Andrew Alvarez and Mitchell Parker each allowed three runs in a 7-5 series-opening defeat.
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The Washington Nationals have begun to turn around their season, in large part because of progress from their pitching. Friday would have been Jake Irvin’s turn in the rotation, but with the right-hander on the injured list, the depth of their staff was put to the test.
If the Nationals’ 7-5 loss to the San Diego Padres is any indication, they won’t be able to survive any other starters going down. A pitching staff that had given up 14 runs on a six-game road trip allowed half that total in the opener of a six-game home stand.
“It really just felt like we couldn’t put guys away,” Manager Blake Butera said. “When we were ahead, we couldn’t finish.”
Rookie left-hander Andrew Alvarez had been off to a solid start for Washington, allowing four earned runs and striking out 16 in 12⅔ innings as a bulk reliever. On Friday, the rookie left-hander made his first start of the year but didn’t have the same juice that allowed him to be successful in his first four outings.
Pitching behind opener Paxton Schultz, who allowed one run in the first inning, Alvarez needed 74 pitches to make it through three innings. He retired only eight of the 15 batters he faced, with two walks to one strikeout, and his velocity was down on all of his pitches. His curveball, usually his best pitch, wasn’t as effective.
“Just wasn’t as sharp today,” Butera said. “Felt like when he was getting two strikes, it was just foul ball after foul ball. He wasn’t able to get the swing and miss with two strikes.”
The Nationals provided four runs in the first three innings — on homers by Curtis Mead and Keibert Ruiz and a single by Dylan Crews for his second RBI of the year — but Alvarez couldn’t hold the lead, and the Padres evened the score at 4.
Alvarez’s day ended after the fourth inning. With Irvin — who was placed on the injured list Sunday with a right shoulder strain — still not throwing, it’s likely Alvarez will be given another opportunity in five days. Next time, he said he wants to get ahead early and control the running game better.
“It was my job to come in and provide some length,” Alvarez said. “It’s definitely frustrating. We’re just going to keep going.”
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After Jacob Young’s two-out RBI single put the Nationals back in front, Mitchell Parker was tasked with getting them through another bulk of innings, but he made it just two. In the seventh, Ty France tied the game again with a solo shot over the visitors’ bullpen in left-center field. An inning later, Xander Bogaerts reached on a throwing error from Nasim Nuñez, and Maryland native Jackson Merrill went deep to right-center. Both runs were unearned, but the Padres still took a 7-5 lead.
“Just execution,” Parker said. “I like the pitch decision, I just have to execute it. He’s a good hitter, leave him too good of a pitch and he’s going to do that.”
Parker, primarily a starter in his first two seasons, was moved to the bullpen because, Butera said, the Nationals found he fatigues after two to three innings. He hasn’t fared much better in his new role, with a 5.28 ERA in 29 innings.
Thanks in part to aggressive managing, Washington had a chance to retake control in the bottom of the eighth. José Tena, pinch-hitting for Young, hit a single. Ruiz followed with the same, and Tena advanced to third on an error from Fernando Tatis. Ruiz was replaced by Millas at first base.
After fellow pinch hitter Jorbit Vivas flied out, San Diego went to star closer Mason Miller, who walked James Wood on six pitches to load the bases. Luis García Jr. worked another full count but flew out to Laureano to end the threat.
Vivas is now 0 for 24 with runners in scoring position. Butera said that doesn’t change how the Nationals plan to use him if they think the matchup is better.
“We all know he’s struggled with runners in scoring position, he knows that as well,” Butera said. “At the end of the day, we trust him to put a good at-bat there.”
Note: Right-handed pitcher Cole Henry was activated off the injured list Friday. He had been sidelined since April 13 with a right rotator cuff strain. Henry had a 6.43 ERA in seven innings.
PJ Poulin was optioned to Class AAA Rochester after Wednesday’s game to clear the roster spot for Henry.
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