Michael A. Taylor hit a walk-off RBI-single to right in the 12th, saving the Washington Nationals from yet another late game collapse against the Atlanta Braves. A night after blowing a 5-0 lead to lose 7-6, the Nationals blew another 5-0 lead against the Braves.
Daniel Hudson continues the struggles of the Nationals’ bullpen
Atlanta completed the rally with three runs off Daniel Hudson in the ninth to send the game into extra innings tied 7-7.
Hudson entered the frame with a 7-4 lead. But, he walked two, allowed three hits and three runs. Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run single off Hudson. One batter later, Travis d’Arnaud tied the game with an RBI-single, scoring Freddie Freeman. It was Hudson’s fourth blown save of the season.
The collapsed ruined a solid outing from Erick Fedde. Fedde allowed two runs on six hits, walked four and struck out five through five innings and a 108 pitches. His night ended with a 5-2 lead.
Kyle Finnegan and James Bourque fight out of major jams
In extra innings, the Nationals failed to move their automatic runner in the 10th and 11th. But in the 11th, Kyle Finnegan redeemed the struggling bullpen surviving a bases loaded jam with one out, getting Ozuna to fly out and d’Arnaud to ground out to end the frame.
James Bourque would get out a similar jam in the 12th. Two walks loaded the bases with one out. Yet, he got Nick Markakis to ground into a double play.
Finnegan and Bourque’s efforts set the stage for Taylor. With Eaton, the automatic runner, on third and Juan Soto on second, Taylor ripped a 0-2 fastball to right field to score Eaton for the win.
Stats and notes from marathon
Friday’s game lasted four hours and 48 minutes. While the Nationals pitchers walked 12, the Braves left 22 runners on base.
Juan Soto went an incredible 2-for-3 at the plate. He drove in three and was walked three times.
Ozuna went 5-for-6 and drove in four runs. His only time he recorded an out was in the 11th against Finnegan. Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left the game fouling a ball off his foot in the fourth.
Meanwhile, each team used eight pitchers. The bottom of the Nationals’ order, consisting of the young trio of Luis Garcia, Carter Kieboom and Victor Robles, went a combined 0-for-13 in the game with one walk.
