Corbin suffers 18th loss as Nats drop opener in Philly (updated)

PHILADELPHIA – Patrick Corbin and Noah Syndergaard, at their best, were high-strikeout pitchers. Double-digit totals were regular occurrences for both starters, back when Corbin was leading the Nationals and Syndergaard was leading the Mets deep into Octobers of yesteryear.

That’s not who either guy is right now, Corbin because he’s devolved into a shell of his former self, Syndergaard because he missed considerable time with major arm injuries.

So when they faced off tonight at Citizens Bank Park, the fast-paced ballgame that ensued featured precious few strikeouts, zero walks by either starter and a whole lot of early contact by both lineups.

The Phillies managed to make more out of their contact than the Nationals did, emerging with a 5-3 victory that left Corbin to suffer his 18th loss of the season.

Corbin, who allowed five runs and a whopping 12 hits over 6 2/3 innings despite throwing only 69 pitches, is the majors’ first 18-game loser since Chris Archer and James Shields each lost 19 in 2016. Barring a change in the Nats’ rotation plans, he’s on track to make four more starts this year as he attempts to avoid becoming the sport’s first 20-game loser in nearly two decades.

"I could care less about that," Corbin insisted. "I try to win every day. I'll go out there, I'll take the ball no matter what. Just go out there and compete, and see what happens at the end of the year."

On the heels of a series win at the Mets and a four-game split at the Cardinals over the last week, the Nationals dropped the opener of this weekend set against the Phillies, the third straight playoff contender they’re facing on this 10-game road trip. As they've done in most every recent loss, they hung in there til the very end, getting back-to-back singles with two outs in the ninth to bring the go-ahead run to the plate before falling short and sealing their starter's fate.

"He wants the ball every five days," manager Davey Martinez said of Corbin. "He's working through some things, and he's throwing the ball really well. He was throwing the ball 94 (mph) when I took him out of the game. His mechanics are way better, cleaner."

Corbin has looked like a different pitcher in recent outings, not always because of the result but because of his process. Eschewing the trademark slider that for years produced the majority of his strikeouts, the lefty has instead gone sinker happy, throwing that pitch far more than any other.

"It wasn't my plan to just throw a bunch of fastballs tonight," he said. "It just kind of seemed to go that way. Obviously I'd love to (throw more off-speed pitches). Tonight was just a different game. I'd definitely love to throw changeups, throw sliders, mix it up and see what happens."

The effect of all those Corbin sinkers: He’s throwing more strikes and seeing at-bats end much sooner. Sometimes, that has come in the form of quick outs, especially on the ground. Sometimes, it still results in productive hits, especially of the extra-base variety.

Corbin experienced a little of both tonight. He cruised through his first two innings on 20 pitches, 15 of those strikes. Then he ran into a buzz saw of loud contact in the third and fourth innings, the Phillies scoring three runs in the process.

"They're a pretty aggressive team, so we were trying to work around that," catcher Riley Adams said. "I thought he had really good command of everything, was throwing the fastball really well, getting in on some guys. Just left a couple over the middle of the plate, and they did some damage on it."

There was a triple by Edmundo Sosa off the wall in deep left-center. There was a homer by Rhys Hoskins, his fifth in as many games against the Nationals. There was a double off the wall by Alec Bohm, who then scored on J.T. Realmuto’s sharp single up the middle.

And there was Realmuto’s solo homer in the sixth, a line shot to right-center that would’ve been a two-run blast if not for one of the Nats’ best defensive plays of the year seconds earlier.

Since he arrived from the Padres one month ago, CJ Abrams has proven he can get to balls hit to his left, up the middle. Tonight, he proved he can get to a ball hit to his right, deep in the hole at shortstop. And then make a ridiculously strong throw across the diamond.

Abrams did all of that to rob Bohm of a hit, diving to his right to make the backhanded scoop, then hopping to his feet and firing the throw to first in time for a spectacular out that made Realmuto’s subsequent homer sting a little less.

"CJ had that ball in the hole, that was unbelievable," Adams said. "I haven't seen anybody get to a ball like that and make that throw, too."

Abrams and Luis García both excelled in the field in this game, whether teaming up together to turn three 6-4-3 double plays or showing off their individual skills as each did (with García adding his own 4-3 double play).

"Being a groundball pitcher, getting a lot of ground balls, you always love having those guys picking the balls behind you," Corbin said. "Abrams made a couple great plays tonight, and both of them turned a bunch of double plays. Sometimes, it works in your favor and you're getting ground balls right at people, and sometimes it doesn't."

The young infield tandem also had moments at the plate, helping keep the Nationals in this fast-paced game that saw plenty of early contact and plenty of base hits. Abrams, bumped up to the No. 6 spot in Martinez’s lineup, singled and stole second base in the fourth. García, again batting second, delivered an RBI single in the fifth.

The Nats also got back-to-back, extra-base hits from Adams (double) and Lane Thomas (RBI triple) in the fifth. And when Alex Call lofted a Syndergaard curveball into the flowers just beyond the short wall in left field for his second homer in as many days, he knocked the Phillies starter from the game with nobody out in the sixth.

"The thing I know about Alex: When he doesn't chase, he puts the ball in play and hits the ball hard," Martinez said. "He laid off some good pitches. He's getting in good counts to hit, and he's hitting the ball hard. He plays aggressive, too. He's got a lot of energy. I love the way he plays the game."

Alas, they needed a bit more offense than that on this night to defeat an opponent that kept making contact and did just enough to emerge victorious.