Baltimore never trailed, with Trevor Rogers and Co. shutting down Washington’s high-scoring offense.
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BALTIMORE — The positive takeaway Friday, as the Washington Nationals dropped their fourth game in a row, is that the bullpen didn’t give away a lead for the fourth game in a row. That would have required the Nationals to have the lead, which they did not at any point in a 3-1 Beltway Series-opening loss to the Orioles.
On a night when Washington’s pitching staff gave the team a chance, the highest-scoring offense in the MLB couldn’t provide. The Nationals scored just one run off Orioles lefty Trevor Rogers, finishing with five hits and going 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
“I thought Rogers threw the ball really well for them,” Manager Blake Butera said. “I thought there was extra life to his fastball, a little bit more than we expected. … [I] look at it more like a blip, uncharacteristic with the way we’ve been scoring runs. Expect these guys to be ready to go tomorrow.”
It’s been a tough week for the Nationals after three winnable games went astray in the ninth inning against the rival Philadelphia Phillies. The clubhouse has been distraught, frustrated and in disbelief. On Thursday night into Friday afternoon, Manager Blake Butera met with his team in small groups and individually, hoping to steer his players back on track.
Some players, he gave a kick in the posterior, he said. Others, he comforted. He reminded his relievers that he would keep giving them the ball — it’s the only thing he can do unless the front office provides him with options — so someone needs to step up.
“There’s been guys who had a lot of failures earlier in their career who were able to, after getting multiple opportunities and figuring things out, ended up being really good pitchers,” Butera said. “I think we have some here that have an opportunity in front of them. What they do with that opportunity is 100 percent up to them.”
Until that happens, they are trying to find ways to mitigate the damage the bullpen can cause. Butera wanted to give Andrew Alvarez a long leash Friday. And while the left-hander pitched well overall, allowing just two runs in the fourth inning on an RBI single from Blaze Alexander, he wasn’t as efficient as he would have liked.
“That fourth, some spots where I should have been more competitive attacking,” Alvarez said. “Just got to keep battling. Wanted to get back in the win column tonight, but we’re grinding.”
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With one out in the fifth inning, the Orioles leading 2-1 and Alvarez at 88 pitches, Butera opted to take him out instead of having him face Pete Alonso for the third time. Brad Lord was tasked with getting the Nationals through the next slate of innings, his first appearance since allowing six runs in the ninth Tuesday.
He covered 2⅔ innings, allowing one run in the seventh inning off a double from Coby Mayo.
“I didn’t want to put too much stock into that one bad outing. He’s been so good for us all year,” Butera said. “Thought he threw the ball great, picked us up in a big spot and kept us in the game.”
The longer outings by Lord, who has starter experience, can save a beleaguered relief corps. It was the 12th time this year the 26-year-old has gone more than two innings while allowing one run or fewer.
“At the end of the day, we want to throw Brad Lord in close games because we trust him anytime he’s on the mound,” Butera said.
Lord handed a 3-1 game to Zak Kent in the eighth inning. He was called up Friday from Class AAA Rochester to replace Gus Varland, who was optioned Thursday after allowing five runs in the ninth inning of the 10-5 loss. Kent walked Alexander, and Taylor Ward reached on a fielding error from Luis García Jr., but he was able to escape without allowing any runs.
The offense remained flat in the ninth inning, with Orioles closer Ryan Helsley retiring Jorbit Vivas, CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews in order. Abrams, who has been battling left-side tightness, finished 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, while James Wood went 1 for 4 and struck out twice.
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