Gore solid in start as Nats come up short in extra innings

ATLANTA -- They say the most important pitch is strike one, which lefty MacKenzie Gore threw to start his outing Friday at Truist Park. But the second pitch ended up in the Nationals' bullpen in right-center field off the bat of Braves center fielder Michael Harris II, the first homer off Gore since Aug. 6 against San Francisco.

Yet that was the only run Atlanta could muster against Gore, who kept throwing strikes -- 61 of them -- and spread 27 balls for no walks in six innings pitched. He was in line for his eighth win of the season, but the Nationals relinquished the lead in the seventh inning and ultimately lost, 3-2, in 10 innings.

“I thought we got ahead of guys; I thought when we did get behind, we got right back in with aggressive pitches,” Gore said. “I thought the stuff was fine. [Not walking anyone] was important. … When we got in certain counts tonight, we went at guys and were able to put them away.”

That included Gore’s escape act in the bottom of the second. Ramón Laureano singled through the right side on a 0-2 pitch and then moved to third on Whit Merrifield’s double sprayed toward the right-field corner. Sean Murphy lined to short, and then Gio Urshela dribbled a comebacker to Gore, who alertly threw to catcher Keibert Ruiz to nab Laureano in a chase back toward third base for the second out.

“He stayed in the moment today really well,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said of his starter. “He didn’t get frustrated with the leadoff homer, big outs with runners on second and third, and we played defense behind him too.”

Orlando Arcia popped out to second in shallow right field to end the inning. Right fielder Alex Call lost his footing while sprinting in for the pop-up, leaving the field on a security cart with a foot injury.

“It hurt, and then I was like, ‘What just snapped?’” Call said of the popping sensation he felt on the play. “I just got an MRI done, and I’m still waiting for everybody to figure it all out. But apparently it might be a good thing. You guys have probably seen me limping around the field, dealing with the plantar issue. So maybe this is more of a snap to release some pressure that I’ve been feeling down there. So when I heard that [from medical staff], I was really excited.”

On the offensive side, seven of Washington’s hits were with two outs -- the other three hits coming with one out. Two-out lightning in the fourth inning resulted in the Nationals’ two runs: Juan Yepez singled on a swinging bunt that rolled near the third-base line, and Ruiz doubled on the next pitch, hanging a high fly ball just inside the foul line, which bounced rightward into the stands for a ground-rule double.

Andrés Chaparro scored them both on a hustling double into the left-center gap on a 2-2 pitch. Chaparro advanced to third on Ildemaro Vargas’ single to center. Harris’ throw home bounced off the mound and over catcher Murphy’s head, permitting Vargas to advance to second. Braves starter Chris Sale ended the threat by striking out José Tena swinging for the second time in as many innings.

“We did have our opportunities, but I thought we played well.” Martinez said. “MacKenzie was great. Our bullpen came in and they were really good. We had a chance to go back out there and win the game, and it just didn’t happen.”

Despite getting 10 hits, the Nationals ran into outs on the bases. In the third inning, Jacob Young doubled and stole third but then made the last out at home while trying to score on Nasim Nuñez's groundout to Sale.

In the top of the sixth, Vargas singled with two outs again, but on a 2-0 count to Tena, Vargas jumped early and got picked off by Sale, who tossed the ball to first baseman Matt Olson to apply the tag and end the frame.

The next inning, Young had singled and advanced to second on Nuñez's walk, but Murphy zipped a perfect throw to third baseman Urshela’s waiting glove, catching Young on a close play that stood after Washington’s challenge.

“When you face a guy like [Sale], we got to push the envelope a little bit,” Martinez said. “Vargas just left too soon -- we talked to him about that. But then Jacob, I really would like to know what they really saw, because everybody in the ballpark saw he was safe.”