The Washington Nationals fell short on Tuesday night after dropping the opening game against the Chicago Cubs, 8-6
The Washington Nationals have opened another crucial series with a loss, this time at the hands of the Chicago Cubs after dropping the opening game of the three game series, 8-6, on Tuesday night.
Jake Irvin moved to 2-6 this season following the loss after giving up five earned runs, including one home run, and four hits on 88 pitches in just 3.1 innings. Miles Mikolas, initially slated to start, would be one of the four pitchers to come out of the bullpen in relief to help close the game.
Brady House and Jacob Young accounted for half of the team's ten hits ahead of the ninth inning, while CJ Abrams kept his hot streak going after kicking off the scoring with a two run home run in the bottom of the first inning that brought House home.
The Cubs answered back in the bottom of the second after a sac fly drove in one of the two consecutive batters who reached base to open the frame, but Jacob Young extended the lead back to two after opening the bottom of the second inning with a 427 foot solo home run.
Chicago answered right backcourt with their own solo home run in the top of the third inning, then took complete control in the fourth inning. Jake Irvin allowed his first two batters to reach base before another sac fly tied the game at three, then the ensuing at bat gave the Cubs the lead after a fielder's choice drove in another run. Manager Blake Butera would then turn to Tom Cosgrove to get the final two outs, and after a strikeout, a double into left would then give the Cubs a two run lead.
With Max Kranick on the mound, a walk with the bases loaded extended Chicago's lead to 6-3 in the fifth inning before a Dylan Crews solo home run gave Washington a little bit of life.
After a solo home run in the sixth then eighth inning doubled Washington's deficit to 8-4, but a run in the eighth inning would give late life after a replay review handed the Nationals their fifth run of the night before a Nasim Nunez single into center cut it to 8-6. Yet Abimelec Ortiz would get on first base in the bottom of the ninth, but it would materialize into nothing further to cement the loss, moving to 59-62 overall this season.
