Nats' happy homecoming all starts with Irvin
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WASHINGTON -- The Nationals have fared notably better on the road than at home this season, but their results in series openers have been even more drastic.
After entering Friday night just 1-15 in home series openers -- compared to 8-8 away from Nationals Park -- the Nats changed that success rate with a 5-3 win over the Giants.
“Very good game,” manager Dave Martinez said. “The boys played well. I always say, if we get good starting pitching, we can compete. Jake [Irvin] set the tone today, so we followed his lead and we scored runs. … All around, it was a very, very good day. I love the way we played.”
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Here are four standout elements of the Nationals’ win in their first game back in Washington since the All-Star break.
Jake Irvin's sizzling outing
The rookie right-hander impressed with a career-high nine strikeouts and he gave the taxed bullpen a needed break. Irvin delivered 111 pitches -- the most by any Nats pitcher this season -- across 6 2/3 innings. It was his longest start on any pro level.
“[I] was just kind of throwing the ball in the zone, challenging hitters and making them put the ball in play,” Irvin said. “Strikeouts don’t really happen because you are trying to strike guys out; it’s just making quality pitches.”
Despite allowing a pair of early home runs, Irvin locked in for three consecutive 1-2-3 frames, including freezing the top of the order in the sixth. The 26-year-old completed his 14th Major League start with three runs allowed on five hits and one walk.
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“He looked awesome, he really did,” Martinez said.
After debuting on May 3, Irvin already is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA against Giants.
Shutdown relief
Shorthanded by injuries, Martinez has called on several relievers to step up in high-leverage situations. Against the Giants, that included Jordan Weems, Jose A. Ferrer and Kyle Finnegan.
Irvin exited the game with two outs in the seventh and runners on first and second. Reliever Jordan Weems, who gave up a walk in his first at-bat, struck out Casey Schmitt to work out of a bases-loaded jam and preserve the inning for Irvin.
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Rookie lefty reliever Ferrer entered in the eighth to face the top of the order. He struck out LaMonte Wade Jr., got pinch-hitter Luis Matos to fly out and fanned J.D. Davis, who had homered in the first inning.
Finnegan then earned his 13th save of the season by retiring the side in the ninth. The ‘pen helped the Nats improve to 24-10 when holding opponents to three runs or fewer.
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“Hats off to those guys,” said Irvin. “They threw fantastic.”
CJ Abrams leading the way
Abrams is excelling in his move to the leadoff spot. The shortstop belted his ninth home run of the season in the second inning off left-hander Alex Wood. He added a single and a stolen base in the fifth.
“He’s not trying to do too much,” Martinez said. “He’s trying to stay in the middle of the field. He’s trying to get on base for his teammates. I talk a lot about leading off, about being that catalyst for eight other guys behind you, and he’s doing that right now. I love it.”
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In his 10 games since being bumped up in the batting order on July 7, Abrams has stolen eight bases and is hitting .415 with a double, a triple, two homers, 11 runs and three RBIs.
“When I’m on base, I want to get into scoring position for Lane [Thomas] so he can drive me in,” Abrams said.
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Lane Thomas driving the bus
Thomas posted All-Star-caliber numbers in the first half in the leadoff spot. He has been adjusting to hitting second, and he continued to find a rhythm in the series opener.
Thomas hit his 16th home run of the season in the first inning and his second dinger in the last three games. He added a single in the seventh.
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“The first at-bat [hitting second] is a little different just because you have a chance to drive a run in if CJ gets on,” Thomas said. “Whereas before, I was just trying to get on base. It’s been fun. I feel like those guys have been on base for me quite a bit in the last five or six games. Hopefully, I can keep driving them in.”
With Thomas and Abrams going yard, they became the first Nos. 1 and 2 hitters for the Nationals to do so since Alex Call and Jeimer Candelario on April 7 against the Rockies at Coors Field.