As rain poured down, and gamers rushed off the sector round him, MacKenzie Gore shook his head and made a gradual trot to the dugout. After a tough outing his final time on the mound, Thursday’s prolonged rain delay couldn’t have been worse for the Washington Nationals pitcher.
And certain sufficient, by the point motion resumed after a 1 hour, 43-minute delay, the Nationals determined to sit down Gore for the remainder of the afternoon. The workforce wasn’t going to danger it, although the 24-year-old had pitched solely 1⅓ innings earlier than the stoppage and tried to maintain heat with two simulated innings within the bullpen.
Instead, the Nationals turned to their relievers who put up a valiant effort however got here up brief in a 5-4 extra-innings loss Thursday to the Cincinnati Reds. Washington (34-53) has now misplaced 4 straight and was swept in a sequence for the fifth time this season. The Nationals now solely have three video games left — a house stand in opposition to the Texas Rangers — till the All-Star break.
The Reds managed to go forward on the prime of the tenth when outfielder Nick Senzel led off the inning with a two-run dwelling run off reliever Hunter Harvey. Senzel crushed a first-pitch, 97.8 mph fastball that Harvey left up within the zone.
The pitch was an unlucky flip of occasions for the Nationals — and one other standout second by Senzel. In the inning earlier than, with a runner on second, the 28-year-old robbed Washington of a possible walk-off victory when he lept on the proper subject wall and snatched what seemed on monitor to be a double or dwelling run.
Rather, after a flyout from Alex Call, further innings quickly started and Harvey didn’t make it by way of the inning. After recording one out, supervisor Dave Martinez swapped the 28-year-old for Corey Abbott — Washington’s seventh pitcher of the sport.
Thursday’s loss, nonetheless, can’t be simply attributed to a distinction in pitching. As was the case of their first three video games in opposition to the Reds, the Nationals’ offense once more couldn’t come by way of within the clutch.
Though the Nationals tacked on one run within the backside of the tenth — Lane Thomas singled to left subject to attain Call — Washington was unable to attain once more — regardless of having two runners on with zero outs after the outfielder’s hit.
For the four-game sequence, the Nationals went 7 of 30 with runners in scoring place — together with 2 of 11 within the finale.
The Nationals have struggled in large moments this season partially due to their lack of energy. Washington has simply 69 dwelling runs in 2023, forward of solely Cleveland (56) for the fewest within the league. Near the deadline, solely Thomas (14) and third baseman Jeimer Candalerio (12) have reached double-digits this yr.
To make up for his or her shortcomings and bolster the offense, Nationals supervisor Dave Martinez has needed to get inventive. In the fifth inning, once they trailed 1-0, the Nationals efficiently executed a double steal that superior shortstop C.J. Abrams to 3rd and Call to second. That determination, made with two outs, put Thomas in place to drive in two runs — nevertheless it virtually didn’t occur.
At first, the umpires dominated that Abrams was caught stealing at third — just for Martinez to problem the decision and have it overturned on replay when cameras confirmed the infielder was protected. With the inning prolonged, Thomas smacked a four-seam fastball to left subject that introduced Abrams and Call dwelling.
The rally, although, was short-lived. In the sixth, the Reds put strain on the Nationals with runners on first and second — main Martinez to tug reliever Jordan Weems for Jose Ferrer to face rookie phenom Elly De La Cruz. To that time, Ferrer, a 23-year-old who was promoted to the majors just a little greater than every week in the past, had but to permit a run this season. But that quickly modified when De La Cruz doubled on a floor ball to attain teammate T.J. Friedl.
De La Cruz’s RBI helped Cincinnati tie the sport, however Washington prevented additional injury as left fielder Stone Garrett threw out the Reds’ Matt McLain at dwelling plate. Riley Adams, filling in at catcher for Keibert Ruiz, utilized the tag.
The two groups continued to commerce runs within the ensuing innings. Call offered a raise for the Nationals within the backside of the seventh when he hit a 428-foot solo shot to offer Washington a 3-2 lead — just for the Reds to tie the sport once more when Joey Votto got here off the bench to attain Will Benson on a line drive to proper subject.
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