'Control' helps Kieboom succeed in loss

WASHINGTON -- Carter Kieboom sliced the ball down the third-base line with the potential to be a game-changing hit in the bottom of the ninth with two outs in a one-run game. At the very least, he could have loaded the bases with an infield single. He could have also recorded a game-tying RBI, or in the best-case scenario, driven in two runs with a walk-off hit.

“Of course,” Kieboom said, when asked if he thought that ball was getting through. “[I was] just trying to put the ball in play there and make something happen.”

The Braves, though, had their defense positioned behind closer Will Smith to prevent a ground ball from getting down the line. Third baseman Austin Riley nabbed Kieboom’s 102.5 mph grounder and fired it off to first base for the final out, sending Washington to a 6-5 defeat in the series sweep. The Nationals have lost seven in a row.

"We were playing no doubles down the line,” Riley said of the Braves, who moved into first place in the NL East. “It was good position, and I made a good play to get Will out of the jam right there. That was a huge win."

While the late-game heroics didn’t happen for Kieboom this time, he recorded his third multi-RBI game of August on Sunday. The third baseman went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, which came during an early comeback attempt in the fifth. With two outs and Juan Soto and Josh Bell in scoring position, Kieboom delivered a ground ball into right field off Jesse Chavez to clear the bases and bring the Nats within one run.

“It was awesome,” manager Dave Martinez said of that at-bat. “He’s getting ready on time, he’s staying on the ball. His swing seems a little bit flatter and he’s getting to pitches a lot better.”

Facing a southpaw starter in Drew Smyly, Kieboom was moved up to the fifth spot in the batting order on Sunday for only the fifth game in his Major League career. Martinez said there is a possibility Kieboom could bat in the spot more often against lefties for a matchup advantage.

“He’s going to get opportunities to drive in runs,” Martinez said. “Today, he handled it well.”

Kieboom was recalled by the Nationals from the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings on July 24. He is batting .300 over his last 17 games, including two home runs, two doubles, nine RBIs, seven runs and six walks.

“Just control the madness up there,” Kieboom said. “I think any time you’re in charge and they’re having to pitch and make strong pitches against you, I think it puts more pressure on them.”