Instant Analysis: Nats 2, White Sox 1 (10)
After Foster Griffin and Sean Burke traded zeros all afternoon, the Nationals found a way to win in extra innings for the second straight day
CHICAGO – For nine innings, the Nationals and White Sox traded zeros on the scoreboard, seemingly trying to prove which of them could make three outs faster than the other before switching sides. Then the Nats finally came through in the top of the 10th with the only run that was required to win this game. Plus one more for insurance. Which, as it turns out, they needed.
Jorbit Vivas and CJ Abrams each recorded a productive out, with Abrams’ sinking liner to left caught by a diving Tanner Murray (who was hurt on the play) but allowing automatic runner Daylen Lile to score from third to give the Nats a long-awaited 1-0 lead. José Tena then followed with a surprise pinch-hit homer off Seranthony Dominguez to extend the lead to 2-0.
Paxton Schultz, just recalled from Triple-A Rochester this morning after closer Clayton Beeter was placed on the 15-day IL with forearm soreness, allowed the inherited runner to score in the bottom of the 10th but didn’t allow the tying run to score. With the unexpected save, Schultz helped his team secure a winning record on their now-completed 17-day stretch without a break.
A Nationals lineup that has made real strides in plate discipline this season seemed swing-happy this afternoon. White Sox opener Bryan Hudson cruised through the top of the first on eight pitches. Bulk arm Sean Burke then kept throwing strikes and kept getting the Nats to swing, tossing 7 1/3 scoreless innings on a scant 76 pitches.
Fortunately, Foster Griffin was up to the challenge. The 30-year-old left-hander worked fast, threw strikes and enjoyed his own economical success against Chicago’s lineup, surrendering two hits with two walks and a hit-by-pitch across seven shutout innings. But because his teammates couldn’t provide any offensive support, Griffin wound up with no decision.
Gus Varland pitched a scoreless eighth and gave the Nats a chance to finally break through in the ninth. But they couldn’t get Nasim Nuñez home from third with one out and thus gave the White Sox a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the inning. Richard Lovelady got himself into a jam after a leadoff single and wild pickoff throw, but he bounced back to strike out Derek Hill with the winning run in scoring position and send this game to extras.
HITTING HIGHLIGHT: The Nationals had nothing going at the plate today. A team that had displayed much-improved patience through the season’s first month swung at anything and everything in this game, never making Chicago’s staff throw more than 14 pitches in any single inning. They took only one at-bat with a runner in scoring position prior to the ninth. But they finally got something going in the 10th, and Tena’s surprise homer was the biggest hit of the weekend. Sent up to pinch-hit for Jacob Young with two outs and nobody on, the last man on the Nats bench ripped a 3-1 fastball to right 403 feet for only his fourth career homer, his first in the big leagues since 2024. It came much later than anyone would have preferred, but it sure meant something.
PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: He’s been good throughout this opening month of the season, but Griffin was at his absolute best today, and it was something to watch. The left-hander used all seven of his pitches, worked at a breakneck pace and never let the White Sox feel comfortable at the plate. He induced 16 swings and misses and recorded strikeouts on five different types of pitches: sweeper, changeup, splitter, cutter, fastball. He became the Nationals’ first starter to reach the seventh inning this season. And six starts in, he owns a 2.67 ERA.
NOTABLE: Combining their head-to-head matchups in both Japan and now in MLB, Munetaka Murakami is 4-for-31 with one homer, two walks and 18 strikeouts against Griffin.
UP NEXT: After a well-deserved day off, the Nationals are back in action Tuesday night at Citi Field. Zack Littell is scheduled to start the 7:10 p.m. EDT series opener against Mets right-hander Clay Holmes. TV: Nationals TV RADIO: 106.7 FM
Paxton Shultz earned that. No walks, no HRs. Threw strikes with intention.
In the 10th, after the Nats took the lead, I started typing why are they pinch hitting for their best defensive outfielder. But mid typing that sentence, Jose made the manager look like a genius with the game winning HR!