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Sean Doolittle took the mound with an 11-8 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the top of the ninth and gave up a leadoff home run by Christian Yelich, a double to the left-center gap by Keston Hiura, a game-tying two-run blast to center by Mike Moustakas, and a solo shot to left by Ryan Braun, 12-11 Brew Crew.
Then Brewers’ closer Josh Hader came on for the save opportunity in the bottom of the ninth and gave up a leadoff walk to Yan Gomes, and a double by Kurt Suzuki, and an RBI single by Victor Robles, 12-12.
It was still tied in the 13th when Yelich hit his second home run of the game (and 41st on the season), 13-12, but Victor Robles drove in a run with a sac fly in the bottom of the inning, 13-13.
Javy Guerra gave up a leadoff walk in the top of the 14th, and Eric Thames hit a two-run home run to right that made it 15-13... and the Brewers held on for a 15-14 win.
Sánchez vs the Brewers: Aníbal Sánchez extended a 14-game unbeaten streak last time out before tonight, in a win over the New York Mets in which he received no decision. Sánchez finished that outing at (7-0) with a 2.93 ERA, 18 BB, 60 Ks, and a .232/.282/.374 line against in 76 2⁄3 innings pitched over that fourteen-start stretch, which followed a rough start to the 2019 campaign which saw the 35-year-old, 14-year veteran go (0-6) in his first eight outings with a 5.27 ERA, 24 BB, 39 Ks, and a .265/.354/.471 line against in 41 IP after signing a 2-year/$19M deal with the Nationals this winter.
Sánchez tossed two scoreless to start tonight, but back-to-back, one-out walks and back-to-back singles got the Brewers on the board, with the second hit a two-run grounder through the right side by Christian Yelich, 2-0. Keston Hiura followed with a two-run hit to left on an 0-2 splitter, 4-0, and Mike Moustakas hit an RBI single to right to make it 5-0.
5 runs in without the benefit of a homer in the 3rd. #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/ZyLlkYuopR
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 18, 2019
Sánchez came back out with a scoreless fourth, working around a walk in an 18-pitch frame that ended his outing...
Aníbal Sánchez’s Line: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 5 Ks, 80 P, 49 S, 2/1 GO/FO.
Lyles vs the Nationals: Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates before the trade deadline, 28-year-old right-hander Jordan Lyles put up a 1.59 ERA, eight walks, 14 Ks, and .143/.242/.286 line against in his first three starts and 17 IP with Milwaukee.
Lyles tossed two scoreless to start, and took the mound in the third with a 5-0 lead, retiring the first two batters he faced before Anthony Rendon hit a two-out single to right in front of Juan Soto, who hit a hanging 2-2 curve out to left for an opposite field, two-run homer that made it a 5-2 game. No. 26 of 2019 for Soto.
While the 20yo in your life is preparing to go back to school for the fall semester...
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 18, 2019
...this 20yo just hit the 48th HR of his @MLB career.#ChildishBambino // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/6vcQtnqd1R
Kurt Suzuki singled to start the Nats’ half of the fourth, Gerardo Parra worked a one-out walk in a nine-pitch pinch hit appearance, and one out later, Adam Eaton hit a 1-1 slider to right to tie things up at 5-5. Three-run home run. No. 9 for the Nationals’ right fielder.
Jordan Lyles’ Line: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 Ks, 2 HRs, 83 P, 52 S, 2/2 GO/FO.
Victor Robles Did It Again:
Victor Throwbles leads all @MLB OF in Outs Above Average.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 17, 2019
(He also leads all MLB CF in OF assists.)@Victor__Robles // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/mwc7gg0glA
Turn-on: If it wasn’t the hit-by-pitch, Trea Turner’s base on balls last night would have given the 26-year-old infielder a 23-game on-base streak, and he scored both times he reached to help the Nationals to a 2-1 win. Turner started tonight’s game 31 for 93 (.333/.411/.527) since his on-base streak started back on July 23rd, with four doubles, a triple, four homers, and 12 walks in 107 plate appearances over that stretch.
Turner singled to lead off the third inning, extending his on-base streak to 24-straight...
BULLPEN ACTION: Matt Grace got the call in the top of the fifth, with the scored tied at 5-5, and the lefty gave up a one-out home run to right field on a 2-2 sinker outside to Ryan Braun that the outfielder powered out and over the out-of-town scoreboard, 6-5 Brewers. HR No. 17 for Braun this season.
Drew Pomeranz retired the Nationals in order in the bottom of the fifth.
Grace returned to the mound in the sixth and gave up a leadoff single by Manny Piña and a second home run, with Trent Grisham taking the lefty the other way on a 3-1 sinker outside that he hit out to left-center to make it 8-5 Brewers. A walk to the next batter ended Grace’s outing...
Patience is a virtue especially when it results in a home run. #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/p1oB6RtjMs
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 18, 2019
Wander Suero gave up a single, but got a strike’em out, throw’em out double play to end the top of the sixth.
Freddy Peralta gave up back-to-back doubles by Kurt Suzuki and Victor Robles in the first two at bats of the Nats’ sixth, with Suzuki (8) scoring on Robles’s 22nd, 8-6 Brewers, and a walk by Howie Kendrick put two on with no one out in front of Trea Turner, who hit a three-run home run to left to put the Nationals on top, 9-8.
SEE. YOU. LEATER.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 18, 2019
Trea Turner sends #Nats Park into a frenzy with the go-ahead trey.@treavturner // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/KhuabT3VXP
Alex Claudio came on for Milwaukee and got two outs in-between a double by Adam Eaton and a two-out walk to Asdrúbal Cabrera.
Righty Ray Black took over against pinch hitter Brian Dozier, and popped him up to end the inning.
Hunter Strickland came on trying to protect a one-run lead, and got an inning-ending 6-4-3 after a one-out walk. 10-pitch frame. Still 9-8 Nationals.
Black was back on the mound in the bottom of the seventh, and he issued a one-out walk to Victor Robles, before giving up a two-run home run to center field (and off the Curly-W on the batter’s eye green) by Howie Kendrick, whose 13th of 2019 made it an 11-9 Nats’ lead.
Fernando Rodney came on in the eighth and retired the Brewers in order in a 13-pitch frame.
Righty Devin Williams retired the Nationals in order in the bottom of the eighth.
Sean Doolittle came on looking for the save, and gave up a leadoff home run by Christian Yelich on a 1-0 fastball. Yelich’s 40th of 2019 made it an 11-9 game. Keston Hiura doubled into the left-center gap on a 2-0 fastball.
Mike Moustakas hit a 2-1 fastball to center field to tie it up at 11-11. Ryan Braun stepped in next and hit a first-pitch fastball to left, 12-11.
Daniel Hudson took over with one out and got the Nationals out of the inning.
Josh Hader came on looking for the save in the bottom of the ninth, and gave up a leadoff walk to Yan Gomes, and a double by Kurt Suzuki that sent Gomes around to third base.
Victor Robles stepped in next, and tied it up with an RBI single to right, 12-12, and after an intentional walk to Howie Kendrick loaded the bases, Trea Turner K’d swinging for the first out of the inning, and Adam Eaton went down on three pitches for out No. 2.
️STAY. IN. THE. FIGHT.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 18, 2019
VICTOR ROBLES GAME-TYING SINGLE!
BOTTOM 9 // #Nats 12, Brewers 12 pic.twitter.com/4KO85z9nVm
Anthony Rendon got a two-out opportunity to win it and he K’d swinging as well to send it to extras...
Tanner Rainey walked Christian Yelich with two down in the top of the tenth, then struck out Keston Hiura to end the inning.
Old friend Matt Albers took over for the Brewers in the bottom of the tenth and retired the Nationals in order.
Rainey returned to the mound in the eleventh and retired the side in order.
Jeremy Jeffress retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the eleventh, but gave up a double to left by Howie Kendrick, before ending the inning by retiring Trea Turner on a groundout to third.
Javy Guerra tossed a quick, 1-2-3 top of the twelfth, striking out the side.
Jeffress came back out and gave up a one-out single by Anthony Rendon, but Juan Soto hit into an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP.
Guerra got the first out of the top of the thirteenth, but Christian Yelich hit a homer to right on a 2-1 changeup, 13-12 Brewers. No. 41 for Yelich.
Jeffress gave up a leadoff walk to Asdrúbal Cabrera in the bottom of the thirteenth, and a single to center by Kurt Suzuki. Cabrera took third on the hit...
Junior Guerra took over for Milwaukee with runners on the corners and one out and Victor Robles at the plate, and gave up a sac fly to left that tied it up at 13-13.
Javy Guerra walked Ryan Braun to start the top of the fourteenth and gave up a two-run home run to right by Eric Thames, 15-13.
The Brewers’ Guerra came back out in the bottom of the inning and gave up a one-out double to right-center by Adam Eaton.
One out later, Juan Soto grounded out to second to end i— but a throwing error by Keston Hiura allowed Eaton to score and make it 15-14.
Asdrúbal Cabrera got the intentionals, leaving it up to Joe Ross, who struck out to end the game at 12:46, 5 hours and 41 minutes after it started.
Nationals now 66-56