The Washington Nationals had only one come-from-behind win going into the 8th or 9th inning this year, and just got their second win tonight. This time — it was the Nats who pinned a blown-save-loss on an opposing bullpen to win this one by a final score of 4-3. The 7-game losing streak is officially over.
This game was played in the backdrop of the emotions of the 25th year after the 9/11 tragedy. The Nationals honored the 184 individuals who were killed in the 9/11 attack at the Pentagon with 184 seats in Section 107 that were roped-off and draped in bunting in their remembrance.
The Nats got a great start by Cade Cavalli who pitched 6.0+ innings of 2-run baseball and was bailed out by Will Dion and Harry Ford in the 7th inning. With no outs, and two runners on-base, Ford picked off the base runner at second base for the first out in the inning. The rest was Dion getting the final two outs.
In a 2-1 deficit, the Nats started the 8th inning with an LoW (lead-off walk) from Brady House, a bloop hit from CJ Abrams, and a Dylan Crews bunt single to load the bases with no outs. Andrew Pinckney entered as a pinch-hitter and got a long sac fly to tie the game. Then it was Jorbit Vivas with the hit of the game with a lefty-on-lefty long double in the right field corner to make it a 4-2 game.
Watch some of the young players come through like House, Crews, Pinckney, and Vivas for the offense, and Dion, Clayton Beeter, and Erik Tolman for the bullpen, this was a total team win.
❝Nice to win that one. Nice to win that one. That’s all.❞
— manager Blake Butera said after the game
In the 9th inning, Tolman bent but didn’t break as he walked a batter with two outs, then gave up a booming double off the out-of-town scoreboard, and then got the third out for his second career save.
After the game, it was revealed that Pinckney replaced Ford who departed due to a sore wrist. After that, Beeter was optioned to Triple-A Rochester.
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