Irvin Strikes Out 9 in Extra Inning Win

Walter Sports Bar is a great place for the family to grab a bite to eat before going into the ballpark. $5 kids meals from 4 to 7 pm with the purchase of an adult meal. Walter's is located across the street from Nationals Park. Here comes the 1-0. Swing a line drive off the middle of base in an left center field for Nassim Nunez. House scores, Lyle's speeds home, Hill's score, and the Nationals lead to the nothing. No walls to strikes. The German delivers. Kerbal swinging a miss. He got him, foul-tipped into the mid. Three more Kerbals in a row and another strikeout. Number 9 for Jay Kerbal. He's got three strikeouts in the inning. Yeah, it feels great. You know, we've had really good game plans. And I think that just being able to execute, go out there and say on the offensive, it's made things. Base is loaded, no outs. Long set, the O2 pitch. In the dirt gets away from the catcher. What's trying to score? The throw from Roma will not be made. Woodscore standing up as the ball got away from the catcher. And the Nationals take the lead. Three to two. Here's the set. There they go, the pitch. Swing a crowd ball toward the whole right side. Base hit, in the right field. Garcia scores. Lyle will come in behind the score, and over the third is Joey Weemer. It's a four-RBID for Nassim Nunez. And the Nationals lead at six to two here in the tenth. And welcome to Nass Chat. Amal Galdi hosted the Al Galdi podcast. I'm joined by Washington Nationals insider Mark Zuckerman of NATSjournal.com. He is at rate field where the Nass just had yet another extra inning game. The Nass in Amal B's 2026 regular season now have played 28 games. Five of them have been extra inning games. But this latest one was a win. A 6-3-10 inning win at the Chicago White Sox on Saturday in game two of a three game series. A game in which the Nass blew a two-nothing eighth inning lead. But scored four runs in the top of the tenth. The Nass now are 12 and 16, including two and three in extra inning games. And the Nass now are one game away from their first off day since April 9. This run of 17 consecutive days each with a game will end on Sunday, assuming that there is no rain out, but a game on Sunday and then the off day on Monday. This of course has been a grueling run filled with wild back and forth and lengthy games. But a good win on Saturday to snap a three game losing streak. And as big as anything in the win, the work of starting pitcher, Jay Gervin. There was a lot to this game for sure. But you know, you take a step back. What Irvin did in this game should not be discounted. Five and two-third schoolers innings nine strikeouts, no walks. Maybe slash probably the best outing by in that starting pitcher so far. This season, I know that that's not saying much. But Mark, so good to see Jay Gervin be so good. Yeah, and I think the key here out, we had seen at different times so far this month. Maybe he would get off to a good start, but couldn't finish it. Or maybe he'd get off to a rough start, but would look better over the course of the game. This was the first time he put it all together, start to finish, and it was electric. He really had the white socks eating out of his hand, the entire start. And to see him, I think get better as the game went on, striking guys out, and taking advantage of the conditions. We'll get to this, but the shadows here in Chicago for especially those middling of the game made it really tough for hitters to pick up the spin of the ball. And you saw Irvin and then later on Mitchell Parker take full advantage of that by essentially throwing nothing but breaking balls and striking guys out nonstop as a result of it. So I think it's a huge game for Irvin. The team needed it. He needed it. You hope that it's not just confined to this one game against this particular opponent and that he can take this and run with it. But I think it was really good to see that it is still in there for him. He does have the ability to have to put together a dominant start, not just a quality start, but a dominant start. And as we have discussed, this is part of the new approach from J. Gervin, trying to throw more strikes, not being so caught up and trying to eat as many innings as possible. But let me focus more on quality than quantity. And in this game, you got quality. Like we said, five and two-thirds scoreless, nine strikeouts. No walks. I mean, that right there just is so beautiful. Gave up just four hits. They were a double and three singles. He threw a ton of strikes, 88 pitches, 62 strikes, just 26 balls. So a strike to balls ratio of better than two to one. And you hit on the curveball usage and you asked manager Blake Butteur about this during his post game session with you guys. But Erwin, who we know has a curveball that he likes to throw, he first at casts used the curveball more than any other pitch. 32 of the 88 pitches were curveballs. And that next with the conditions at rate field did some really good things for him. And that rate kept going up over the course of the game. I'm pretty sure his last six pitches were all curveballs and they were all strikes for the final two strikeouts. And he admitted that he was picking up on this idea that hearing from their own hitters, that they couldn't see the spin on the ball. You had basically the plate in shadows. You had the mound kind of in between shadow and sunlight. And the backdrop, the hitter, the batter's eye in center field, was in sunlight. And so they could not pick up the spin and he decided, okay, this is working. I'm going to keep throwing it over and over and over. And you saw the result. They couldn't touch it. So he finishes with five straight strikeouts. One of them actually the batter reaches on a past ball that wasn't his fault. That was Cabe at Ruiz. I know he would have loved Devashad at one more and having the rare four strikeout ining. In the sixth, he wasn't given that opportunity because Butera came out there and removed him and brought him Mitchell Parker. Now Parker also struck out the first batter that he faced. So the team got the four strikeout ining. But good to see not just the stuff and how effective that was, but that he was able to figure some things out along the way and make adjustments. And that goes to Cabe at Ruiz as well in the coaching staff. And everybody to pick up on something that was working and decide, we're not just going to like focus on this. We're just going to throw exclusively this until they prove otherwise. And it was absolutely dominant the way that he finished out the start because of that. Well, Jake Orvin now is a veteran, right? I mean, this is age 29 season, 2023 was when we first saw him at the Major League level. So he's been pitching at the Major League level for a few years now. And you know, let's be honest, if this was a win now team, there's a decent chance he wouldn't be starting for this team. Like he was really bad last season and that he's in this rotation still as a function in large part because of what else is on the team here. So he's being given sort of an extra life here. But I was really happy to see him do well. He did an interview with Alexa dad after the game on the nationals.tv and Irvin, he just he looked so happy. He started laughing at one point. Like I just, I felt good for him because you know, this has to be tough. He had a horrible 2025 season. Like you really can't overstate that quantifiably he may have been the worst pitcher in the sport last year. And so to see him have an outing like this, he has been better this season. Has it been great? But he has been better to see him do as he did in this game. Just it was like really a few good performance for a guy who I think in a lot of ways needed that. He takes the losses hard. You can tell and not just because of how he does, but how the team does. So it wasn't just that he pitched as well as he did, but the fact that team ultimately won the game, you know, he didn't get the quote unquote win himself because the bullpen gave up the two nothing lead, but the fact that they did come back to win the game and he had such a big contribution to it. I think that matters to him more than anything else. This is a guy who believes that he should be a member of a good rotation in the big leagues. You're correct that in other situations, he may not have gotten this opportunity to come back this year. The way things went last season. But I think deep down he believes he can do this. He's seen himself do it enough over the course of these three seasons now that he's been here to believe that that he has that in him. He just needs to show it consistently that he can do it. And as I said, you know, avoid the first inning troubles, but also avoid the later inning troubles. You mentioned it. He came into the season with this whole new mindset. I'm just attacking hitters. It doesn't matter how far I go in the game. I'm going to give everything I've got as long as I've got. Well, look what happened. Not just the fact that he didn't walk about her, but he struck out nine in the process. So it's funny what just a mindset and go after them approach can do for you. It can not only allow you to have success, but actually dominate and do so in a way that you're still out there into the sixth inning when maybe the mindset previously of trying to give them innings wouldn't actually lead the more innings out of him. Irvin stats now six games all starts. ERA 485 whip of one 18. But how about this 34 strikeouts in 29 and two thirds innings his strikeouts per nine innings now at 10.31 higher. In fellow starting pitcher, Cade Cavalli's 10.2 to 10.31 strikeouts per nine innings for J.Gurvin. That is drastic improvement from where he had been. That is an excellent strikeouts per nine innings. And we talked in spring training about, yeah, you'd love to see the big name guys come through for them this year, but one of the key signs of the new administration and whether they were making a positive difference or not is. Can they take the guys who maybe had some success up here, but not consistently and maybe regressed somewhat in the last year or two, can they get more out of them? And I think J.Gurvin is maybe at the top of that list and I put Mitchell Parker in that same category. Now Parker's pitching out of the bullpen now a little bit different, but he is having some success that he didn't have last. year and certainly Irvin by upping the strike out raid, by taking this new approach that he's got going out there and just giving whatever he's got for as long as he's got it. There's a long way to go, but there are signs there that this could be some real progress for him. And I think that's a reflection, a positive reflection not just for him, but for the organization as a whole, being able to get the most out of somebody who maybe a year ago looked like a lost cause. So it's nothing into runners-leads second and first. Parker fires. Slider struck about swinging. Mitchell Parker strikes about on three pitches where a commie comes up empty on the slider. Mitchell Parker's slider a big time pitch for back-to-back three pitch strikeouts to end the seventh. Then that's both pen in this six three 10 inning win at the White Sox on Saturday. Four natural levers combined to allow three runs to earned in four and a third innings as once again. Then that's both pen was a bit of a problem. Mitchell Parker officially allowed two runs in one and a third innings. He recorded three swinging strikeouts, but he also issued two walks and a hit by pitch and gave up a single. Gus Varlin officially tossed a scoreless inning, came into the game, five out of the eighth runners-on first and second. No outs. That's up to nothing. He in the inning were tired three the four batters he faced, but he on the first pitch that he threw gave up an RBI single by everson Pereira through the left side of the infield to cut the nets lead to two one. See no Perez. He tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth. Despite issuing a lead off walk and issuing a two out walk 22 pitches a mere 11 strikes versus 11 balls, but it was a scoreless bottom of the ninth. Perez got a big strikeout and it was Brad Lorde who was brought into the game to close it out and he did close the game out. Bottom of the tenth allowed an honor and run in retiring three of the four batters he faced. What do you think about Lorde being a summon to pitch that bottom of the tenth? You know, the four run lead helped. Now, I mean, he was already warming up before they extended the lead. So I think he was going to come in regardless. But I think that was a case of Blake butera saying, I need a guy who I can put out there for multiple innings. So I think he was probably trying to stay away from Clayton Beater. And this one, not that Beater couldn't have come in and pitched one in. But I think Beater realizing extra innings is just saying to himself, let me put the long man out there. And he's going to go probably as long as this game goes and I'm not going to burn up anybody else over the course of the game. So I know the numbers for the bullpen as a whole maybe didn't look great in this one. But I thought it was a positive performance from them. Parker, as I said, came in to replace Irvin got the strikeout to complete the four strike out inning only the second four strike out inning in Nationals history. The previous one, I don't remember this one. John Rouch back in 2006. One day off, it happened on April 26th of 2006, we're one day away from being the 20th anniversary of that. How about that? So Parker did that. He comes back and has a scoreless seventh. Now he got in trouble in the eighth lead off walk. Then he hit by pitch and he's out of there and then Gus Varlind allows both runners to score. The three runs at the White Sox scored in this game were all scored by guys who reached base via something other than a hit. It was a walk, a hit batter and then the automatic runner in the 10th. So it was actually, in my mind, a pretty good job by the Nationals pitching staff, not just Irvin, but the relievers as well. They weren't giving up hits. The only times they were really burned in this one was when they give free passes and that's just the walk and the hit by pitch by Parker to open the eighth. But I thought overall he was good and I thought the rest of the guys did a pretty good job. Both things considered that White Sox certainly didn't beat them offensively. It was only the Nationals pitching staff maybe handing the White Sox a couple of those runs. John Roush who actually was drafted by the Chicago White Sox six foot 11 for those unfamiliar with the work of John Roush. He is the tallest pitcher the Nats have had since the franchise moved here. Nobody's come close to that, have they? No, and he was for a while the tallest pitcher in Major League history. I think there was a seven footer that surpassed him one of those years since then. Yeah, he was a huge physical presence who didn't pitch necessarily like you would expect somebody that big. He was not a hard thrower, but he was an effective reliever for them for several years. Teaming up with Chad Cordero for some of that time to be the set up man and eventually even the closer for a little bit. Yeah, that's right, though. I forgot he was drafted by the White Sox and wound up going to the expose and then moving along with the team to DC. I'd game offensively for the Nats in this 6 3 10 inning win at the White Sox on Saturday. So the Nats had just six hits, which were a double in five singles. The Nats struck out 15 times, but the Nats drew a whopping 10 walks and went three for 12 with runners in scoring position. The Nats struggled against the White Sox starting pitch or Noah Schultz. He's a guy who Chicago took with the number 26 overall pick in the 2022 M will be first year player draft out of a high school in Illinois. This was just his third career M will be regular season game and start and he was good to run six innings aged right now, though he did issue four walks and the rate at which the Nats are drawing walks really is something right now. I actually talked about this a few episodes ago. The Associated Press on Thursday morning had an interesting piece on this. The walk rate across M will be has shot up and the theory is that ABS has a lot to do with that. You know, who knows if that's true and of course we'll see as the season goes on if the walk rate stays high. But you know, the Nats are not known for drawing walks and that they are drawing walks at the rate at which the team is drawing walks. I mean, it really stands out. You know, multiple double digit walk games here in recent days. It just really is staggering. But anyway, 10 walks in this game and the offensive hero for the Nats. I said this was an odd game for the team offensively. The offensive hero not seem Nunez. He is an at starting shortstop and number eight batter two for four, two two run singles and a walk also had a stolen base. But how about Nunez in this game two run fourth, a two out two run single in the left center for a two nothing Nats lead. And in a four run tenth for the Nats, Nunez had the big blow, a two out four count two run single through the right side of the infield for a six two Nats lead. Now that four run tenth was something because you had the Nats getting on base and scoring and doing damage in all kinds of ways. But eventually you got sort of a proper scoring of a run. In this case, proper scoring of multiple runs with Nunez with the two run single coming right after a Joey Weemer bases loaded walk and also James Wood earlier in the inning scoring on a wild pitch. Yeah, look, it's pretty much been all week that they have struggled with runners in scoring position. Even the games they've won, even when they have put up big numbers, it's often been in spite of the fact that they were stranding a ton of runners in scoring position. And so for them to finally break that a little bit here and for it to be Nunez of all people to do it arguably the weakest offensive player on the team that was very nice to see. And you know, that meant a lot to Nats, Nunez. Look, he is a tremendous defensive infielder. He's an elite base runner. He makes positive contributions to this team even when he has an OPS that starts with a five, which I think is what it was coming into this game. And yet if he can do anything like he did in this game and just come through a little bit for them at the plate with twice delivering two out two run singles, it makes him all the more valuable. He doesn't have to be an elite hitter to be a really big productive player for this team. The other parts of this game are so good, he just needs to come through in situations where they need it from him. And this game was a perfect example of that delivering two really big hits when they absolutely needed both of those. So the OPS now is at 505. I mean, it really is puny. And you know, it seems like it should be higher because as we have discussed, it feels like Nunez has contributed offensively like it feels like we've talked about them a good amount offensively in terms of oh, Nunez had a hit, Nunez drew a walk, Nunez did good things on the base paths. But yeah, I mean, it's ugly his batting numbers. And you know, this is a Michael A Taylor Danny Esponosa Jacob Young conversation where you're like, if he can just hit a little bit, this is a guy who could really be valuable for you. But when you're hitting to the tune of a 505 OPS, it's just so tough. So you'd love to see him get that thing higher. And really, you know, he's got to get that. It's got to be in the 600s at least when you're in the 500s man, that is tough. But good to see him do this. It just again, it was a strange game. So just to go back to the walks for a second, the Nats for all of last regular season had 443 walks. The Nats over just 28 games here have 108 walks. So nearly a quarter of the walk total for all of last season has been achieved in just 28 games this season. That is not something anyone anticipated. You know, when we talk about like the improved offense, I think the uptick in walks is if not the biggest factor, it's certainly a major factor. And it's a factor that I don't know that anyone really saw coming. I think it's the number one difference so far. And I include not just walks, but just plate discipline in general. How often last year did we see guys making outs on the first pitch? Did we see them falling behind? Oh, two all the time and giving other teams pictures really quick innings, you know, starting pictures who'd get to the seventh inning and they're still with a pitch count in the 70s. You're just not seeing that happens at least so far. This year, I think the approach has been tremendously better. I think it is making big difference. It's not just James would see James has been better. Brady House has been better. Dalyle has been good. You know, Nunez for his offensive floss does have a good eye. That makes a difference. Some of the role players have done it as well. So you know, I think that's a big factor. I think that's a big factor. I think that's a big I think it's actually huge. I think more even than the home runs they're hitting, the plate discipline leading to longer at bats, longer innings, knocking starting pictures out earlier, I think that all has a cumulative effect and is making a big difference. And, you know, what you were saying the other day about the walks being up and maybe tied to ABS, I believe that 100 percent because if you think about it, most umpires, especially in recent years, the last 10, 20 years, were known for having a strike zone that's wider than the actual plate itself. And those calls are no longer, you know, strikes. Now, if it just nicks a tiny part of the outer edge of the plate as we've seen, it's going to be a strike. But all those pitches that are, you know, slightly off or a ball or two, even a few inches off the plate, if they're getting called strikes, hitters are challenging them, and that's overturning them. And I absolutely believe that the increase in walks across baseball, that ABS has a huge part to do with it. That's by the way for now, 14 position players versus 12 pitchers, Andres Chaparo on Saturday morning was recalled from Triple A Rochester. And he for this game on Saturday was not only the Nats starting first baseman. He was the team's number three batter, only the 2026 Nats have as their number three batter, a guy who the team just called up from Triple A. But this is the new normal for this team with this process with this roster. And remember, they demoted him after he was their number two batter. I think in two of the seasons first three games, and he did well, it was like two for six with a double. This was specifically a match up thing with Noah Schultz. They felt like Chaparo matched up extremely well with Schultz, and that's why they wanted him up here. And in the lineup and in a prominent spot. And I didn't have success. He hit a ball to the warning track in the first inning and then grounded out a couple of times before he was replaced by Luis Garcia. So maybe didn't have the impact they were hoping for, but that was the intention. This was specifically about this game at this point. As we're recording this, he's still on the roster. I don't think they'll stick with 14 position players for too long, but they probably got through this okay to get by with the bullpen as is, but eventually they're going to need to add another reliever. And they're kind of running out of arms that we haven't already seen this year. So I would imagine we're going to get to a point here where there are going to be relievers called up who we've already seen in one previous thing so far this year. It's like a comedian who's already told us all of his jokes and you're like, I've heard that already, but that's kind of with an at-sort with the relief pitchers right now. You know, it's like, we've seen that guy already. Well, yeah, but what do you want me to do? It's only April and we still have a long way to go here. No new material. Yeah, exactly. Need new material. We're windmills the bat around and around. I cocks it behind his ear. The set for leisure. Three to the count. The runners go here. It comes low ball for we were tosses the bat away. Mead will jog in and score and the nationals take a four to lead here in the 10th inning. Last game before the off day on Monday. It is game three of the series at the White Sox to 10 first pitch on Sunday afternoon. And the guy who has been the Nats Aso for foster Griffin will get the start. Could it be that we get back to back well pitch games by Nats starting pitchers to conclude this series. Jake Irvin outstanding on Saturday. We'll see what foster Griffin gives us on Sunday afternoon. That would be lovely. And of course, you had a couple days go Kate Cavali with his best start against the Braves. This could turn into a very nice turn through the rotation. Now I think it's a good matchup for Griffin, the White Sox, not all that intimidating of an offensive team. I think as we've seen beyond Murakama, the huge power hitter they've acquired. In the age of 35,000 of this game they announced it was their largest April crowd for a non-home opener since I think it was 2007. Murakami is capturing the attention of the Southside of Chicago and for good reason. He's a real force up there. But that's a lefty on lefty matchup. I'm guessing we'll have to look into this going into Sunday. I'm guessing that he's faced Griffin before in Japan. And so for the first time since he's come back, maybe Griffin doesn't have the advantage of unfamiliarity. I'll be interested to hear about whatever their history was if we can figure it out and talk to Griffin after the game on Sunday. But I do think it's a good matchup for him in general. They would be really nice to see him come through with another good start. And if the Nats can win that game, big if, but if they can. This 17 game stretch that we've been talking about for so long with no off days, they would come out of that nine and eight. I think all things considered, everybody would be thrilled if that was the end result of that with all the roster changes and extra inning games and lack of off days. Even at eight and nine, you feel all right about it. Nine and eight, I think you feel really good about the way they came through this stretch. Yeah. I mean, it's not right to do what I'm about to say. But the Nats had that losing streak very early on, right? It was a five game losing streak. If you just take that out, the team's having a pretty good season. Okay. Now, I know you can play this game with every team. Understand that. Just take out that five game losing streak for games played March 31st through April 5th. You're talking about the record being 12 and 11 and all things considered like you're talking about things going not just kind of well, but actually really well. Even with the record as is, I'd still say things are actually going pretty well. All things considered here, but safe for that losing streak. Then that's actually been decent here. Yeah. I don't take it a step farther. It's not as simple as just saying like, oh, if not for that losing streak, think about it. How many of those losses, I think it was at least three of them were direct result of a bullpen blow up at the end, like games they led late. If they just hold on, then they win those games. So a good number of the Nats losses this season have been competitive games that they led late. And it was only because of their bullpen that they lost it. So yes, there is a lot of encouraging stuff. And I think what makes the losses more frustrating than maybe they've even been in recent years is because this realization of they're probably better than we thought they would be. And they have actually put themselves in a position to play very competitive baseball and hover around if not over the 500 mark. If they just did a couple little things better, most notably the bullpen, but the base running mistakes and things like that, it doesn't feel like they're that far off from being a very competitive team. And so when they do lose a game that feels like a game they should have won, I think it hurts more now than it did in the past. I think the expectation bars been raised a little bit. And that's a good sign in the bigger picture. Well, what's going to be so interesting is is there a market correction with the offense? Does it regress to the mean? Does it come crashing back down to earth or is this what the offense truly is? You know, it's one thing to be good offensively over 30, 35 games. It's another thing to do well over the 162. And I think that might be the single biggest question right now regarding this team this season, how legitimate is this offense, which overall has performed at such a high level, because if the offense is legit, if we do see this for most, if not all of the season, then yeah, I think the conversation very much changes because you're talking about one of the best offenses in MLB here so far. All right, we have a shout out to deliver a happy birthday, Charlie from your parents Ken and Kathy texting during that games keeps the family connected despite the out of town distance. Charlie listens to the podcast every morning on his commute as he is the town manager just outside of Charlottesville, his wife and two little girls of both of whom or Nat's fans are the light of his life. Have a great day, Charlie. Yes, sir. Happy birthday, Charlie. And thank you very much for that. Ken and Kathy all nationals radio highlights on that chat or courtesy of one of six seven the fan. We always love hearing from you. You can hit us up on exit, Nat's underscore chat. You could find us on blue sky at Nat's chat podcast and you can email the show, including if you would like for a shout out to be delivered for you for someone who you care about, contact the man who runs the show Tim show versus the email address, Nat's chat podcast at gmail.com on Nat's chat is on the radio Sunday morning nine to 10 on ESPN Richmond, which is one of six point one FM and the Richmond Virginia area and Sunday morning nine to 10 on ESPN radio 94.1 in the Virginia Beach area for Mark Superman on our quality. Thank you for listening and we'll talk to you next time on the Nat's chat podcast. >> Lord coming set the runner on the move. The pitch swinging a crown ball toward short. Nunez has it appropriately. Not Seenuria throws on to first to end the ball game. Nationals even the series with a six three win in tenetings. Seenuria drives in four the national six. The national scored four big runs at the top of the 10. They score a six three win over the white socks. We'll look to win the series tomorrow. (soft music)