Instant Analysis: Blue Jays 5, Nats 2

While the Nationals squandered their late scoring opportunities, Toronto found a way to win the series with well-placed contact

Photo by Andrew Banaz / ALL-PRO REELS

A win would’ve put the Nationals right in the thick of a suddenly wide-open race for two wild-card berths. But the league’s most-productive lineup couldn’t convert in the clutch, and one of the league’s shakiest bullpens couldn’t avoid some perfectly placed soft hits, leading to a frustrating loss in the rubber game of an important series.

On the heels of a high-scoring contest here Tuesday night, these two teams found themselves in a tight, low-scoring affair for most of the afternoon, with each runner crossing the plate feeling more and more significant. The Nationals got on the board first thanks to a check-swing, RBI double by Jacob Young in the fourth to score CJ Abrams. But that’s all they managed against Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage, who had his way with this explosive lineup for 6 2/3 innings before handing it over to his bullpen.

Zack Littell gave the Nats 4 2/3 scoreless innings himself, escaping a couple of early jams with no damage suffered. His bullpen mates didn’t necessarily pitch poorly but were done in by some well-placed contact. Max Kranick gave up an RBI double to Ernie Clement in the sixth on a sinking fly ball down the left-field line that eluded Daylen Lile’s diving attempt. Orlando Ribalta then gave up three singles in the seventh that boasted exit velocities of 76.1 mph, 71.4 mph and 58.2 mph, giving Toronto the lead.

Things only got worse in the eighth when Paxton Schultz allowed three runs on four hits, including a two-run bloop double by Kazuma Okamoto that only left his bat at 73.8 mph. By the time Schultz departed in favor of the just-activated Trevor Williams, the deficit had grown to 5-1.

With the Phillies blowing a six-run lead in Miami and the Diamondbacks shutting out the Pirates this afternoon, the Nationals now find themselves two games behind both Arizona and Philadelphia for the NL’s second and third wild-card berths. But they’re also in a four-way tie with Pittsburgh, Miami and San Diego in this wide-open race between contenders hovering just above the .500 mark.

HITTING LOWLIGHT: They didn’t have many chances through the game’s first six innings, but the Nationals certainly had chances after that and squandered them. Down 2-1 in the seventh, Lile led off with a single and moved to second on Jacob Young’s sacrifice bunt. But Jorbit Vivas struck out, falling to 6-for-49 with runners in scoring position, and Nasim Nuñez grounded out. They were down 5-1 by the time they got to the eighth, when James Wood doubled and Luis Garcia Jr. singled him home. But later that inning with the bases loaded, Lile struck out on three pitches and Young popped out on two pitches, leaving the team 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position on the day.

PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: With a right-handed-heavy Blue Jays lineup, Blake Butera didn’t feel the need to use an opener today and instead let Littell start the first inning. The veteran right-hander responded with a strong outing, going 4 2/3 innings without allowing a run. Littell twice got into jams and twice got out of them, thanks in part to a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play in the first and then a line drive to center in the fourth. Butera didn’t give him the chance to pitch out of one more jam in the fifth, but Max Kranick did the job on one pitch to quash a potential rally and allow Littell to depart without having allowed a run today.

NOTABLE: The Nationals’ announced pitching probables for this weekend’s series against the Braves include Foster Griffin on Friday night, with Miles Mikolas on Saturday and Cade Cavalli on Sunday. They have not listed a Thursday starter, which would suggest they’re planning to activate Jake Irvin off the 60-day IL. If so, Irvin would make his return to the mound roughly two months since he suffered a shoulder injury during a no-hit bid in Atlanta.

UP NEXT: It’s maybe the biggest road trip in years, eight games in Atlanta and Philadelphia, with the trade deadline sandwiched right in the middle of it all. Everything begins Thursday at 7:15 p.m. at Truist Park, where Irvin is expected to come off the IL to face Braves right-hander Grant Holmes. Note: The game was picked up by ESPN and will not be available on Nationals TV. TV: ESPN RADIO: 106.7 FM