Consistency. That’s all you can ask from an offense, and while it may elude even the top teams in the league at times, the Nats are the polar opposite of that. After going 23 innings without scoring a single run, the offense came alive against the Twins best pitcher, All-Star Joe Ryan tonight.
The run totals for the Nats in games this week were: 1, 10, 6, 0, 0, 9. I’ve never seen a more feast-or-famine situation from a team, but this has been a pretty accurate summary of how this entire season has gone for the Nationals. That being said, let’s get into the upbeat stuff and talk about how tonight’s win went down.
The first two innings of the night were relatively quiet, with things picking up in the top of the third, as both positive and negative events occurred for the Nats. Giving the bad news first, Jacob Young had to exit the game in the top of the third after taking a pitch on his finger while attempting to bunt. The Nats have not yet released any news on whether he’ll hit the IL or not, but this does impact the team on multiple fronts. Right now, and some encouraging news, they are calling the injury a finger contusion.
First, the trade deadline is this week, and while his name specifically hasn’t been brought up much, common sense does say the Nationals may need to unload an outfielder, and Young would’ve been a leading candidate to bring back the best return without trading one of the younger guys. Also, he’s been one of the best hitters in the lineup, average-wise, over the past couple of weeks, and not to mention his defense is second to none in center. As I said, we have no news yet, but these finger issues can tend to be nagging. Let’s all hope for a quick recovery without an IL stint for Jacob.
Speaking of the trade deadline, the Nats got a trade completed just as the game ended. News broke from a Yankees beat reporter, Jack Curry, that they were acquiring Amed Rosario for two minor leaguers, Triple-A pitcher Clayton Beeter and DSL outfielder Browm Martinez. While trading Rosario was expected, it was the timing that caught many by surprise. Beeter was a 2020 draft pick by the Dodgers in the second round and traded in 2022 for Joey Gallo. The following year Beeter pitched in the All-Star Futures game. Once considered a promising prospect, Beeter is now a long-shot at 26 3/4 years of age.
In more positive news, the Nats got on the board that same inning when Alex Call, replacing Young, inherited the dreaded 0-2 count against Ryan and worked the pitcher until he got his pitch and stroked a line drive into the outfield to end the scoring drought. He drove in Drew Millas on that RBI single to start the scoring. One of the best at-bats we have seen in a long time.
The Nats added on in the fourth when Luis Garcia Jr. hit his eighth home run of the season, doubling the lead to 2-0. The big inning for the Nats came in the fifth on one swing. CJ Abrams had an opportunity with the bases loaded and nobody out, and he took full advantage of it. A line drive into the right field corner cleared the bases, left Abrams celebrating on second, and made it a 5-0 lead for the Nats.
Mitchell Parker tonight was very good, and he probably should not have come out for the 6th inning after his struggles to get through the 5th inning. His scoreless start of five innings could have been worse as the 6th inning unraveled quickly. He had to work around some traffic a few times, when the Twins finally got two against him — if not for a spectacular leaping catch by Luis Garcia Jr., it would have been three runs. The first came on an RBI single by Royce Lewis, the second coming via an RBI double by Ty France. For Parker, this makes two consecutive solid performances out of the break, coming on the heels of some serious struggles in the outings before. Tonight, especially had to be a confidence booster, as he outdueled an all-star in an opposing stadium and exited with a 5-2 lead that eventually gave him the win.
- Mitchell Parker: 5.2 innings, 8 hits, 2 runs (both earned), 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, 99 pitches
- Joe Ryan: 5 innings, 6 hits, 5 runs (4 earned runs), 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, 87 pitches
The offense kept the onslaught going in the seventh when Alex Call went the other way for a solo homer to extend the lead to 6-2. They added three more in the eighth on a Josh Bell RBI single, he would then score on a wild pitch, and the final run came on an RBI groundout by Alex Call. It was a great night for Call, not originally in the lineup, but he made the most of his impromptu opportunity.
The Twins grabbed a run during garbage time in the eighth on a Matt Wallner sacrifice fly against Jackson Rutledge, but that would be all they’d get, and the 9-3 score would hold.
Before I get to tonight’s positives, and there are plenty, I’d like to air some pure opinion. Drew Millas has got to be the everyday starter at catcher while Keibert Ruiz is out for the time being. He has continued to come through at the plate just about every night he’s been given the chance. Tonight was another example, as his 3-4 night was invaluable to the Nats’ nine-run outburst. I understand Riley Adams may have more power and a better arm, but Millas, albeit in a shorter sample size, has shown the ability to hit for average, something Adams has consistently failed to do, and something the Nats desperately need from as many spots in the order as possible.
Getting to the positives from tonight, the pitchers battled all night, particularly Mitchell Parker, Andrew Chafin, and Luis Garcia. Garcia, pitching a second night in a row, threw a scoreless inning and a third in this one, once again showcasing a 99-100 mph sinker, which is a couple of ticks harder than what he’s been all season. Definitely a good sign from him this weekend. Offensively, Drew Millas was the star of the night with a three-hit effort, but two-hit performances came from Luis Garcia Jr., Daylen Lile, and Alex Call to help power the club to a nine-run output.
Unfortunately, James Wood‘s slump continued tonight in full force with yet another 0-4 game with three more strikeouts. I don’t understand exactly what’s been going through his mind these past couple of weeks, but saying he’s been awful is putting it lightly. The more alarming piece is the strikeouts; he’s not putting the ball in play much at all, and pitchers are just having their way with him on a nightly basis. In his 16-games since July 4, Wood is batting just .116 with a .421 OPS. His MVP candidacy is in serious jeopardy now.
The Nats do have another opportunity tomorrow to win a series. The rubber match of this weekend’s series will get going at 2:10 tomorrow afternoon, with Jake Irvin (7-5, 4.81 ERA) on the hill for the Nats. The Twins have not yet announced a starter, but they likely will by the end of tonight. Check whatever app you use to track scores before you go to bed tonight, and chances are they’ll have a starter listed then. The Nationals have a chance to go 4-2 on the week and win back-to-back series with a win tomorrow. Let’s see if Irvin can get back to his winning ways and propel the Nats tomorrow.
