The Washington Nationals won their first game of the 2019 season, thanks in part to their speedsters doing work on offense.
The Washington Nationals are into the win column!
After the bullpen blew a 5-2 lead, Trea Turner hit a walk-off home run, sending the fans home happy.
The talk of the town coming into the game was Patrick Corbin making his Nationals debut. Corbin was solid in his first start despite not posting the gaudy strikeout numbers that he did last season.
Here was Corbin’s final line: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 4 K’s, and the pitcher’s win.
Here are a few takeaways from Sunday’s game.
Not Just Speed
The majority of the Nationals offense came from three players: Victor Robles, Adam Eaton, and Turner.
Turner provided the biggest spark of the three, crushing his first home run of the season to left field in the third inning, giving the Nats a 3-1 lead.
He blasted his second home run of the season in the ninth inning, a walk-off home run to beat the Mets.
Also, Turner stole his league-leading fourth base of the season.
Eaton recorded three hits and scored a run. Robles hit an RBI double, along with an additional single and scoring a run.
While some don’t like the idea of hitting the pitcher eighth in the lineup and having a “second” leadoff hitter, that strategy is working perfectly for the Nationals so far this season.
Doolittle’s Awesome Weekend
In the eighth inning, Sean Doolittle made his first appearance of the season, recording five outs and getting the pitcher’s win.
Not only did Doolittle help his team win today, but he also watched his favorite college team get a win last night.
Doolittle, a University of Virginia alum, cheered on his Cavaliers last night as the team advanced to the Final Four.
Doolittle told MASN’s Dan Kolko he was moving around, slapping the floor, trying to will his team to a victory from his apartment.
There is no word on if Ryan Zimmerman, also a UVA alum, joined in on Doolittle’s unique fan cheering tactics. Perhaps Zimmerman cheered on his team in a more tranquil state.
The Nationals are off tomorrow, Monday, April 1st (no, it’s not an April Fools Joke). The Nats are back at Nats Park on Tuesday to square off against the Philadelphia Phillies.