Despite 'two bad pitches,' Corbin 'felt good'

WASHINGTON -- At 7:04 p.m. ET, Patrick Corbin tossed the first pitch of Tuesday’s game, which quickly became the first hit of the game -- a solo home run to the Phillies’ leadoff hitter, Jean Segura. The Nats southpaw took a deep breath and settled in to deliver five straight scoreless innings. That first pitch foreshadowed the rest of the night, as home runs plagued Corbin in the 5-4 loss at Nationals Park.

“I thought it was executed all right, he put a good swing on it,” Corbin said. “You've got to forget about it and go out there and make pitches. I mean, I felt good all game. Just -- that first pitch, sometimes that happens.”

Following the leadoff home run, Corbin retired 11 straight batters before allowing another hit. It seemed like the lefty had settled in and figured out the Phillies' lineup, fanning eight batters.

Then the top of the seventh inning hit and it was like the clock had struck midnight for the Nats' starter.

Giving up home runs hasn't been uncommon for Corbin this season. Ahead of Tuesday’s matchup, he had allowed the sixth-most homers (22) in MLB. Corbin has worked on pitching with his legs more, which he feels has made him inconsistent throughout the season. When he doesn’t “have his legs”, Corbin compensates, delivering pitches he wishes he could take back, like the curveball to J.T. Realmuto.

Realmuto lined a slow curveball over the center-field wall, giving Philadelphia a two-run advantage to start off the frame. Corbin issued his only walk of the game on five pitches, leading Ronald Torreyes into the batter's box. Torreyes then knocked the Phils' third homer, a two-run shot to center field.

“I thought he should have stuck with a slider,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said.. “His slider was really good today. I think he got away from that in the seventh inning and just basically made two bad pitches.”

Both Corbin’s sinker (95.6 mph) and slider (84.7) velocities were above his season average. The lefty recorded 13 whiffs with the slider, relying on the pitch 40% of the time. Both Corbin and Martinez said it was the best the pitch had looked and felt all season.

Corbin finished the remainder of the seventh inning unscathed, leaving his team to attempt to come back from a four-run deficit.

Washington’s offense, which had been quiet until that point, posted two runs in the seventh. The rally continued in the bottom of the eighth, with a Josh Bell two-run homer sailing a Statcast-projected 442 feet into the second deck in deep right-center. However, the Nats' bats were silent in the ninth, unable to complete the rally for a win.

Martinez has been in awe of his team’s ability to stay in games all season, but especially since the Trade Deadline. The Nationals have competed in each game, scoring late and trying to rally. No matter the state of the team and who is on the roster, Washington's skipper has seen his team battle.

“I couldn't be more proud of these guys out there,” said Martinez. “After the week we went through, them coming back and competing the way they're competing -- it's been great. I watched Patrick Corbin pitch today, and take away the seventh inning, I thought that's the best he [threw] the ball all year. If he could continue to do that, we're gonna win some games from behind, that's for sure.”