Instant Analysis: Nats 3, Brewers 2
PJ Poulin, Zack Littell, Mitchell Parker, Gus Varland and Richard Lovelady combined to shut down Milwaukee's lineup and avoid a sweep
With another unconventional pitching plan that worked out as well as could’ve been hoped, and a couple of clutch hits from an unexpected source of offense, the Nationals defeated the Brewers this afternoon to avoid a series sweep and give their fans a rare chance to celebrate a home win. After a bit of a ninth-inning scare.
Blake Butera went with an opener today in front of Zack Littell, and he actually let PJ Poulin go two full innings on 36 pitches. That allowed Littell to enter with a clean inning in the top of the third, and the struggling right-hander responded with 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his best performance in weeks.
The Nationals had nothing going at the plate early on against Logan Henderson, who retired the first 12 batters he faced on a scant 38 pitches. But they put together enough of a sustained rally in the bottom of the fifth to score a couple of runs, thanks to CJ Abrams’ infield single and stolen base, Nasim Nuñez’s RBI single and José Tena’s RBI triple. Abrams and Nuñez paired up again in the bottom of the seventh to plate another run and provide the bullpen some extra cushion.
Mitchell Parker, Gus Varland and Richard Lovelady took care of the rest. Parker retired all six batters he faced after replacing Littell in the sixth. Varland recorded two outs — it would’ve been three if not for a routine fly ball lost in the sun by James Wood — before handing it over to Lovelady, who gave up a quick single but still got the final two outs for his first save of the season, helping the Nats win for only the fourth time in 16 home games.
HITTING HIGHLIGHT: The Nationals aren’t asking Nuñez to do a ton at the plate. They’re just asking him to produce in situations where it’s needed. And the slick-fielding, light-hitting infielder did that twice today to help his team. After Abrams reached on an infield single and stole second in the bottom of the fifth, Nuñez lined a 2-2 pitch over the second baseman’s head for an RBI single. Two innings later, Abrams again reached via infield single, was awarded second on a balk and took third on Daylen Lile’s grounder to the right side. With the infield drawn in, Nuñez sent a sharp grounder through the left side for another RBI single. He’s still batting a paltry .222 with an equally paltry .557 OPS. But if he can continue to deliver in the clutch like he did today, the Nats can live with his overall numbers.
PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: The Nationals gave Littell the Miles Mikolas treatment. And it worked. The right-hander didn’t enter until the top of the third, and he was pulled after only 41 pitches. But the results over those 41 pitches (3 2/3 innings of one-run ball) were good. Littell issued only one walk, and he kept the ball in the park, both positive trends. It remains to be seen if the team adopts this approach on a regular basis. The matchups might not always work out. And you wouldn’t think they can use openers for both Mikolas and Littell. But if they can find ways to get more out of him while using him less, it’s probably a worthwhile endeavor at this point.
INJURY UPDATE: Luis García Jr. departed the game after five innings with right wrist soreness, the team announced. Curtis Mead replaced him at first base.
NOTABLE: The Nationals claimed right-hander Zak Kent off waivers from the Twins, then optioned him to Triple-A Rochester. Kent, 28, made 12 relief appearances for the Guardians last season and two for the Twins this season. In between, he was employed by the Cardinals, Rangers and Cardinals again, all via waiver claims. In acquiring him today, the Nats filled up the 40-man roster spot that was vacated Saturday when they outrighted Cionel Pérez to Triple-A.
UP NEXT: After a day off, the Nats return to the park Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. for the opener of a three-game series with the Twins. Cade Cavalli is scheduled to face fellow right-hander Taj Bradley. TV: Nationals TV RADIO: 106.7 FM
Nasim Nuñez the player that you are, just stellar on defense
Nunez is coming into his own. Rizzo was smart to pick this guy.