Potomac a winner, Syracuse looking to get on the board

The Nationals' minor league teams are in the middle of the playoffs. The Single-A Potomac Nationals advanced to the Mills Cup championship series with a 4-3 win over the Lynchburg Hillcats. The P-Nats swept the best-of-three series 2-0. It is their second straight appearance in the Mills Cup final. Last year, the P-Nats lost to Salem. Salem is facing Myrtle Beach in the other half of the draw. The winner of that matchup faces Potomac on Friday in game one of the championship series. Isaac Ballou had a solo homer and a sac fly. Pedro Severino also contributed an RBI sac fly. Tony Renda also contributed an RBI double. Right-hander Brian Rauh went six innings, allowed three hits and struck out two. Gilberto Mendez tossed a four-out save. Right fielder Brandon Miller's huge outfield assist nabbed a runner at the plate in the eighth inning which ended the frame. Game 1 of Mills Cup championship series between Potomac and the Salem/Myrtle beach winner is set for Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Salem and Myrtle Beach play tonight. The Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs lost to Pawtucket 8-2 in Game 2 of the International League Governor's Cup semifinals. They trail the best-of-five series 2-0. The PawSox raced out to a 3-0 lead. Up 8-0 in the eighth, the Chiefs tallied a pair of runs. With the bases loaded, Brandon Laird walked to bring in a run. A Destin Hood free pass scored Jeff Kobernus to make it 8-2. But the Chiefs were unable to get any closer. Scott McGregor took the loss. Game 3 is 7 p.m. tonight with right-hander Mitch Lively looking to extend the season against Pawtucket left-hander Henry Owens. The Single-A Hagerstown Suns are at Greensboro tonight in Game 2 of their opening best-of-three series for the South Atlantic League's Northern Division. The Suns lead the series 1-0. Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez gets the call at 7:05 p.m. Lopez is a stunning 6-0 with a 0.16 ERA in his last 10 games. That is one earned run in his last 55 innings. Lopez is on an incredible run. He had lost five of his first seven decisions this season before this spike.