Well, I think congratulations are in order for Miles Mikolas, who is already in the Nationals’ record books after just two starts with the team. Unfortunately, the record he broke today is one that I’m sure he’d have rather stayed far away from. The game got off to a fast and opportune start, with Mikolas breezing through the first two innings without any damage allowed. Those innings were punctuated by a two-out three-run homer by CJ Abrams that put the Nationals ahead 3-0, and sent what was a tremendous crowd into a raucous frenzy. That would be the end of the good vibes on this particular afternoon for the Nats fans in attendance.
In his shortened outing, Mikolas would proceed to allow 11 earned runs and four home runs, setting a new Nationals team record for most runs allowed in a single appearance. This was all the Dodgers needed en route to a 13-6 victory.
The action
The game got underway with a surge of optimism from the home team, with Mikolas retiring the Dodgers 1-2-3 in the top half of the first including a strikeoutof Shohei Ohtani to start the game. The Nats’ offense was able to pick up that momentum and run with it, as James Wood swung at the first pitch of the game from Emmett Sheehan and lined a ball to center that just evaded the glove of Andy Pages, giving Wood a leadoff double. Later in the inning, CJ Abrams got an opportunity with runners on first and second and two outs. CJ worked the count to 2-2, and on the fifth pitch, he got a high fastball and didn’t miss any of it. The three-run shot made it 3-0 Nationals, and after Mikolas went 1-2-3 in the top of the second as well, the momentum was flowing through the first base dugout.
The tide turned in the top of the third inning, as Mikolas allowed the first two hitters to reach base, and with one out, Shohei Ohtani strode to the plate. Miles hung a knee-high changeup, and the Japanese superstar flipped it over the right field fence for his first homer of the season — a game-tying three-run shot to even things at three. The trouble didn’t end there. Kyle Tucker smacked a single on the very next pitch, and then two pitches later, Mookie Betts turned on a fastball and hit it into the Dodgers’ bullpen in left for a two-run homer. So in the span of four pitches, the score went from 3-0 Washington to 5-3 Los Angeles.
The Nats got one back in the bottom of the third, as CJ Abrams struck again. This time, it was an RBI single that deflected off the glove of the second baseman, and some heads-up base running by Daylen Lile enabled him to cross the plate safely, making it a 5-4 game. The top of the fourth didn’t settle anything down for Mikolas, as he hung a slider right down the middle to Andy Pages, who roped a homer down the left field line to score two more runs for LA. That 7-4 lead carried into the fifth inning, as Sheehan began to settle in against the Washington order.
The same cannot be said for Mikolas, who continued his struggles in the fifth inning; this time, it was Freddie Freeman who took him deep. Freeman deposited a two-run homer down the right field line to make it 9-4, and three batters later, Teoscar Hernandez doubled home Max Muncy to make it 10-4. That would be the end of the rope for Mikolas, who left behind a housefire of a game and was responsible for the runner on second base. That runner would end up scoring against new reliever Gus Varland on an RBI single by Kyle Tucker. That moved the score to 11-4, turning this game from what was a very exciting show of might from this young Nats team, to them being turned into a speed bump for the back-to-back world champions to run over.
- Emmett Sheehan: 5.2 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs (all earned), 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, 98 pitches
- Miles Mikolas: 4.1 innings, 11 hits, 11 runs (all earned), 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, 87 pitches
The bullpens took over in the middle innings, and the score remained 11-4 until the top of the seventh. With Ken Waldichuk on his second inning in relief, Kyle Tucker took advantage of a sweeper that was left down the middle and hit it out to right field for his first home run as a Dodger, a solo shot to make it 12-4.
The Nats’ offense put together a nice rally in the eighth, and scored one run on an RBI double by Keibert Ruiz, and one more on a groundout by Jacob Young. The 12-6 score carried into the ninth, where the Dodgers added one more for good measure on a sacrifice fly by Ohtani, to give us the 13-6 score that would be our final.
The positives
Despite the score, this was a successful afternoon for the Nationals’ offense. The boys scrounged together 11 hits, with Luis Garcia and CJ Abrams both turning in two-hit days, and for the first time this season, every starting batter for the Nationals had a hit. While we’re often harping on the defensive shortcomings that this team has, we might as well acknowledge the times they do perform in that aspect, so a big positive from today was that there’s a zero in the Washington error column.
What’s next?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier tomorrow. Game two of this series will get going tomorrow afternoon at 4:05, and the Nats will have to face Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 3.00 ERA), the hard-throwing veteran righty who has had great success against the Nationals in his career. Blake Butera and company will counter with Jake Irvin (1-0, 3.60 ERA), one of the brightest parts of last weekend’s series against the Cubs. We’re going to need Jake to prove it tomorrow against this all-world Dodgers’ lineup.
Down on the farm
Triple-A Rochester: Doubleheader today vs Scranton-Wilkes Barre
Last Night, 3-1 win vs Scranton-Wilkes Barre
- Andrew Alvarez: 5 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
- Christian Franklin: 2-3 with a walk
- Harry Ford and Trey Lipscomb each with a double
Tomorrow: 1:05 vs Scranton-Wilkes Barre
Double-A Harrisburg: 6:00 game tonight at Altoona
Last night, 7-2 win against Altoona
- Alex Clemmey: 3 innings, 1 hit, 1 runs, 5 walks, 4 strikeouts
- Brandon Boissiere: 2-4, triple, home run, one walk, 4 RBIs
- Leandro Pineda: 2-4, two singles, RBI
- Sam Petersen: 1-2, double, 2 walks
- Cayden Wallace: 1-5, double, RBI
Tomorrow: 1:00 at Altoona
High-A Wilmington: 6:35 game tonight vs Jersey Shore (Opening night)
Tomorrow: 6:05 vs Jersey Shore
Low-A Fredericksburg: 6:35 game tonight vs Augusta (Opening night)
Tomorrow: 1:35 vs Augusta
