Folka’s Bat Helps Nats Edge M’s

Nationals 8
Mariners 7

NationalsIt was a beautiful evening on Monday at Lion’s Park, scene of an Inter League tilt between the N.L. Nationals and the A.L. Mariners.  The Nationals were coming off of a disappointing loss to American League powerhouse, the Orioles.  The Mariners’ last game was a loss to the always tough Cardinals.  Both teams came into Monday’s game looking for a bounce back win!

Koben Bath took the mound for the Nationals to start the game to have the savvy Mariner batters.  The Mariners were very smart at the plate and scored their 4 runs.  The Nationals came out swinging to get the runs back but due to some great fielding by the Mariners, they walked off the field unable to score a single run.  The Second was a reversal of fortunes and at the conclusion of the inning saw the teams knotted at 4’s.  The Nats scored singles in the 3rd and 4th, while an inning changing double play in the top of the forth, made for an inning in which the Mariners were only able to score a single run.

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With a one run lead the Nationals sent second year closer Jack Taylor to the mound for the open 5th inning.  Taylor, after suffering a sprained thumb in a game two days earlier, struggled to find his usual form and gave up 3 walks, 1 hit and 2 runs before leaving the inning.  The Mariners countered in the innings with Brady Fehlauer on the mound and he was throwing hard.  After striking out the first batter, the second batter was hit by a pitch and the third reached on a walk.  After a visit to the mound by his Manager the big right hander regained his composer and struck out the next batter he faced.  With 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Giovanni Folka stepped to the plate and on a 2-1 count he hit a walk off double to center field to end the game.

This week’s action sees the Nationals hosting the Blue Jays on Thursday evening at Lions Park and you can catch the Mariners as they play in an Exhibition Mini-Game vs the Phillies at the PBL Cardinals Double Header this Saturday 2pm at Delair Park.

contributed by Rob Taylor