Washington Nationals swept in four-game set with Philadelphia Phillies; 13-1 loss in finale...

Abbott’s Opportunity:

Cory Abbott’s first three appearances with the Nationals this season were in relief, but the 26-year-old right-hander started in six of ten outings at Triple-A Rochester in Washington’s system, and in his first start in the majors this summer, he tossed five scoreless against the NL East-leading New York Mets in the nation’s capital, walking two and allowing two hits in what ended up a 76-pitch outing.

“He did a great job for us for five innings,” manager Davey Martinez said after the Nationals’ 5-1 win over NY in D.C.

“That’s what we were asking for, and gave us five innings, 75 pitches, it was awesome.”

With his effort, the Nats’ skipper said, Abbott, a 2017 2nd Round pick by the Chicago Cubs, who debuted in the majors for the Cubbies last season, and was selected off the waivers in April by San Francisco and then in May by Washington, earned another look in the beat-up Nats’ rotation.

“As of right now I could say yes,” Martinez told reporters.

“I think after today he earned another chance to start again, but we’ll see how everything goes this week.”

Abbott did get the nod, and he got off to a good start with a quick, six-pitch, 1-2-3 first, but his seventh pitch went out to left field on a leadoff home run by Daric Hall in the home-half of the second inning, 1-0 Phillies. No. 7 for Hall.

A leadoff hit-by-pitch on Nick Maton in the bottom of the third inning, a bunt single by Kyle Schwarber, and a walk to Rhys Hoskins loaded the bases with Phillies in front of Alec Bohm, who walked on four pitches to force in run No. 2, 2-0. Abbot popped Darick Hall up for out No. 1, to short-center, so no one advanced, and Nick Castellanos sent a weak grounder back to the mound allowing the Nats’ starter to throw home for out No. 2. Bryson Stott stepped in with the bases still loaded, and sent one out to left field, where Yadiel Hernández caught it at the wall for out No. 3.

Maton did the hitting in the fourth inning, taking an 0-1 fastball from Abbott some 414-feet to right-center for a one-out, two-run home run, and a 4-0 Phillies’ lead. No. 2 for Maton in 2022.

Abbott walked Kyle Schwarber after the Maton home run, and Rhys Hoskins stepped in next and hit a meaty 1-1 fastball 399 feet to left for a two-run shot, his fourth of the series and his 24th of the year, 6-0, and 7-0 on Daric Hall’s second of the game and 8th of 2022. A walk to Nick Castellanos, on his 79th pitch, ended Abbott’s day...

Cory Abbott’s Line: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 2 Ks, 4 HRs, 79 P, 46 S, 2/5 GO/FO.

‘Nother Nola Start:

“We ran into a buzzsaw today,” Davey Martinez said after Phillies’ righty Aaron Nola tossed eight scoreless innings against the Nationals in which he gave up just four hits in D.C. back on June 18th. “I mean, Nola was really good. We’ve seen him before when he can be that way, we’ve seen him before when we can get some hits and some runs early on him, but today he mixed all his pitches in really well, our offense couldn’t really get nothing going. We battled. We didn’t chase a whole lot. But he was — he had his good stuff today. Today Nola was on.”

In his second start against Philly’s divisional rivals this season, Nola went 7 ²⁄₃ in which he gave up seven hits, a walk, and three runs in a loss at home in Citizens Bank Park, and the 29-year-old lined up against the Nationals again today in the series finale in South Philly.

Nola tossed scoreless frames in the first two innings this afternoon, and he took the mound with a 1-0 lead in the third, and a 2-0 lead in the fourth, and held the Nationals off the board through four scoreless, which he completed on 54 pitches, giving up just two hits, while he struck out three batters.

Yadiel Hernández singled and Keibert Ruiz walked to start the top of the fifth, and with one out in the inning, César Hernández drove in the first run with a single to right field, 7-1 Philly.

Nola worked around a one-out walk to Luke Voit and a single by Nelson Cruz for a scoreless top of the sixth, after which he was up to 91 pitches.

Aaron Nola’s Line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks, 91 P, 58 S, 6/4 GO/FO.

VoiOBPt:

Luke Voit started Sunday’s game with a 16-game on-base streak going, over which he had 16 hits, six walks, three HBPs, and a .379 OBP, and he extended that streak with a one-out single in his second trip to the plate in Citizens Bank Park in the fourth, though he ended up getting doubled up on a grounder by Nelson Cruz in the at-bat which followed. +10 points, streak extended.

Bullpen Action:

Erasmo Ramírez finished up the fourth, and returned to the mound in the fifth, and retired the Phillies in order to keep it a 7-1 game in the home team’s favor.

In Ramírez’s third inning of work, he worked around a 1-out HBP for a scoreless frame.

Connor Brogdon set the Nationals down in order after taking over for Aaron Nola in the top of the seventh.

Mason Thompson, who was called up earlier this morning, with Jordan Weems optioned out to Triple-A, gave up three hits and one run as the Phillies added to their lead in the home-half of the seventh, 8-1. Thompson did strike Kyle Schwarber out to end the inning, for his second strikeout. So, small victories.

Victor Arano had a runner reach on an error by Luis García, then he walked a batter, and hit another, loading the bases with one out in the eighth, and Bryson Stott cleared them with a gapper to left-center field, 11-1 Phillies. Brandon Marsh lined an RBI single to center as well, 12-1, and 13-1 on an RBI double by Nick Maton.

Nationals now 36-74