Washington Nationals’ four-game win streak and Detroit Tigers’ eight-game losing streak end in Tigers’ 7-5 win...

Going for their fifth consecutive win this afternoon, the Washington Nationals blew 3-0 and 5-3 leads, with walks causing all kinds of problems for starter Austin Voth and Nats’ reliever Tanner Rainey. Detroit’s hitters took advantage of the free passes and battled back for a 7-5 win that snapped an eight-game losing streak for the Tigers.

Voth vs the Tigers: Austin Voth put up a 4.40 ERA, a 3.80 FIP, 15 walks (2.20 BB/9), and 68 Ks (9.98 K/9) in 12 starts and 61 ¹⁄₃ IP at Triple-A Fresno before he was called up to start last weekend’s series finale with the Atlanta Braves.

Voth, 27, gave up four hits and two runs, both on home runs in six innings of work in that outing, striking out seven of the 23 batters he faced in a 4-3 loss in which he received no decision.

“Voth has pitched terrific in Triple-A in a very offensive atmosphere that is the Pacific Coast League, and he deserved the start and pitched well,” Mike Rizzo told 106.7 the FAN in D.C.’s Sports Junkies this week in the Nationals’ GM’s weekly interview.

Voth pitched well enough to earn another start in this afternoon’s matchup with the Tigers in Comerica Park.

His second outing of the 2019 campaign began with three scoreless on just 40 pitches, as the Nationals jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but back-to-back-to-back, one-out hits in the Tigers’ half of the fourth loaded the bases, and a four-pitch, two-out walk to Niko Goodrum forced in the first run for the home team, 3-1, before Voth got out No. 3.

A leadoff single by Harold Castro and two-out double by Nick Castellanos in the bottom of the fifth ended Voth’s day after 78 pitches...

Austin Voth’s Line: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 Ks, 78 P, 47 S, 4/4 GO/FO.

Bad Soto vs the Nationals: Called up to start this afternoon’s matchup in place of injured starter Spencer Turnbull, Tiger’s left-hander Gregory Soto was making his sixth start of the season, after the 24-year-old put up an 8.66 ERA, 11 walks, 14 Ks, and a .324/.398/.581 line against in 17 ²⁄₃ IP in the previous five outings.

Soto tossed three scoreless innings to start, on just 42 pitches, with some help from his outfielders, Nick Castellanos, who robbed Howie Kendrick of an extra base hit with two runners on in the second, and JaCoby Jones, who climbed the fence in left-center field, robbing Victor Robles of a home run for the first out of the third.

There was no catching Anthony Rendon’s fly to left in the top of the fourth, however. He crushed a 3-1 sinker up in the zone from Soto and hit it out for a no-doubter, his 18th of 2019, and a 1-0 lead.

Juan Soto walked with two down later in the fourth and scored two outs later on an RBI double to left by Brian Dozier, 2-0. That was it for Soto, Gregory Soto that is, who was lifted... but only after Tigers’ skipper Ron Gardenhire got tossed for arguing that Soto’s 1-2 pitch up in the zone to Dozier was a strike, which it was ... at least according to GameDay...

Gregory Soto’s Line: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 64 P, 41 S, 3/7 GO/FO.

Good Soto Still Streaking: With a home run in his first at bat last night, Juan Soto extended his on-base streak to 13-straight games, over which the 20-year-old outfielder was 17 for 45 (.378/.473/.778 line) with two doubles, two triples, four home runs, eight walks, and 10 Ks, taking him from .286/.383/.493 after an 0 for 3 on the 13th of June to a .302/.399/.542 line following last night’s 1 for 3, BB game against the Tigers.

Soto sent a fly to left for an out the first time up against Tigers’ left-hander Gregory Soto in today’s game, but drew a walk in his second plate appearance to extend his on-base streak to 14-straight games.

BULLPEN ACTION: Blaine Hardy took over on the mound for the Tigers with two out in the top of the fourth and gave up a walk to Yan Gomes, and Victor Robles followed with an RBI single that made it a 3-0 lead for the Nationals.

Hardy returned to the mound in the fifth, with the score 3-1 in the Nats’ favor, and retired the side in order.

Javy Guerra took over for the Nationals with runners on second and third and one out and gave up a two-run, opposite field single to short right by Miguel Cabrera that tied it up at 3-3.

Jonny Venters hit the first batter he faced in a Nationals uniform, plunking Christin Stewart, but he got the next two outs to keep it tied.

Austin Adams retired the Nationals in order in a 13-pitch sixth.

Venters came back out and struck out the side in a 15-pitch bottom of the sixth inning, still 3-3.

Victor Alcantara got the top of the seventh for the Tigers. Yan Gomes reached on a ground ball toward second that first baseman Ronny Rodríguez couldn’t handle, took second on a sac bunt by Victor Robles, and scored on a two-out RBI single by Adam Eaton when Tigers’ third baseman Jeimer Candelario sailed the throw to first, 4-3, and 5-3 when Eaton scored on an RBI single by Anthony Rendon.

Tanner Rainey walked the first batter he faced (JaCoby Jones) in the Tigers’ seventh and fell behind 3-0 on the second batter of the inning, Nick Castellanos, before walking him as well.

Miguel Carbera stepped in as the potential go-ahead run and hit a chopper over third to get one run in, 5-4.

Tony Sipp took over with runners on the corners and no one out and gave up a sac fly that tied things up at 5-5.

Jeimer Candelario’s single to left field put two runners on, and a two-out RBI single by Niko Goodrum brought Cabrera in to give the Tigers a 6-5 lead after seven.

Tigers’ righty Joe Jiménez gave up a one-out single by Howie Kendrick and threw a wild pitch with two down that allowed Kendrick to move into scoring position at second, but Brian Dozier K’d swinging to end the inning.

Wander Suero gave up a leadoff single (by Harold Castro) and an RBI double by (JaCoby Jones) as the Tigers added to their lead in the eighth, 7-5.

Shane Greene took the mound with a two-run lead in the top of the ninth and retired the side in order to end it.

Nationals now 41-41