Tough Loss for the Nationals Against the Orioles
The Nationals faced off against the Orioles, but unfortunately, we ended up on the losing side with a final score of 1-4. The game had its moments, but early setbacks and missed opportunities cost us dearly.
A Rocky Start
In the first inning, our bats couldn’t get going. CJ Abrams struck out swinging, followed by Juan Yepez grounding out to third, and James Wood grounding out to second. Our defense couldn’t hold back the Orioles either. Austin Slater reached on a bunt single, and after Adley Rutschman flied out, Gunnar Henderson homered, driving in Slater and setting the tone with a 2-0 lead for Baltimore.
A Glimmer of Hope in the Second
The second inning saw a brief spark for us. Luis García Jr. singled to center, and with two outs, Alex Call doubled, allowing García Jr. to score. At this point, it was 2-1, and we were back in the game!
Go Nats!Struggles Continue
From the third to the sixth innings, we couldn't capitalize on our chances. Abrams walked and stole second in the third inning, but Yepez and Wood couldn’t bring him home. Our best chance came in the fourth when Keibert Ruiz singled and Call doubled again, but alas, Ildemaro Vargas grounded out to end the inning.
Despite these missed opportunities, our defense and pitching kept the Orioles from extending their lead, even getting two strikeouts from Anthony Santander in the fourth. However, the seventh inning turned out to be the decisive blow.
Seventh-Inning Blues
Cowser walked, and Coby Mayo followed suit. Jackson Holliday then singled to bring home Cowser. Facing new reliever Barnes, the Orioles executed perfectly with Ryan O'Hearn's infield single, loading the bases. Rutschman’s sacrifice fly brought in Mayo, pushing their lead to 4-1. It was a tough inning for us and widened the gap.
Final Attempts and the End
The eighth and ninth innings saw Wood and García Jr. striking out, and though Andres Chaparro walked in the ninth, it ended with Ruiz grounding into a double play.
At the end of the night, it was a frustrating game that highlighted missed opportunities and a few costly mistakes. Time to regroup and come back stronger! Let’s go Nats!
Scoreboard for Nationals @ Orioles (August 14th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |