August 15, 2022 – Nats 5, Cubs 4

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/cubs-vs-nationals/2022/08/15/662471#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=wrap,game=662471

 

Time: 2:59

Attendance: 25,467

Section 315, Row H, Seats 18-19 (slightly on the 1B side of home plate, a couple of rows farther back than usual. Effectively on the aisle, since H20 remained unoccupied the entire game)

 

A curly W, finally! And also some runs, as the Nats had been blanked in our previous two outings, and failed to dent the scoreboard until the 5^th inning tonight.

 

Things did not start out well. Ian Happ hit a 2-out first inning homer off Josiah Gray – unfortunately, neither one of us had picked Happ in our who’ll-hit-the-first-dinger-off-Gray pool – and two subsequent hits doubled the lead. Happ went deep again four innings later for a 3-0 Cubs lead. Meanwhile, Washington had runners in scoring position in three of the first four frames, but couldn’t get any of them home.

 

The Nats offense finally exploded in the bottom of the 5^th, loading the bases with none out on an error (originally scored as a hit) and two singles. Joey Meneses struck out, but a force out at second scored one run, and a Yadiel Hernandez single plated a second. David Ross’s decision at that point to lift Marcus Stroman in favor of Mark Leiter Jr. backfired spectacularly, as Nelson Cruz promptly greeted him with a two-run double to give the Nats the lead. Despite Gray’s mounting pitch count, Davey Martinez decided to stick with him for another inning, even after a one-out double, and his faith was rewarded when Gray notched his 10^th K to pitch out of the jam.

 

Further proof that nothing comes easy for the Nats this year followed quickly. Reliever Hunter Harvey pitched around Happ with two outs and a runner on second in the top of the 7^th, but Seiya Suzuki singled to tie the game. Happily, Cruz hit one out an inning later to regain the lead, and Kyle Finnegan efficiently disposed of the visitors in the 9^th to nail down the win.

 

The rush-hour drive down wasn’t as bad as it might have been, and we got home much quicker than on a typical Sunday afternoon. We had no trouble at all grabbing a picnic table, the e-cash at the concessions stands was working (as were the escalators), and lines were generally short. It was a little cooler and breezier than I had expected, but after a number of hot afternoon games it felt pleasant, even with short sleeves.