The Washington Nationals held off a ninth inning comeback to hang onto a one-run win
Cade Cavalli was scratched for yesterday’s game due to an illness but was back on the mound for game two against the Rays. But Cavalli didn’t have a strong start to open the game.
Cavalli allowed back-to-back singles to open the game before the Rays loaded up the bases with no outs.
Junior Caminero hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring in a Rays run. Now the Rays just had one out and two runners still on base, but the Nationals closed out the inning on a strong defensive double play started by CJ Abrams.
The Nationals responded the following inning after Abrams leveled out the game when he homered 378 feet to right off an 85 mph cutter. Dylan Crews singled to center to get the Nationals on first with no outs. And after Daylen Lile was struck by a pitch, the Nationals started to fill in the diamond. With two Nationals on the corners, Nasim Nuñez doubled to left and brought in Crews for the Nationals to take the lead.
Nasim Nuñez looks to the dugout after his RBI double in the second inning.Before the Nationals could extend their lead any more, the Rays earned another run to tie the game up 2-2 in the bottom of the third. Crews ensured the runners on the corners didn’t advance any further after he tracked down the ball to right to close out the inning.
Mitchell Parker, who came in to relieve Cavalli at the end of the third opened up the bottom of the fourth inning with a walk followed by a wild pitch that sent Rays' Taylor Walls to second base.
The Nationals looked hot to start the fifth. Keibert Ruiz singled to left and then James Wood notched a double. Chaparro grounded out to the catcher but it was well worth the second out because Ruiz secured home and gave the Nationals another run for a 3-2 lead.
With one runner already on first base for the Rays in the bottom of the eighth inning, Young
concentrated and tracked down the ball when he slammed into the wall and knocked himself down.
He maintained control of the ball the entire time and secured the Rays second out. His effort saved another potential run that would have allowed the Rays to tie the game up. Still, Young exited the field and it was Wood who would take right field and push Crews to center field.
The Nationals then added a much-needed insurance run after Crews got his fifth home run of the season on what would be his longest home run of his career. He sent an 89 mph cutter 442 feet to center and added to the Nationals' lead, now 4-2, to start the ninth inning.
The Rays didn’t waste time behind the bat. Walls earned a walk to start the inning and he’d go on to steal second then third base with no outs. The Rays earned a run after a single allowed Walls to make it a one-run game.
Before you knew it, the Rays had another stolen base. Lile secured the first out of the inning and it was the closer Clayton Beeter who secured the second after he struck Mullins out. The Nationals intentionally walked Caminero. With two on base, Beeter threw a 85 mph slider and struck out Ben Williamson. Beeter picked up his fifth save with the win at Tropicana Field.
The Nationals will close out the series against the Rays tomorrow at 1:40 p.m. before heading back home for a four-game Phillies series.
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