Tag: Washington Nationals

James Wood puts good wood on the baseball for a two run home run for the Washington Nationals against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the first inning at Nationals Park in Washington DC on Sat May 24, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (30-22) lost game two in their series with the Washington Nationals (24-28) 3-0. The Giants generated very little offense with only three hits. The National’s pitcher Jake Irvin blew through batter after batter going eight innings.

San Francisco’s lack of hitting has been obvious for the last seven or so games. The Giants will be looking to win this series in Sunday’s rubber game. They still have a chance for a series win but they have to get their bats going and play with a lot more intensity.

Game recap: After the lack of scoring in Friday’s game, the Nationals got up on the scoreboard in the first inning taking an early 2-0 lead when James Wood hit a home run with Amed Rosario on base for the early lead.

The Giants were looking for their first run of the game and through eight innings they had come up empty. The Nationals added another run in the seventh inning when Robert Hassell III grounded out to the pitcher and Luis Garcia Jr. scored giving the Nationals a 3-0 lead. Through eight innings the Giants only had three hits while the Nationals had eight.

It had been a silent day for San Francisco at the plate going into the ninth inning. They were three outs away from losing game two. The Nationals pitcher Jake Irving had an amazing time on the mound lasting eight innings allowing the three hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts. He was handling the Giant’s batters with ease. He was relieved by Jorge Lopez who came in to close out this game for Washington.

San Francisco had their final chance going into the ninth inning. Jung Hoo Lee was first up at the plate but grounded out to the pitcher. Wilmer Flores struck out with Matt Chapman the Giant’s last hope at the plate. Chapman hit a deep ball to right field but Daylen Lyle made an amazing play stretching for the final out and that was the ball game 3-0 in favor of the Nationals to even up the series.

The Nationals pitcher had a great game with Jake Irvin going for eight innings. He just blasted through the Giant’s lineup in record time, the game lasting only 1:52. He used his sinker very well pitching to the Giant’s weakness. He only gave up the three hits with seven strikeouts and now has a 4-1 win/loss record. In this game he had 96 total pitches and 64 of them were strikes.

Giants pitcher Kyle Harrison lasted four innings allowing five hits and two earned runs. He did not walk any batters and had four strikeout. He was relieved by Tristan Beck who allowed two hits and the third run with two strikeouts and went for three innings.

This was the fifth time the Giants have been shutout this season. San Francisco got completely shut down and didn’t even have a hit after the fifth inning and didn’t have a runner in scoring position after the fourth. They had very few scoring opportunities. With the series all tied up, the rubber game will be played Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 10:35AM PDT.

Game notes: The Giants took on the Nationals Saturday afternoon in the second of their two game series at Nationals Park. San Francisco won game one day 4-0 after six scoreless innings by both teams. The Giants got on the board in the seventh scoring two runs extending their lead in the eighth inning with two more runs for the eventual final of 4-0.

The Giants starter Kyle Harrison struggled pitching four innings allowing five hits and two earned runs. The Nats starter Jake Irvin had a strong outing going eight innings, allowing three hits and no runs.

Robbie Ray will take the mound for San Francisco who has been pitching very well with a 6-0 win/loss record and a 2.67 ERA so the Nationals will be challenged by him. Washington will start Michael Soroka who has a 1-2 win/loss record with a 5.95 ERA.

San Francisco Giants Jerar Encarnacion heads home after a tenth inning bunt single by Brett Wisley against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in DC on Thu Aug 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024

Nationals Park

Washington, D.C.

San Francisco Giants 9 (59-58)

Washington Nationals 4 (52-64)

Win: Camilo Doval (4-1)

Loss: Robert Garcia (2-4)

Save: Camilo Doval (23)

Time: 3:26 (2:02 rain delay)

Attendance: 12,423

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants battled through one helluva game in D.C. that featured two rain delays and went 10 innings to pull off their biggest win of the season, as they won it 9-5 to win this four-game series against the Nationals and get back over .500 for the first time since the end of May.

As the Giants tried to get back over .500 for the first time since an off day on May 30, today’s game would be played under unusual circumstances. With Tropical Storm Debby closing in on Washington, the game was moved up four hours, and there was an urgency to get this thing in. However, with spotty storms out ahead of the main storm itself, that was going to make things quite difficult.

They were already up against the clock in this one. Little did anyone know just how crazy this game would be.

It was a matchup of left handers. DJ Herz took the ball for the Nationals, and the red-hot Tyler Fitzgerald would lead things off. Fitzgerald went hitless last night, but he wasted no time today, as he lined a double to left field to start the game.

Michael Conforto and Matt Chapman both walked with one out, and that brought up Mark Canha. Canha worked the count full, but on the payoff, he was wrung up on a changeup a few inches off the plate by Home Plate Umpire Stu Scheurwater.

It was a call that would most likely have not been made if this game was not up against the clock, but Scheurwater most likely wanted hitters to swing the bat today. Bob Melvin, who Scheurwater threw out after a foul tip call on April 21, let Scheurwater know just how he felt, and Melvin was tossed out of the game.

The Giants were able to get a run when Jerar Encarnacion walked following Melvin’s ejection, but the Giants certainly felt that they should have had at least two runs.

Kyle Harrison made the start for the Giants, and the Nationals responded in the bottom of the first. Alex Call walked with one out and stole second. With two outs, Keiburt Ruiz fisted a base-hit to left field, which scored Call to tie the game.

Herz pitched a scoreless top of the second, and Harrison threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the second. After Michael Conforto singled to start the third, the rains came, and the tarp was pulled onto the field.

The game resumed, and after Canha singled with two outs in the top of the third, Mike Yastrzemski put the Giants back ahead with a ground rule double to left-center.

Harrison then threw a scoreless innings in the bottom of the third and fourth, and Eduardo Salazar did the same in the top of the fourth. After Jacob Barnes threw a scoreless inning for Washington in the top of the fifth, the Nationals made some noise in the bottom of the fifth.

Luis Garcia lined a base-hit to center to start the bottom of the fifth and stole second. Jacob Young sacrificed Garcia over to third, and CJ Abrams got Garcia in with a sacrifice fly to right to tie it at 2-2.

After Abrams’ sacrifice fly, Harrison was out of the game. Harrison did alright through four and two thirds innings. He only threw 61 pitches, but sitting through the rain delay earlier most likely shortened his outing, as that can take a toll on starting pitchers.

Sean Hjelle finished the bottom of the fifth for the Giants, and Barnes threw another scoreless inning in the top of the sixth. Jordan Hicks came in for the Giants in the bottom of the sixth, and pitched through a base-hit and a walk for a scoreless inning.

The game then started to somewhat move along, as former Giant Derek Law pitched a scoreless top of the seventh for the Nationals. Erik Miller was brought in for the bottom of the seventh. Ildemaro Vargas would be the first hitter Miller would face. Vargas hit a fly ball to deep left field, and left-fielder Michael Conforto leapt up at the wall to take away a home run from Vargas. For Miller, he ended up pitching a 1-2-3 inning. Despite all the scoreless innings, there didn’t seem to be that many 1-2-3 innings in this one.

The rain started to come down again as the game moved to the eighth. Canha led off the top of the eighth against Law and hit a sharp ground ball to third that hit off the glove of Ildemaro Vargas, and Canha reached on an infield hit. First Base Umpire and Crew Chief Mark Carlson called for the tarp, and the game went into its second rain delay.

Law voiced his displeasure with Carlson. Perhaps Law wanted the delay before the inning started, but he would just have to settle for it coming after Canha’s infield hit.

Law was back out after the second delay ended, and he ended up throwing a scoreless inning. Ryan Walker then threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the eighth.

Kyle Finnegan came in for Washington in the top of the ninth. With one out, Tyler Fitzgerald lined a base-hit to left for his second hit of the game. Heliot Ramos walked, and he and Fitzgerald executed a double steal of second and third. Conforto then walked to load the bases, but Chapman struck out for the second out.

The rain started coming down again, and with two outs and the bases loaded, it would be up to Mark Canha. Finnegan got ahead in the count 1-2, and then Canha got a high fastball and lined it the other way to left for a base-hit. Two runs scored to give the Giants the lead, but after right-fielder Alex Call’s throw home went into the camera well, Conforto scored, and it was 5-2.

It was Canha’s fourth hit of the game, and at that point, the biggest hit for the Giants this season. He was originally awarded second base, but upon review, it was determined that that Call made the throw after Canha had reached third—the rule is that the runners advance two bases at time of a throw that goes out of play—and Canha was awarded third.

The Giants were three outs away from their biggest win of the season and getting back to over. 500,, as Camilo Doval came in for the bottom of the ninth. However, with Doval in, it would get dramatic.

The rain kept falling, and it got heavy, as the stadium lights shined off the infield dirt. This was an official game, but with two rain delays already in the books; a tropical storm on its way; and the fact that suspending this game and playing it at a later date would require some drastic shifts in the two games’ schedules, they kept playing.

Doval walked two, but he also got two outs. The left-handed-hitting Luis Roberts was at the plate, and Doval got ahead 1-2. Doval was a strike away, but Roberts took a 1-2 98-MPH cutter at the top of the zone and hit a home run the other way to the corner in left to tie the game. How Roberts hit that ball out the other way through the rain, I’ll never know, but Doval had blown his fifth save of the season.

The Giants were a strike away from their biggest win of the year and getting back over .500, but it was immediately snatched from them out of thick rainy air. Fortunately, Doval was at least able to get this game to the 10th.

As Robert Garcia, who finished the top of the ninth, threw his warmup pitches, the grounds crew at Nationals Park spent several minutes putting new dirt in the infield. The rain had stopped for the most part, and with dry new dirt in the infield, we were a go for the 10th.

Of course, Jerad Encarnacion, who made the final out in the top of the ninth, was the automatic runner at second for the 10th. Yastrzemski led off the inning by hitting a ground ball to short. Encarnacion foolishly took off for third, and was going to get nailed, but the throw from shortstop CJ Abrams was offline, so everyone was safe.

Brett Wisely was up, and Bob Melvin, who had been sitting either in his office or the runway between the clubhouse and the dugout since his ejection in the very first inning all those hours ago—and who I assume was still managing the game under the shadows—put on the safety squeeze. Wisely got the bunt down and reached first, and Encarnacion scored to give the Giants their lead back.

Patrick Bailey also laid down a bunt, and as Garcia attempted to nab Yaz at third, the throw was dropped by Vargas at third. The bases were now loaded, but Garcia retired the next two.

Conforto then came up with two outs, and he blooped a fastball off the fists into left for a base-hit, and two scored to make it 8-5. Joan Adon came in, and Chapman singled to center to score Bailey and make it 9-5

Taylor Rogers would be the man tasked with closing this baby out in the bottom of the 10th, and he threw a 1-2-3 inning to end this insane game.

When it was all said and done, Camilo Doval got the win, despite blowing the save, and Robert Garcia suffered the loss.

You really have to hand it to the Giants for grinding through this game. They scored nine runs without a single home run, and they went 5-for-21 with runners in scoring position.

Considering the circumstances this game was played under; the Giants’ status in this pennant race; and the ups and down of this wild game itself, they truly showed the fight and resilience of a playoff team.

The Giants improve to 59-58, and with the Braves suffering their fifth-straight loss, the Giants now trail the Braves by two and a half games. However, the Mets won their game to leapfrog the Braves for the third wild card spot, so the Giants are three out. A gain of a game would have been nice, but you can’t complain about a gain of a half game.

The Giants return home for a 2012 World Series rematch against the Detroit Tigers in a series that will feature a 2014 Giants reunion. The series will start tomorrow night with Robbie Ray (2-1, 4.40 ERA) taking the ball for the Giants. First pitch will be at 7:15 p.m.

San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman (left) get a congratulatory hand shake from third base coach Matt Williams after hitting a home run in the top of the fifth inning at Nationals Park in DC on Wed Aug 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Heilot Ramos and Matt Chapman both contributed with a home run a piece in the top of the fifth inning at Washington’s Nationals Park in a three run 7-4 win. Michael talk a bit about the Ramos and Chapman homers.

#2 The homers by Ramos and Chapman broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning and it seems the Giants are getting those clutch hits at critical times.

#3 Ramos is swinging hot bat as Ramos hit a home run in second straight game and Chapman nearly scored a cycle he needed just a triple to accomplish it.

#4 The Giants are going well they have won nine of their last 12 games. Mike Yastrzemski also added some run production with a solo home run and an RBI triple. Talk about how Yastrzemski’s offense has made a difference in the line up.

#5 One more thing about Blake Snell he was coming off the no hitter to pitch against the Nationals and on Wednesday and turned out another successful outing going six innings, gave up four hits, three runs, one walk and eight strike outs. He certainly has recovered from his long injury.

Join Michael for the San Francisco Giants podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell delivers against the Washington Nationals in the bottom of the third inning at Nationals Park in DC on Wed Aug 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024

Nationals Park

Washington, D.C.

San Francisco Giants 7 (58-58)

Washington Nationals 4 (52-63)

Win: Blake Snell (2-3)

Loss: Jake Irvin (8-10)

Save: Camilo Doval (22)

Time: 2:36

Attendance: 13,310

By Stephen Ruderman

It came with a little bit of drama, but the Giants clicked on all cylinders Wednesday night, as the offense was able to combine power with some timely RBI hits, and Blake Snell delivered another strong quality outing for his second win to get the Giants back to .500 with a much-needed 7-4 win over the Nationals in D.C.

The Giants were unable to get back over .500 Tuesday night, as they lost a tough one 11-5. The Giants’ offense, which has been home run happy since their three-game set in Cincinnati over the weekend, jumped out to a 4-0 lead Tuesday night, but was unable to catch up after the Nationals pounded Hayden Birdsong for seven runs.

Wednesday night would be another overcast and humid night in our nation’s capital, as the Giants looked to get back to .500 again. The Giants scored in the top of the first inning in each of the first two games of this series. However they were unable to do so tonight against Nationals’ starter Jake Irvin, who pitched a scoreless top of the first.

Blake Snell took the ball for the Giants Wednesday night, as he was coming off his long-awaited first win as a Giant in his last start, in which all he really did was throw a no-hitter.

Snell made history in his last two starts. In his previous start prior to his no-hitter on Friday, he struck out 15 over the first six innings of the first game of the Giants’ doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies on July 27, becoming the first pitcher in Modern National League/American League History to do so.

Perhaps expecting him to accomplish another sort of historic achievement would be a tall order, but the Giants had every reason to feel confident with him on the mound. Spoiler Alert: He did not pitch another no-hitter tonight. Juan Yepez singled and stole second with two outs in the bottom of the first, but Snell ended up pitching a scoreless inning regardless.

Matt Chapman doubled to lead off the top of the second, but of course the Giants wasted it, as Irvin retired the side. Snell then threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second.

Irvin retired the first two men he faced in the top of the third, but the Giants avoided the 1-2-3 inning when LaMonte Wade reached on a bloop single. Heliot Ramos singled back to the mound, and a pair of hits that did not go very far suddenly put runners at first and second with two outs.

Michael Conforto has been swinging the bat better as of late, and he came up with a chance to get a key RBI hit with a runner in scoring position. Conforto fisted a ball out into shallow center field, which Nationals’ center-fielder Jacob Young was unable with, and Wade scored to put the Giants on the board.

Next up was Matt Chapman. Chapman hit a chopper to third that Trey Lipscomb charged and threw to first. Chapman was called out by First Base Umpire Stu Scheurwater, which meant that the inning was over. However, after the Giants challenged the play, Chapman was safe, and Ramos scored to make it 2-0.

The Giants may have struck first, but just like last night, the Nationals struck back with a crooked number. Snell walked Jacob Young to start the bottom of the third and allowed him to get to second when he tried to pick Young off at first, but threw the ball away.

Young got to third on a ground out by CJ Abrams, and that brought up Alex Call, who got Young in with a base-hit to left. The Nationals were on the board, and then Juan Yepez gave them the lead with a home run just fair down the left field line.

Mike Yastrzemski tied the game with a home run to right-center in the top of the fourth, and Snell settled back down in a scoreless bottom of the fourth. With one out in the top of the fifth, Heliot Ramos flipped a home run to the Giants’ bullpen in left-center to put them back ahead.

Two batters later, Chapman hit a home run of his own to almost the exact same spot in the Giants’ bullpen in left-center. The Giants manufactured a pair of runs, so of course they had to hit three home runs. Anyway, Snell followed it up with a 1-2-3 shutdown inning in the bottom of the fifth.

In the top of the sixth, the Giants were at it again. Jose Ferrer came in for Irvin to start the inning, and he immediately hit Tyler Fitzgerald. Yastrzemski then pulled a bullet down the right field line for a triple that scored Fitzgerald and extended the Giants’ lead to 6-3.

Jerar Encarnacion was next up, and he joined the hit parade with a base-hit up the middle to center, which scored Yastrzemski to make it 7-3. See, there’s a couple of manufactured runs for you. They can still do it.

Snell threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth, and his night was over. He may not have struck out 15 or thrown a no-hitter, but he still pitched a quality outing, and other than the three-run bottom of the third, quite a strong inning. Snell gave up just four hits and struck out eight. Simply put, the Giants are getting the real Blake Snell now.

Eduardo Salazar replaced Ferrer to finish the top of the sixth, and Salazar came back out to throw a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.

Erik Miller was the new pitcher for San Francisco in the bottom of the seventh, and he ran into trouble after a one-out triple by Riley Adams. Miller was able to get a brief reprieve when Young flew out to shallow center and was unable to get Adams in.

Though maybe it would have been for the best if Adams scored, because it would have been a rally killer, and it would still be a three-run game. With the rally still going, Miller walked Lipscomb on four pitches, and Abrams poked one off the end of the bat for a base-hit to left, which knocked in Adams to make it 7-4.

Now the tying run was at the plate, and Bob Melvin went out to bring in Ryan Walker. Alex Call lined a base-hit to left, and things were now starting to get a little scary. Juan Yepez was up and worked the count full. On the payoff pitch, Walker got Yepez to strike out swinging at a beautiful filthy slider right on the outside corner, and the crisis was averted.

Everyone could take a deep breath, and the game moved to the eighth. Tanner Rainey threw a 1-2-3 inning for Washington in the top of the eighth, and submariner Tyler Rogers did the exact same for the Giants in the bottom of the inning.

After Joan Adon then threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth for the Nationals, it was time for Camilo Doval in the bottom of the ninth. Doval pitched his first 1-2-3 inning in over a month on Monday, so he had to make it dramatic Wednesday night.

Doval hit Keibert Ruiz to start the inning, and Young singled to right to put runners at first and second and bring the tying run up to the plate with nobody out. Here we go again.

Luis Robert Jr. pinch-hit and moved the runners over to second and third, and Abrams walked to load the bases with one out. It was now time to be scared again.

After Giants Pitching Coach Bryan Price came out for a chat, Alex Call stepped up to the plate as the potential winning run. With the year that Doval has had, it was time to fear the worst. However, on the very first pitch, Call chopped into a 6-4-3 double play, and just like that, the game was over. Disaster was averted, and the Giants were back to .500.

Blake Snell got his second win; Jake Irvin took the loss; and Camilo Doval picked up his 22nd save, though he did not make it easy.

Wednesday night’s game was a healthy mix of power and timely situational hitting for the Giants, and as I’ve said many times, they will have to consistently keep getting the timely RBI hits the rest of the way if they want to go to the Playoffs.

Heliot Ramos and Mike Yastrzemski both hit two-hit nights, and Matt Chapman had three hits. As for Tyler Fitzgerald, since he’s been on a tear, and everyone wants to know how he did, he went 0-for-3. It happens.

The Giants are indeed back to .500, as they improve to 58-58. With the Braves’ 10-0 shellacking at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Giants are now three and a half games back of Atlanta for the third wild card spot.

Thursday is getaway day, and the Giants can take the series and cap off a 5-2 road trip with a win. Kyle Harrison (6-5, 4.09 ERA) will take the mound for the Giants, and DJ Herz (2-4, 4.27 ERA) will start for the Nationals.

Remember, with the outskirts of Tropical Storm Debby coming into D.C. later Thursday, the game has been moved up to 12:05 p.m. in Washington, and a very-early 9:05 a.m. in San Francisco.

National League Wild Card Standings:

*1. Diamondbacks 63-52 +2.0

*2. Padres 63-52 +2.0

3. Braves 60-53 —

Mets 60-54 0.5

Cardinals 59-56 2.0

GIANTS 58-58 3.5

Pirates 56-57 4.0

Cubs 57-60 5.0

Reds 55-59 5.5

*Tiebreaking procedures taken into effect.

Washington Nationals James Wood (right) steals second base on San Francisco Giants second baseman Casey Schmitt (left) in the bottom of the sixth inning on Tue Aug 6, 2024 at Nationals Park in DC (AP News photo)

On the SF Giants podcast with Stephen:

#1 The Washington Nationals James Wood hit a home run, tripled, and scored four runs as the Nationals closed the gap on the San Francisco Giants Tuesday night in a 11-5 win.

#2 Wood also walked twice and stole two bases for the Nats. He’s been an asset for Washington.

#3 Nationals manager Dave Martinez said the game went from “gloom and boom” talk about how the Giants pitching just couldn’t hold them Tuesday night.

#4 For the Giants Michael Conforto hit a three run home run, doubled and walked but it wasn’t enough for San Francisco.

#5 3:45pm PT for today’s first pitch for the Giants LHP Blake Snell gets the call (1-3, ERA 4.29). For the Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (8-9, ERA 3.56) at National Park.

Stephen Ruderman is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants centerfielder Heliot Ramos misses the ball hit by the Washington Nationals Alex Call in the bottom of the sixth inning at Nationals Park in DC on Tue Aug 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024

Nationals Park

Washington, D.C.

San Francisco Giants 5 (57-58)

Washington Nationals 11 (52-62)

Win: MacKenzie Gore (7-9)

Loss: Hayden Birdsong (3-1)

Time: 3:02

Attendance: 17,044

By Stephen Ruderman

The San Francisco Giants got off to a great start and seemed poised to get back over .500, as they scored four runs in the first inning, but Hayden Birdsong could not hold it, and the Washington Nationals ended up winning a wild one by a final of 11-5 Tuesday night at Nationals Park in DC.

The Giants finally had a chance to get back over .500 for the first time since an off day on May 30. They were in a solid position to do so, as had their young phenom, Hayden Birdsong back up and going for them Tuesday night.

There has been some wild weather on the East Coast. Games in New York and Cleveland were postponed, but fortunately, the storm system stayed north of the Beltway, so this game was a go on an overcast but humid night in D.C.

The Giants have been home run happy since they clubbed eight home runs over the weekend at Great American Smallpark in Cincinnati. They also hit two home runs enroute to their 4-1 win in the series opener Monday night.

Tuesday night, they immediately kept it going in the top of the first inning against Nationals’ starter MacKenzie Gore. Tyler Fitzgerald, who led off last night’s game with his 12th home run of the season, flew out to center field to start the game. However, Helliot who was back in the lineup after missing two games due to his jammed right thumb, then hit a home run out to right-center.

Matt Chapman walked with two outs, and then Mark Canha was hit by a pitch. That brought up Michael Conforto, and what did he do? You guessed it; he hit a three-run shot to right-center.

Birdsong had himself a 4-0 lead, and he took advantage of that with a scoreless bottom of the first inning. However, MacKenzie pitched a scoreless inning in the top of the second, the heat and humidity got to Birdsong in the bottom of the second.

James Wood led off the inning with a triple out to center and scored on a ground out by Travis Blankenhorn. Alex Call and Ildemaro Vargas walked, and then Jacob Young fisted a base-hit up the middle to center to knock in Call and make it 4-2.

That brought up CJ Abrams. Birdsong got Abrams to a 1-2 count, and then Abrams took a high fastball from Birdsong and tomahawked it out of the yard to right to suddenly put the Nationals ahead 5-4.

The Giants wasted an opportunity against MacKenzie in the top of the third, but with how home run happy they’ve become, that should be expected.

Birdsong had yet to give up more than three runs in a game, but he had just suddenly just given up five runs in. It may have caught Birdsong and the Giants off guard, but the Nationals were ready to go again in the bottom of the third.

Keibert Ruiz led off the inning with a home run to right to make it 6-4. James Wood then walked, and that ended the night for Birdsong. Wood stole second after Bob Melvin brought in Randy Roriguez, and he scored on a base-hit by Alex Call.

Birdsong gave up seven runs over two-plus innings when all was said and done. It ballooned his ERA all the way up to 4.73, which is unfortunately going to happen when you have a bad outing in just your seventh game. He just needs a few more solid outings like he’s had, and that ERA will be right back down.

Birdsong gave up seven runs over two-plus innings when all was said and done. It ballooned his ERA all the way up to 4.73, which is unfortunately going to happen when you have a bad outing

The Giants got some hope in the top of the fourth. Fitzgerald led off the inning with a base-hit to left, and that brought up Ramos. Ramos singled to left, and then it went under the glove of left-fielder James Wood, which allowed Fitzgerald to score all the way from first.

The Giants had a runner at second and the tying run at the plate with nobody out, and they had a golden opportunity to come right back in a game that had quickly turned into a slugfest. However, Gore retired the side, and the Nationals kept their 7-5 lead.

The Nationals tacked on another run against Rodriguez in the bottom of the fourth to make it 8-5, and the Giants wasted a leadoff double by Matt Chapman in the top of the fifth. Gore set down the side after Chapman’s double to end his night, and that started a streak of 12-straight Giants set down by Nationals’ pitching.

Former Giant Derek Law threw two 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh, and Robert Garcia pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth. The Nationals scored a run off Taylor Rogers in the bottom of the sixth when Call doubled in Wood to make it 9-5. Call hit the double off Sean Hjelle, who had come in for Rogers.

Washington scored two more when Wood hit an opposite-field shot to left-center off Hjelle in the bottom of the eighth to make it 11-5.

Fitzgerald hit a double off Tanner Rainey to lead off the top of the ninth, but of course, Rainey retired the side in order to end the game.

Through this craziness, MacKenzie Gore got the win, and Hayden Birdsong suffered his first major league loss. As I said, this was eventually going to happen to Birdsong. It happens

“Our situational at-bats were terrible tonight,” Melvin bluntly told reporters after the game.

It was true, and with the Giants being completely home run happy right now, it is costing them big time with runners in scoring position. If they are to make a serious run at the Playoffs, they can not continue to play this way.

The Giants fall back to under .500 at 57-58, and their standing in the wild card race will depend on what the Padres do against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. At the moment, the Padres hold a 4-0 lead in the top of the eighth.

The Giants can bounce back and get back to .500 with a win in the third game of this series. Though they’re 3-11 in that position. Blake Snell (1-3, 4.29 ERA), who will be making his first start after his no-hitter Friday, will go Wednesday. Jake Irvin (8-9, 3.56 ERA) will make the start for the Nationals.

Just like Monday night and Tuesday night, first pitch will be at 6:45 p.m. in D.C., 3:45 p.m. PT in San Francisco.

National League Wild Card Standings:

1. Padres 62-52 +1.0
2. Diamondbacks 61-52 +0.5
3. Braves 60-52 —

Mets 59-54 1.5

Cardinals 58-56 3.0

Pirates 56-56 4.0

GIANTS 57-58 4.5

Reds 55-58 5.5

Cubs 56-60 6.0

Giants News and Notes:

Wilmer Flores, who has been dealing with tendinitis in his right knee throughout much of the season, is now done for the year following the non-surgical Tenex procedure on his right quad tendon Tuesday afternoon.

Flores, who turned 33 years old today, and is in his fifth season with the Giants, was hitting .204 with just four home runs. He is a free agent at the end of the season, but he has a $3.5-million player option for next season.

With Hayden Birdsong called up, reliever Spencer Bivens was sent down to the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Catcher Curt Casali was placed on the Paternity List, and catcher Jakson Reetz was called up from Triple-A Sacramento

The weather north of the Beltway is not the only storm system expected to affect our nation’s capital this week. With the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby expected to impact the Beltway starting late Thursday and early Friday, Thursday’s game, which had originally had been scheduled for the late afternoon, had been moved up to 12:05 p.m. EDT/9:05 a.m. PDT.

Major League Baseball News and Notes:

The Chicago White Sox, who tied the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the second-longest losing streak in Baseball History at 21 games, finally snapped their losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Oakland A’s Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum.

The White Sox will not catch the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies, who lost a modern major league record 23 games in a row.