WASHINGTON -- The air wasn’t the only hot thing in D.C. on Sunday afternoon.
With temps in the 90s, over 10 degrees above average for mid-June in the nation’s capital, the Nationals took the field for their rubber match vs. the Mariners seeking a series win.
Despite the heat -- and James Wood’s fifth leadoff homer of the year -- it took until the fourth inning for Washington to get going. But boy, did they get hot.
The Nats brought 10 batters to the plate in one inning for the sixth time this season, posting a five-run fourth en route to a 10-1 win over the Mariners.
“[That inning] was a lot of fun,” Wood said. “I feel like once one person scores, then we’re able to get more and more guys on base -- and it happened pretty quick. So I mean, it was a lot of fun.”
Washington’s 11th series win in 16 sets since April 26 was also the latest demonstration of the strides the Nationals’ offense has taken this season, leading the Majors in runs (392) and RBIs (371). A lot of the growth at the plate is thanks to the new coaching staff, but the players’ responsiveness to the new coaching philosophies has a lot to do with it, too.
“Our lineup, one through nine today, I thought did a really good job of contributing,” manager Blake Butera said, “especially in that fourth inning, but the entire game, you know? Just kept passing the bat back to the next guy, and the baserunning was really good. We put a ton of pressure on them defensively, and it was a lot of fun to be a part of.”
The Nats kicked off their fourth-inning rally with five straight hits -- two doubles scattered amongst three singles -- before a fielder’s choice (no out) broke up the streak. Now, when we dive deeper into those plate appearances, that’s when the real growth is apparent.
The frame opened with a double from Dylan Crews, who took two balls before swinging (and whiffing) on an out-of-zone sinker. With a hitter-friendly 2-1 count, Crews had some freedom to wait for his pitch, though he didn’t wait long. Mariners starter Emerson Hancock, looking to capitalize, tossed a similar sinker just slightly closer to the plate, and Crews lined it into left field.
Next up was CJ Abrams, who also took two balls before singling a middle-down sinker up the middle. With two on and Hancock on his heels, he was forced to turn to his four-seamer -- which Keibert Ruiz, Daylen Lile and Nasim Nuñez each connected with for first-pitch RBI knocks (a single, a double and another single, respectively).
“He was attacking with the fastball early in the game, and I guess everybody saw that,” Ruiz said, “and just started swinging the second time through [the order], and we got good results.”
“[Swing decisions are] definitely something that we put a big emphasis on,” Wood said. “We had an idea that he threw a lot of strikes, filled up the zone -- especially with the fastball. So I think guys were just ready to hit but also not trying to do too much. Just getting their pitch and being ready to go. … You want to be ready to go on your pitch, but just knowing what is your pitch and what isn’t.”
One more run came across on a fielder’s choice from Jorbit Vivas -- on a first-pitch changeup -- before the Mariners were able to record an out.
Even later, when Ruiz launched a solo homer in the seventh, or when Jacob Young and Wood hit RBI doubles in the eighth, it was more of the same “every man” mentality that has been so successful for Washington this year. That success is translating, both on the field and in the standings, and the Nats are more than happy to keep the ball rolling.
“We’ve played some series against some really good teams and been able to come out on top,” Wood said, “so just knowing that we can play with anybody.”
“It feels good,” Ruiz said when asked about his own streak of hot hitting. “I feel like it’s gonna get contagious. Like when everybody’s having good results and the energy is there, we just gotta keep going.”