WASHINGTON -- Manager Dave Martinez has been emphasizing the Nationals¡¯ tenacity to hang in games throughout the season. From nearly being shut out to threatening a walk-off and from forcing extra innings to facing a four-run deficit, their 6-2 loss in the series opener against the Mets on Friday was a roller coaster of hits and misses at Nationals Park.
¡°The boys fought back to make it 2-2,¡± Martinez said. ¡°We just couldn¡¯t finish. We¡¯ve played so many close games this year. Like I said before, these guys are playing hard and they play till the end.¡±
Washington¡¯s bats had been quiet for most of the night, putting the Nationals in a 2-0 hole after eight innings. That is, until Juan Soto sparked a late-game comeback with his 24th home run of the season off Mets closer Edwin D¨ªaz. After Josh Bell struck out, Ryan Zimmerman drew a four-pitch walk. Andrew Stevenson replaced Zimmerman as a pinch-runner, a decision that would quickly pay off.
In the next at-bat, Riley Adams sent a double into right-center field, and a racing Stevenson barreled into home plate for the tying run. Adams reached third, and Javier B¨¢ez was charged with a throwing error.
The Nationals were in an ideal situation: a runner at third base with only one out. They¡¯d pulled off walk-off wins at home before this season, and the stage was set for another. The rally ended, though, when Carter Kieboom struck out and Luis Garc¨ªa grounded out to second.
¡°We had our opportunities. Guy on third base, less than two outs, we¡¯ve got to move the baseball right there,¡± said Martinez. ¡°It didn¡¯t happen.¡±
The Nationals turned to Austin Voth in the 10th to hold the Mets, who began the inning with Francisco Lindor as the automatic runner at second base. A tied game rapidly got out of reach. Voth allowed a go-ahead RBI single to Pete Alonso in the first at-bat, kick-starting a flurry of offense.
¡°The ball that Alonso hit, I think, almost hit the ground,¡± Martinez said. ¡°He dumped it in for a base hit, and then everything fell apart there.¡±
A tied game became a distant memory. Following an intentional walk to Michael Conforto, Voth gave up a two-run double to Kevin Pillar, followed by a walk and an RBI single to Jonathan Villar. He cited his location for the Mets¡¯ success.
Voth allowed four runs (three earned), three hits, two walks (one intentional) and recorded two strikeouts in one inning. Not long after flirting with a walk-off win, the Nats found themselves with a deficit they could not overcome.
¡°For the most part, I was pretty happy with all of my pitches,¡± Voth said. ¡°Alsonso made a good swing on a curveball. I wanted to go curveball in that situation, just didn¡¯t bury it enough. I think the only mistake I probably made that I wish I would have gone with another pitch was the [cutter] to Pillar. I could have gone fastball up or curveball in the dirt.¡±
The Nationals are not looking for this extra-innings loss to linger. They will take the field again on Saturday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. ET for Game 1 of a doubleheader. The National League East rivals will face off four more times before the series concludes on Monday.
¡°We pushed a comeback,¡± Martinez said. ¡°It¡¯s just a shame that we couldn¡¯t finish that game and win it.¡±