Good Morning Washington Nationals Fan,
Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, August 30th. My name is Haden Raymer. Let’s talk about last night’s win.
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Leading today’s Morning Briefing: Nationals beat Toronto Blue Jays
Last night the Washington Nationals defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4. All of those runs came off the long ball, with a two-run home run from Carter Kieboom to start the scoring and a three-run home run from Keibert Ruiz to end it. In Kieboom’s first six games with the team, he is hitting .273/.304/.727.
The pitching in the game was shaky, with MacKenzie Gore throwing five innings of one-run ball, but that came with only two strikeouts. Mason Thompson threw 1.2 innings, allowing a run. Hunter Harvey threw 1.1 innings but also allowed a run. Even while Kyle Finnegan was earning his save, he allowed a run.
CJ Abrams stole his 38th base of the year, giving him a shot at stealing 45+ bags this year. Last night Jacob Young was the first Nationals player to record their first hit, stolen base, and outfield assist in one game. The first two are good achievements but the outfield assist became the story.
https://twitter.com/Nationals/status/1696701906578513981
The runner, Alejandro Kirk, is by no means the fastest guy in the league, in fact, he’s quite the opposite. But with Alex Call coming in and almost tackling Young, the throw becomes quite impressive. I am looking forward to seeing this guy compete for a roster spot in what will be quite a crowded outfield in 2024.
Jacob Young earns our Player of the Game. This afternoon Patrick Corbin will face RHP Chris Bassitt at 3:07 p.m. on MASN.
Must read on the Nats Report: Stephen Strasburg’s Impact on the Washington Nationals
Stephen Strasburg's journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring young pitchers, reminding them that with dedication and determination, they too can achieve greatness on the mound.
Richard recently shared his thoughts on Stephen Strasburg and his impact on the Washington Nationals on the Nats Report, Check it out here.
Down on the Farm
The Rochester Red Wings won the series opener against the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 2-1. Alemao Hernandez had an incredible start, going five innings while striking out six. Jeter Downs had a big game for the Red Wings, going 3-4 with two doubles. Darren Baker went 2-4 while knocking in a run.
The Harrisburg Senators lost 1-0 to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Dylan Crews walked in his first plate appearance and then was hit in the helmet in his second and was removed from the game. James Wood went 1-2 with two walks. Brady House went 1-4 with a stolen base. Robert Hassell III stole a base as well. Dustin Saenz went six innings, allowed no runs, and struck out five.
The Wilmington Blue Rocks won 6-3 against the Hudson Valley Renegades. Daylen Lile went 2-3 with a triple and a walk. Yohandy Morales, Andrew Pinckney, Jared McKenzie, and Murphy Stehly all recorded hits. Thad Ward went four innings and struck out five batters while allowing three runs.
The FredNats won 4-3 over the Lynchburg Hillcats. Christian Vaquero went 2-4. Elijah Nunez got a hit. The hero of the game was Maxwell Romero Jr. who went 3-4 with two home runs, including a walk-off.