Nationals hit home runs on first two pitches in sweep of Reds

Aug 08, 2023

CINCINNATI — Lyon Richardson’s first pitch Sunday afternoon didn’t come as a surprise. It was the Cincinnati Reds right-hander’s major league debut, after all, so a fastball over the heart of the plate seemed like a given to let him establish himself.

But CJ Abrams handed Richardson a rude awakening by launching the middle-cut fastball into the right field seats at Great American Ball Park. He tossed his bat and looked toward his teammates as Richardson tried to ignore what had just taken place. When Lane Thomas launched the second pitch Richardson threw onto the grassy knoll in center field, the Washington Nationals seemingly had slammed the door in his face. What an inhospitable welcome.

Those home runs sparked a four-run first inning and powered the Nationals to a 6-3 victory, a three-game sweep and their 11th win in 16 games. Washington scored its first series sweep on the road since it took three from the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in August 2019.

Abrams and Thomas became the first Nationals players to hit back-to-back homers on the first two pitches of a game, but it went deeper than that: Over the past 50 years, Richardson, 23, became the only pitcher to allow a home run on each of the first two pitches of his major league career.

“Those guys are the catalysts for us,” Manager Dave Martinez said of Abrams and Thomas. “... They’ve been consistent here so far in getting us going, but overall the team has played really, really well.”

Abrams finished 4 for 5 with two runs and two stolen bases. Thomas had two hits and drove in three. And they showed how impactful they can be for the Nationals (49-63) when working in tandem.

“The momentum goes on to the next guy,” Abrams said. “Me and Lane put energy in the dugout, and it showed today.”

Last time out: Nationals beat Reds again as Joan Adon takes perfect game into sixth

Martinez shifted Abrams to the leadoff spot in the series before the all-star break, and that move has paid dividends — the Nationals are 15-10 since then. In this stretch, Abrams is hitting 34 for 103 (.330) to go with four home runs and 16 stolen bases. He has been more patient at the plate, walking seven times against 16 strikeouts. And he has been more aggressive on the base paths, swiping 24 consecutive bags without getting caught to tie a Nationals record held by Roger Bernadina.

Thomas had been the team’s primary leadoff hitter, and he had played well enough to earn all-star consideration. But he hasn’t been the same hitter since he moved into the No. 2 spot; he was hitting 17 for 88 (.193) with 28 strikeouts in 22 games entering this series. But he broke out here with two homers Friday and two more hits Saturday before Sunday’s early fireworks. He added an RBI double in the fourth and a sac fly in the eighth.

“I feel like every time I come up to the plate, there’s a guy on second and third,” he said. “So it’s always better hitting like that. You don’t have to do as much; you can just put something in play or hit a flyball and it relieves some of the pressure. ... Those guys are making it easy right now.”

After Abrams and Thomas went deep, recent call-up Jake Alu had a two-run double in the first inning to give Washington a 4-0 lead.

Rookie right-hander Jake Irvin didn’t have his best outing; he allowed three runs over 4⅓ innings while striking out six. He gave up two solo home runs — to Joey Votto in a two-run second inning and to TJ Friedl in the third to cut the Nationals’ lead to 4-3. Irvin has allowed 10 home runs in seven starts since July 3. But Andrés Machado cleaned up his mess in the fifth. Robert Garcia followed with two scoreless innings in his Nationals debut before Jordan Weems and Kyle Finnegan each pitched for the third straight day and tossed a scoreless frame apiece. Finnegan secured his 17th save as Cincinnati (59-55) saw its skid reach six.

In a shifting Nats bullpen, Kyle Finnegan has remained the constant

Thomas was arguably the Nationals’ best hitter of the first half. Abrams has arguably been the team’s best hitter in the second half. On Sunday, they helped Washington to its second sweep of the season.

“It makes my job a lot easier when those guys do what they did in the first,” Irvin said. “... Those guys are incredible, and it makes the [opposing] pitcher’s job a lot harder at the top of the order. Those guys are weapons, and it’s fun to watch.”

Before the game, the Nationals reinstated starter Trevor Williams from the bereavement list, optioned reliever Amos Willingham to Class AAA Rochester and requested unconditional release waivers for right-hander Paolo Espino. Williams, who missed his turn in the rotation Saturday, is slated to start Monday at Philadelphia. Josiah Gray, MacKenzie Gore and Patrick Corbin will follow in the four-game series, with each getting an extra day of rest.

Sunday’s move probably ends Espino’s tenure with the Nationals after four seasons. The 36-year-old, who had posted a 24.75 ERA over four innings, was on the injured list with a flexor strain of his right ring finger; Martinez said Washington needed to clear room for other young pitchers.

Also, Washington reinstated catcher Israel Pineda from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Class AA Harrisburg.