The Washington Nationals once touted one of the best starting rotations in baseball. But since winning the 2019 World Series, the Nats went through a firesale that ultimately reshaped their rotation. On Monday, a product of their future, Jake Irvin, dominated the San Francisco Giants for 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
Meanwhile, the offense helped Irvin’s cause with a flaming hot first inning that produced enough runs to grab a 5-1 win.
The ‘Curly W’ fueled by a hot first inning
Before Irvin touched the mound, the Nationals’ bats seized control of the ballgame. Washington opened the game with four straight singles. Lane Thomas, Luis Garcia, and Keibert Ruiz each reached base with singles.
Ruiz getting tagged out at first didn’t stop the train. Joey Meneses finished the rally with an RBI single that scored Thomas. Two batters later, Dominic Smith singled in Garcia. Alex Call then ripped a double to right field that scored Meneses.
Finally, CJ Abrams, the centerpiece of the Juan Soto trade, drove in two additional runs with a single to give the Nats an early 5-0 lead. Washington’s bats cooled off with just four hits over the remaining eight innings, but the damage was done.
Jake Irvin was masterful in his first MLB win
Jake Irvin handled the rest, earning his first MLB win. Irvin became the second Nats pitcher to reach the seventh inning of a start. He stifled the Giants’ offense, allowing four hits, walking four, and striking out five over 92 pitches in 6 1/3 innings.
Irvin battled through 23 batters, getting a first-pitch strike ten times. He threw 54 strikes, 33 of which touched the batters’ bats. Still, he didn’t allow more than one hit in any frame. Monday’s outing was the first time Irvin went past six innings of work in his professional career.
The 26-year-old Irvin is displaying that he has returned to form following Tommy John surgery. After being a fourth-round draft pick in 2018, Irvin got off to a great start in the minors but the surgery kept him off the diamond in 2020 and 2021. He’s progressed and through two starts in the majors, Irvin sports a 0.84 ERA.
Nationals are turning the corner and picking up steam
The Nationals have been on a roll since starting the season 5-13. Washignton has now won 10 of its last 17 games. While the team is still miles away from being a contender, the retooling by GM Mike Rizzo has made the team fun to watch.
The Nats miss some pop in its lineup, but the core bats are intact with Ruiz, Abrams, and Garcia. Don’t forget Victor Robles, who started this season on track for a career year before landing on the 10-day injured list Monday.
The pitching staff is shaping up threw young arms. Mackenzie Gore and Josiah Gray have established their position at the top of the rotation for years to come. Irvin may be making an early statement about joining them. The youth emergence has seemingly helped to stabilize the struggling Patrick Corbin.
A club with a 15-20 record has never been as exciting.
