Giants silence Nationals in Washington D.C.
Anthony Desclafani refused to fall behind on Friday night, pouring in first-pitch strikes to 24 of the 28 batters he faced in a complete-game shutout to lead the Giants to a 1-0 victory over the Nationals in Washington, D.C.
The victory improved the Giants’ record to a majors’-best 39-23.
From his first pitch of the game, Desclafani appeared to settle into a rhythm the Nationals couldn’t shake him out of. His fastball climbed into the mid-90s, darting in and around the zone to set up offspeed pitches that caused the Washington hitters to flail.
Desclafani allowed just two hits and a walk, lowering his ERA to 3.09 and upping his record to 6-2. The performance marked his second shutout of the season.
Nationals ace Max Scherzer exited with an apparent injury after throwing just 12 pitches Friday.
Even when the Nationals appeared to gain
momentum against Desclafani, the defense was quick to snuff it out. In the fourth inning, the Giants turned a double play to eliminate a leadoff single. It turned another double play in the fifth to erase a leadoff walk. The Giants’ most important defensive play came in the seventh, when left fielder Mike Tauchman raced back to the wall, jumped and robbed what would have been a game-tying home run off the bat of the Nationals’ Juan Soto.
Desclafani’s pitching was so dominant it got his team past a lackluster offensive performance in which it did not record a hit after the fourth inning.
The five relievers who followed Scherzer allowed the Giants just four hits and struck out 10.
San Francisco’s lone run came in the fourth when catcher Buster Posey hit a towering solo home run to left that barely eluded left fielder Kyle Schwarber’s glove. It was Posey’s 11th home run of the season.
While the Giants couldn’t do much against the Nationals’ bullpen, it enters today’s doubleheader with a clear advantage. In addition to facing what should be a taxed Washington bullpen, they are expected to start their ace, righty Kevin Gausman, in the first game before turning it over to an extremely well-rested bullpen that hasn’t been used since Wednesday.
Friday’s news/notes
• There was no immediate report on Scherzer’s condition. Scherzer got Giants leadoff hitter Lamonte Wade Jr. to fly out for the first out of the game. Brandon Belt was up next and Nationals manager Dave Martinez and trainer Paul Lessard went out to the mound after Scherzer threw a 96 mph fastball that made the count 3-2.
Scherzer got down and squatted, then stretched from side to side before throwing one pitch in front of Martinez and Lessard. Scherzer left after that warmup throw.