Washington Nationals sunk by Patrick Corbin’s rough start, 7-1 San Francisco Giants...

Corbin Out Early:

Patrick Corbin stranded a two-out walk and single in a 21-pitch first tonight, in the opening game of the Washington Nationals’ three-game series with the San Francisco Giants in the nation’s capital, but the top of the second inning went all pear-shaped for the southpaw, who gave up a leadoff double which bounced off the first base bag by Brandon Crawford, a one-out walk to Joey Bart, a single to center field by Mike Yastrzemski, which Victor Robles bobbled, allowing Crawford to score, 1-0, and then a three-run shot to right field by Austin Slater on a 2-1 sinker, with Slater’s first of 2022 making it a 4-0 lead.

Wilmer Flores singled in the next at-bat, and Darin Ruf singled with two out, before a walk to Thairo Estrada loaded the bases, so Crawford, in his second at-bat of the inning, could hit a base-clearing double, his second of the inning, to left-center field, where Lane Thomas got a glove on it but couldn’t make a sliding catch, 7-0. And that was it for Corbin...

Patrick Corbin’s Line: 1.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 Ks, 1 HR, 60 P, 34 S, 0/1 GO/FO.

Long Man:

Giants’ starter Sam Long wasn’t long for this one, by design.

Coming into the game, the plan was to get a few innings from the left-handed reliever as an opener in a bullpen game, after scheduled starter Alex Cobb landed on the 10-Day IL earlier this week with a right adductor strain.

Long gave the Giants two scoreless innings, which he completed on 31 pitches, two days after he threw 1 ¹⁄₃ on 25...

Bullpen Action:

Erasmo Ramírez took over for Patrick Corbin, and got the Nationals out of the second, then returned to the mound with a 14-pitch third as he settled things down after a rough start to the series.

Juan Soto hit a long fly to right field in the bottom of the third, taking a 3-1 sinker from right-hander Jakob Junis for a ride, only to get thrown out trying for third when Giants’ outfielder Mauricio Dubón made a one-hop throw to third base where Wilmer Flores applied the tag.

[ed. note - “Hustle to first, Juan. It makes a difference.”]

Ramírez was up to seven-straight outs and 10 of 11 Giants’ batters set down after he retired the visitors in order in an eight-pitch top of the fifth which left him at 43 pitches after 3 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched. Still 7-0 San Francisco.

Francisco Pérez got the sixth for the home team, and the left-hander worked around a pair of two-out walks in a scoreless, 16-pitch sixth.

Patrick Murphy worked around a leadoff single in a scoreless, 15-pitch seventh.

Paolo Espino pitched in the top of the eighth tonight, likely taking him out of the running for tomorrow’s starter.

Washington Post writer Jesse Dougherty reported that Aaron Sanchez is on the way to D.C. from Triple-A Rochester, and now looks likely to take the turn in the rotation...

Maikel Franco got the Nationals on the board with a solo shot off righty Yunior Marte to lead off the bottom of the eighth, 7-1 Giants. No. 2 for Franco in 2022.

Nationals now 6-10