The Washington Nationals stormed back like a Florida hurricane to turn a 7-0 deficit into a 12-9 win over the Miami Marlins. The Nationals have won the first 3-games in this series with the finale tomorrow in a weekend wrap-around series. The team moves to 13-14 and gets those cosmic tumblers ticking a little more — that anything is possible.
In Nats’ history, April 28 had the Nats biggest ‘road’ comeback win ever from an 8-run deficit. Most remember it as the “Dan Uggla” game in 2015. In 2019, it was Matt Adams delivering on April 28 with a walk-off home run in the 11th inning on a short-handed Nats’ team. In 2010 and 2011, it was two one-run thriller wins for the Nats. Today, it was Nick Senzel with two home runs and five RBIs. The Nats have also played four extra-inning games on April 28, and there have been five times that the Nats did not play on April 28. The Nats also had two blow-out wins on April 28 in 2006 and in 2021. Suffice it to say that April 28th in the history of the Washington Nationals have been exciting games when they played!
The last time a Dave Martinez team went to bed with a .500 record after the first week of a season was on July 2, 2021. That is possible tomorrow if Davey’s team can win. That has to be the goal to go 1-0 tomorrow. This lineup today looked like maybe a concoction from a Spring Training game. Players who did not start the season on the roster came up huge with Jacob Young, Alex Call, and Trey Lipscomb. That brass trio combined for an 8-for-11 day at the plate, two Web Gems, two walks, two HBPs, three stolen bases, a key outfield assist by Call for a DP, and EIGHT runs scored by this triumvirate.
“This group, I say it all the time, they fight — they play hard — they’re relentless — they stick together. It’s been a fun group so far. They want to win. They really do. You can see that. They don’t give up.”
— Martinez said after today’s win
Sometimes the game defies logic, and luck can turn on a dime. But you have to make your own luck. “Baseball is a crazy game at times,” Patrick Corbin said after the game. As his manager said, this team just keeps fighting as a group. The X-factor you get from players like Young, Call, and Ildemaro Vargas are why roster construction isn’t all about putting large men who supposedly can hit long home runs on the roster. Of course you appreciate Senzel for his power surge. It’s what makes a power/speed player like Abrams so rare and valuable. The good rosters have the right balance, and you want to have those players who play hard and want to do what it takes to win.
