July 18, 2021 – Nats 8, Padres 7

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/padres-vs- nationals/2021/07/18/633300#game_state=final,game_tab=wrap,game=633300

 

Weather: 79 degrees, cloudy.

Wind: 8 mph, out to RF.

First Pitch: 3:05 pm

Umpires: HP--Segal, 1B--Carlson, 2B--Hoye, 3B--Baker.

Time: 3:40

Attendance - 27,221

 

Trois étoiles:

#3 – Catcher Tres Barrera, 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the third, and another single in the ninth that sparked the game-winning rally.

#2 – Juan Soto. 3 for 4 plus a walk, including a double in the third and a two-run homer in the eighth to (temporarily) put the Nats ahead.

#1 – Alcides Escobar. The recent acquisition homered in the eighth, and knocked in the winning run an inning later.

 

Given the shooting just outside Nationals Park the previous evening, this was not exactly an ordinary day. Instead of the regularly-scheduled game beginning at 1:05 with the usual ceremonies, the suspended game from Saturday night resumed with no fanfare, in the bottom of the 6^th inning with the home team already trailing 8-4. San Diego gave the hometown fans nothing to cheer about for the next hour or so, tacking on two more runs for a 10-4 defeat, adding to the Nats’ recent woes.

 

The anticipated Scherzer-Musgrove matchup finally got underway two hours later than originally scheduled. Max started out like gangbusters, striking out the side in the first. Washington finally broke things open in the bottom of the third, scoring their first run on Josh Bell’s infield grounder with one out, then notching two-out RBI hits by Harrison, Stevenson, and Barrera. For the second game in a row – both against the Padres – Scherzer couldn’t put together a shutdown 4^th frame, giving up two singles in front of a massive homer by Eric Hosmer that cut the lead to a single run. Max recovered nicely in the 5^th and 6^th, while the Nats continued to get runners on base but could not get any insurance runs across. Jurickson Profar, however, led off the top of the 7^th with another homer to tie the score, and the Padres further quieted the crowd when Daniel Hudson gave up a two-run shot to Manny Machado in the top of the 8^th. The home team came right back, however, regaining the lead on an Alcides Escobar HR, followed immediately by a Turner double and then Juan Soto’s third homer of the series.

 

But closer Brad Hand couldn’t hold the lead, when after a one-out walk pinch-runner Jorge Mateo easily swiped second and third base and scored on Trent Grisham’s single to tie the score. Hand dug another hole when, after giving Fernando Tatis Jr. an intentional pass to face the left-handed-hitting Jake Cronenworth, he walked him as well, loading the bases for the dangerous Manny Machado. Fortunately, Machado took a called third strike to maintain the tie.

 

The Nats, however, had one final answer: after a Tres Barrera single, San Diego closer Mark Melancon hit human pincushion Victor Robles with a pitch, and Escobar drove a ball into the outfield to score Barrera with the game-winner.

 

Aside from the result of the game, the weather was great, traffic wasn’t bad either way, and we wound up getting free parking. (The lot was open, but an attendant was nowhere to be found.)