The Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Texas Champions, fell to the visiting Potomac Nationals Tuesday, 6-4, in front of 3,263 at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark.
The Pelicans jumped on the board first, plating a run on a Jared Hoying RBI groundout in the first. Odubel Herrera had reached previously on a single, advancing to third base on two separate errors.
The 1-0 lead did not last long, with Potomac rallying for four runs, all unearned in the second inning. Catcher David Freitas led off against Birds starter Kyle Hendricks. Kevin Keyes then reached on a throwing error form Herrera and Wade Moore on a walk to load the bases. Hendricks then got Randolph Oduber to bounce into a fielder’s choice, forcing the out at home. But an Adrian Sanchez grounder to follow did not have the same results, with only one out at second base being recorded, allowing a run to score and tying the game at 1-1.
With runners at the corners and two outs, Francisco Soriano walked to load the bases ahead of Michael Taylor. The P-Nats centerfielder, who had struck out to leadoff the game, doubled past Josh Richmond in right to clear the bags and go up 4-1.
The Nationals added a run in the fourth inning before Richmond helped spur a comeback for the Pelicans in the fifth. The outfielder launched his second homerun of the season over the Budweiser Thirst Inning Deck to cut the Nationals’ lead to three.
Potomac got that last run back in the sixth inning ahead of Christian Villanueva holding a track meet on the basepaths. The third baseman tripled to the left-centerfield wall, coming in to score on the play when Potomac’s relay throw got through the cutoff. The Pelicans trailed 6-3 at that point.
Tomas Telis tripled home the walked Jared Hoying an inning later to make it 6-4, but the Pelicans got no closer.
The game featured eight combined errors and only one of the six runs Myrtle Beach allowed was earned. The Pelicans are the last Major or Minor League team in the country to have allowed an earned run. Their 0.25 team ERA is the lowest in America.
Myrtle Beach returns to action Wednesday against Potomac at 7:05.
