DENVER – The style of game could not have been more different. Saturday’s delayed series opener was a Coors Field special, with both teams finishing in double digits. Today’s opener of a day-night doubleheader was the rare pitchers’ duel in this hitters’ haven, teams having to scratch and claw for each run.
And yet the ultimate outcome still boiled down to the same scenario from the previous afternoon: Could Nationals relievers cobble together enough big outs late to preserve a slim lead and make sure a dominant start didn’t go to waste?
Yes, yes they could. With aplomb.
Behind five clutch outs from Jose A. Ferrer to close out the seventh and eighth innings, then three more outs from Kyle Finnegan to close out the game, the Nats escaped with a 3-2 victory over the Rockies, giving themselves a chance to sweep both the doubleheader and the series later tonight.
It was a much-needed effort from perhaps the only two members of the bullpen Davey Martinez can trust right now. Ferrer and Finnegan teamed up to close out Saturday’s wild 12-11 win in which the bullpen nearly blew a 10-run lead. This one felt far more conventional, even though nothing in this ballpark ever is.
Jake Irvin did his part to give his team a chance to win, and then some. The right-hander struck out nine, did not issue a walk and averaged barely more than 10 pitches per inning to reach the seventh. And his teammates did just enough at the plate, scoring three early runs to take the lead.
The Nationals stormed out to their early lead Saturday behind a barrage of home runs. They did so today with a flurry of singles, balls that never left the infield and some atrocious Rockies defense.
Dylan Crews got the ball rolling in the top of the second with an infield single, extending his hit streak to five games. The rookie then put pressure on the defense by stealing third and induced a wild throw from rookie catcher Braxton Fulford, scoring on the play for a 1-0 lead. Fulford would commit another error with a terribly high throw to first while attempting to turn a 1-2-3 double play. That allowed two more runs to score on a ball that didn’t even make it back to the mound.
The Nats would be shut down after that, though, with Colorado starter Kyle Freeland departing prior to the third inning with a blister on his middle finger and the Rockies bullpen taking over and allowing nothing of consequence.
So it was up to Irvin to make sure those three runs held up. He did everything in his power to do so.
Picking up right where MacKenzie Gore left off Saturday afternoon, Irvin displayed surprising command and effectiveness of his curveball, even in the thin mountain air. He struck out five batters through his first four innings, each of them on a curveball. And he made it through the fifth with a paltry pitch count of 56.
Irvin wasn’t perfect. Though he allowed only two hits through six innings, each of them left the yard, each of them by a rookie who had never done that before. Zac Veen led off the third by blasting a changeup to right for his first career homer. Fulford then led off the sixth by blasting a fastball to left for his first career homer, trimming the deficit to 3-2.
No problem, because Irvin responded to the second home run with three consecutive strikeouts, giving him nine on the afternoon. There was no question he was going to return for the bottom of the seventh, his pitch count still only 74. But then things got interesting.
After an infield single and a popout, Irvin watched as Martinez walked to the mound and asked for the ball. He had thrown only 83 pitches, striking out nine without issuing a walk, his team leading 3-2 in the first half of a doubleheader. And he was being pulled.
The move to Ferrer did pay off. The lefty immediately induced a 6-4-3 double play out of Michael Toglia to end the seventh and preserve the lead. But there were still six outs for this bullpen to record in order to win this game.
Ferrer took care of the first three outs, completing the bottom of the eighth on 13 pitches. Finnegan then took care of the rest, letting the tying run reach third base once again before notching his eighth save in as many attempts to begin his season.