Today’s performance was all too predictable, yet all too frustrating in the same sense. Ranger Suarez set a new career high in strikeouts with 11 of them over seven scoreless innings against the Nationals this afternoon, and they just had no answer. All except for Jacob Young, who went 2-2 off the lefty, but was completely left out to dry in this one by the rest of the offense.
While we’re on the topic of being left out to dry, Jake Irvin did not do the Nats’ bullpen any favors today, getting pulled with one out in the third inning, forcing the bullpen to account for 17 outs. Luckily, they completed what was an excellent bullpen week with 5⅔ scoreless innings of work, keeping the offense in the game all afternoon.
The scoring started in the bottom of the second as Rafael Marchan, the light hitting backup catcher for Philadelphia, clubbed a two-out two-run double to right field and just out of Dylan Crews‘ reach to put the Phillies up 2-0. For Irvin, those kinds of mistakes just can’t happen, Marchan is hitting .183 on the season, and with two outs you need to end the inning there without damage. Things could have been worse for Irvin if not for Young who saved him with two exceptional defensive plays.
The Phillies added on another one in the third after Irvin loaded the bases with one out, forcing Miguel Cairo to pull him and bring in Shinnosuke Ogasawara. Shin did a great job, he did walk in one run, but got out of the jam without allowing any further damage. He went on to throw two more scoreless innings of work before his day was done, hats off to him this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Nats’ offense was getting absolutely nothing done against Suarez except for Young. I’m really glad they didn’t face Cristopher Sanchez, the Phillies’ better left-handed starter, that would have just been an even worse bloodbath than today’s game was. I wish I could discuss something they got done prior to the eighth inning but to just describe it as a never-ending cycle of strikeouts and weak contact would perfectly sum up the first seven offensive frames for the Nationals.
- Jake Irvin: 2.1 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs (3 earned), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 69 pitches
- Ranger Suarez: 7 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 11 strikeouts, 90 pitches
While the bullpen continued to excel, the Nats finally got something on the board in the eighth, but even that was disappointing. The Nationals loaded the bases with nobody out off of Jose Alvarado, with James Wood stepping up to the plate. The Phillies brought in lefty Tanner Banks to face him in what was probably the biggest at-bat of today’s game, and Wood grounded into a double play. It did bring one run home, making it a 3-1 game, but it ruined the potential for the even bigger inning that Washington needed. That is where the game was for the winning.
“We could’ve done a better job of scrapping together better at-bats. Maybe just being more selective.”
— Wood said after the game
The Nats got one more run in the ninth on a solo homer by Luis Garcia Jr., also the first pinch-hit home run of the season for the Nationals. That would be all unfortunately, as the Nats dropped their final matchup of the season with Philadelphia 3-2.
Positives from today are mostly the bullpen, Shinnosuke Ogasawara, Jackson Rutledge, Konnor Pilkington, and Clayton Beeter all threw scoreless appearances this afternoon to salvage a dud of a start from Jake Irvin. Offensively, nice job by Young to get on base all three times up, and good on Garcia for being ready off the bench and coming up with a huge hit. The rest of you, thanks for putting on your uniform correctly I guess.
The Nats will bus to New York this evening where they’ll finish this stretch of 13 games against some of the league’s best with a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. The series will begin tomorrow night at 7:05, Brad Lord (4-6, 3.46 ERA) will be on the bump for the Nats in what I think will be a really intriguing matchup for him, getting to go against this struggling, yet powerful, Yankee lineup. The Yankees have yet to announce a starter for this one but if you check your phone later tonight or early tomorrow morning, it should be out. My guess is we will be facing the rookie Cam Schlittler, a hard-throwing righty who took a perfect game into the seventh in his last start at Tampa. Going to be an interesting series to watch, but a fun opportunity for our young guys to play in such a historic venue.
