Game 18: Nats at Pirates
It's Pittsburgh's turn to use an opener, while Jake Irvin takes the mound for the Nationals on Jackie Robinson Day
PITTSBURGH – The Nationals threw everything they had available to them Tuesday night in order to beat the Pirates by the slimmest of margins. What does that leave them with for the third game of this four-game series? Conventional wisdom suggests they need some length from their starter for a change. But the way this group operates? Conventional wisdom doesn’t always apply.
Irvin was a mixed bag in his last start Friday night in Milwaukee. He gave up a quick three-run homer in the bottom of the first but then gutted his way through five innings without giving up anything else and reached the 100-pitch mark. Obviously, the Nats would love for more efficiency from the right-hander tonight, and that would include a reduction of the five walks he issued in that game against the Brewers. A clean first inning would sure be nice, too, but let’s not get too greedy here.
The Pirates, meanwhile, are going to take a page from the Nationals’ playbook and use an opener tonight. Left-hander Mason Montgomery, who we saw Tuesday pumping out 100-mph fastballs in a traditional relief role, will pitch at least the first inning and try to contain the red-hot James Wood and CJ Abrams. Right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (that’s pronounced muh-JIN-ski, for those wondering) is then scheduled to follow Montgomery and be the bulk guy before handing it over to the back of the bullpen.
Today, of course, is Jackie Robinson Day across the major leagues, so everybody on both sides will be wearing nameless No. 42 jerseys to commemorate the occasion. It’s been an eventful series to date. Let’s see what tonight has in store ...
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Where: PNC Park
Gametime: 6:40 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Partly cloudy, 81 degrees, wind 12 mph right to left
NATIONALS
RF James Wood
1B Curtis Mead
LF Daylen Lile
3B Brady House
SS CJ Abrams
CF Joey Wiemer
2B Jorbit Vivas
C Keibert Ruiz
DH Luis García Jr.
RHP Jake Irvin
PIRATES
CF Oneil Cruz
2B Brandon Lowe
LF Bryan Reynolds
RF Ryan O’Hearn
DH Marcell Ozuna
SS Nick Gonzales
1B Spencer Horwitz
3B Nick Yorke
C Henry Davis
LHP Mason Montgomery
A double, a walk and a hit-by-pitch so far tonight for CJ Abrams, whose on-base percentage is up to .451
There were some fluky elements to that bottom of the first, but the bottom line is that Jake Irvin had two outs and nobody on and still give up two runs. The walk of Bryan Reynolds probably hurt the worst, though CJ Abrams could've helped by being more decisive on Nick Gonzales slow roller to short, which turned into an infield single.