On a day for the Nationals that could best be described as hectic, two unlikely candidates helped lead the Nats to their first win in 7 games. For anyone who may have missed the game the two people of which I speak are starting pitcher Yunesky Maya and right fielder Jayson Werth.
Maya who stepped in as a last minute replacement for Jason Marquis (traded shortly prior to the game) retired the first 3 batters of the game on just 5 pitches before handing it over to the Nationals offense in the bottom half of the first.
The Nationals offense led off the bottom half of the first with a single from Rick Ankiel followed by a Ian Desmond sacrifice bunt that advanced Ankiel to 2nd. With Morse at the plate and two outs Ankiel advanced to third on a wild pitch from Mets starting pitcher R.A. Dickey who then walked Morse putting a man on first and third with two outs. Werth who has for the most part struggled all season long ended up sending an R.A. Dickey knuckleball over the center field wall for a bases clearing 3 run homer.
Werth’s home run ended up being all the runs the Nats would need as they went on to shut out the Mets over 9 innings of play. Maya turned in 5.1 innings before being pulled out the game in the 6th with 1 out and men on first and second. While it did appear as if Maya was starting to come undone in the 6th it should be noted that he pulled a muscle in his back in the bottom of the 5th while trying to avoid being tagged out. Maya was able to throw his fastball in the 6th with no discomfort but was not able to throw his curveball without it hurting. Detwiler came in and cleaned up the 6th forcing Angel Pagan to hit in to a double play.
Following the game manager Davey Johnson said of his decision to pull Maya when he did “You don’t pull something and then you’re miraculously OK. The pitch that gave him a problem was a curveball, and he hung one to [David Wright].”
The Nationals were not in any real trouble again until the top of the 9th when closer Drew Storen loaded the bases with two outs before striking out Willie Harris to end the game.