Nationals Stat of the Day: May 2021
MLB.com is keeping track of a Stat of the Day for the Nationals this season, highlighting a unique, interesting or fun nugget from each game.
May 31: Braves 5, Nationals 3 -- The month that was
The Nationals finished with an 11-17 record in May. Following a three-game sweep of the Orioles, they went 1-6 to close out the month. The Nats ranked fifth among all teams in batting average (.251) but were 20th in runs scored (111) in May.
May 30: Brewers 3, Nationals 0 -- A troubling trend
Max Scherzer allowed a two-run homer to the Avisaíl García in the first inning, making that the 13th time this season a Nationals starter had allowed a home run in the opening frame. The Nats are now tied with the Pirates for the most first-inning home runs allowed in 2021.
May 29: Brewers 4, Nationals 1 (G1)
May 29: Brewers 6, Nationals 2 (G2) -- Gomes with the cannon
In the second game of the twin bill, Yan Gomes caught Milwaukee's Lorenzo Cain on his attempt to steal second base. It was the 10th caught stealing for the veteran catcher this season, which leads MLB. His 45.4 percent rate catching runners is second behind Martín Maldonado (50 percent).
May 27: Nationals 5, Reds 3 (completion of suspended game)
May 27: Reds 3, Nationals 0 -- Unusual combo for Stras
In the nightcap, Stephen Strasburg allowed a home run to Eugenio Suárez and -- one batter later -- hit Jesse Winker in the series finale. It was the first time since Sept. 18, 2018, in Miami against the Marlins that Strasburg gave up a homer and hit a batter in the same frame.
May 26: Nationals 3, Reds 0 (susp. in 4th inning) -- Ross' RBIs
Joe Ross recorded his second RBI of 2021 when he drove in Josh Harrison with a single to right field in the third inning. His two RBIs this season match his career total from his five prior years. He previously posted one RBI in both '16 and '17.
May 25: Reds 2, Nationals 1 -- Routine dominance
In his 180th start with the Nationals, Max Scherzer limited the Reds to two runs over seven innings. In doing so, Scherzer has pitched at least seven frames and allowed two runs or fewer in 44 percent of his starts with Washington.
May 23: Nationals 6, Orioles 5 -- How sweep it is!
The Nationals swept the Orioles at home for the first time in team history, dating back to 2005. Washington outscored Baltimore by six runs (22-16) to take the three-game series.
May 22: Nationals 12, Orioles 9 -- Two slam-wiches, to go
The stage was set when Jon Lester gave up a grand slam to Ryan Mountcastle in the first inning. Then, Josh Harrison belted the first grand slam of his career in the third. In a battle of back-and-forth offensive blasts, the Nationals played in the first game since Sept. 4, 2002, in which each team hit a grand slam through the first three innings. The Reds and Cardinals were the last clubs to do it, 19 seasons ago.
May 21: Nationals 4, Orioles 2 -- Soto's bat heating up
Juan Soto has been looking for success at the plate throughout the entire season. On Friday against the Orioles, he recorded his third multi-hit performance in his last four contests, during which he is hitting .412. Soto went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk in the Battle of the Beltways opener.
May 20: Cubs 5, Nationals 2 -- Nats can't hold the lead
Heading into Thursday, the Nationals had the sixth-best mark in the Majors with an 11-4 record when scoring first in a ballgame. It looked like they might add another W to that tally when first baseman Josh Bell and left fielder Kyle Schwarber hit back-to-back solo shots in the top of the first to give Washington a 2-0 lead out of the gates. The bats went dormant after the homers, though, and the Cubs completed the comeback after Ian Happ's go-ahead two-run shot in the third.
May 19: Nationals 4, Cubs 3 -- Put it on the board
Not since Brian McCann on June 26, 2019, had a visiting batter hit the right-field scoreboard at Wrigley Field. That is, until Nats right fielder Juan Soto hit a rocket 107.1 mph off the bat to right that bounced off the board for a home run. The solo shot traveled a Statcast-projected 421 feet. It was the first for any batter off the board since Cubs center fielder Ian Happ hit one on Sept. 5, 2020, and only the 16th homer all-time to hit the enormous screen.
May 18: Cubs 6, Nationals 3 -- Gomes ready to fire
Yan Gomes threw out a pair of attempted basestealers, Willson Contreras and Javier Báez, to bring his season total to eight. That mark is the highest among all Major League catchers.
May 17: Cubs 7, Nationals 3 -- Dynamic duo strikes again
Kyle Schwarber continues to have Jon Lester's back, from their days in Chicago to this season with Washington. Schwarber homered in his 25th game in which Lester started in the series opener at Wrigley Field. He went yard in 23 of Lester's starts while with the Cubs and twice this season with the Nationals.
May 16: Nationals 3, D-backs 0 -- Yadiel's clutch home run
Yadiel Hernandez belted a solo home run in the eighth inning to put the first run of the game on the board and jumpstart the Nationals' offense. The outfielder has been staying ready when called upon, and though he has started in 11 games this season, the go-ahead homer was the first of his career as a pinch-hitter.
May 15: D-backs 11, Nats 4 -- Voth's heavy FB use
In Austin Voth's 12th relief appearance of the season, he tossed just one breaking ball out of his 17 pitches. The right-hander, who has an arsenal of four pitches (four-seam fastball, cutter, curveball and split finger), posted a season-high 94 percent fastball usage (11 four-seamers and five cutters, plus one curve). He allowed a single and a home run, raising his ERA to a mere 2.16.
May 14: Nationals 17, D-backs 2 -- Another seven K's for Max
Max Scherzer made his 178th career start for the Nationals in a matchup against his former team. By fanning seven, Scherzer has now recorded at least seven strikeouts in 78 percent of his starts with Washington.
May 13: Nationals 5, Phillies 1 -- Castro's hitting streak
Starlin Castro extended his hitting streak to 11 games when he went 2-for-3 with an RBI double in the series finale against the Phillies. He is tied with Josh Rojas and Marcus Semien for the longest active streak in baseball, and he holds the Nationals' longest hitting streak of the season.
May 12: Phillies 5, Nationals 2 (10 innings) -- Schwarber's outfield assist
When Kyle Schwarber hurled a 91.3-mph assist to nab Odúbel Herrera at home plate, it clocked as the Nationals' hardest-thrown assist of the season. It also was Schwarber's 31st outfield assist since 2017, the most among left fielders in that time. He ranks ahead of Andrew Benintendi and Eddie Rosario, who are tied for second in the category with 29.
May 11: Phillies 6, Nationals 2 -- Turner's home streak vs. Phils
Trea Turner extended his hitting streak against the Phillies at Nationals Park to 11 games in the series opener. With a 3-for-4 evening (including a home run), Turner is batting .429 vs. the NL East rivals during this stretch, which dates back to June 20, 2019.
May 9: Yankees 3, Nationals 2 -- Season-high 7 K's for Ross
Right-hander Joe Ross set a season high by recording seven strikeouts in his start against the Yanks. That was his highest mark since fanning eight on Sept. 29, 2019, against the Indians.
May 8: Yankees 4, Nationals 3 (11 innings) -- Max hits 10 K's for 100th time
It took just four innings and 14 batters for Max Scherzer to notch 10 strikeouts. It marked the 100th time in his career that he struck out 10 or more batters in a game.
May 7: Nationals 11, Yankees 4 -- Turner's clutch RBI single
With an RBI single to give the Nationals a 4-3 lead over the Yankees in a turnaround eighth inning, Trea Turner recorded his sixth career go-ahead or game-winning hit in the eighth inning and beyond. It was his first such hit since belting a walk-off double against the Marlins on July 2, 2019.
May 6: Braves 3, Nationals 2 -- Lester reaches K milestone
With his strikeout of Drew Smyly in the third inning, veteran Jon Lester became just the 17th left-hander in Major League history to record 2,400 career strikeouts. Playing in his 16th season, he ranks fifth among all active pitchers in the category.
May 5: Braves 5, Nationals 3 -- Opponents' consecutive grand slams
The Nationals allowed grand slams on back-to-back days for the first time in team history, when Erick Fedde gave up a bases-loaded shot to Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna on Wednesday. Less than 24 hours prior, Tanner Rainey surrendered a slam to Atlanta starting pitcher Huascar Ynoa.
May 4: Braves 6, Nationals 1 -- Held without XBH
For the first time since June 13, 2019, the Nationals did not tally an extra-base hit at Nationals Park. Washington recorded five singles, including two by Trea Turner.
May 2: Nationals 3, Marlins 1 -- Zimmerman hits 39th HR vs. Marlins
Ryan Zimmerman has had the Marlins' number over his 16-year Major League career. On Sunday, his Statcast-projected 430-foot shot was his 39th career home run vs. Miami -- his highest total against any opponent.
May 1: Nationals 7, Marlins 2 -- Saturday the best day for Nats' bats
The Nationals entered Saturday averaging 3.65 runs per game, but there has been something special about that day of the week for their offense. With seven runs against the Marlins, the Nationals have scored at least five in all four games played on a Saturday this season.