The Washington Nationals are rolling, and it seems like each night they’re making believers out of more and more folks. Tonight was no exception, as they knocked off the Kansas City Royals 7-3, improving to their best record since the 2019 season.

All of the scoring in this one was done in the first five innings, with the big one being a five-run bottom of the fifth, punctuated by a three-run laser hit by Dylan Crews. For Crews it was his third homer in his last ten games, and gave the pitching staff all of the insurance it needed to carry the boys to another win.

The Action

Andrew Alvarez got the ball first for the Nationals in this one, and navigated the first three frames with little trouble, stranding scattered singles in all three innings. Meanwhile, the offense finally got to Kansas City’s starter, Mitch Spence, in the bottom of the third to break the scoreless tie.

Curtis Mead came up in a big spot, with two men in scoring position and two outs, and proceeded to rip a line drive off the second baseman and into center field, scoring both runners, and putting Washington ahead 2-0.

The Royals responded with one of their own in the fourth, as a two-out walk came back to haunt Alvarez when Carter Jensen took advantage and drove in a run on an RBI single past Nasim Nunez. Originally ruled an error, and later chanced to a single. That hit cut the Nats’ lead in half and our score sat at 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

Spence set them down in order in the fourth, and the game took a real swing in the top of the fifth when Blake Butera called on Brad Lord to relieve Alvarez. The Royals got to him for two runs when Maikel Garcia grounded one through an opening in the right side, driving in the tying and go-ahead runs to make it 3-2 Kansas City.

The Nats responded in force in the bottom of the fifth, beginning the inning with a single-single-walk- and a two-run single by Luis Garcia Jr. to put the good guys back ahead by a 4-3 score. In fact, since May 24, Garcia has knocked in 23 RBIs, and tied for the most in Major League Baseball in that span. He has gone from a negative WAR to positive and has become a major contributor to this team.

• Mitch Spence: 4 innings, 7 hits, 6 runs (6 earned), 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 63 pitches
• Andrew Alvarez: 4 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, 58 pitches

The Nats weren’t quite done in the fifth, even after the Royals took Spence out. The defining swing of this game came later in this inning, as Crews roped a frozen rope over the left field fence and into the seats for a three-run shot, extending the lead to 7-3.

That score would end up holding, as the Nats’ bullpen was absolutely lockdown from the sixth inning and on. Over the final four innings tonight, Brad Lord, Clayton Beeter, and Gus Varland combined to throw four shutout innings, allowing just one hit to secure the massive series-opening curly W.

What’s Next?

Game two of this three-game set will get underway at 6:45 tomorrow evening, as the Nationals will face a veteran right-hander who’s had really a great start to his season so far in Michael Wacha (4-5, 3.58 ERA). He’ll be opposed by the Nats’ lefty, Foster Griffin (7-2, 3.46 ERA). Griffin must have a fire built up inside of him after he was robbed of his eighth win of the season in his last start, the disastrous collapse game in San Francisco where the Nats blew a seven-run lead late in the ballgame. Let’s hope he’s able to come out and leave no doubt tomorrow night, and pitch the Nats to make it to four games above .500.

Down on the Farm

AAA Rochester

• Off-day today
• Tomorrow: 6:45 game versus Toledo (Jackson Kent pitching)

AA Harrisburg

• Off-day today
• 12:00 game tomorrow versus Erie (Connor Van Scoyoc pitching)

High-A Wilmington

• Off-day today
• Tomorrow: 6:35 game versus Brooklyn (Riley Maddox pitching)

Low-A Fredericksburg

• Off-day today
• Tomorrow: 6:35 game versus Salem (Starter TBA)