Nationals Stat of the Day: Sept./Oct. 2021

MLB.com is keeping track of a Stat of the Day for the Nationals this season, highlighting a unique, interesting or fun nugget from each game.

• Nationals Stat of the Day, August 2021

Oct. 3: Nationals vs. Red Sox -- Adon strikes out nine in debut
While trying to play the role of spoiler, the Nationals started rookie Joan Adon on the mound. In his MLB debut, the right-hander tossed 5 1/3 innings, striking out nine batters. The nine punchouts ties Reynaldo López (July 19, 2016; 9) for the second most in Nationals history -- Adon was five shy of the record set by Stephen Strasburg (June 8, 2010; 14). It is also the most strikeouts by any pitcher in a debut this season, beating the previous high of seven (which was done four times).

Oct. 2: Red Sox 5, Nationals 3 -- Stevenson goes yard
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Andrew Stevenson came up clutch. He smacked a no-doubt home run to center field, bringing the Nationals within two runs of the Red Sox. His 420-foot blast was the second-farthest ball hit in his career -- behind the 440-foot home run on May 14, 2021.

Oct. 1: Red Sox 4, Nationals 2 -- Soto records 39th multi-walk game
Juan Soto has said many times before: If pitchers want to play, they will pitch to him. If they don't, they just walk him. Well, for the 39th time this season, the Nationals' All-Star recorded a multi-walk game, with four free passes. That is the most by a player in a single season since Barry Bonds in 2004 (75). Soto's 83 career multi-walk games are the most by any player before turning 23 (since at least 1901).

Sept. 29: Rockies 10, Nationals 5 -- Nats' unkind road slate ends
The Nationals wrapped up their final road trip of the season with a 30-51 road record on the year. In 2019, the most recent 162-game season, they went 43-38 away from Nationals Park.

Sept. 28: Rockies 3, Nationals 1 -- Corbin ties season high in K's
Patrick Corbin tied his season high of nine strikeouts against the Rockies in what could be his last start of the year. The southpaw previously fanned nine on May 13 against the Phillies.

Sept. 27: Nationals 5, Rockies 4 -- Esky keeps racking up hits
With three hits in the series opener against the Rockies, Alcides Escobar has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games. The veteran infielder also tallied three-plus hits for the seventh time this season, following up on a three-hit performance last week in Miami.

Sept. 26: Reds 9, Nationals 2 -- Soto stacks next on-base accolade
Juan Soto had gone four straight plate appearances without reaching base, but he snapped that streak with a walk in the sixth. It marked the 70th time he reached base in September. With three games left in the month, Soto is the first player in the Majors to reach base 70 times in a month since 2015.

Sept. 25: Reds 7, Nationals 6 -- Offense trending upward
Since Aug. 15, the Nationals rank behind only the hottest team in the Majors -- the Cardinals -- in runs scored among National League clubs. St. Louis, which has won 15 straight games, has scored 206 runs in that span, with Washington on its heels at 194.

Sept. 24: Reds 8, Nationals 7 (11 innings) -- Outs not Soto's style
With a walk in the third inning, Juan Soto reached base safely for the 12th straight plate appearance, passing Ken Griffey Jr. (1989) for the longest streak by a player age 22 or younger in the Expansion Era (since 1961). It's also the longest streak in Nationals/Expos franchise history. Nick Johnson reached in 10 straight plate appearances from June 18-20, 2009.

Sept. 23: Nationals 3, Reds 2 -- Soto's stellar night
Juan Soto -- who doesn't turn 23 until Oct. 25 -- homered twice, walked and singled in Thursday's game to put himself in the company of some baseball legends. Soto, who set a Nationals single-season record with his 131st walk of the season in his first plate appearance of the game, now has 42 games with at least one homer and at least one walk.

Sept. 22: Nationals 7, Marlins 5 -- Soto reaches base
With three hits and and a pair of walks against the Marlins, 22-year-old Juan Soto moved up on another leaderboard that recognizes his accomplishments at his young age. Soto (49) trails only Ted Williams (54) for the most games in which he has reached base safely four or more times before turning 23 years old.

Sept. 21: Nationals 7, Marlins 1 -- Rogers' career-high IP
Manager Dave Martinez has praised Josh Rogers for pitching with a quick tempo. That pace was part of the left-hander throwing a career-high 7 2/3 innings in his fourth start as a member of the Nationals on Tuesday. He also reached the 100-pitch mark for the first time in his Major League career.

Sept. 20: Marlins 8, Nationals 7 (10 innings) -- Fedde keeps Fish walkless
Erick Fedde did not issue a walk in his start against the Marlins, extending his walkless streak to three games. His last walk came on Sept. 4 vs. the Mets. Since that outing, Fedde has tossed 16 innings without giving up a free base.

Sept. 19: Nationals 3, Rockies 0 -- Soto's 95th homer
Juan Soto continues to do "Juan Soto" things. On Sunday, he smacked his 95th career home run 454 feet to center field. The young slugger is tied with Alex Rodriguez for the fifth-most home runs by a player before turning 23. With 13 games left in the season, Soto still has time to catch Bryce Harper (97), Tony Conigliario (104), Eddie Mathews (112) and Mel Ott (115) before his 23rd birthday on Oct. 25.

Sept. 18: Rockies 6, Nationals 0 -- Harper's scoreless outing
Ryne Harper tossed two innings on Saturday as the first man out of the bullpen. It marked his 26th scoreless relief outing in 31 appearances. This season, he has held opponents to a .169 (20-for-118) batting average.

Sept. 17: Rockies 9, Nationals 8 -- More free passes for Soto
Juan Soto entered as the only qualified player in the Majors with more walks than strikeouts. The trend continued when he walked three times, one intentional. His three free passes added to his career-high 123 on the season. He is now tied with Ken Singleton (1973) for the third-most in franchise history. Soto is just seven behind Bryce Harper who holds the top two spots on the leader board (124 in 2015; and 130 in 2018).

Sept. 15: Marlins 8, Nationals 6 -- Bell HRs, nets 3 hits again
Josh Bell pieced together his fifth three-hit game of the season, falling a triple shy of the cycle. His home run was his 27th of the year, giving him the team lead in that category.

Sept. 14: Nationals 8, Marlins 2 -- Fedde vs. Marlins
With eight strikeouts against the Marlins on Tuesday, Erick Fedde's 2021 season total vs. the National League East opponent rose to 22. That is the highest strikeout tally against a single team over a single season in his five-year career.

Sept. 13: Marlins 3, Nationals 0 -- Espino's longest career outing
Paolo Espino tossed six innings of one-run ball, marking the longest outing of his Major League career. He didn't receive any run support for the first time this season.

Sept. 12: Nationals 6, Pirates 2 -- HRs come in threes for Nats
Powered by Luis García, Alex Avila and Lane Thomas, the Nationals belted at least three home runs in a game for the 15th time this season. Of those games, Sunday was the first time since Aug. 4 against the Phillies that Juan Soto was not one of the players to homer.

Sept. 11: Pirates 10, Nationals 7 -- Double up
Keibert Ruiz's first big league double had major results. He connected with the bases loaded and drove in all three runners. The double was also his first extra-base hit as a member of the Nationals.

Sept. 10: Pirates 4, Nationals 3 -- One three-bagger down ...
Riley Adams connected for his first Major League triple when he sent a sharp line drive into center field off Pirates starter Steven Brault. He also picked up an RBI on the triple by driving in Carter Kieboom.

Sept. 9: Braves 7, Nationals 6 (10) -- Soto's intentional walks
Juan Soto received his 16th and 17th intentional walks of the year, extending his already league-leading total. That's the second-highest season total by a Washington Nationals player, behind only Bryce Harper's 20 in 2016. Vladimir Guerrero holds the all-time franchise record with 32 in 2002.

Sept. 8: Nationals 4, Braves 2 -- Nats overcome abbreviated start When the Nationals won after Sean Nolin's first-inning ejection, it was historic. They had not won a game in which their starting pitcher got fewer than two outs since moving to Washington. The last time a Nationals or Expos team accomplished the feat was April 17, 2002, a 15-8 Montreal win against the Cubs in which Tomo Ohka allowed six runs and didn't record an out.

Sept. 7: Braves 8, Nationals 5 -- Above zero
The loss marked the Nationals' 79th consecutive game without being shut out, dating back to June 11. That's the longest active streak in the Majors, and it breaks a tie with the Braves (April 26-July 26) for the longest by any team in the Majors this year. It's also the longest such streak in Washington Nationals history (since 2005).

Sept. 6: Nationals 4, Mets 3 -- Corbin in workhorse mode
Patrick Corbin's 114 pitches on Monday weren't just his season high. The southpaw had not thrown as many in an outing since he tossed 116 in a complete-game shutout against the Marlins on May 25, 2019.

Sept. 5: Mets 13, Nationals 6 -- Thomas sets tone
Hitting comfortably at the top of the batting order, Lane Thomas belted a leadoff home run for the second straight game. Thomas joined Kyle Schwarber on the list of Nationals to hit leadoff homers in back-to-back games this season. Schwarber accomplished the feat in three instances in June.

Sept. 4: Mets 11, Nats 9 (9 innings, Game 1) -- Soto's career high in walks
Juan Soto leads all players in walks, and he is on track to set a Nationals franchise mark in the category this season. While drawing walks at this rapid pace, Soto passed his own single-season mark of 108 (set in 2019) during Game 1 of the doubleheader against the Mets.

Sept. 3: Mets 6, Nats 2 (10 innings) -- Adams raking as a starter
Riley Adams is making the most of his opportunity with consistent at-bats. The catcher extended his hitting streak in games in which he starts to nine. During that stretch, he is batting .483 with six runs, five doubles, one homer and five RBIs.

Sept. 2: Phillies 7, Nationals 6 -- Soto in HOF company
Juan Soto drew a walk in the first inning and followed up with a home run in the third, his 40th career game doing both. In doing so, the 22-year-old joined elite company for the most games with at least one walk and one homer before the age of 23 (since 1901): Mel Ott (55), Eddie Mathews (45), Ted Williams (44) and Jimmie Foxx (41).