P-Nats power way to a split

The Potomac Nationals are missing some firepower which has made them the Carolina League's third-best batting team.

Chris Marrero has been promoted to Double-A Harrisburg after hitting .287 with 16 home runs and 65 RBI.

Dan Nelson, hitting .262 with 39 RBI, left Friday's game with a high ankle sprain and may be done for the year, according to manager Trent Jewett.

But as important as both have been, the Nationals' offense can be just as potent without them.

Just ask Salem pitchers Jose Capellan and Jason Blackey. Potomac's offense scored 14 runs on 11 hits against them.

The Nationals took advantage of that, Salem's two errors and the fact both combined to issue six walks to win game two of a doubleheader 14-2 at Pfitzner Stadium to earn a split. Salem won the opener 3-1.

The twin bill came after rain postponed Saturday's game.

The Nationals scored once in the first, six in the second, three in the third and four in the fourth.

Highlighting their second inning output was Devin Ivany's three-run home run. That blast came after Greg Veloz scored when Capellan was charged an error after not fielding Danny Espinosa's comebacker to the mound, Boomer Whiting came home on a bases-loaded walk and Michael Martinez crossed the plate on a fielder's choice.

"They handed it to us with their walks and errors," Jewett said. "Yes, we accepted the walks early in the game and that comebacker they screwed up.

"You prefer to see guys hit with the game in the balance, but it's nice to plate some runs. This is the time of the year where there are not many moral victories."

Especially with Potomac battling Wilmington for the Northern Division's second half title. Wilmington won both of its games on Sunday and now leads the P-Nats by 1 1/2 games.

Veloz finished the second game with three hits and three runs scored. He led off the third with a double before scoring when Whiting doubled.

Two batters after Whiting's at-bat, Espinosa took Capellan's first pitch beyond the left field wall for his 14th home run this year.

Capellan retired his final two hitters and his day was over after the third.

But Potomac's onslaught was not done. The Nationals (34-22 second half, 71-52 overall) used four hits and took advantage of Blackey's first walk to score four times in the fourth.

Those runs were more than enough for Nationals starting pitcher Trevor Holder, who improved to 2-1 by tossing five scoreless innings. He struck out two as he retired three straight batters in the third after the first two, Will Vazquez and Zach Borowiak, singled.

"He smoothed out a little bit," Jewett said.

Game one was scoreless until the sixth when the Red Sox put two runners on base.

Chih-Hsien Chiang stepped to the plate with two outs.

Nationals starting pitcher Adam Carr had a two-two count on Chiang. Carr tried to get his next offering inside. Instead, the ball went over the plate and Chiang whacked it over the right field wall for a three-run home run.

That hit was the last Carr allowed. He was removed for Hassan Pena, who forced Jon Hee to ground out before retiring the side in order in the seventh.

The Nationals scored in the bottom of the sixth when Michael Martinez came home on Jesus Valdez's single.

That hit capped Valdez's 2 for 3 day. But Potomac managed one other hit, Martinez's single to begin the bottom of the sixth.

Potomac failed to get its offense going thanks to Salem right-handed pitcher Seth Garrison, who retired 16 of the first 18 hitters he faced.

Garrison set the side down in order three times. He went to a full count on just three hitters in the first five innings.

"I knew eventually we'd score," said Garrison, who threw 51 of his first 85 pitches for strikes. "I just try to get outs and try to get back in the dugout."

It was Garrison's eighth win this year and sixth since the All-Star break. He entered Sunday's start having gone 5-3 with a 2.09 ERA and wins in five of his last six second half starts.

This comes after going 2-7, 5.16 with a six-game losing streak in the first half.

"[On Sunday], I just attacked the zone and got outs," Garrison said. "You see the hitters enough, but I want to pitch to my strengths and see what happens."

When Potomac tried to put together an offensive attack against Garrison, it was stymied by an out or a caught stealing.

Michael Burgess followed Valdez's two-out first inning double by striking out. Devin Ivany was thrown out attempting to steal second base for the second out in the bottom of the fifth. Burgess fanned on three pitches with two on in the sixth. Brian Peacock represented the tying run in the seventh, but bounced into a game-ending double play.

Staff writer Robert Daski can be reached at 703-878-8049.