Instant Analysis: Braves 5, Nats 4
Jake Irvin was efficient in his return, but the Nationals wasted big nights from Luis García Jr. and Daylen Lile when they couldn't convert in the clutch
ATLANTA – As much as they’ve been able to hit the ball out of the park this season, the Nationals haven’t shown a consistent ability to drive in runners the old-fashioned way. It cost them in their series loss to the Blue Jays this week. And it cost them again tonight in the opener of a huge series against the Braves.
In their first ESPN appearance in three years, the Nationals showed off their explosive power potential, getting three early solo homers: a 436-foot moonshot by Luis García Jr. and a pair of blasts by Daylen Lile. But they also showed the national TV audience what continues to plague them from an offensive standpoint: A lack of clutch hitting. They went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Jake Irvin didn’t have to worry about pitching with any runners on base for a large chunk of his night. In his return to the mound from a two-month stint on the IL, the right-hander retired the first 10 batters he faced before serving up a solo homer to Ronald Acuña Jr. Irvin bounced back to retire the next four batters he faced and was about to be through the fifth inning with only that one blemish, but then James Wood got a bad jump on Dominic Smith’s sinking liner to right and couldn’t recover in time. Moments later, Irvin hung a curveball to Mike Yastrzemski, who launched it to right for the game-tying homer.
With a remarkably low pitch count of 50, Irvin was allowed to start the sixth inning but was pulled after issuing back-to-back walks. Left-hander Carson Palmquist nearly got out of the jam but wound up giving up a two-run single to Ozzie Albies on an 0-2 pitch well below the strike zone.
Down by two late, the Nationals got one run back on García’s RBI triple (leaving him a single shy of the cycle). But his teammates could not get him home from third, capping off another frustrating night of missed opportunities from this otherwise explosive lineup.
HITTING HIGHLIGHT: Lile may have hit two homers, but García had an even better night at the plate, coming within a single of hitting for the cycle. The first baseman’s breakthrough season continued with a big night on national TV, one that began with an opposite-field double in the top of the first. García then destroyed Grant Holmes’ third-inning curveball and sent the ball soaring onto the roof of the Chop House beyond the right-field wall. He struck out in the fifth with two runners, but he rebounded in the seventh with a laser to right-center that got past a diving Michael Harris II and rolled to the wall for an RBI triple. García had one last shot with two outs in the ninth but lofted a high flyball to right on the first pitch he saw from Braves closer Raisel Iglesias.
PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: There was a lot to like about Irvin’s first start in more than two months. He retired 14 of the first 15 batters he faced. He maintained a 93-94 mph fastball throughout. He worked fast and he got quick outs. But he also got lucky more than once. Four of the Braves’ first seven batters hit balls to the warning track that nearly left the yard. It felt like Irvin was playing with fire. And after Wood’s misplay with two outs in the fifth, he immediately paid the price with a poorly located curveball to Yastremski for the game-tying homer. The plan entering the game was for Irvin to throw about 75 pitches, but he needed only 50 to complete five innings. So Blake Butera let him re-take the mound for the sixth. That proved to be a mistake, because Irvin issued back-to-back walks before getting the hook. And then when Palmquist gave up the go-ahead single to Albies, Irvin found himself charged with five runs in five innings, making his return outing look a lot less impressive.
NOTABLE: Mitchell Parker had elbow surgery Wednesday in Dallas, the Nationals announced. Though it was not a full-fledged Tommy John surgery, Parker did have his torn ulnar collateral ligament repaired and also had an internal brace installed. The timeline for recovery remains 12-to-18 months.
UP NEXT: All eyes will be on Foster Griffin when he takes the mound for his final start before the trade deadline. Right-hander Bryce Elder starts for the Braves in the 7:15 p.m. Friday game. TV: Nationals TV, FOX 5 RADIO: 106.7 FM
This is a loveable team again, fun to watch, competitive, loaded with talent... but this week will likely shine a light on the gap they still must close before being a true contender.
My hope is that Toboni can pull off another trade or two that accelerates the process and helps get them to the next level in 2027.
The Nats lose their eleventh game in which they had a three-run lead and fall to 13-16 in one-run games.
That’s no way to compete with the elite.