Ruiz walks off A's for another home series win (updated)

The Nationals have been playing well at home over the last month, a stark difference from the first half of the season. It took until the ninth inning, but that trend continued tonight against the Athletics.

With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Keibert Ruiz stepped to the plate and delivered a first-pitch walk-off home run to right field for a 3-2 win in front of 28,635 screaming fans.

“I was looking for a good pitch to hit," Ruiz said after the victory celebrations. "I got it and I put a good swing on it. Just grateful to god for this opportunity. I've been dreaming for this moment for a long time.”

He got a perfect pitch to hit from Oakland reliever Lucas Erceg. The right-hander left a 97-mph fastball right down the middle of the plate for Ruiz to crush 391 feet into the Nationals bullpen and then trot the bases to his awaiting teammates for a cold Gatorade bath at home plate.

“I can't describe that moment," Ruiz said. "Like I said, I've been dreaming for that moment for a long time and really grateful to god.”

“Just a great swing," manager Davey Martinez said. "Aggressive in the zone. Got ready on time, stayed back and drove the ball over the fence. He's been playing well, both sides. His defense has been really good. He started swinging the bat like we know he can, so he's been awesome.”

The walk-off was set up by an eighth-inning rally from a 2-1 deficit.

It started with Stone Garrett drawing a leadoff walk, Jake Alu placing a bunt up the middle past the pitcher’s mound and Blake Rutherford drawing a walk to load the bases with no outs.

Up stepped Lane Thomas, who was scratched from the starting lineup 2 ½ hours before first pitch, to deliver a pinch-hit RBI single to tie the game 2-2.

“I think in that situation just trying to hit the ball in the air somewhere," Thomas said. "That guy had some pretty good stuff and threw me some pretty good pitches early on. But just trying to elevate something and give us a shot.”

Thomas was hit by a pitch in right wrist area last night and was removed from today's lineup when it was still sore close to game time. Martinez was glad he had a clutch hitter available off the bench.

“I felt fine," the outfielder said. "I think it was just a precautionary thing. It's definitely really sore. Put a little tape on it and I taped it pretty tight. Just tried to make it where I didn't feel it as much, so it felt good.”

“His wrist was bothering him a little bit," Martinez said. "So instead of playing him and things getting worse, we told him if he could be available to pinch-hit, we'd use him then. And he said in the middle of the game he can hit, so it was a perfect opportunity for us.”

With a chance to take a lead into the eighth, CJ Abrams grounded into a 1-2-3 double play and Joey Meneses struck out, leaving two runners in scoring position.

Kyle Finnegan came in to pitch a perfect top of the ninth to keep the game tied.

The Nationals needed length from Jake Irvin in their second game against the Athletics.

After Joan Adon was removed before the fourth inning of last night’s win due to leg cramps, the long relief arms – Cory Abbott and Robert Garcia – were used up and likely unavailable Saturday.

Irvin provided that length, completing 6 ⅔ innings of two-run ball for his fifth quality start.

“I think the biggest thing was after yesterday, having to use a lot of guys out of the 'pen, I just wanted to get deep in the game," Irvin said. "So throwing strikes early, trying to keep guys off balance, but get as deep into the game as possible. And I tried to do that tonight.”

The rookie right-hander was solid throughout his 18th start. He didn’t issue any walks and struck out six with a steady use of sinkers and curveballs, while his velocity across the board was higher than his yearly average.

The only blemishes came on home runs, of which he has now given up 13 over his last nine starts.

The first came off the bat of JJ Bleday in the third, tying the game at 1-1. Irvin left a 1-2 fastball right down the middle for the outfielder to hit to center field. The second was a two-out shot by Brent Rooker on a 1-2 pitch to put the Nats down 2-1 in the sixth. This was a better pitch by Irvin, a low curveball on the outside corner of the strike zone. It was just a good piece of hitting by A’s designated hitter.

Irvin had a strong finish to his outing in the seventh inning. After a single and double to start the frame, he came back to get a groundout and strikeout on his 99th pitch of the night, 66th for a strike. That opened the way for Jose A. Ferrer to get out of the jam, which he did with an infield popout.

“You just got to know that you got a base open," Irvin said. "So making pitches that aren't necessarily over the heart of the plate and playing it a little more safe. But you just kind of got to lock in and focus on the task at hand, which is getting them out.”

This was Irvin’s fifth outing in which he completed six innings or more and his sixth with six or more strikeouts.

Was there added pressure knowing you had to get deep in the game?

“Not necessarily pressure, but more motivation," he said. "It's just kind of one of those things where you try to help the 'pen as much as possible, especially with the six-man right now, we got one less guy out there. I tried to do what I could to save those arms a little bit. And then Ferrer and Finny came in and did a fantastic job.”

“Jake keeping us in the ballgame, giving us what we needed," Martinez said. "That was a really important moment for him. He had to go back out there, gave up two hits and then shut them down. ... Bullpen was a little beat up. I'm trying to give some guys some days here. Hopefully, tomorrow we score a bunch of runs and we could give a lot of guys some days off.”

Despite the solid outing from their starter, the Nationals couldn’t score more runs to put him in line for a win.

The Nats’ first run came on a bad sequence of events by A’s starter Luis Medina.

To start the second inning, the rookie right-hander got Ildemaro Vargas to hit a comebacker right to the mound. Medina snagged it, but slowly jogged to first base for the out. Vargas, noticing the pitcher’s slow pace, hustled down the line and beat him to the bag for an infield single.

“I've never seen that before. And I've been doing this a long time," Martinez said. "But he's a very smart baseball player. I've said that a lot about him. He plays the game, he plays the game the right way. A lot of guys wouldn't see that. He saw it and took off right at the perfect time and beat him to the base.”

“I'd never seen anything like that," Irvin said. "I don't know what to say quite honestly.”

Garrett then drew a walk and Rutherford recorded his elusive first major league hit – the first of two by him on the night – to load the bases with one out. Alex Call did enough to score a run for a 1-0 lead by putting the ball in the play, but it was the only run scored that inning after a golden opportunity for more.

“We were able to get some runs across and then obviously the big walk-off at the end," Rutherford said. "He did it all by himself at the end, so it was awesome to be a part of. And that ball was crushed, so it was sweet to watch for sure.”

Unfortunately, more opportunities were wasted. The Nationals loaded the bases with one out in the fourth and sixth innings, and both times Abrams and Meneses (who was hitting in the No. 2 hole after Thomas was scratched from the starting lineup) left them stranded.

“We swung the bat good yesterday," Martinez said. "Today, just with guys on base, we couldn't get it done. But I just chalk it up to just trying to do a little bit too much. Some guys are trying to just do a little bit too much. Sometimes all you need is just to stay in the middle of the field, as we always talk about. Fly ball, base hit up the middle. Today it didn't happen.”

It all worked out in the end, though, thank to one swing by Ruiz.

“That's incredible, man," Irvin said. "He works so hard, and I know that he does everything the right way. So watching him do that and the joy that he had coming back, and I didn't get to celebrate with him out there, but we were fired up. I'm super happy for him.”

The Nationals have now won eight of their last 12 games overall and 11 of their last 13 on South Capitol Street. This was their 52nd win of the season, meaning they’re already only three games away from tying their season total from last year.

Meanwhile, the Mets were swept by the Braves in a doubleheader at home, leaving the Nats only ½ game behind them in the National League East standings.

By this time tomorrow, the Nationals could be in fourth place all by themselves.

“Really good clubhouse," Ruiz said. "Good harmony here with the guys. We just gotta keep it going.”