Before early exit with injury, Irvin (5 hitless innings) leads Nats in pitchers' duel

ATLANTA -- Hitting with runners in scoring position has been a major struggle for the Nationals recently.

Washington entered Saturday’s game against the Braves with just one hit in its prior 21 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

The Nationals’ pitching staff picked up the club’s suddenly struggling offense in its 2-0 win over Atlanta at Truist Park as the club allowed just one hit against one of MLB’s top offenses.

Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin was not hindered by a 41-minute rain delay after he tossed a scoreless first. Irvin resumed his start following the rain delay and did not allow a hit over five innings.

Despite working on a potential no-no, though, Irvin exited the game while warming up prior to the bottom of the sixth inning.

Irvin hadn’t allowed a hit over five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and one walk on 80 pitches (52 strikes) before leaving the field with Washington’s training staff as the Nationals had a 2-0 lead thanks to solo home runs from Dylan Crews and Jorbit Vivas.

On a comebacker that was hit past Irvin to end the fifth, he reached for the ball while off-balance, then he grimaced and shook his head as he walked off the mound.

Brad Lord came on in relief of Irvin and pitched a 1-2-3 sixth, but Michael Harris II’s seventh-inning single broke up the potential combined no-hitter. The single was all Lord allowed, though, as he pitched three scoreless innings and struck out three, which helped save a Nationals bullpen that used six relievers in Friday’s 5-4 loss in 11 innings.

Richard Lovelady, who opened Friday’s game with an inning pitched before he gave way to Miles Mikolas, earned his fourth save of the season.