Washington Nationals 6-2 over Philadelphia Phillies: Patrick Corbin bounces back from rough outings with impressive start

After back-to-back rainouts in the nation’s capital, Washington’s Nationals and Philadelphia’s Phillies finally played baseball today. Patrick Corbin bounced back from three rough outings with seven strong innings on the mound in which he gave up a one run on four hits, and Juan Soto (2 for 3, 1 BB, 2 R, RBI single), Gerardo Parra (2 for 4, RBI double, HR), and Brian Dozier (2 for 4, RBI 2B, 2-run HR), all drove in runs in what ended up a 6-2 win.

Corbin vs the Phillies: In three straight losses following his complete game shutout of the Miami Marlins, Patrick Corbin was (0-3) with an 11.37 ERA, seven walks, 13 Ks, and a rough .379/.433/.638 line against in his last 12 ²⁄₃ IP going into today’s start.

Those starts took the 29-year-old left-hander from a 2.85 ERA after the outing against the Fish to a 4.11 ERA as he took the mound today against the Philadelphia Phillies he’d last faced in early May, giving up six hits, three walks, and three runs over six innings on the road in the Phillies’ home, in a 10-8 win in which he received no decision.

Back home in the nation’s capital tonight, Corbin retired the first two batters he faced, but gave up a two-out solo shot in the first on a 1-2 slider up in the zone to Scott Kingery that ended up going out to left field, 1-0.

Corbin settled in after the first, and after he struck out the side in the fourth, in what was a 1-1 game at that point, he was up to seven strikeouts overall, with Ks from 7 of the previous 8 batters.

Corbin worked around a single in the fifth, and stranded two runners in a 20-pitch sixth that left him at 87 pitches overall on the day, and a 14-pitch, 1-2-3 seventh ended his outing with the Nationals ahead, 3-1.

Patrick Corbin’s Line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 Ks, 1 HR, 101 P, 63 S, 9/1 GO/FO.

Eflin vs the Nationals: Zach Eflin tossed five scoreless innings against the Nationals in his 2019 debut back on April 2nd in Nationals Park, and held the Phillies’ divisional rivals to a run on four hits in seven innings on the mound in Citizens Bank Park on May 5th.

Overall on the season, the right-hander took the mound today with a 2.81 ERA, a 4.13 FIP, 19 walks (2.14 BB/9), and 66 Ks (7.43 K/9) in 80 IP, and a 1-0 lead, courtesy of a solo homer by Scott Kingery, but he gave up it back with Adam Eaton doubling, taking third on an error on an Anthony Rendon grounder, and scoring on an RBI single to right by Juan Soto, 1-1.

Eflin retired nine straight batters after Soto’s RBI single, but Matt Adams broke that streak with a one-out double in the fourth, and moved up on a ground, before scoring on an RBI double by Gerardo Parra, 2-1 Nationals.

Eflin lost Juan Soto, after starting up 0-2 in the first at bat of the Nats’ sixth, walking the 20-year-old outfielder, who stole second base in the next at bat and scored one out later on an RBI double to left by Brian Dozier, 3-1 Nationals.

Zack Eflin’s Line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 Ks, 90 P, 59 S, 7/2 GO/FO.

Turner is Streaking: Trea Turner started the afternoon with a 13-game on-base streak going, over which he’d hit safely in 10 of the 13 and recorded at least one extra-base hit in nine of 13. Overall, the 25-year-old infielder was 17 for 54 (.315/.383/.685) with seven doubles, two triples, three home runs, and six walks in the 13 games, which left him with a .289/.342/.533 line on the season.

Turner went 0 for 3 with two Ks against Philly righty Zach Eflin, popped out in the 7th with Edubray Ramos on the mound, and his on-base streak ended with an 0 for 4 day.

Big Play: Gerardo Parra is a two-time Gold Glove winner in the outfield, though they came earlier in his career (2011, 2013), but he’s still a solid defender on the outfield grass, and he came up with a big play in the fifth inning of today’s game.

Bryce Harper walked in the first at bat of the inning, with the Nationals ahead 2-1, and the former Nats’ outfielder tried to go first-to-third on a single to center by Scott Kingery, but Parra barehanded it and came up throwing, firing a strike to third where Anthony Rendon applied the tag for the first out of what ended up being a scoreless inning for lefty Patrick Corbin. [ed. note - “First out at third, Bryce? For shame.”]

BULLPEN ACTION: Edubray Ramos took over on the mound for the Phillies in the bottom of the seventh, and retired the Nationals in order.

Tanner Rainey gave up a one-out walk to Bryce Harper and hit Rhys Hoskins with two down, bringing the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the form of J.T. Realmuto, who grounded out to short to end the frame.

Philly lefty Cole Irvin gave up a leadoff single by Juan Soto in the top of the eighth, and Soto took second on a wild pitch, and scored on a two-run home run to left by Brian Dozier, 5-1.

Gerardo Parra homered two pitches later, 6-1.

Javy Guerra got the ninth with a five-run lead, and gave up back-to-back, two-out singles and a run, 6-2, before he got out No. 3 to end the frame. Ballgame.

Nationals now 34-38