CJ Abrams kept Washington’s weekend rolling with a statement performance on Sunday, and the Nationals’ shortstop is suddenly piling up numbers at a ridiculous pace. Abrams went deep twice and drove in three runs in the Nats’ series-clinching win, with his first homer tying the game in the third inning and his second giving Washington a lead it never gave back.
He’s now up to seven home runs since the All-Star break, a total that’s more than seven teams - the Blue Jays, Orioles, Mariners, Twins, White Sox, Cardinals and Angels. Abrams also added to his RBI total over the weekend, pushing his season mark to 82 and moving five ahead of the next-closest players, Yordan Alvarez and Jordan Walker.
That surge helped Washington take two of three from Arizona and trim the Diamondbacks’ edge for the final NL Wild Card spot to one game.
Out in Milwaukee, Jacob Misiorowski put together another eye-popping outing and added a few more lines to his growing season of absurdity. The Brewers right-hander struck out the first seven Rockies he faced, setting a franchise record, before Troy Johnston’s flyout in the third inning finally stopped the streak.
Misiorowski then fanned the next five hitters he saw. He also threw 66 of his 83 pitches at 100+ mph, breaking his own record.
Colorado’s lone big swing came from Cole Carrigg, who ended the perfect-game bid with a home run in the fifth inning off a 102 mph heater. That was the fastest pitch a Rockie has homered off in the pitch tracking era.
Arizona now heads to Pittsburgh with the playoff picture tightening around it. The Pirates are right there behind the Diamondbacks, and they avoided a sweep by salvaging a game against the Cubs on Sunday.
Among the teams chasing that third Wild Card spot, Pittsburgh owns the best run differential at +40, with Washington next at +30. Arizona sits at -3.
Mitch Keller is set to face Merrill Kelly on Monday.
In Other News...
Ketel Marte Just Sent Diamondbacks Fans Into Panic Mode
Ketel Martes social media activity has been enough to send Diamondbacks fans into a frenzy, with the All-Star infielder removing Arizona-related content from his Instagram and unfollowing the teams account. In a sport where even small digital breadcrumbs can set off a wave of speculation, the timing has naturally invited questions about what it might mean for one of the clubs most important players.
Martes situation carries extra weight because of his 10-and-5 rights, which give him veto power over any trade involving him. For now, neither Marte nor the Diamondbacks has said anything publicly, leaving the fan base to read into the silence while wondering whether this is just a social media reset or something far more significant. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Just Got Pushed Back Into A Familiar Deadline Reality
A loss to the Nationals did more than just sting in the standings for Arizona. It also underscored how quickly the rotation questions can come back into focus when the club leans on young arms, with rookie lefties Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake both getting the ball in back-to-back games and both having rough outings. For a team trying to stay in the race, those are the kinds of nights that can send the front office back to the same familiar place as the deadline gets closer.
Torey Lovullo pointed to the critical moments in Drakes start and the need to slam the door after the offense had done its part, which is exactly the sort of issue the Diamondbacks have to weigh now. The pitching market is still the obvious area to watch, and Arizona has already been tied to possible upgrades while also sorting through longer-range decisions elsewhere on the roster, including interest in keeping Gabriel Moreno in the fold. [Read more 🡒]