The Washington Nationals hope their pitching can provide help for the offense as they play the middle contest of a three-game series against the visiting Houston Astros on Tuesday.
Washington has given up 11 runs in two consecutive games. After losing 11-5 on Sunday to the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, the Nationals outslugged the Astros 12-11 on Monday. In winning four of their past six games, the Nationals have scored 45 runs (7.5 per game).
Washington leads the major leagues with 497 runs scored, but its 4.79 team ERA is the fourth worst in the majors. Miles Mikolas allowed the Astros to jump out to a 6-1 lead on Monday, but the Nationals scored 11 consecutive runs and held off a late Houston rally.
“Guys battle every at-bat, it doesn’t really matter what the score is,” Nationals All-Star James Wood said. “We just put together a bunch of good at-bats and we were able to put a bunch of runs up.”
Wood smacked his second grand slam of the season on Monday, this one over the fence after his first was an inside-the-park effort against the New York Mets on May 19.
Houston, which appeared en route to its third straight win, will send out right-hander Tatsuya Imai (5-4, 6.14 ERA) to face left-hander Andrew Alvarez (2-1, 3.05) on Tuesday.
Imai, a 28-year-old Japan native, has struggled during his first season in the United States. In his past four starts, he twice departed before completing two innings. Last time out, he gave up five runs on four hits (two of them home runs) in 1 1/3 innings during an 8-3 loss against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
“It was just the command of his pitches,” manager Joe Espada said after that contest. “Stuff was coming in pretty good, just struggled throwing strikes. That was just what I saw today. Came in, warmed up pretty good, good game plan. Just couldn’t execute those pitches.”
After a one-game stint with Washington in April, Alvarez has been a consistent presence for the team since returning in mid-May. Whether working as a four-plus-inning starter or bulk reliever, Alvarez has given up two runs or fewer in 10 of his 11 appearances.
Against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, he picked up a 10-2 win, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief on two hits. Alvarez fanned six and walked one.
In addition to Wood, CJ Abrams and Curtis Mead also homered Monday for the Nationals. Mead went 3-for-5, scored twice and drove in three runs. He has notched multiple hits in three of his past four games. Abrams also finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
Wood drew three walks and scored three runs. He leads the majors in runs (81) and is fourth in OPS (.939). His homer traveled 446 feet to center.
“I’ve been using the word impressive too many times already, but I have no other way to describe it,” manager Blake Butera said. “What (Wood) does, it’s fun to be in the dugout watching him do his thing.”
Houston’s Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer. In his career against the Nationals, he is batting .280 (35-for-125) with six doubles, two triples, four home runs, 19 runs scored and 15 RBIs.
Yainer Diaz and Brice Matthews also went deep for the Astros, with Matthews finishing 2-for-4 to snap a nine-game hitless streak. Cam Smith reached base in three of his four plate appearances, and he has hit safely in six of his past seven games.
–Field Level Media
