Late-Inning Heartbreak: Nationals Suffer Defeat with Back-to-Back Ninth-Inning Home Runs (Updated with Quotes)
Trey Lipscomb continues to impress both at the plate and on the field, hits is first career home run wasn't enough for the Nationals to pull off another comeback.
Cincinnati, OH—The Washington Nationals concluded their first road series with a heartbreaking loss against the Cincinnati Reds. The Nationals found themselves one out away from securing another comeback win, only to have their hopes dashed by a series of impactful plays. Despite their efforts, the Nationals ultimately succumbed to a defeat in a highly winnable road game before returning home for the season opener on Monday afternoon.
With two quick outs in the bottom of the ninth, victory seemed within reach until Jonathan India's seven-pitch at-bat, which ended with a double, altered the course of the game. A subsequent home run by the Reds' centerfielder, Will Benson, followed by Christian Encarnacion-Strand's game-winning walk-off homerun, sealed the Nationals' fate, with the Reds winning with a final score of 6-5.
Right-handed pitcher Jake Irvin showcased an impressive performance in his debut start for the 2024 season. Irvin, potentially the "X" factor in this year’s Nationals pitching rotation, navigated through a challenging Reds lineup. Irvin pitched five innings, conceding three runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking two. Consequently, Irvin begins the season with an ERA of 5.40. Irvin threw 80 pitches throughout his outing, with 46 counting as strikes while facing 21 batters.
His performance surpassed Gray and Corbin's, who faced similar Reds lineups on Thursday and managed decently.
Getting the loss for the Nationals was Kyle Finnegan, who was on the mound and gave up all three runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Speaking to the media after the game, Finnegan said: “I felt like I attacked him well and was one strike away…Good piece of hitting for the double." And
On the offensive side, things looked great in the middle of the game as CJ Abrams checked in with his first home run of the 2024 season. It was also the longest of his career, spanning 429 feet to the right in the top of the third inning, igniting the scoring for the Nationals.
Once more, the Nationals found themselves needing to rally to equalize the game, this time after the Reds secured two runs in the bottom of the third and an additional run in the bottom of the fourth. The Nationals managed to score two runs in the top of the fifth and another in the top of the seventh to seize the lead, courtesy of a Trey Lipscomb home run—his first in his major league career—and RBI.
However, the Nationals did leave ten runners on base and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Talking about his first major league baseball career home run, Lipscomb reflected on his success during spring training by saying, "That's what I was doing all spring training: Battle with two strikes… Go up there and try to get on base. And he left one over the middle, and I was able to do some damage."
Up Next, Home Opening Day. Tomorrow [weather permitting, of course], the Washington Nationals will open up Nats Park when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates. LHP Mackenzie Gore will get the ball to kick off the homestand and the season at home.
Stay tuned to our social media channels throughout the day as we provide all the latest fun from the Nationals’ Home Opener. We'll be at Nats Park, sharing all the excitement and action and hopefully celebrating a Curly W at the end. (X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.)
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