Game 2: WAS@NYM

Game 2: (2-0)

Washington  100 500 200    8 11 1
New York      012 000 001    4 6  0

WP: Corbin (1-0)
LP: Stroman

HR: Alonso, Eaton (1), Zimmerman (1)
SB: Turner (1)

It did not take long this season for the Nats and Mets to remind us that a good ballgame can have the ups and downs of a roller coaster--this time with new Mets manager Luis Rojas vomiting up funnel cake near the exit. Seemingly every one of Rojas' moves backfired and contributed to the Nats' 8-4 victory despite Washington closer Sean Doolittle's second unnecessarily exciting ninth inning. Manager Dave Martinez was tellingly vague in his post-game press conference when asked how long Doolittle might remain in that role with Daniel Hudson perfect thus far and a healthy Will Harris scheduled to join the team next week in Miami.

The Mets led 3-1 with runners and first and third with two outs when New York's manager chose to intentionally walk #8 hitter Victor Robles allowing pitcher Marcus Stroman to face his pitching counterpart Patrick Corbin. As luck would have it, Corbin produced a 50-foot dribbler that first baseman Pete Alonso could not successfully shovel barehand to first base. The infield hit cut New York's lead to 3-2 leaving the bases loaded for Adam Eaton. The Mighty Mouse had struck out in his first two appearances, but turned on a first-pitch Stroman fastball for a line-drive grand slam into the Nats' bullpen stunning the crowd and giving the Nats a 6-3 fourth-inning lead. That is Eaton's only hit of the young season thus far; the Nats' leadoff hitter is 1-9 with four strikeouts...and now 4 RBI.

Rojas' misadventures continued as he chose to remove Jeurys Familia from the game in the seventh with two outs and a runner on to bring in lefty Justin Wilson to face white-hot cleanup hitter Eric Thames who had reached base safely in all five of his 2020 plate appearances before finally hitting into an out on a lazy fly to right leading off the fifth. The Nats countered this move with righty Zimmerman who promptly smacked a pinch-hit opposite-field homer off of Wilson increasing the Nats' lead to 7-2 and sending more than a few Mets fans dejectedly towards the 7 train.

It got no better for Rojas and the Mets in the bottom of the inning. With one on and one out Rojas called upon former Nat Matt Adams to pitch hit. He never saw a single pitch. Dave Martinez brought in the lefty Elias, forcing Rojas to turn to Jake Marisnick leaving the shorthanded Mets with few options in the ninth inning when needed. The former Astro and assumed cheater hit a first-pitch looper to center that speedy centerfielder Victor Robles reached with ease. Next came a nice play by Elias on a sharp one-hopper from Rosario, and both the threat and the inning was over. The setup crew of Suero, Elias, and Hudson was again superb with no hits and two walks in 2.2 innings...

...and then came Doolittle. Manager Dave Martinez explained he called upon his closer with a five-run ninth inning lead for him to work out the kinks after Thursday's struggles. For the second straight game he entered with a big lead and surrendered a leadoff double. He then walked JD Davis on six pitches, got Wilson Ramos to fly out to Anthony Eaton on his trademark high fastball moving two runners into scoring position before walking Jed Lowrie to load the bases. Thanks to Rojas burning his bench early, the Mets were forced to rely on light-hitting backup catcher Tomas Nido to pinch hit for the pitcher. Nido managed a sac fly to cut the Champions' lead to 8-4. With the half of the crowd that stuck around on its feet and Tanner Rainey ready in the pen, Doolittle again collected himself in a jam and on his 26th pitch struck out Ahmed Rosario to end the game. Doo has needed 52 pitches thus far in 2020 to get a total of six outs.

With the Nats using five pitchers and the Mets six, tomorrow's game could get interesting if neither starter can pitch into the later innings. For the Nats, only long-reliever Austin Voth has yet to see action. Nats starter Patrick Corbin allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in each of the first three innings, and the towering, no-doubt two-run home run he surrendered to slugger Pete Alonso in the third has surely landed by now. Not at his best, Corbin's three runs over 5.1 innings were enough to keep the Nats in the game until Eaton's fourth-inning slam and earn him the win.