The Washington Nationals will go for their first series sweep in over a month when they host the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon.
Washington (69-81) prevailed 6-5 in 10 innings on Saturday, winning its second straight game after losing seven in a row.
The Angels (56-92) have lost two straight after taking two of three games from the Boston Red Sox.
Los Angeles will try to salvage the finale behind Grayson Rodriguez (4-7, 6.28 ERA), who will oppose fellow right-hander Jake Irvin (2-9, 5.52) on Sunday.
After a strong August that saw him lower his ERA by nearly two runs, Rodriguez has struggled to begin September. He is 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in two starts, allowing nine runs on 13 hits — including four homers — in 10 innings.
Last time out, Rodriguez gave up five runs on six hits in four innings of a 5-2 loss to the Red Sox on Monday. One of the homers was a three-run shot by his former teammate with the Baltimore Orioles, Adley Rutschman.
“In that moment, that fastball, that’s the best pitch to me,” Rodriguez said. “It probably could have been up and away, up and in, but he’s a good hitter, man. Caught me for a long time. Kind of weird seeing him in the box in a different uniform. But to me, heater’s the best pitch. So there’s no regrets.”
Rodriguez won his only prior start against Washington, allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings in 2023.
Since returning from the injured list in late July, Irvin is 0-5 with a 5.90 ERA. Last time out he gave up three early runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on Monday.
“Hopefully he’s taking the positives from this one, just the ability he had after the third inning to shut them down the rest of the way and keep us in the game was huge,” Nationals manager Blake Butera said.
Irvin has yet to face the Angels in his career.
Saturday’s game featured a wild final three innings. Trailing 4-0, the Angels scored three runs in the eighth and two in the ninth as the Nationals’ bullpen added to its MLB record by posting its 39th blown save of the season.
However, the Nationals tied the score in the ninth off Los Angeles closer Ben Joyce and won in the 10th when automatic runner CJ Abrams led a double steal and then scored from third on a misplayed grounder.
James Wood stole his 20th base of the season, making him and Abrams just the 11th pair of teammates in MLB history to hit 30 homers and steal 20 bases in the same season.
“The athleticism — they’re both dynamic players and bring so much to the table outside of when they’re in the batter’s box,” Butera said. “They’re both total-package players, and I’m lucky just to be able to sit there and watch them do their thing.”
Vaughn Grissom homered in the eighth inning for the Angels, who fell to 4-14 in extra-inning games.
“Everybody wants to win, but we’ve got to go back and try to see how we can improve in those areas and get us more opportunities, I guess, to win those,” manager Kurt Suzuki said.
–Field Level Media
