Washington Nationals Recap: Nats Offense Breaks Out Vs. Madison Bumgarner On 4th Of July
On the 4th of July, the Washington Nationals (45-36) were able to bring the fireworks with their bats. After scoring a total of ten runs in their last four games combined, the Nats scored nine runs in a 9-3 rout of the San Francisco Giants (42-40). With the win, Washington has won eight straight home games, but there was an injury to one of the Nats’ key pitchers as Stephen Strasburg had to leave the game in the top of the fourth inning.
Right out of the gate, the Nationals were able to get on the board against Madison Bumgarner. On the first pitch of the game, Michael Taylor, who was playing center field for Denard Span, hit a solo shot to left field to make it 1-0 Nats. Two batters later, it was Bryce Harper’s turn. Using a patriotic themed bat, Harper hit a two-run shot into the Nats bullpen that gave Washington an early 3-0 lead.
More from Nationals News
- Latest DraftKings Sportsbook Promo Code in Maryland: Bet $5, Win $200 Guaranteed
- Nationals Claim Jeter Downs Off Waivers
- Washington Nationals Tuesday Q&A
- A Washington Nationals Christmas Wishlist
- Robots in Baseball? The Possibility of an Automated Ball/Strike System in the MLB
As for Stephen Strasburg, he got an early lead and was able to pitch well with it. He had given up one hit through the first 3.2 innings, but had to leave the game because of an injury to his side. Tanner Roark came into the game to take his place Here is what manager Matt Williams had to say about Strasburg’s injury after the game:
In the bottom of the fourth, Tyler Moore would begin one of the best days of his career. With two outs and Danny Espinosa on first, Moore ripped a double to center field to put the Nats ahead 4-0. Two innings later, the Nationals put the first two runners on via a Clint Robinson double and an Espinosa single. That would be it for Madison Bumgarner (8-5, 3.34). The Giants’ ace gave up six runs on eight hits in five innings of work. He struck out four and walked one in the loss.
Two batters later, with Yusmeiro Petit in the game, Moore would tack on two more RBI’s with a double to left field to make it 6-0 Nats. One inning later, after the Giants got on the board with a sacrifice fly by Brandon Crawford against Roark, Washington would add on the final three runs.
With the bases loaded and one out, Espinosa drew a walk and Ian Desmond would drive in another run with a sacrifice fly to make it 8-1 Nationals. The Score would extend to 9-1 when Moore singled to left field to score Robinson. On the afternoon, the Nats’ first baseman was 3-for-4 with four RBI’s.
As for the Nats pitchers, Tanner Roark (4-3, 4.33) did a great job after coming in for Strasburg. He went 4.1 innings, gave up two runs on five hits, and struck out three to get his fourth win of the season. The Giants would tack on a run in the eighth on a Gregor Blanco RBI double and in the ninth on a Brandon Belt RBI double against Casey Janssen, but it wasn’t enough.
Next Post: The Washington Nationals will look for the series sweep of the San Francisco Giants tomorrow night at 8:08 PM ET. You can watch the game on ESPN. Jordan Zimmermann (6-5, 3.16) gets the start for the Nats against Ryan Vogelsong (6-6, 4.19) for the Giants.