The struggles at home continue for the Washington Nationals.
One day after picking up the second home win of the season, the Washington Nationals fell back into the loss column after the Atlanta Braves took game one, 9-4, on Monday night.
Jake Irvin started well as he finished with three earned runs, three hits allowed and one home run along with four strikeouts before picking up his third loss of the season.
For the second straight game, both James Wood and CJ Abrams were held without a hit and struck out while Abrams also walked in his third at bat. Brady House and Drew Millas also both finished with two strikeouts each as the Nationals managed more strikeouts (9) than hits (3) in a quiet night for the offense.
Final: Braves 9, Nats 4. Blake Butera pulled Jake Irvin in the 6th with his pitch count at 68. Atlanta proceeded to score 5 runs off the bullpen (plus 2 more in the 9th).
Yet it would be the Nationals who struck iron first after Jacob Young hit a two out single into right field that drove in CJ Abrams and Brady House while sending Daylen Lile to third.
After consecutive three up, three down innings, Irvin unraveled in the fourth after hitting Robert Acuna Jr - the first of two times by a Nationals pitcher in the loss - before giving up a single. Irvin caught a break with Acuna getting picked off because the Braves answered with a 419 foot home run to center to tie the game at two.
Daylen Lile answered back with a 376 foot solo shot to open the bottom of the fourth inning before another meltdown inning materialized, this time in the sixth.
Irvin's first and final at bat of the game came in the first at bat after a throwing error by Nasim Nunez allowed the leadoff hitter to advance to second. After Acuna was hit again, Atlanta responded with a two-run RBI double with PJ Poulin on the mound to take a lead they would never give back, instead piling onto.
Brad Lord replaced Poulin three batters later and inherited runners on the corners before giving up three consecutive hits, watching the deficit grow to 7-3. James Wood did his part to salvage the scoring effort by robbing a home run over the left field wall without leaving his feet.
update james wood is still tall pic.twitter.com/hlXJ3vkiqQ
CJ Abrams notched the final run of the game courtesy of a Braves throwing error before the Braves added another two runs in the top of the ninth inning, too much for Washington to overcome to fall to 2-8 at home this season.
Washington will look to bounce back on Tuesday with Foster Griffin set to take the mound with opening pitch set for 6:45 PM.