Alex Hassan looked more like a boy who'd lost his puppy than a guy who'd just driven in the game-winning run for the Salem Red Sox on Tuesday night.

"I felt like I was pretty much the reason we were in that situation, so it was the least I could do," Hassan said glumly.

Hassan struggled in left field in Tuesday's doubleheader against Potomac, but he homered and drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh for a 3-2 Carolina League win in the second game.

The P-Nats (34-28) scored five runs in the first three innings and held on for a 5-3 win in the opener.

The win in the second game snapped a four-game losing streak for the Sox (28-32), who are 3 ¹₂ games behind Kinston (33-30) for a playoff spot.

Tuesday's opening loss was Salem's 15th loss in 20 games. The Sox have eight games to play during the next six days.

"We need to keep working; we need to keep grinding," Salem manager Kevin Boles said. "We have to stay positive. We have full confidence in our guys ... I wouldn't want any other guys.

"We need guys to step up. We need to get hot with the bats."

Complicating matters, center fielder Peter Hissey was placed on the disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 29, with a concussion, and third baseman Will Middlebrooks has served only as designated hitter because of what Boles called a "twinge" in his forearm. Middlebrooks and Adalberto Ibarra have been alternating at DH.

Michael Lee, Salem's starter in the opener, was named the Carolina League pitcher of the week for the second time in August, but the P-Nats weren't impressed.

Potomac scored two runs on a pair of doubles and a walk in the first inning. Jamar Walton's two-run double that landed just inside the foul line in left field, left Lee simmering.

"He thought that ball in left should've been caught and he let the frustration get the best of him," Boles said.

The P-Nats piled on three more runs on four hits, including a triple and a double, in the second inning and Lee didn't come back out for the third.

The Sox scored two runs in the second to make it 5-2, and loaded the bases in both the sixth and seventh innings, but scored only one run.

"We struggled with runners in scoring position the last eight or nine games," said Boles, whose team was 5-for-52 with runners in scoring position after the first game. "Guys are fully aware. We need guys to step up, and it better happen soon."

Mark Holliman, the only Salem pitcher with a win since Aug. 22, started Game 2, and Derek Norris blasted a one-out homer off him in the first. Holliman allowed just three more hits and left the game with a 2-1 lead thanks to back-to-back solo homers by Hassan and Oscar Tejeda in the fourth.

Bill Rhinehart led off the Potomac seventh with a double, and after a fly out, Cesar Cabral came on in relief. The next batter, Sean Rooney, lined a ball to left that confounded Hassan. He leapt for the ball, just as it bounced off the wall under him for a game-tying double.

"I didn't play well in the outfield today," Hassan said. "Luckily we still got a win."

Walton followed Rooney with a single that put runners at the corners before Cabral got an inning-ending double play.

Jon Hee led off the Salem seventh with a single and was replaced by Ryan Dent as a pinch runner. Dent stole second, but then was caught off second on a shallow fly out to center by Drew Hedman for a double play. One out away from forcing extra innings, Potomac reliever Justin Phillabaum walked Ronald Bermudez. Luis Segovia grounded into what should have been an inning-ending fielder's choice, but Bermudez was safe at second on an error by Sean Nicol.

Joe Testa came in for Phillabaum and walked Mitch Dening to load the bases and, finally, Hassan to force in the game-winning run.

"He came through there," Boles said of Hassan. "He didn't take his defense out to the plate with him. He had the opportunity for redemption and he worked the count and got it done."

Notes

Infielder Drew Dominguez (.190) was activated from the disabled list. ... The P-Nats were managed by John Poppert, coach of the Gulf Coast League Nationals, because manager Gary Cathcart was suspended three games for an outburst against an umpire in Frederick on Sunday.

HOW THE RUNS SCORED

Game 1

Potomac first: One out. Norris doubled. Rhinehart grounded out, Norris to third. Moore walked. Walton doubled and went to third on the throw home, Norris scored, Moore scored. P-Nats 2, Red Sox 0.

Potomac second: Lyons doubled. Lyons went to third on a wild pitch by Lee. Jones struck out. Soriano singled, Lyons scored. Curran tripled, Soriano scored. Norris walked. Rhinehart singled, Curran scored. P-Nats 5, Red Sox 0.

Salem second: Middlebrooks singled. Tejeda tripled, Middlebrooks scored. Dent grounded out, Tejeda scored. P-Nats 5, Red Sox 2.

Salem sixth: Butler walked. Hassan doubled, Butler to third. Middlebrooks walked. Morris relieved Wort. Tejeda grounded into a double play, Butler scored. P-Nats 5, Red Sox 3.

Game 2

Potomac first: One out. Norris homered. P-Nats 1, Red Sox 0.

Salem fourth: Hassan homered. Tejeda homered. Red Sox 2, P-Nats 1.

Potomac seventh: Rhinehart doubled. Moore flied out. Cabral relieved Holliman. Rooney doubled, Rhinehart scored. Red Sox 2, P-Nats 2.

Salem seventh: Hee singled. Dent pinch ran for Hee. Dent stole second. Hedman flied out, Dent thrown out at second. Bermudez walked. Segovia reached on a fielder's choice, Bermudez safe at second on a throwing error by Nicol. Testa relieved Phillabaum. Dening walked, Bermudez to third, Segovia to second. Hassan walked, Bermudez scored. Red Sox 3, P-Nats 2.