MYRTLE BEACH – Tom Milone tossed eight shutout innings, Michael Burgess homered and scored three runs, and the Potomac Nationals beat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 4-0 in front of 3,885 in the series opener of three at BB&T Coastal Field.
Potomac put traffic on the basepaths early in an abbreviated outing by Pelicans starter Cole Rohrbough (1-1). Making his third start of the year, the Myrtle Beach lefty ran into trouble in the second when Michael Burgess, Jesus Valdez and Stephen King all singled to start the frame. King drove in Burgess before Rohrbough retired three of the next four, allowing no further damage and striking out Boomer Whiting and Francisco Plasencia to end the threat. Rohrbough lasted three and a third innings in his third start of the year, allowing one run on seven hits and striking out four while walking one.
With two outs and the bases empty in the top of the fifth, Burgess homered off Pelicans reliever Michael Mehlich who relieved Rohrbough an inning earlier. The longball, Burgess’ seventh of the season, put Potomac on top 2-0. The Nationals’ next rally came in the eighth, and again it started with Burgess. The Potomac right fielder singled to open the inning and moved to second when Valdez singled behind him. Both came around to score on Dan Nelson’s two-out double to open the gap to 4-0 where it stayed.
Returning from a season-long ten-game road trip, Myrtle Beach’s offense continued to sputter, this time against the southpaw Milone (3-2). The Saugus, California native sat down the Pelicans in order the first time through the lineup. Myrtle Beach got leadoff singles from Cole Miles in the fourth and sixth innings and one from Donell Linares in the fifth but couldn’t cash them in. The Pelicans only got one other hit on the night, a Matt Kennelly single also in the fifth. In all, Milone threw eight shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out seven without issuing a single walk.
Potomac right-hander Martin Beno (S, 1) worked around a one-out walk issued to Jason Heyward by inducing a game-ending double-play ball from Freddie Freeman.
The Pelicans and P-Nats resume their three-game series Saturday night. Myrtle Beach will send lefty Jose Ortegano to the mound to oppose Colton Willems for Potomac.
First pitch for the middle game of the set is scheduled for 7:05. Tickets are still available by calling the Pelicans box office at (843)918-6000, by stopping by the BB&T Coastal Field box office or by visiting the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.
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