Nats win, face harsh reality: 'This is business'

PHILADELPHIA -- Juan Soto was so locked in prior to Tuesday’s game that he confidently told his teammates he expected to put his name in the MLB record book by the end of the night.

“I felt really good today,” Soto said following the Nationals’ 6-4 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. “I even told my teammates I was going to hit four home runs.”

Soto might have had his teammates wondering for a bit after connecting for a three-run homer in the second inning, but that proved to be the only time he left the yard.

“I fell short,” Soto added with a laugh.

Still, Soto’s homer -- his MLB-leading seventh since the All-Star break -- helped the Nats snap their five-game losing streak and bring a positive ending to an otherwise discouraging day.

Hours after receiving some clarity -- albeit in the form of bad news -- on one of their star pitchers, the Nationals were left to wonder about the status of one of their star position players, all while their other star pitcher continued to be mentioned in trade rumors.

After the Nationals announced prior to the game that Stephen Strasburg would undergo season-ending surgery on Wednesday for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, Trea Turner was removed from the game in the middle of the first inning after testing positive for COVID-19, per MLB protocols.

Turner’s departure had Soto thinking his teammate had been traded ahead of Friday’s 4 p.m. ET Trade Deadline. Starter Erick Fedde had a similar thought -- and so, too, did many of their teammates.

Though that wasn’t the case this time around, it’s a reality that Nationals players will deal with throughout the week. Even with Tuesday’s victory, the Nats (46-54) remain eight games under .500 and 7 1/2 behind the first-place Mets (53-46) in the NL East.

“We've got to keep playing baseball. At the end of the day, this is business,” Soto said. “We know what time it is, and this could happen with some of the guys. I hope not, but it is what it is. We've just got to be ready and keep playing baseball.”

The Nationals managed to do exactly that against the Phillies. Along with Soto swatting his opposite-field homer just an inning after Turner’s unexpected exit, Washington’s bullpen had a much-needed bounce-back effort. Four Nats relievers combined to allow only one hit over 4 1/3 scoreless innings, capped by Brad Hand -- pitching for the third time in as many days after blowing saves on Sunday and Monday -- locking down the save against the top of Philadelphia's order.

“I feel like these guys are committed to winning baseball games, they really are,” Martinez said. “With all the things we have gone through, you watch these guys go out there and play hard every day. Like I said before, I'm proud of these guys. They don't quit. We get down, things happen, they stay positive and they keep moving forward.”

It’s the same mantra the franchise used to make its improbable World Series run following a 19-31 start in 2019. Of course, the circumstances are obviously very different this time around. Strasburg, the MVP from that World Series, is sidelined for the remainder of the season and his co-ace, Max Scherzer, continues to be one of the most popular names on the trade market.

Soto’s focus remains on the game -- both the one the Nationals are playing on any given night and the one he’s created with Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto. Put simply, Soto gets a point if he reaches base and Realmuto gets a point if he does not.

“Winning's always fun,” said Soto, who trails Realmuto, 5-4, through two games of the four-game set in Philadelphia. “We've been through tough times the last couple days, but we're always going to keep trying. We can't give up.”

Soto will look to rally on Wednesday -- making good on that four-homer proclamation (even if it is a day late) would certainly do the trick.