Nationals Let Late Lead Slip as Cardinals Rally for 5-3 Win

The Washington Nationals appeared headed toward a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon before a disastrous eighth inning changed the game.

Washington carried a one-run lead into the bottom of the eighth, but Iván Herrera hit his second home run of the afternoon and Leo Bernal followed with the decisive two-run blast as St. Louis rallied for a 5-3 victory at Busch Stadium. The loss dropped Washington to 73-83, while St. Louis improved to 76-80.

The defeat spoiled another strong outing from Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin and prevented Washington from completing the sweep after taking the first two games of the series, 9-1 and 8-5. Washington still won the series and has won six of its last eight games.

Cardinals Strike First

St. Louis wasted little time getting on the scoreboard.

Herrera gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when he connected against Irvin for a solo home run. The blast left the bat at 107.5 mph and traveled 375 feet, providing an early indication that Herrera was going to be difficult for Washington to contain.

The Nationals answered immediately in the second inning.

Daylen Lile and Harry Ford delivered consecutive one-out singles against Cardinals starter Quinn Mathews. Jacob Young followed by lifting a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Lile to score and tying the game at 1-1.

St. Louis moved back in front in the third. José Fermín opened the inning with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch before JJ Wetherholt singled him home, putting the Cardinals ahead 2-1.

From there, Irvin settled into an impressive rhythm.

Irvin Keeps Washington in It

Irvin delivered exactly the type of start Washington needed.

The right-hander worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing only two runs on three hits while striking out eight. Perhaps most impressively, Irvin did not issue a walk.

After St. Louis scored in the third, Irvin kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard over the next two innings and gave Washington’s offense an opportunity to turn the game around.

The Nationals finally did that in the sixth.

Brady House opened the inning with a single to right field. CJ Abrams then stepped to the plate and launched a two-run home run to right, suddenly turning Washington’s 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 advantage.

It was another big moment in what has developed into an impressive season for Abrams, who continues to provide power near the top of Washington’s lineup.

Washington nearly added another run later in the inning.

Lile doubled down the right-field line with two outs and attempted to stretch the hit into a triple. Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker made an excellent throw to third base to cut him down. Nationals manager Blake Butera challenged the call, but replay confirmed the out.

That play became significantly more important once St. Louis mounted its late comeback.

Nationals Bullpen Cannot Hold the Lead

Washington entered the eighth inning six outs away from completing the sweep.

Instead, the Cardinals needed only one inning to completely reverse the game.

Herrera came to the plate against Erik Tolman and delivered his second home run of the afternoon, tying the game at 3-3. Herrera finished 2-for-4 with two home runs, two RBI and two runs scored.

It was Herrera’s third career multi-home run game and his second of the season.

The inning did not end there.

After Washington recorded the second out, Tolman walked Walker. Yovanny Cruz entered from the bullpen to face Bernal.

Bernal fell into a two-strike count but stayed alive by fouling off three consecutive 1-2 pitches. He eventually won the battle in the biggest possible way, driving a two-run home run to center field that gave St. Louis a 5-3 lead.

It was Bernal’s fifth home run of the season and completed a three-run Cardinals eighth inning.

Washington’s bullpen was charged with its 42nd blown save of the season.

That number helps illustrate one of the biggest issues that has prevented the Nationals from converting more competitive games into victories this season.

Washington Cannot Answer

Luis Gastelum worked a scoreless eighth inning for St. Louis and received the victory, improving to 5-3.

Riley O’Brien then took over in the ninth and retired Washington in order to secure his National League-leading 38th save. Victor Scott II helped O’Brien with a diving catch for the first out of the inning.

Cruz took the loss and dropped to 0-2.

Washington finished with seven hits compared with only six for St. Louis, but the Cardinals produced considerably more damage with theirs. St. Louis hit three home runs and accumulated 16 total bases, while Washington finished with one homer and 11 total bases. Both clubs left four runners on base.

Herrera was unquestionably the difference. His two home runs accounted for two of St. Louis’ five runs, while Bernal’s eighth-inning homer supplied the final two.

Mathews Goes Seven for St. Louis

While Irvin pitched well for Washington, Mathews gave the Cardinals valuable length.

The St. Louis starter completed a career-high seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks.

That allowed Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol to avoid exposing much of his bullpen and ultimately turn the game over to Gastelum and O’Brien for the final two innings.

Washington received strong offensive performances from House and Lile. House collected two hits before being replaced, while Lile went 2-for-4 and scored Washington’s first run.

Young drove in Lile with the second-inning sacrifice fly, while Abrams supplied the Nationals’ other two runs with his sixth-inning homer.

But Washington could not generate anything after taking the lead.

The Nationals went scoreless over the final three innings while St. Louis capitalized on its opportunity in the eighth.

Nationals Still Take the Series

Sunday’s ending was frustrating, but Washington still leaves St. Louis having won two of three.

The Nationals dominated Friday’s opener 9-1 and followed with an 8-5 victory Saturday before the Cardinals avoided the sweep Sunday.

Washington had also entered Sunday having won six of its previous seven games.

For a young club approaching the end of the season, the continued production from players such as Abrams, House and Lile remains important. Irvin’s performance also gave Washington another encouraging starting-pitching outing.

The bullpen remains the concern.

Washington was only six outs away from a sweep and held a 3-2 advantage after seven innings. The offense had done enough, and Irvin had held St. Louis to two runs.

One poor inning erased all of it.

Up Next

The Nationals travel to Detroit to begin a series against the Tigers on Monday night. Detroit right-hander River Ryan is scheduled to make his season debut, while Washington had not announced its starting pitcher as of Sunday evening.

Washington enters the final stretch of the season at 73-83.

MSB Take

This is one the Nationals should have finished.

Jake Irvin gave Washington 5 1/3 strong innings and struck out eight without walking a batter. The offense battled back from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1, and Abrams delivered the biggest swing with his two-run homer in the sixth.

Everything was set up for Washington to finish a sweep.

Instead, another bullpen collapse turned a 3-2 lead into a 5-3 loss in the span of one inning. Herrera’s game-tying homer hurt, but allowing the walk to Walker and then Bernal’s two-run shot made the inning decisive.

The positive is that Washington still took two of three in St. Louis and continues to get meaningful production from several of its younger players. The frustrating part is that Sunday’s game showed exactly how much work remains in building a bullpen capable of consistently protecting late leads.

Washington was good enough to sweep this series.

It just could not finish the job.