Wisenhunt’s fastball fails against Nats
Devers homers in back-to-back games
Carson Whisenhunt’s fastball proved no puzzle for the Washington Nationals on Saturday, as all three of his sinkers that caught too much of the plate turned into home runs. The San Francisco Giants couldn’t overcome the damage, falling 4–2 at Oracle Park. While the loss evened the series at one game apiece, Jung Ho Lee kept his hot bat going, recording a hit for the eighth consecutive game.
The Giants couldn’t carry over the momentum from Friday night’s shutout win. Whisenhunt, making just his fourth big league appearance, was greeted rudely in the first inning when James Wood launched a 354-foot solo shot to left-center to open the scoring. The Nationals struck again in the third, delivering a back-to-back punch: Paul DeJong’s 418-foot homer to center — his third of the year — followed immediately by Josh Bell’s 422-foot blast to left, giving Washington a 3–0 cushion.
Whisenhunt’s afternoon ended after four innings, yielding five hits, three runs, and striking out five. Carson Seymour took over in the fifth and held the line until the sixth, when Wood struck again with an RBI double to center to score Daylen Lile and extend the lead to 4–0.
Offensively, the Giants couldn’t solve Nationals starter Brad Lord. The right-hander, who entered with a 2–6 record, turned in a sharp performance, limiting San Francisco to four hits over six innings, striking out five, and escaping a bases-loaded jam in the third by fanning Willy Adames.
San Francisco didn’t score until the sixth, when Rafael Devers crushed a 418-foot solo homer to center, marking back-to-back games with a long ball for the slugger. The Giants mounted a serious threat in the eighth as Heliot Ramos singled, Devers followed with a base hit, and Adames drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases with one out. Wilmer Flores brought home Ramos with a sacrifice fly, trimming the deficit to 4–2, but J.A. Ferrer struck out Matt Chapman to preserve the Nationals’ lead.
Rookie Drew Gilbert’s quest for his first hit as a Giant continued, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout, while Casey Schmitt and Jung Ho Lee made highlight-reel plays in the field to keep the game close. Reliever Matt Gage tossed two scoreless innings to give the offense a chance, and the Giants put the tying run aboard in the ninth after singles from Lee and pinch-hitter Christian Koss. But Pat Bailey’s ground-ball double play ended the comeback bid.
Lord earned the win to improve to 3–6, while Whisenhunt took his first career loss (1–1). Sunday’s rubber match will feature Mackenzie Gore for the Nationals and veteran Justin Verlander for the Giants, as San Francisco looks to bounce back and keep its NL Wild Card hopes alive.
The Giants couldn’t carry over the momentum from Friday night’s shutout win. Whisenhunt, making just his fourth big league appearance, was greeted rudely in the first inning when James Wood launched a 354-foot solo shot to left-center to open the scoring. The Nationals struck again in the third, delivering a back-to-back punch: Paul DeJong’s 418-foot homer to center — his third of the year — followed immediately by Josh Bell’s 422-foot blast to left, giving Washington a 3–0 cushion.
Whisenhunt’s afternoon ended after four innings, yielding five hits, three runs, and striking out five. Carson Seymour took over in the fifth and held the line until the sixth, when Wood struck again with an RBI double to center to score Daylen Lile and extend the lead to 4–0.
Offensively, the Giants couldn’t solve Nationals starter Brad Lord. The right-hander, who entered with a 2–6 record, turned in a sharp performance, limiting San Francisco to four hits over six innings, striking out five, and escaping a bases-loaded jam in the third by fanning Willy Adames.
San Francisco didn’t score until the sixth, when Rafael Devers crushed a 418-foot solo homer to center, marking back-to-back games with a long ball for the slugger. The Giants mounted a serious threat in the eighth as Heliot Ramos singled, Devers followed with a base hit, and Adames drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases with one out. Wilmer Flores brought home Ramos with a sacrifice fly, trimming the deficit to 4–2, but J.A. Ferrer struck out Matt Chapman to preserve the Nationals’ lead.
Rookie Drew Gilbert’s quest for his first hit as a Giant continued, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout, while Casey Schmitt and Jung Ho Lee made highlight-reel plays in the field to keep the game close. Reliever Matt Gage tossed two scoreless innings to give the offense a chance, and the Giants put the tying run aboard in the ninth after singles from Lee and pinch-hitter Christian Koss. But Pat Bailey’s ground-ball double play ended the comeback bid.
Lord earned the win to improve to 3–6, while Whisenhunt took his first career loss (1–1). Sunday’s rubber match will feature Mackenzie Gore for the Nationals and veteran Justin Verlander for the Giants, as San Francisco looks to bounce back and keep its NL Wild Card hopes alive.
Chongwoo Chang / chongwoo.chang@baynewslab.com
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