Photo by Lynn G. for TalkNats
The Nationals were down by 5-runs and came back with 9 unanswered runs to win this for the team’s 8th win in their last 10 games. There were so many little things done right in this game like Yan Gomes blocking a curveball in the other batter’s box to save a run to Gomes throwing out a runner on the bases. Trea Turner started the 5th inning rally that put 6 runs across the plate from an 0-2 count he smashed a double into the gap and then tormented the White Sox pitcher Reynaldo Lopez who then walked Adam Eaton in a 3-2 count before giving up the game winning 3-run home run to Anthony Rendon who was the offensive star of the game. Stephen Strasburg earned his 100th career win because he never gave up in this game.
In the first inning, the strike zone was small and Strasburg did not get a painted ball at the knees in a 3-2 count and then he saw some balls sneak through the infield for hits which was capped off by a 2-strike double and before you knew it the score was 4-0. Strasburg was laboring on 39-pitches in the inning, and that 3-2 pitch he didn’t get resulted in 4 runs eventually.
Turns into 4 runs and 39 pitches thrown. It was like an error that kept an inning going.
— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) June 4, 2019
Homeplate umpire Mike Everitt had an erratic strike zone that changed the flow of the game, and he was eventually replaced after a scary moment when a pitch hit him directly in the upper chest near his heart. Also, Brian Dozier was hit on his forearm by a pitch, and he was replaced by Howie Kendrick who came into the game and immediately launched a home run to make it a 5-3 game, and later hit a double for another clutch RBI. How great has Howie Kendrick been?
“We talk about it all the time. We have length now all throughout our lineup,” manager Dave Martinez said. “It’s nice. If one guy can’t get it done, there’s a guy behind him who picks him up and gets it done. It’s been that way now for the last ten days, and they are playing really well. It’s the little things that matter to me and us, and they are starting to buy-in, and it’s awesome!”
Also, Victor Robles fouled a ball off the top of his foot and he was limping on the bases, however he remained in the game. Robles had a long home run in the game plus a double.
“Guys are coming to the ballpark with a little more giddy-up in their step,” Adam Eaton said. “Winning cures a lot of things. Stras kind of came out kind of slow there, but he really battled his butt off.”
It was a full-team win. In the 5th inning, Strasburg was on fumes, and there were no outs with runners on third base and second base in a 5-3 game. Strasburg got two grounders and a strikeout to strand the runners, and that is when his teammates went to work and scored 6-runs to make it a 9-5 game which was the final score. Unfortunately Sean Doolittle had to be used to close-out the game as their were 2 runners on-base and it was a save situation. In all, the bullpen threw a 4-inning shutout with Matt Grace, Tanner Rainey, Wander Suero, and Doolittle. Over the last 15 1/3 innings, the bullpen has only given up one-run and lowered their ERA from 7.23 to 6.67.
“I liked everything. The boys battled back. Kudos to Stras,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He gave up a few runs early, but he kept us right there and battled. Big inning in the fifth [inning] to get out of that mess. A testament to him. He gets his 100th win today. … The best thing I liked about it — it was a team effort. The team’s playing really well.”
The crowd was huge on this night at 32,513 with many there to celebrate “Pride Night” at the park. They all got to see an exciting finish to the game.
