A dramatic two-run homer by Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the last inning erased the Nationals’ lead, pushing New York to a 5-3 win.
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The Washington Nationals were in line for a win over the New York Yankees on Friday night. All they had to do was get three outs while holding on to a one-run lead.
They couldn’t do that. Manager Blake Butera made a bold move, sending out Matt Krook, a left-handed pitcher with a 15.63 career ERA in 12⅔ innings, for the save. Three batters later, Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a two-run home run, erasing the Nationals’ lead and sending the Yankees on their way to a 5-3 win.
It was the Nationals’ 26th blown save this season, and now the clubhouse has to come to terms with another winnable game going astray.
“It’s frustrating,” Butera said. “I’m struggling with it, too. Especially when you have those two big home runs and can’t close out the game, it’s tough.”
With a pocket of left-handed hitters coming up, Butera decided to stick with traditional platoon splits instead of putting in a reliever who has proved they can handle high-leverage situations. Clayton Beeter had gotten just one out in the previous innings, throwing just seven pitches, and he secured a four-out save earlier this week.
But they didn’t want Beeter to come out for the ninth, Butera said, even though Beeter has held lefties to a .200 batting average in 45 at-bats. And they didn’t want to use southpaw PJ Poulin, who has three saves and a 2.83 ERA, because they thought Krook would fare better against Jasson Domínguez, a switch hitter who would bat from the right side.
So they went with Krook. He got the first out quickly, but then Domínguez hit a single, and Chisholm followed with a home run. Krook was removed, and Justin Lawrence didn’t fare much better, giving up a solo home run to Austin Wells.
This mindset of sending out a lefty to face left-handed hitters and vice versa, regardless of the caliber of the pitcher and their track record, is one the Nationals have stuck to all season. After Friday’s loss, they are reconsidering it, Butera said.
“I’m sitting here wondering if that’s the right thing to do or not,” Butera said. “Whenever you lose and get beat that way, you definitely question what we’re doing. Sitting here talking with our group after the game, we all believe the process was right, and the outcome was not.”
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The ninth-inning meltdown, which has become familiar for the Nationals, overshadowed the performance from Carson Palmquist and Zack Littell. They combined to allow just two runs in seven innings, leaving the team in position to win.
Palmquist served as the opener, allowing a solo home run to Ben Rice in the first inning but nothing further in three innings. The Nationals tied the game up in the bottom of the third. James Wood hit a double, and Curtis Mead followed with a single. Dylan Crews grounded into a double play with no outs as Wood scored.
In the fourth inning, Palmquist passed the game to Littell. Like Palmquist, Littell gave up a solo home run in his first inning, a 409-foot shot from Domínguez to center field, but nothing more.
Keibert Ruiz tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, hitting a solo home run to left field that just barely managed to stay fair. Wood added another, a no-doubter to right-center to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead. It was just the second time this season that the Nationals have hit back-to-back home runs.
Tom Cosgrove, acquired last week for cash considerations from the Houston Astros, was handed the eighth inning with a one-run lead. It was a high-pressure spot for the left-hander, who hadn’t appeared in a major league game this season. He walked Anthony Volpe to open the inning, then got Rice to ground into a double play. Trent Grisham hit a soft infield single, giving himself enough time to beat out the throw from Mead.
That would end Cosgrove’s day, but Beeter got the last out of the inning to secure the scoreless Nationals debut for Cosgrove.
Then came the top of the ninth inning, and it all came crashing down.
The players are aware of their process, Butera said, and that’s part of why they haven’t deviated much from it, so players know what to expect and understand the decisions they make.
“I trust those guys, and I’m going to let them do their job, and I’m going to do my job,” Wood said.
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