Click here to watch Nats win #14 on MASN via MLB.TV at 6:30 pm tonight with the rest of us. Just a quick reminder of what we are doing if this is your first time: As a group, we are going to be re-watching all 105 wins from the Nats 2019 season in chronological order at 6:30 pm each night. We will all try to sync up to the same point in the game, and this is a work in progress to maneuver to the same point in the game. Feel free to ask in the comments section where everyone is in the game so you can sync up. Many people are joining in at different points, and most people are not commenting — rather just following along.
The MLB.TV library is unlocked and free to everyone for the 2018-2019 season courtesy of MLB. This win #14 came in the 32nd game in the 2019 season, and the Nats took a 13-18 record into this game.
You will get to see Paul Menhart in this game after the Nationals fired Derek Lilliquist. This game was a slugfest but also took a further toll on the Nats health as you will see with Michael Taylor, Matt Adams and Brian Dozier. Before the game, Juan Soto was added to the walking wounded on the 10-day IL as Soto joined Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner and Ryan Zimmerman on the IL.
This game took place before the Nationals lost another game to open a series this season. They had lost 10 of the first games in their 11 series to start the season and that was becoming an alarming trend, and it felt like Groundhog Day.
“Get a lead, blow a lead in the bullpen, debate what went wrong with the offense, name names, and then blame the manager. It’s getting real old watching the same thing on loop. That 45 rpm vinyl is scratched and replaying the same sounds,” Steve Mears wrote in the pre-game report on that day.
Luckily in all other games past the first games in series, the Nationals are 12-8. If you can figure out what was wrong in the first game of series besides the final deficits on the scoreboard, let manager Dave Martinez know. Fortunately by the time the postseason happened the Nats reversed that trend in winning the first and only game of the Wild Card, the first game of the NLCS and the first game of the World Series.
In this particular game, the Nationals sent their lefty Patrick Corbin to the mound to face the outspoken Phillies right-hander Jake Arrieta on what would be a rainy night in Philadelphia. Corbin had a great season going before he was charged with 6 runs in the 5th inning in his last start. In that game, Corbin had two at-bats where he saw 9-pitches each. While the at-bats were “pro”, those long at-bats can tire you out. In this game, Corbin entered with a 3.58 ERA and was almost identical to Arrieta’s 3.46.
This pre-game brought the usual intrigue of who would -or- would not be playing due to an injury, tweak or other malady. The question mark on that day was Juan Soto who had now missed three games in a row with back spams, and finally went on the 10-day IL before this game. The week before it was Anthony Rendon‘s arm bruise, and the week before that was the issues with Trevor Rosenthal. It was Groundhog Day.
Washington Nationals vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium: Citizens Bank Ballpark, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
