At long last the losing streak is over. It took a wild game, but the Nats are back in the win column thanks to some overdue clutch hitting and a bunt that will be remembered for years to come. This was a hard fought 11 inning win, but the Nats will take anything they can get right now.
In the beginning of the game it felt like more of the same. The Nats threatened with first and third with nobody out. Unlike recent games, they were at least able to get one run across, but it could have been much more.
Unsurprisingly, the Nats were not able to keep that one run lead for long. The normally slap hitting Luis Arraez launched his first homer as a Phillie. Later that inning the Phillies were also able to scratch across another run.
However, Jake Irvin was very good outside of that inning. He threw 5.2 innings of two run ball and kept the ball off the barrel outside of that Arraez homer. It was a much needed step in the right direction for the 29 year old righty. The offense was still struggling to get anything going though.
After new Nat Will Dion got a double play to get out of the 6th, the Nats desperately needed some offense. That is exactly what Brady House provided them, crushing a hanging sweeper out to right center. It was his first career pinch hit homer, and that could not have come at a better time.
Following a Jacob Young double, the Nats were able to finally cash in with RISP thanks to CJ Abrams. This was a monster night from the Nats shortstop who truly put the team on his back. He had three hits and was on base four times. Abrams even made a nice defensive play.
With James Wood injured and Luis Garcia Jr. traded, so much of the responsibility is going to have to fall on Abrams. He is the only true heavy hitter in the lineup right now and is the man other teams will circle. Tonight he rose to the occasion and dragged the Nats out of the mud.
His heroics in the 11th inning basically won the Nats this game. In the 11th inning, Abrams hit a triple that just stayed in the yard to give the Nats the lead. When nobody else on the team could deliver in the clutch, Abrams was the guy who came through.
However, it was a journey to even get to that 11th inning. New Nats reliever Yovanny Cruz showed electric stuff but his command was not on point today. It is easy to see the potential of Cruz, but tonight was not his night. Tom Cosgrove did a good job limiting the damage and cleaning up Cruz’s mess though.
Overall, the bullpen did a nice job. They kept the Nats in the game and gave the team opportunities to come back. Finally, they were actually able to come back tonight. It was a great show of heart and determination by a team that has looked flat and under manned lately.
The best moment of the night came after Abrams’ at bat though. The Nats were in a predicament because they got rid of the DH after Andrew Pinckney pinch ran for Abimelec Ortiz. That meant the pitcher was due up third in the lineup in the 11th and the bench was empty.
Blake Butera called upon Miles Mikolas to pinch hit for Clayton Beeter. A seasoned National League veteran, Mikolas spent several years in the NL back when pitchers hit. Out of all the pitchers, Mikolas was most capable of handling the bat and dropping down a bunt. That is exactly what he did, pushing a perfect bunt to the first baseman which scored Abrams.
That moment brought the dugout and the fans some joy we have not seen for a week or two. The smiles in the Nats dugout were very big. They only got bigger when the Nats opened up the floodgates in Philly. The boys put up 6 runs in the 11th, making it a 10-4 game.
In his first outing off the IL, Brad Lord delivered a 1-2-3 inning to give the Nats a much needed win. The seven game losing streak is over, and hopefully that loosens up the guys. After Abrams got that hit with RISP in the 7th, it felt like a weight was lifted off their shoulders. Hopefully the offense can keep the momentum rolling and get a split in Philly tomorrow.
