Foster Griffin Dazzles, Washington Nationals Down Athletics
· Yahoo Sports
The Washington Nationals have taken the first series of the second half of the season after coming out on top over the Athletics, 5-2, in Sunday's rubber match.
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In his first start since the All Star game and a chance to add to his growing trade value, Foster Griffin allowed one earned run and eight hits against a pair of strikeouts in seven innings and 97 pitches. Sunday also marked Griffin's eighth consecutive start allowing one run or fewer to set a new franchise record.
Curtis Mead got the scoring going in the third inning after driving in Nasim Nunez, who reached base on a leadoff single, but the Athletics tied it up in the bottom of the inning. That would prove to mark the closest the game got until the ninth inning that proved to not threaten the Nationals
In his first series and second game with the Nationals, catcher Harry Ford drove in his fourth RBI to break the tie, driving in Dylan Crews after reaching base on a hit by pitch.
Washington would add to it in the fifth inning after Curtis Mead reached base on a four-pitch at bat, setting up CJ Abrams two batters later for a two run, 422 foot home run into center. Dylan Crews followed it up with his first home run since July 5 after taking an 86 mph slider 362 feet to center for a solo home run to put the Nationals comfortably ahead, 5-1.
Griffin would allow the leadoff batter to reach base in both the sixth and seventh innings, yet got out of both jams to preserve the chance at the road win. Tom Cosgrove would take the mound in the eighth inning in what proved to be a short outing. After a pair of strikeouts opened his appearance, consecutive singles forced manager Blake Butera to turn to Clayton Beeter. A ground out capped off a five pitch at bat to send the game into the ninth inning.
With Beeter still on the mound, the Athletics would get a sliver of life after a five pitch at bat put the second batter on base before a two-out single into center pushed the game to 5-2. But that would be as far as the Athletic would get, cementing the Nationals at .500 through 100 games.
Washington will now head to Colorado to face a struggling Rockies squad for a three game series beginning Monday night.
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