BALTIMORE -- The Nationals have been in desperate need of some early runs. So, they went out and got them -- six, in fact -- all in the first inning of their 10-6 win over the Orioles on Saturday afternoon at Camden Yards.
With the win, the Nats won the season series vs. the O’s for the first time since 2018, when they topped the Orioles in the series, 5-1.
Washington’s six-run, six-hit first inning achieved some impressive history, and it seemed an extension of the grit and resilience the Nats showed in the final few innings of their Friday night win.
“It was awesome, man,” manager Dave Martinez said. “It started with our shortstop [CJ Abrams], base hit turned into a double because he hauled butt right from the get-go and got to second base, and then the rest of the guys followed suit.”
Abrams, one of the fastest players on the Nationals’ roster, indeed picked up where Nasim Nuñez left off on Friday. After smacking a fly ball into the right-field corner, Abrams utilized his speed to force an offline throw, which enabled him to dive into second base without the O’s getting anything remotely resembling an out.
The next five Nats batters reached base on a walk, a double and three singles (not in that order) before Orioles starter Kyle Gibson recorded his first out.
“[Abrams] set the tone early, man,” Martinez said. “The biggest thing today was to come out with energy after last night. They did that, they did that. So let’s keep it rolling.”
That energetic first inning was also quite notable, highlighting perhaps a turning point for these young Nats as they continue to find their way through the late stages of their rebuild. Here are some of the most significant numbers.
• The first time Washington had each of its first six batters reach base safely since April 2, 2023, vs. Atlanta, and just the fourth time the Nationals have done so in team history (since 2005).
• The first time in team history that all six of those baserunners came home to score -- though the Nats came close on July 17, 2017, when six reached base and the first five came home to score vs. the Reds.
• The first time the Nationals scored six runs in the first inning since May 14, 2021, vs. the D-backs.
• The first time Washington batted around (10 plate appearances) in the first inning since May 28, 2022, against the Rockies.
• The first time the Nationals recorded six hits in the first inning since May 8, 2023, in San Francisco, when they had seven hits in the first.
“I just think our attack plan was on par today,” said Josh Bell, who was the sixth player to reach base in the first inning. “We were trying to see [Gibson] up and use the middle of the field, keep balls off the ground for the most part. And yeah, one hit led to the next, and next thing you know, we’re up five or six runs.”
Of course, there were still 8 1/2 innings left to play. But that 6-0 lead enabled Jake Irvin to settle in, taking some of the pressure off of him to work out of jams.
Irvin allowed just two runs on five hits and one walk over 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts. Though he was at 98 pitches (67 strikes), Irvin likely could have finished the seventh inning were it not for an injury to Jacob Young that halted his momentum and gave the Nationals a chance to make the pitching change.
“We would have let Jake face one more hitter,” Martinez said, “but because of the delay, I thought he was just sitting there too long, so I just got him out -- which worked out really well.”
Young, who went down on the warning track after crashing into the wall trying to snag a double from Ramón Laureano, was OK postgame. He has a sore left shoulder, but X-rays were negative. The Nationals will evaluate him on Sunday to determine his availability and whether any further treatment is necessary, but it was the best outcome of a tough situation.
“It was one of those things, I knew I was getting close to the wall,” Young said. “I wanted to jump before I got there and try to lead the impact, but I didn’t have time to as it happened and just ran out of room.”
Though he exited early, Young had already made an impact -- with an RBI triple to drive home Bell for the sixth run of that first-inning parade. And after Washington posted three runs in the top of the ninth to keep the O’s at bay, it just proved that when the Nats play with the energy they know they can, good things happen.
“Obviously, we’re taking it one win at a time, but the vibes are good right now,” Bell said. “We have to attack starters. We have to get in their bullpen early, and when we do that, good things happen. So hopefully this is a turn in the right direction.”