Washington Nationals drop 2 of 3 in Fenway with 9-5 loss to Boston Red Sox...

Austin Voth struggled again this afternoon in the series finale with the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park, giving up five runs on six hits in just two innings of work, which left the 28-year-old right-hander with a 7.99 ERA and a 6.98 FIP in six starts and 23 ²⁄₃ IP this season.

Trea Turner kept hitting. Josh Harrison and Eric Thames homered. But after falling behind 5-0 after two and 8-2 after three, the Washington Nationals could never fully recover in what ended up a 9-5 loss.

Voth vs the Sox: With a 10.80 ERA and a .404/.500/.673 line against in his last three starts and 11 ²⁄₃ IP on the mound, Austin Voth has put himself in an uncomfortable position, but the 28-year-old right-hander said after giving up six hits, three walks, and six earned runs over 3 ²⁄₃ IP against Miami, that he was determined to find a fix.

“For sure, I’ve got to change things quick and get in a groove, but I know that I’m close,” Voth told reporters.

“I’m extremely frustrated. I know I’m capable of more. I know that there’s more in the tank.”

Would he be able to channel that frustration in his between-starts work and turn this thing around?

This afternoon in Fenway Park, Voth gave up a two-run blast in the first, on an 0-1 fastball to Xander Bogaerts that went out to left and off the light standard atop the Green Monster to make it 2-0 early. Kevin Pillar doubled to right-center and scored on an RBI single by Kevin Plawecki, 3-0.

Rafael Devers hit a two-run home run to right in the second, just out of Adam Eaton’s reach, after Alex Verdugo extended the inning with a two-out double to left field, 5-0.

Voth did not return to the mound in the third...

Austin Voth’s Line: 2.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks, 2 HRs, 58 P, 40 S, 1/1 GO/FO.

Cleanliness, Godleyness, etc.: Winless in five starts this month going into today’s outing, with a 9.00 ERA and a .333/.438/.600 line against in 17 IP in those outings, over which he gave up 25 hits (five of them home runs), 12 walks, and 17 runs (see: 9.00 ERA), Zack Godley, a one-time D-Backs and Blue Jays’ starter, who signed with the Red Sox in July, was off to a rough start in the 2020 campaign.

Godley tossed two scoreless to start this afternoon, but back-to-back-to-back singles (by Victor Robles, Trea Turner, and Juan Soto) and a sac fly (by Asdrúbal Cabrera) in the third, got the visiting team on the board, down 5-2 at that point.

It was 8-2 in the fourth when Josh Harrison hit a 1-2 sinker from Godley out to center and off the top of the Green Monster for a solo shot to lead off the inning, 8-3. HR No. 3 for Harrison this season.

Eric Thames hit a 3-2 curve from Godley out to the right of center field in the fifth for a two-out home run that made it an 8-4 game.

Yan Gomes walked and Adam Eaton hit an RBI triple to right field to make it 8-5 and end the day for Godley in the fifth...

Zack Godley’s Line: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks, 2 HRs, 85 P, 56 S, 6/2 GO/FO.

Turn-on: With the first of five hits last night, Trea Turner extended his hitting and on-base streaks to 14 and 20 games, respectively. The five hits left the 27-year-old shortstop 27 for 57 (.474 AVG), with seven doubles, two triples, three home runs, 11 RBIs, four walks, two HBPs, and 17 runs during the hit streak, with a .489 OBP during his on-base streak.

Turner’s manager, Davey Martinez, was asked before today’s game what he’s seeing from his shortstop that has led to his success this season and during the streaks.

“The ability to stay on the ball and hit the ball the other way,” Martinez said. “He’s been really good throughout this stretch on just staying back, hitting the ball the other way. He also — with two strikes, he cuts down on his stride a lot, he gets his foot down earlier, and he just tries to make contact, he doesn’t try to do too much. He’s hitting the ball really, really well. And like I said yesterday, for me this is a sign of his maturity, that he’s starting to understand what he can and can’t do, and I only think he’s going to get better.”

Turner lined a 2-1 curve from Zack Godley to left to start today’s game, extending both his hit and on-base streaks, to 15 and 21 games.

Turner also singled the second time up in the third, leaving him 2 for 2 today, 8 for his last 8 overall, and 10 for 12 in the series in Fenway Park, and he also scored the second run of the game for the Nationals. #NotBad.

BULLPEN ACTION: Javy Guerra replaced Austin Voth in the bottom of the third, and gave up a leadoff single and an RBI double (by Pillar and Plawecki again) that put the Red Sox ahead, 6-2.

Bobby Dalbec connected on his first major league hit and first major league home run later in the third, taking a 94 MPH 0-2 fastball from Guerra out to right, just inside the Pesky Pole for a two-run blast and an 8-2 lead.

Guerra gave up leadoff and one-out singles in the Red Sox’ fourth, but got an inning-ending 5-4-3 out of Kevin Pillar to keep it an 8-3 game.

It was 8-5 in the Red Sox’ favor when Josh Osich replaced Zack Godley on the mound and got the final out of the top of the fifth.

Dakota Bacus retired the Red Sox in order in a 12-pitch fifth, and returned to the mound in the sixth and stranded three runners in a second scoreless frame.

Josh Taylor, another lefty, came on for the Sox in the seventh, and worked around a walk to Eric Thames for a scoreless frame(s).

Bacus came back for more in the bottom of the seventh and got one out before the Nats went to the pen for Sean Doolittle.

Ryan Brasier worked around a walk in a scoreless top of the eighth.

Daniel Hudson gave up a Pesky Pole home run by Rafael Devers in the bottom of the eighth, 9-5.

Austin Brice came on in the ninth inning and stranded Yan Gomes at second after a two-out double by the Nats’ catcher.

Final Score: 9-5 Red Sox

Nationals now 12-19