The Washington Nationals just cannot score runs. The offensive slump is now at three consecutive shutouts. Their scoreless streak is at 31 innings. At the same time, the Nats’ starting pitching has allowed only one-run to the Royals in this series.
Today’s starter, Patrick Corbin, is set to make his final start for the Washington Nationals in this salvage game of this series. What better way to go out for Corbin than with an opportunity to pitch a gem for a Nats’ win. Corbin signed a six-year deal with the Nationals before the 2019 season, and along with Tanner Rainey, they are the only two remaining players from the Nats’ 2019 World Series team.
Including today’s game and the postseason, Corbin will start his 173rd game today in a Nats’ uni. But it was his relief appearance in Game 7 of the World Series that earned him a win that Nats’ fans will remember most. Those 3.0 scoreless innings in an early relief of Max Scherzer to hold the deficit at 2-0 until Howie Kendrick‘s heroics was the difference. Corbin’s checkered record in a Nats’ uniform can be viewed through multiple lenses — but the Nats don’t win a World Series without Corbin. That $140 million contract is probably money the Nats were happy to pay for the front-end of it. Always a Nats’ World Series champ.
The Nats’ World Series manager, Dave Martinez, has a milestone 60th birthday today. He would love that 70th win today. The Nats need to go 3-1 to surpass their 2023 win total and that is now looking very bleak.
The Nats are underdogs today at +140 to win on the moneyline. That means if you bet $100 you would win $140. Bet $10.00 and you win $14.00.
Nats’ manager Dave Martinez used five relievers last night, and unfortunately Eduardo Salazar only threw 8-pitches and gave up two-runs to push the 1-0 deficit to 3-0. That was the final score.
Here is a look at the matchups:
- Thursday: Patrick Corbin vs. Royals
- Friday: Trevor Williams vs. Phillies
- Saturday: MacKenzie Gore vs. Phillies
- Sunday: Jake Irvin vs. Phillies (Final Game of the Season)
Your top Washington Nationals on the FanGraphs’ WAR leaderboard has MacKenzie Gore at the top at 2.9 and just ahead of Luis Garcia Jr. at +2.7. Jacob Young is at +2.5. CJ Abrams whose season has ended is at +1.8 WAR. There are 29 Nats’ players in positive WAR with another 6.
“We’re fouling off a lot of balls we should be hitting. We’ve got to start putting those balls in play.”
— said manager Dave Martinez yesterday
“I can tell them to go ahead and try to hit home runs. Swing for the fences. That ain’t going to work. Just get a good pitch to hit and try to drive the ball.”
The Nats starting pitchers have a combined ERA of 4.41 and 24th in MLB.
Here is how they rank:
No. 5 Starter: Patrick Corbin 5.58
No. 4 Starter: Mitchell Parker 4.29
No. 3 Starter: Jake Irvin 4.22
No. 2 Starter: DJ Herz 4.16
No. 1 Starter: MacKenzie Gore 4.04
Washington Nationals vs. Kansas City Royals
Stadium: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
1st Pitch: 1:05 pm EDT
TV: MASN2
Radio: 106.7 The Fan radio and via the MLB app; In Spanish on DC 87.7 FM and La Pantera 100.7 FM/1220 AM. On Sirius/XM, tune to Channel 180 for the home broadcast and the road team is online only.
Line-up subject to change (without notice):
TalkNats is celebrating the 5 and 100 year anniversaries of World Series Wins by providing Game-by-Game Summaries.
