Photo by Navy Yard Nats for TalkNats
The difference a day makes. With Patrick Corbin on the mound, the Nationals return to the win column in a game they dominated right from the start with a 3-run first inning. The 29,673 fans in attendance were treated to a Trea Turner bobblehead and a spirited Nats win. Corbin went 8.0 inning giving up just one run on 4 hits with 11 strikeouts on 108 pitches. All nine of the Nationals hits were accumulated in the 1-5 spots in the batting order with Victor Robles and Howie Kendrick getting two hits each and Anthony Rendon with a trio of hits.
We say it all the time, and the Nationals must take this win and bring the momentum forward to tomorrow and each day afterwards. This team must start winning series, and you do it by attacking pitchers on offense and playing great defense for your pitchers. The Nationals had an emphasis on defense in the pre-game, and it showed. Again, they have to take this forward.
“When he can attack with the fastball, it makes his slider that much better,” manager Dave Martinez said about Corbin. “Once he gets through that first time through the batting order he just kinda rolls. Him and Gomes just have a plan to attack the hitters, and it was really good today.”
The team was 3-for-9 in RISP spots which was nice to see, and the only home run of the game was by Victor Robles. Of note, Mets reliever Tyler Bashlor buzzed a fastball near Robles’ head and Robles spun to the ground. It seemed very suspect since Robles has smashed two home runs in two nights against the Mets and seemed like a message to the youngster since Robles is batting .357 against the Mets this season.
“If you look at Victor up close, he’s not a small guy,” Martinez said. “He’s well-built. He’s big. He’s a strong kid. He’s a twenty-one year old kid that loves to play the game and every day he is learning something.”
The Nationals could have really blown the game wide open but they got little production from the bottom of the order. Brian Dozier on his 32nd birthday was 0-4 with four runners stranded and two strikeouts. Yan Gomes is mired in a deep slump and his batting average has sunk to .217.
