WASHINGTON, D.C. - APRIL 5 - The Washington Nationals dropped a tough game last night to the Arizona D-Backs by a score of 6-4 after an early offensive explosion gave them a lead they could not hold. Jake Irvin struggled to keep the ball in the park, and the D-Backs got to the bullpen, albeit with some assistance.

Irvin took the mound for Washington, coming off a decent start against Philadelphia, but he did not look as settled this time. A Ketel Marte double followed by a Josh Naylor single gave the D-Backs a 1-0 lead in the first. Irvin pitched a 1-2-3 second, but with two outs in the third, he allowed a solo homer to Corbin Carroll. He pitched a clean fourth inning but then allowed another home run to Carroll in the fifth, but this one was for two runs, giving the visitors a 4-3 lead. Irvin finished the inning, but that would be it for him. He went 5.0 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs, while striking out three.

Lucas Sims relieved Irvin and pitched a perfect inning. Jose A. Ferrer then came in for the seventh and got one out before allowing a single. He struck out Carroll before giving up another single. With two on and two out, he had veteran Randal Grichuk down 0-2. Ferrer’s pitch was a strike, but was called a ball by home plate umpire Ryan Wills. That pitch would have ended the inning without a run scoring, keeping the game tied. Instead, Grichuk doubled on the 1-2 offering, giving Arizona a 6-4 lead. Eduardo Salazar, Colin Poche, and Orlando Ribalta teamed up to keep the rest of the game quiet, but the damage was already done.

Offensively, the Nats finally had something going on early in the game. CJ Abrams hit a leadoff home run in the first to tie the game at one. Nathaniel Lowe singled with two outs, and Luis Garcia Jr. also homered to give the team a 3-1 lead from the jump. However, the bats went quiet until the sixth, when Lowe hit a solo home run that would tie the game at four. Unfortunately, that was all of the scoring tonight. The team fixed the issue of not scoring early but also revealed another flaw. The Nationals worked no walks last night. It is nearly impossible to win games like that, considering plate discipline is vital. The Nats would fall 6-4, but they put up a legitimate fight.

Ultimately, that one missed call from Wills proved to do the Nationals in. In spring training, the game is tied there. Next year, that game will be tied 4-4 into extras. However, it is what it is, and the team needs to move forward. It’s a loss, but it should not feel like it. The team put up a legitimate fight and did all the right things, but it just did not fall their way last night.

Up next…

Mitchell Parker will take the bump at 4:05 PM today on MASN 2 for the second game of this three-game set. Sunday’s starter is to be determined after Michael Soroka was placed on the 15-Day IL with a bicep injury, but it will likely be Brad Lord or Jackson Rutledge. The Nats will then host the Dodgers, so it will be vital to get wins today and tomorrow.