A walk-off win, and the Nationals show what they are made of. The Nats finally win a game after the the Dream Foundation Gala and break an 8 year losing streak, and do it via a come-from-behind Jayson Werth 2-RBI single with bases loaded and 2 outs in the 9th inning.
Jonathan Papelbon gave up a lead-off HR to start the top of the 9th to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Phillies. The Nationals started off the bottom of the 9th with a Rendon out and Dusty Baker went to his secret weapon Bryce Harper as a pinch-hitter.
Harper worked the count and hit a grounder into the shift, and Bryce hustled down the line and the 1st baseman could not come down on the base and Bryce beat it out. There was a manager’s challenge on the play and the call stood “safe”.
With Bryce on 1st base, Danny Espinosa tried to hit the walk-off, but fouled off 2 pitches and in a 2 strike count did something you have never seen from Espinosa—-he shortened up his swing and poked a single over the shortstop’s head. With runners on 2nd and 1st, Clint Robinson pinch-hit for Michael Taylor and CRob worked a walk. Werth came up with the bases loaded and in a 2 strike count singled up the middle to drive in 2 runs and win the game.
The Nats move to a season’s best 15 games over .500 and now are 4 1/2 games ahead of the New York Mets for the largest margin between the 2 teams this season since April 16th when the Nats held a 5.0 game lead for one day.
Talk about the small things. BRYCE to ESPINOSA to CRob to WERTH. None of the Werth walk-off heroics happen if Bryce doesn’t hustle to 1st base, Espinosa does not get his hit or Clint Robinson strikes out. The game would have ended before Werth had a chance. It is the little things we keep referring to that add up to big things.
HUSTLE, short swing, take a walk and a 2 run walk-off single added up to big things.
Danny Espinosa talked about his 9th inning approach, “Trying to be patient. Trying not to do too much. Stay within myself. Keep the inning moving and get the next guy up.”
“Danny’s been working on that. We keep stressing to him that when you get in a hole, you’ve got to put it in play,” Baker said about Espinosa’s 9th inning clutch single. “And if you put it in play, anything can happen.”
Jayson Werth said it all, “We got ’em.” Werth continued, “Oh man, I’m just trying to go brain-dead up there, that’s about it…That’s what dreams are made of.”
“Man, you got battered out there,” MASN’s Dan Kolko said to Werth in the post-game interview referring to the walk-off celebration as Werth’s teammates ran after him. “What type of damage did they do to you in the outfield?”
“Well, I knew I was in trouble when I saw The Strangler coming at me,” Werth responded back to Kolko.
“Who’s The Strangler?” Kolko asked.
“You know, the D.C. Strangler,” Werth answered.
We will see where that leads in the days and weeks ahead.
1. Bryce IF single (can't knock the hustle)
2. Espi single
3. Clint Robinson PH walk
4. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? pic.twitter.com/G9JfyBcmM0— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 12, 2016
Yup. That'll play. pic.twitter.com/AQJjI71U66
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 12, 2016
The DC Strangler pic.twitter.com/HO0NmTxW10
— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) June 12, 2016
Jayson Werth referred to an unspecified teammate as the D.C. Strangler today not sure whom https://t.co/uylFeyuAzI pic.twitter.com/q0alhUdbsQ
— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) June 13, 2016
Danny Espinosa’s 9th inning single came off of a pitch that was about 12 inches off of the plate and he served it into the opposite field for a single. Espinosa was in ‘protect’ mode and shortened up his swing.
The Bryce Harper hustle single got the bottom of the 9th inning started.
