Washington Nationals Rapid Reaction: Nats Falter During Late Innings In Loss To Mets
By Ricky Keeler
Jul 21, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos (40) hits a two run homer against the New York Mets during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Ramos Provides Lone Offensive Spark
When you go up against Jacob deGrom, you go into that start knowing that runs are going to be hard to come by. In deGrom’s first two outings against the Nationals this season, he gave up five runs over 11.2 innings. Plus, the 27-year-old right-hander came into this game after striking out the side on ten pitches in last Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
For four innings, the Nationals managed just one hit against deGrom. That hit was a two out single by Ian Desmond in the bottom of the second. Desmond would get caught stealing later in the inning. The Nats went into the fifth inning, trailing 1-0, but would a way to take the lead.
The inning began when Yunel Escobar hit a double down the left field line. After Clint Robinson moved him over to third, Desmond struck out swinging. It was up to Wilson Ramos to get the job done, but the Nats catcher had been struggling at the plate recently. Nevertheless, Ramos took a 98 mile per hour fastball from deGrom and hit it over the right field wall for his ninth of the season.
This was a hit that Ramos desperately needed since he is hitting a mere .167 in July. Plus, he got it done against an opponent in which he has had great success against in his career. He is a .340 hitter against the Mets with nine home runs and 37 RBI’s.
Despite Ramos’ good offensive performance tonight, he made one mistake in the field. If you go back to the fourth inning, the Mets attempted a hit-and-run with Ruben Tejada up and Granderson on first. Ramos might have had a shot to get Granderson, but he double clutched the throw after Tejada swung through. It’s a small mistake, but one that eventually led to the Mets scoring a run. Hopefully, though, that home run could spark Ramos to end the month of July on a good note.
Next: Nats Middle Relief Surrenders Late Lead