The Nationals fell short in their pursuit to win three games in a row as well as head back to DC with a winning road trip as they dropped the second game to the Giants by a score of 4 to 1. The Nationals managed to collect 10 hits as a team, but frequently struggled with runners on base as they went just 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position, leading only to surface level damage against Giants' starter Logan Webb.
That is the reality of a team that is really only hitting singles. All of their production is relying on the entire lineup producing since they cannot count on extra base hits to carry the load. The Nationals are dead last in XBH% by a wide margin, so unless 1 through 9 in their lineup are hitting, all of their "damage" is just surface level. Logan Webb allowed 9 hits, but just 1 run. He was also able to go 7 innings as well due to the lack of the Nationals' hitting with runners on base. This comes a day after Anthony DeScalfani was able to go 7 innings after giving up 7 hits and 5 runs in the first inning.
It is a shame too, because often times if you have 10 hits as a team, you expect a decent score offensively. Dom Smith and Alex Call each had three hits and Joey Meneses had a double as well, but the Nationals lineup combined to leave 24 runners on base. Left Fielder Jake Alu, who was making his MLB debut, particularly had a rough day as he went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts and 5 runners left on base.
And speaking of limited damage, Patrick Corbin checked in with yet another quality start in a 6 inning effort. He wasn't as sharp as his last start against the Cubs, but Corbin allowed 3 runs (only 2 earned) on 8 hits with no walks (again) and 3 strikeouts. He allowed a home run, but it was a solo shot. He also took a linedrive off his upper body/face area and managed to stay in the game. He has looked like a different pitcher recently with his perseverance.
A few other notes:
- Luis Garcia extended his hitting streak to 5 games. He is 11 for 23 (.478) in those 5 games.
- Jeimer Candelario has gone ice cold at the plate. He was 0 for 4 again last night and is hitting .115/.115/.154 in his last 7 games and .155/.206/.276 in his last 15 games.
- Mason Thompson struggled again, allowing a run on one hit with two walks. Troubling considering how much he has been used early in the season.
I tweeted this last year about Victor Arano on April 28th. At the time, he had a 1.64 ERA. Over the following five weeks, he put up an 8.03 ERA before going on the IL. https://t.co/uYAWPu6VBY
— Andrew Flax (@ajflax) May 10, 2023