Instant Analysis: Nats 8, Astros 2
Foster Griffin tossed another gem, Luis García Jr. and CJ Abrams each hit another homer and the Nationals won another series
What do you get when you combine another big night from the most-productive lineup in baseball with another dominant outing from one of the most-consistently effective starters in baseball? A very comfortable win for the Nationals. (Provided the bullpen didn’t interfere, which it did not.)
Foster Griffin churned out seven more innings of one-run ball and was the beneficiary of a bunch of run support from a Nats lineup that displayed both patience and power in overwhelming the Astros to take the rubber game of this interleague series.
Griffin hardly broke a sweat on a muggy, 84-degree evening, scattering five hits without walking anybody over his seven innings. The left-hander struck out nine and departed at the end of the seventh to a standing ovation from the crowd of 17,760, having thrown 71 of his 99 pitches for strikes.
After an uncharacteristic off-night at the plate Tuesday, the Nationals were back to their usual selves tonight against Spencer Arrighetti. They drew six walks in four innings against the Astros right-hander (three of them by James Wood) and got the 20th homer of the season from both Luis García Jr. and CJ Abrams. Daylen Lile added two hits and an RBI.
HITTING HIGHLIGHT: The Nationals have been getting offensive contributions from up and down their lineup all season, but three guys have clearly distinguished themselves from the pack, not only on this team but around the league. Wood drew three more walks tonight, giving him 13 over his last seven games (as opposed to only three strikeouts). García walked, singled and hit his career-high 20th home run. And Abrams walked, produced a sacrifice fly, hit his 20th homer and drove in his 66th and 67th runs. How good has that trio been? Consider this: There are currently 10 major-league hitters with at least 20 homers and 60 RBI this season, and three of them play for the Nationals.
PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: It’s not just that Griffin has been so good. It’s that he’s been so consistently good. Tonight was his seventh consecutive start allowing zero or one run. Only Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann had previously done that in club history. He has lowered his ERA to 2.77 and his WHIP to 1.015. He’s now 10-2 and would be 12-2 if not for two recent blown saves. And at this point, he’s still not an All-Star. Perhaps another NL pitcher will bow out of the game, and MLB will select Griffin to replace him. Whether that happens or not, there’s no debating the fact the left-hander has pitched like an All-Star for the last 3 1/2 months.
NOTABLE: Jake Irvin faced live hitters today for the first time since going on the 15-day IL six weeks ago, throwing 30 pitches over two simulated innings to teammates Jose Tena, Andres Chaparro and Drew Millas. Irvin, who is coming back from a right shoulder strain, emerged healthy and pleased with the way things went.
“It feels like a long time coming,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun, great support staff, and like just a bunch of support from everybody. So it was great. I’m just happy to be back on the bump, as simple as that is.”
Provided there are no setbacks, manager Blake Butera said Irvin will likely begin a minor-league rehab assignment next. Because he’s missed more time than originally anticipated, Butera said he’ll probably need to make at least three rehab starts before he’s ready to rejoin the Nationals rotation.
Trevor Williams, meanwhile, threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts today for Triple-A Rochester. The veteran right-hander, nearly a year removed from an internal brace procedure in his elbow, totaled 38 pitches.
UP NEXT: After a day off, the Nats return Friday at 6:45 p.m. to open a big final weekend of the first half. With the MLB Draft looming Saturday and Sunday, they also host the Yankees for three games. They’ve listed Zack Littell as Friday night’s starter, with Miles Mikolas (whose suspension likely won’t take place until after Cade Cavalli returns) as Saturday’s starter. New York has not released its rotation plans yet. TV: Nationals TV RADIO: 106.7 FM
Three Nationals hitters already have 20 homers and 60 RBI, and Foster Griffin has allowed zero or one run in seven straight starts. His 10 wins already match the most by any Nationals pitcher in a season since 2019. All of this before the All-Star break.
At some point, the numbers are too loud to ignore. This team can hit, and hit for power.
Please, Paul Toboni and the Lerner's, seriously think about taking a chance on this team. Playing meaningful games in September would be huge for the development of this team.
Foster cemented his status as 1st available pitcher for ASG selection, pending a current selection dropout