Washington Nationals shut San Francisco Giants out, 4-0: Erick Fedde throws six scoreless in opener in Oracle Park

Erick Fedde tossed six scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants, (on 75 pitches), before he was done for the night in the series opener in Oracle Park.

Daniel Hudson, Fernando Rodney, and Sean Doolittle followed the starter on the mound and threw a scoreless inning each in what ended up a 4-0 win for Washington’s Nationals.

Fedde vs SF: Erick Fedde’s nine runs allowed last time out, in an 11-8 loss to the Atlanta Braves, were as many as he gave up in his previous four turns in the rotation, and as he explained to reporters after the outing, it was particularly frustrating that it came in the Nationals’ matchup with the NL East’s division leaders.

“The situation we’re in, especially against the Braves right here,” Fedde said, “... every game is extremely important. Every time I step out on the mound no matter what the situation the team is [in] I’m trying to throw well, it just didn’t go that way today.”

“You can’t fall behind hitters,” his manager, Davey Martinez, said, “and like we talked about earlier, even when he gets ahead, he goes back to 2-2, 3-2, and it’s tough to pitch that way, especially in the big leagues, it really is, so he just wasn’t very good today.”

Going up against the Giants tonight in AT&T Park, Fedde tossed three scoreless to start, working around a single in the first, and one-out double and two-out single in the third.

Fedde was up to five scoreless, with a 3-0 lead, after he worked around a two-out single in a 14-pitch fifth that left him at 63 pitches overall, and he came back out for the sixth with a 14-pitch frame that left him at 75 total for the night.

Fedde had just two three ball counts total in the game, and the 26-year-old starter averaged just 3.26 pitches per at bat overall on the night, something his manager stressed he’d like to see from the righty before tonight’s game...

Erick Fedde’s Line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 Ks, 75 P, 47 S, 7/3 GO/FO.

Samardzija vs D.C.: Jeff Samardzija faced the Nats in the nation’s capital back in mid-April, giving up five hits, two walks, and four earned runs in five innings of work in a 9-6 loss that left the right-hander winless in his last seven outings against Washington, going all the way back to 2013. It was something he told reporters he hadn’t actually taken note of before it was mentioned.

“You’d have to fill me in on my results against Washington over the last few years,” he said, as quoted on MLB.com.

“I watch a little bit of film on the past, but mostly more current stuff. Every start is its own life, in its own way.”

Going into his second start of the season against the Nationals, the Giants’ right-hander was on a nice run, having gone (4-1) in six starts in July in which he had a 2.09 ERA, seven walks, 35 Ks, and a .188/.236/.355 line against in 38 ²⁄₃ IP.

Samardzija retired the Nationals in order in the first, and set three straight down after giving up back-to-back walks to the first two batters in the second.

Adam Eaton singled with two down in the third for the Nationals’ first hit, and scored from first base on a liner to center by Anthony Rendon to make it a 1-0 game. Juan Soto walked with two down, on Samardzija’s 75th pitch, but Matt Adams K’d swinging to end the inning, after 36 pitches total from the Giants’ starter, who was up to 82 overall.

Samardzija was up to 98 pitches after working around a two-out single in the fourth, and the Giants went to the pen in the top of the fifth...

Jeff Samardzija’s Line: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 Ks, 98 P, 55 S, 2/0 GO/FO.

Rendon is Ready: Anthony Rendon started the night in Oracle Park with hits in 21 of his last 24 games, with a .352/.440/.582 line, nine doubles, four home runs, 13 walks, and 11 Ks in 109 PAs over that stretch, which took him from a .304/.389/.615 line after an 0 for 5 game against the Royals back on July 5th to a .316/.402/.607 line heading into tonight’s opener with the Giants.

Rendon singled to drive in a run in the third, and connected for a second hit with two out in the ninth, 2 for 5, RBI.

Turner is Streaking: Trea Turner had hits in 10-straight games going into the first of three in San Francisco going 13 for 44 (.295/.340/.409) with two doubles and a home run over that stretch.

After going 0 for 2 against Giants’ starter Jeff Samardzija, Turner walked to start the fifth with reliever Sam Coonrod on the mound, and he stole his 23rd base of the season with Adam Eaton at the plate, took third on a walk, and scored from third on a balk. He didn’t collect a hit, however, ending the night 0 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

BULLPEN ACTION: Sam Coonrod walked Trea Turner and Adam Eaton in the first at bats of the fifth after he took over on the mound for Jeff Samardzija, and he walked Matt Adams to load the bases with one out before balking to force in a run, 2-0.

Adams sent a fly to center field that both Kevin Pillar and left fielder Steven Duggar lost in the twilight sky, and it dropped in for an RBI double that made it a 3-0 game.

Former Nationals’ reliever Trevor Gott came on in the top of the sixth, and retired the Nats in order in a 10-pitch frame.

Gott returned to the mound in the seventh and threw another 1-2-3 frame.

Daniel Hudson took over for the Nationals after six scoreless from Erick Fedde and kept the shutout alive with a 14-pitch, 10-strike, 1-2-3 frame.

Reyes Moronta walked Matt Adams to start the eighth and Kurt Suzuki with one out in the inning, but he got out of the inning without the Nationals adding to their lead.

Fernando Rodney threw 12 pitches, 10 of them strikes, working around a one-out single in a scoreless eighth.

Sam Selman gave up back-to-back, two-out singles by Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto, and the Nats pulled a double steal with Soto taking off first and Rendon breaking for home when the Giants threw through to second, scoring ahead of the throw back in, 4-0.

Sean Doolittle came on with a four-run lead and retired the Giants in order to end it. 4-0 final. Ballgame.

Nationals now 59-53