Seven in a row
Jeff Mankie/For the News & Messenger
Potomac catcher Brian Peacock is congratulated by teammates after his fourth inning grand slam on Sunday
By DAN CLENDANIEL
For the News & Messenger
Published: April 13, 2008
The weather may have been cold but the Potomac Nationals stayed red-hot on Sunday before an announced crowd of 1,639 at G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium.Published: April 13, 2008
Playing in cool weather that only a pitcher from Wisconsin could love, the P-Nats defeated Kinston, 9-4, for their seventh win in a row after an 0-2 start.
“My job right now,” said Manager Randy Knorr, “is to stay out of their way and just let them go.”
Starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, a 21-year from Wisconsin who is used to cooler temperatures, gave up just one hit and one earned run over six innings of work to earn his first win of the season. Reliever Craig Stammen was nearly as tough, pitching the last three-plus innings for his first save of the year.
Catcher Brian Peacock drove home five runs, four with the first grand slam of his career during a six-run fourth inning.
“We have a good thing going,” said Peacock. “It’s contagious, like when we came back from seven runs down on Saturday. These guys never give up. We’ve already had three come-from-behind wins.”
The P-Nats did not need any comeback magic behind Zimmermann, the only player on either team in short sleeves.
“I was warming him up in the bullpen and I was freezing,” said Peacock, who grew up in Florida. “He said it felt good.”
Zimmermann, who struck out five and did not allow a ball to leave the infield until the fifth inning, said, “I don’t like to pitch with long sleeves. I did that in Wisconsin a few times and didn’t like it. It’s really not too bad when you’re on the mound, moving around.”
Zimmermann, who said this was his best pitching performance since the beginning of spring training, re-tired the first 11 Indian batters before Beau Mills drew a two-out walk in the fifth inning.
“He was dominating,” said Peacock. “He went after them with his fastball.’
But the second time through the line-up, when the Indian hitters were 0-8 against Zimmermann with a walk, the P-Nats starter went more to his other pitches.
“He’s got four quality pitches,” said Knorr. “When he keeps the ball down and runs it in (on right handed batters), he’s tough to beat.”
Kinston starting pitcher Hector Rondon was not as fortunate. The first time through the Nationals’ lineup, Potomac had only one hit and one run on a double by Frank Diaz.
But the P-Nats lit up Rondon the second time through, going 6-for-8 with a walk and scored six runs.
Peacock’s blast was the big hit of the inning, a line drive over the fence in left-center field.
“It was a changeup,” said Peacock. “I was trying to at least put it in play.”
It was Peacock’s first homer of the year.
Knorr also expressed appreciation for the job in relief by Stammen.
“He was outstanding,” said Knorr. “We used a lot of pitchers yesterday (in an 11-inning 8-7 win) and I was worried about the bullpen today. For him (Stammen) to step up like that was great. He lost a little big of confi-dence last year but this year he’s been outstanding.”
Diaz finished off a 3-for-4 performance with a two-run home run off Kinston reliever Jim Deters in the sev-enth inning.
NOTES: The win was the 14th in a row at home for the P-Nats over the last two seasons……The three-game sweep of Kinston was the first time the Indians have been swept during the first half of the season in five years….Potomac travels to Lynchburg for a three-game series beginning today before returning to Pfitzner Stadium on Thursday. Adrian Alaniz, Jhonny Nunez and Cory VanAllen will start for the Nationals in Lynchburg….Ross Detwiler, the team’s top draft choice in 2007, is scheduled to start on Thursday at the Pfitz.
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