Washington Nationals: Three Takeaways From Game 1 Against Baltimore

Nothing went right for the Nationals as they were blanked by the O’s 11-0. What stood out the most?

Baltimore came to town for a three-game series, also known as the battle of the Beltway. Instead of a battle, it was more like a slaughter as the Orioles took game one, 11-0. Baltimore jumped out to an early lead and never relinquished it, while the Nationals struggled to get anything going. Here are three takeaways from last night’s loss.

Former Nationals Continue To Haunt Their Old Team

Tommy Milone got the start for the Orioles and he threw a gem against his former team. Milone who spent time with the Nats in 2011 and 2018, threw six shutout innings, while only giving up three hits. The veteran also struck out three and was able to get out of the only jam he faced. The Nats loaded the bases with two outs, but Milone was able to get Josh Harrison to ground out. Milone shutting the door on the Nats essentially broke the teams back, as the offense barely mustered anything for the rest of the night.

The Orioles catcher Pedro Severino also joined in on tormenting his former team. Severino spent time with the Nats as the team’s backup catcher from 2015-2018, before being DFAed in 2019. The Orioles snatched him up and Severino has taken full advantage of his opportunity with his new team. Tonight, Severino played a big part in the team’s win. He went 3-5, with two RBIs, and a walk. He is hitting .297 on the season.

Anibal Sanchez Struggles against the Os continue

The Orioles have had great success against Anibal Sanchez in recent years and that continued tonight.

Sanchez gave up five runs on 10 hits, while only lasting 5.1/3 innings. He also walked three and struck out four. Command was a big issue for the 36-year-old, as his pitch count was sitting at 47 after only two innings. After two starts, Sanchez is 0-7, with a 7.84 ERA, and 11 strikeouts.

Once Again The Bats Went Cold

While poor pitching played a part in the team’s blowout loss, the offense was also to blame. Washington was out hit 19-4, with Starlin Castro being responsible for half of the team’s hits. That is just unacceptable. Washington squandered the only real opportunity they had in the fourth when Harrison grounded out with the bases loaded.

To make matters worse, the Nats rank 29th in runs scored. The only team lower than them are the St. Louis Cardinals, who have only played five games. While losing Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman hurts, the offenses core players have yet to get going. Trea Turner, Adam Eaton, Juan Soto, Victor Robles, and Howie Kendrick are hitting .187, .237, .250, .250, and .280 respectively.

Time is running out for the team’s bats to get going.