The Washington Nationals stole a win last night with a come-from-behind stunner that ended just before midnight in Washington, D.C. due to two lengthy rain delays with a 6-5 win. The win erased some crucial mistakes and missed opportunities. That win also sets up a chance for the Nats to win this series with a win today.
On the mound is rookie Jake Irvin for the Nats, and he is coming off of a win that took him to 111 pitches. That eclipsed Irvin’s previous pitch count high of 94 pitches. An 18 percent increase over a previous high is something to keep an eye on and certainly goes counter to what most teams are doing these days — but manager Dave Martinez seems to dismiss what other teams are doing and has repeatedly said he is targeting higher pitch counts.
The Nats had a series of roster moves today starting with Andres Machado added back to the roster and Amos Willingham sent down. To make room on the 40-man roster, Victor Robles was transferred to the 60-day IL.
“As I always say, we can’t control the weather, especially here in the summertime — but the boys hung there.”
— manager Dave Martinez said
The Nats starting pitchers have a combined ERA of 4.61 for 19th best in MLB. The Nats are within 20 points of leapfrogging four teams for 15th best.
Here is how they rank:
No. 5 Starter: Patrick Corbin 5.01
No. 4 Starter: Jake Irvin 4.87
No. 3 Starter: Trevor Williams 4.47
No. 2 Starter: MacKenzie Gore 4.37
No. 1 Starter: Josiah Gray 3.45
Here is your Baseball Savant Statcast Link for the game.
Colorado Rockies vs. Washington Nationals
Stadium: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
1st Pitch: 12:05 pm EDT
TV: MASN
Radio: 106.7 The Fan radio and via the MLB app
