The Washington Nationals found themselves in a tough situation during Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. With their bullpen depleted after three consecutive wins, pitcher Cory Abbott was left alone to save the game in the eighth inning. Unfortunately, Abbott couldn’t contain the Phillies’ powerful hitters, resulting in eight runs and seven hits. The Nationals ultimately lost 12-3.
Abbott managed to finish the eighth inning after throwing 37 pitches. In the ninth, utility man Ildemaro Vargas took the mound for the second time this season, but gave up a solo homer to Jake Cave. Despite a solid performance from starter Jake Irvin, who pitched six scoreless innings, the Nationals couldn’t secure a win. Nick Castellanos hit a three-run homer in the seventh to tie the game, and the floodgates opened from there.
Abbott was disappointed with his performance and acknowledged that the Phillies seem to have his number. However, it was no secret that the Nationals were short on bullpen options due to their recent win streak. The team relied on Irvin to limit the Phillies’ power, and he did so by inducing groundballs for the majority of his pitches.
Irvin faced some challenging situations throughout the game but managed to navigate them well. In the sixth inning, with back-to-back singles from Bryce Harper and Castellanos, Irvin stayed focused and struck out Trea Turner. He then got J.T. Realmuto to hit a dribbler down the third base line, loading the bases. However, Irvin remained composed and struck out Jake Cave to escape the inning unscathed.
Despite Irvin’s impressive performance, the bullpen couldn’t hold on to the lead. Jose A. Ferrer walked a batter and gave up a single, prompting Manager Dave Martinez to call on Andrés Machado. Unfortunately, Castellanos hit a home run off Machado, extending the Phillies’ lead.
With the game out of reach, Abbott entered the game and struggled to contain the Phillies. Turner hit another home run, and the Phillies added more runs, ultimately scoring a total of twelve. The Nationals simply ran out of arms and couldn’t recover.
Though the loss was disappointing, there was some growth seen from Irvin throughout the game. He pitched well in front of a sellout crowd, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to secure another win for the Nationals.
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