Time: 3:05
Attendance: 19,715
As I write this, the Nats have a 4-13 record at home, so I
guess I should be thankful that we have been present for half of those four victories.
Oddly enough, both have come at the expense of the division-leading Mets. (The
two teams are actually mirror images of each other in the standings, with New
York currently at 22-11 and Washington bringing up the rear at 11-22.)
The odds for a home team win did not look good at the
outset. Brandon Nimmo led off with a double and scored when Maikel Franco threw
away Starling Marte’s bunt single. With one out, Pete Alonso then crushed an
Aaron Sanchez sinker to give New York a 3-0 lead.
It didn’t last long. A leadoff single by César Hernández and
a Juan Soto homer – his first non-solo shot of the season – cut the deficit to
one. The Nats proceeded to bat around, taking a 5-3 lead on RBIs from Keibert
Ruiz, Franco, and Dee Strange-Gordon. They piled in the second, with Nelson
Cruz powering a 436-foot blast following singles by Hernández and Josh Bell. New
York starter Tylor Megill, who had allowed a total of 9 runs in his previous six
games this season, exited a batter later with his team in an 8-3 hole.
At that point, we pretty much could have called it an
evening, picking up our promotional coolers on the way out. Sanchez put the
first inning behind him, fanning only one but inducing plenty of weak contact.
He blanked New York until exiting with one out in the 6th after
being hit in the heel of his glove hand by an Alonso comebacker. A trio of relievers
finished the job, allowing a few hits but no runs. Washington’s offense was
equally unsuccessful against the New York bullpen.
Traffic was heavy in spots but not too terrible in either
direction, and we certainly couldn’t complain about the weather (although I
kept my lightweight jacket on throughout). The pupusas from La Casita Pupuseria,
once I finally located the stand, weren’t bad either.
