In a disappointing 19-4 loss for the Washington Nationals against the Philadelphia Phillies, the focus shifted to the well-being of pitcher MacKenzie Gore. After giving up six runs in the third inning, Gore was visited by the team’s athletic trainer, Paul Lessard, before leaving the field together. On the television broadcast, it appeared that Gore reassured everyone by saying, “I’m all right,” signaling that he was okay despite the rough outing.
Manager Dave Martinez explained that they initially went out to check on Gore because he didn’t cover first base earlier in the inning, leading to a potential injury. However, it was discovered that he had a small blister on his finger. Gore insisted that the blister had nothing to do with his performance, as he’s used to dealing with such issues. Unfortunately, the rest of Gore’s afternoon was equally troubling. His final pitch, crushed by Cristian Pache for a double, clocked in at 93.4 mph. Throughout the game, Gore’s fastball averaged 95.1 mph, with a maximum velocity of 96.5 mph.
However, nine batters into a challenging inning, Gore struggled to contain experienced hitters. It all started with back-to-back walks, followed by a missed double play because Gore didn’t cover first base. This led to three run-scoring plays: an RBI single, a sacrifice fly, and a two-run homer. As a result, Gore’s ERA rose from 3.89 to 4.48.
Gore acknowledged his mistakes, particularly not covering first base, and admitted that he missed his spots too frequently. He emphasized the importance of doing the little things right and expressed disappointment in himself for not executing properly.
Considering Gore’s relatively high pitch count throughout the season, Manager Martinez had expressed concern about monitoring his workload. On Saturday, Gore threw 64 pitches, with 36 of them occurring in the problematic third inning. After a successful start to his rookie year, his left elbow tired, and he landed on the injured list due to inflammation. The Nationals acquired Gore with hopes of him becoming a cornerstone of their future rotations and proceeded with caution, shutting him down for the remainder of the 2022 season.
Gore’s struggles against the Phillies involved a mix of good early strikes followed by a loss of command, which the Phillies capitalized on in the third inning. They took advantage of three walks and four hits, three of which came from Gore’s four-seam fastball. The botched double play also contributed to the Phillies’ offensive success.
After Gore left the game, the Phillies continued to dominate against the Nationals’ young relievers, running up the score and ending the Nationals’ three-game winning streak. However, 23-year-old lefty Jose A. Ferrer made his major league debut and had a clean sixth inning, striking out two batters. In a twist of fate, utility man Ildemaro Vargas, not Cory Abbott, finished the game with a one-two-three inning.
Despite the disappointing outing, Gore remains determined to move past this start and improve his execution in future games. He knows that there will be more opportunities to prove himself and make adjustments in the next five days.
Overall, it was a challenging day for the Nationals, but they remain hopeful for Gore’s potential and look forward to his growth as a pitcher.
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