After 32 straight scoreless innings, the Washington Nationals put that firmly in the rearview mirror by scoring 15 runs in just four innings.
On a day that started just like the last few games, the Washington Nationals bats busted out late on. It ended in a 15-0 victory as the offense finally woke up from their slumber this weekend.
The team was quickly heading to a franchise-record scoreless inning streak early on. The record stood at 34 innings, and at 32 straight after 5 innings, they easily could’ve slumped to a fourth straight shutout.
However, after breaking that streak in the sixth inning via a Juan Soto groundout, they truly found their stride late. They finally got the line moving in the eighth to put up eight runs, and another six in the ninth inning to cap off the day.
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There were multi-hit and multi-RBI efforts from Adam Eaton, Bryce Harper, and Wilmer Difo for the foundations of the scoring. Mark Reynolds also launched a pinch-hit grand slam in the ninth for the icing on the cake.
While the team has been shutout on 14 occasions this season, they’ve now also scored 10 or more on 13 occasions. A feast or famine description seems like an understatement for this team who will need to find more consistency in the future to have more consistent success.
Pizon still dealing since his recall
Rookie Jefry Rodriguez continues to impress in the big leagues since his recall at the start of the month. On Sunday, he went six shutout innings, allowing just two hits, walking four and striking out three.
He was surprisingly placed back in the rotation in place of Tommy Milone on August 7th. But since then, he’s had a 1.69 ERA while allowing only a .182 batting average against.
While he has been able to mix his changeup in more, to allow him greater success, his walk rate is still indicative of overachievement. He’s walked eight and struck out just nine since his recall, so he’ll still need to reign in his control for longer-term success.
Mondo closing in on first 100 RBI season
Despite not starting in this game due to injury, Bryce Harper certainly made a big impact. He came up with the bases loaded in a 2-0 game before doubling down the line to clear the bases and blow the game open.
Those three RBIs that the superstar outfielder racked up on that hit now leave him at 84 for the season. Assuming he can stay healthy and tack on an extra 16, he’ll have his first season with 100 RBIs.
While RBIs are far from the best way to tell a player’s value, it does show that Harper has come up in the clutch this season. It will be nice to check this milestone off as he continues to rebound in a big way since the All-Star break.
Another series with the Philadelphia Phillies looms to start next week for the Washington Nationals. Pitching will once again be the theme, with the likes of Jake Arrieta, Max Scherzer, Aaron Nola and Stephen Strasburg pitching.