P-Nats' bullpen does job in loss

Around 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, the Potomac Nationals were warming up for their game with the Frederick Keys.
It was business as usual. They stretched and ran in the Pfitzner Stadium outfield until it was time to return to their dugout for the ceremonial first pitch and the national anthem.
The first pitch was just before 7:05.
By 7:30, the Nationals were in need of bullpen help. Again.
Starting pitcher Trevor Holder had allowed four runs on eight hits. His night was over after one and two thirds innings. Justin Phillabaum, who started taking warm up tosses in the first, was summoned from the bullpen to finish the second inning and did.
Phillabaum and Jesse Estrada gave the Nationals a chance to win. They combined to hold the Keys scoreless for six and two thirds innings.
Though the Keys scored two runs off Estrada to win 7-5, he and Phillabaum showed an ability to keep their team in the game just as five of their fellow relievers did when starter Will Atwood left after three innings on Tuesday.
“We all feed off each other,” Estrada said.
Frederick’s 4-0 lead turned into a 5-5 tie when Potomac pushed across its final run in the seventh. From the third through the eighth, the Keys were held scoreless. Only once during that span did they send more than four batters to the plate. When Frederick did, it left the bases loaded thanks to Phillabaum’s strikeout of Robbie Widlansky.
“Jesse did an outstanding job,” Nationals manager Trent Jewett said. “It was a tremendous effort. Phillabaum got through [three and a third innings]. It’s certainly a step in the right direction for him.”
Estrada worked four innings, allowed four hits, two runs and struck out two. He did not walk anyone. Only once during Estrada’s time on the mound did Potomac have a reliever warm up in the bullpen, Osvaldo Rodriguez in the top of the ninth.
But Estrada never experienced fatigue.
“I was throwing my fastball in and out and I was trying to get them out with my offspeed stuff,” Estrada said. “But sometimes stuff doesn’t fall your way.”
The Keys got to Estrada in the top of the ninth. Widlansky singled to open the frame. Two batters later, Potomac third baseman Greg Veloz failed to handle Caleb Joseph’s ground ball and runners were at first and second.
“It happens,” Jewett said of Veloz’s error.
Tyler Henson singled to score Widlansky. Bobby Stevens’ single scored Joseph, who went to third on Henson’s single.
Estrada retired his final two batters, but was charged with the loss, dropping to 0-3.
As Estrada watched the bottom of the ninth inning, he saw Danny Espinosa and Michael Burgess on third and second base, respectively with Chris Marrero at the plate.
Keys relief pitcher Brandon Cooney pitched Marrero to a full count before Marrero flied out to right field.
The at-bat, though, did not diminish Potomac’s offensive performance. The Nationals totaled 10 hits, nine in their final eight innings along with four runs.
“It would have been easy for our offense to mail this one in,” Jewett said. “It’s easy to stop [when down 4-0]. We finally tied it up, but [the victory] didn’t happen.”