendered one run, issued one walk, recorded six strikeouts and threw 63 of his 93 pitches for strikes on the way to improving to 6-7.
The outing, coming in the Potomac Nationals’ 10-2 win over the Wilmington Blue Rocks, illustrates why the Washington Nationals used the sixth selection in the 2007 draft to take him following his college career at Missouri State University.
“I felt in control,” Detwiler said. “I tried to make every pitch a purpose pitch.
“I know I threw a lot of pitches. I finally was able to have another good outing. I can’t complain about anything today.”
“You had it going on,” Potomac’s Dee Brown yelled from his nearby locker in the Potomac clubhouse.
Detwiler has struggled in his first full year of pro ball with control issues – he walked seven in a June outing against Myrtle Beach.
He entered Wednesday’s game having lost four of his last seven starts with no wins since June 9.
During that span, he’d allowed 42 hits and 24 runs in 36 innings with 14 walks.
But Detwiler has shown promise, especially against Wilmington. Prior to Wednesday, he had a 1.29 ERA against the Blue Rocks and recorded 18 strikeouts in 14 innings.
His previous start against Wilmington came July 9 when he tossed six shutout innings, surrendered three hits, one walk and struck out five.
“It’s not been the year I’ve wanted,” said Detwiler, who owned a 5.44 ERA prior to this outing. “But through the struggles I’ve learned about myself and about pitches.”
And what has he learned?
“I’ve got to throw to both sides of the plate and throw strikes early in the count,” Detwiler said.
Detwiler’s offense provided much support. Potomac’s batters recorded 16 hits, building on a .395 average they put up in the series finale against Frederick on Sunday and game one of the Wilmington series on Monday.
“We’re just trying to keep it simple,” said Brown, who went 4 for 4 with two RBI. “We try to take advantage of the people on base and not try to do too much.”
Brown is one of Potomac’s experienced players. He is now in his second full year at High-A.
A photo of him in the Nationals’ dugout taken during an at-bat has his words “Remember that the most important at-bat is the one coming up.”
It is how he reminds his teammates they must shift their attention to their following trip to the plate and not dwell on the past one.
“You’ve got to focus on your next at-bat,” Brown said.
Even breaks in the field went Potomac’s way. Center fielder Francisco Plasencia robbed Wilmington’s Brad Correll of a sixth inning home run with a catch against the fence.
A chopper by Jhonatan Solano in the sixth inning rolled up the third base line and stayed fair, allowing Solano to collect his third hit of the game.
NOTE: Potomac has received infielder Darryl Lawhorn, whom the Washington organization has signed after he released by the Oakland A’s organization.
Lawhorn is the twin brother of Potomac infielder Trevor Lawhorn.
Darryl Lawhorn pinch-hit in the eighth inning and grounded out to the pitcher.