Washington Nationals’ Patrick Corbin strikes out 11, tosses seven strong against Pirates in Nats’ 6-3 loss...

Patrick Corbin made each of his first two starts with the Washington Nationals, after signing a 6-year/$140M free agent deal this winter, against the New York Mets.

Corbin gave up 13 hits, three walks, and five earned runs in 12 innings in those outings, over which Mets’ hitters put up a combined .271/.314/.521 line against him.

“He was really good,” Davey Martinez told reporters after Corbin gave up six hits (three of them home runs), a walk, and three earned runs in six innings in the second of his two starts vs the Mets.

“His first two outings he’s been really, really good.”

“The three mistakes I did make they made me pay for it,” Corbin told reporters, referring to the three homers he allowed.

“Just hung a breaking ball there and left a couple fastballs over the middle, but it felt really good other than that, mixed a fastball in and out, threw some good curveballs and good sliders.”

Corbin left an 0-1 pitch up for Josh Bell in the top of the second inning in the series opener with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, and the Bucs’ first baseman sent it out to left field for a leadoff blast and a 1-0 lead.

The home run was the fourth Corbin allowed season, in three starts and 14 IP to that point, after he gave up four total over his final 18 starts and 107 IP last season.

It was all he gave up through seven, however, as the left-hander held the Pirates to a run on four hits, striking out 11 of 25 batters faced on 106 pitches, protecting a 2-1 lead.

Patrick Corbin’s Line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 Ks, 1 HR, 106 P, 65 S, 5/3 GO/FO.

The lead didn’t last long though, as the bullpen gave up two in the eighth, and three in the 10th (after Anthony Rendon’s second home run of the night tied it at 3-3 and sent it to extra innings). Corbin received no decision for the third straight outing.

“He’s pitched well,” Martinez said after the 6-3 loss.

“Every start he’s kept us in the ballgame. We’re going to get him a win, I know that, so he’s just got to keep going. He’s pitching well, and every five days that he’s out there, we know we’ve got a chance to win.”

“Felt good,” Corbin said. “I thought my slider was really good today, and was able to mix my fastball in and out. They’re a pretty aggressive team and if you make mistakes they’ll [make you] pay, and I found out in the second inning there, I kind of just left a fastball over the plate, but I thought other than that just try to go out there and make quality pitches and just try to go as deep as I could.”

Asked if there was any frustration with putting together as good a start as he did and having it blown in the bullpen, Corbin said he was concerned with what he can control.

“Yeah, we want to win obviously,” Corbin said, as quoted by MASN’s Byron Kerr.

“I think as a starter if you just keep us in the game and do your job out there, more times than not we’re going to come away with wins. Just try to continue to build off every start, continue to get strong.

“Have a lot of these [starts] left so I’m just going to try to continue to try and get better and better [with] each one.”