Keys beat P-Nats in rain-shortened game

The Frederick Keys-Potomac Nationals game was called in the top of the sixth inning following a 37-minute rain delay.
The Keys were ahead 8-4.
And for the second time in a week, they had won a series at the Nationals’ expense.
Thursday’s victory gives Frederick a two games to one victory in a three-game set.
Frederick heads home having survived Pedro Florimon Jr.’s second inning ejection for slamming his batting helmet down after being called out on a borderline pitch on the inside part of the plate.
Manager Richie Hebner also was tossed by home plate umpire Mike Goebel for protesting Florimon’s ejection.
Potomac entered Thursday’s play trailing first place Wilmington by two and a half games.
It now heads to Delaware on Friday to begin a three-game set with the Blue Rocks.
It is a series where Nationals manager Trent Jewett hopes to see an all-around improvement from his team.
“I hope we pitch better, I hope we play better defense and I hope we can continue to provide leads and hold leads,” Jewett said.
The Nationals blew three leads on Thursday: 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3.
Potomac scored once in the first when Michael Martinez came home on Chris Marrero’s single.
The Keys, though, tied the score on Billy Killian’s groundout in the top of the second.
Two more Nationals runs came home in the bottom of the second. Boomer Whiting scored on Martinez’s double. Danny Espinosa singled to score Martinez.
Frederick tied the score with a two-run third.
But Potomac (27-19 second half, 64-49 overall) countered with Tim Pahuta’s RBI single in the bottom of the third.
Frederick scored twice in the fourth and three more times in the sixth.
All Keys runs were charged to starting pitcher Adam Carr. He allowed 12 hits in five innings, walked three and struck out two.
“Some of it was the fact we pitched into hitters’ counts,” Jewett said. “The fastball was the only thing we had going for us.”
Keys starter Nate Nery settled down after the third. He retired the Nationals in order in the fourth. The only Potomac hitter to reach base in the fifth was Marrero, who hit a ball to second baseman Ryan Adams. The ball, though, took a tough hop on Adams and went into right field. Adams was charged an error.
The next two hitters, Dan Nelson and Pahuta, flew out and grounded out, respectively.
The rain came in the top of the sixth. Osvaldo Rodriguez relieved Carr. Brandon Waring was at third and Tyler Henson at first. Rodriguez had a three-one count on Adams before the rain that was few drops began to intensify.
The tarp was put on the field and both teams retreated to their respective dugouts.
When the rain stopped, the groundscrew removed the tarp from the field. But the field was still unplayable and the game went in the books as a Keys win.
Nery (4-5) earned the victory. He gave up four runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out one in five innings.