Washington Nationals Youngster Could Be Reason Why Atlanta Braves Miss Playoffs
For the fifth straight season, the Washington Nationals aren’t going to be playing playoff baseball, but they are going to have a major impact on how the National League bracket will play out.
They have three games apiece against the New York Mets, Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies.
The Mets are looking to lock down the final Wild Card spot in the NL, and is in a heated battle with the Atlanta Braves. The Royals are battling for seeding in the American League and to avoid being caught by the Detroit Tigers. The Phillies are in the mix for the best record in baseball.
The Nationals will impact all of those races as they embrace the spoiler role down the stretch.
It turns out, that spoiler role has been being played by starting pitcher Jake Irvin all season against the Braves.
On Wednesday, Irvin dominated Atlanta across six innings, helping his team get a 5-1 victory. If the Braves miss out on the postseason, they can point to their lack of success against the Washington hurler as a reason why.
That was the fourth time this season he has faced off against the NL East rival. He is 2-0 with a 1.16 ERA against them, the lowest for a pitcher in a single season who has made at least three starts against Atlanta in franchise history.
“I think we game planned really well for them,” Irvin said after the 5-1 win, via Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. “... Those guys get to see me a lot, but [the] roles [are] reversed as well. Understanding what those guys do and how we can best pitch around them and pitch to them, I think helped out a lot.”
On Wednesday he had a no-hitter going through 5.2 innings before Michael Harris II hit a double. He came in to score on a double from Jorge Soler, but that was all the offense the Braves could muster.
Over 23.1 innings, Irvin has allowed only three earned runs on eight walks and 13 hits with 22 strikeouts.
“He goes out there every five days and he gives us a chance to win games,” said manager Dave Martinez. “He’s been good, especially against the Braves. Today, he really just attacked the strike zone, had a really good fastball, a good two-seamer. … When he attacks the strike zone, he gets quick outs and they don’t see it very well.”
Wednesday’s game was the final time the NL East combatants will face off this season.
Surprisingly, the Nationals went 8-5 in those contests, as that could come back to haunt Atlanta should they not hold off New York in the standings for the final Wild Card spot.
KENNETH TEAPE