Walks hurt Gore, but Nats show potential in hard-fought road trip

ANAHEIM -- An uncharacteristic battle with his command spoiled MacKenzie Gore’s bid to become the first Nationals pitcher to win his first three starts with the club.

Gore was lifted at 88 pitches (53 strikes) with two outs in the fourth inning of the Nationals’ 3-2 loss to the Angels on Wednesday afternoon, departing with the bases loaded after he walked Brett Phillips to force in a run. It was the second free pass Gore issued to Phillips, who was making his first start with the Halos this season (and went 0-for-34 with one walk against lefties in 2022).

Those matchups with Phillips exemplified Gore’s struggles, as he walked four batters -- after having walked six in 11 1/3 innings during his first two starts.

“Frustrating, yeah,” said Gore of his afternoon. “I put myself, and us, in some bad situations. Three of those walks were just non-competitive. But the bullpen was great. … I’ve just got to be a little better.”

Was the lefty surprised at the early hook from manager Dave Martinez?

“Those last two innings, I’d thrown a lot,” Gore admitted. “If you throw 88 [pitches] in 3 2/3, you’re going to shower early.”

Though the Nationals lost the game and the series to conclude a 3-4 road trip, there were elements that left the club feeling good as it prepared to head back home.

Take Gore’s second inning -- a sequence that illustrated some of the shutdown stuff that made him a key component of the mega-trade that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell to the Padres last summer.

Singles from Hunter Renfroe and Gio Urshela presented danger, but Gore navigated the threat with strikeouts of Luis Rengifo, Brandon Drury and Logan O’Hoppe. It was precisely the sort of game plan Martinez had envisioned for the left-hander when he spoke pregame of the need to “attack the strike zone” -- just one Gore wasn’t always able to stick to on the day.

“It was just one of those days,” Martinez said of Gore’s troubles. “His pitch count got way up there, so we had to get him out of there. But he’s got five days until he’s back out there again. I told him after the game, ‘You’re throwing the ball well, you’ve just got to keep the ball on the white, make those guys hit the ball. Our defense has been playing really well. So let’s come back in five days and do it again.’”

A key element of the competitiveness of this set in Anaheim was the pitching staff’s ability to hold the Angels’ premier duo in check. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani combined to go 1-for-18 with zero RBIs in the series.

That’s normally a recipe for success against Los Angeles, and though it didn’t quite lead to a series victory, Washington's clubhouse was aware of the hard-fought nature of this road trip.

“I think we played really well,” Martinez said. “We were in every game. We swung the bats fairly well, we’ve just got to hone in on driving in those runs from third base with less than two outs. … But I’m proud of the way they’re going out and playing the game. We’re playing with a lot of energy, everybody can see that.”

Mason Thompson relieved Gore and remained in the game after retiring Taylor Ward to end Wednesday’s eventful fourth inning. His only blemish was a sixth-inning RBI single from O’Hoppe that gave the Angels a 3-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Offensively, the Nationals just weren’t able to punch across that key hit that could have reshaped the game.

Facing Angels starter Griffin Canning (making his first appearance since July 2, 2021) and a quartet of relievers, the offense that pounded out 14 hits and 12 singles in the series opener was held in check after a fourth-inning outburst.

Four consecutive singles tied the game, 1-1, before Luis García’s groundout gave Washington a 2-1 lead, though strikeouts to Lane Thomas and CJ Abrams quelled any thoughts of adding on.

Keibert Ruiz’s bid for extra bases in the sixth was denied by Phillips, who stifled the would-be rally with an impressive catch.

Paired with the Halos’ efficient relief work, keeping the Nats’ bats at bay was enough to render the home club the victors of this series and leave Washington with some things to build upon as it heads back home.

“One hit here, one hit there in these games, we win,” said Martinez. “So we’ve just got to keep fighting."