Nationals bounce back, topple Red Sox in series finale, 10-5

 

BOSTON — After two nightmarish games in Boston, the Washington Nationals put together their best all-around game of the season Wednesday, defeating the Red Sox, 10-5.

Gio Gonzalez was steady, the lineup scored runs in bushels off Boston starter Wade Miley and Rafael Martin was spectacular in his first big league appearance. The result was a much-needed win, and momentum as the Nationals headed back to D.C. for a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

THE RUNDOWN: Much like Monday’s series-opener, this one was all but over after three innings. This time, however, the lopsided advantage was in Washington’s favor. After failing to score more than four runs in any of their first seven games, the Nationals put up six runs in an inning for the second consecutive night. They cycled through the batting order in the third inning, with seven players reaching base and six coming around to score. Miley’s erratic control was certainly a factor, but the Nationals did their jobs, too, taking advantage of pitches over the heart of the plate.

THE HIGHLIGHT: Desmond’s homer looked like something you’d see in BP, not the third inning of a major league game. He crushed a 2-2 slider from Miley to left field, clanking it off the AAA Insurance sign atop the “Green Monster” in left field. The sign was the only thing that kept it in the park at all. Desmond has caught a lot of flack for his errors (six in the first eight games of the season), but he’s now had two solid offensive games. He had three hits Tuesday and finished 1-for-4 with the homer and a walk Wednesday.

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STAR OF THE GAME: What an afternoon for Martin. After spending four years working construction, three years in a Mexican baseball league and five years in the minors, he jogged to the mound as the fans at Fenway Park sang “Take Me Out to The Ballgame” to make his major league debut. All he did from there is pitch two scoreless innings, striking out five batters in a row. Couldn’t ask for much more from a big-league debut.

THE TAKEAWAY: The first eight games of the season, and the first two games of this series in particular, served as a repeating reminder of Washington’s flaws. The lineup can go cold, especially when it loses a few key pieces. The bullpen and defense can be shaky. But Wednesday was a reminder of what the Nationals look like when things are going well. Gonzalez was relatively sharp, despite giving up more runs than he would’ve liked, and the lineup looked really comfortable against Miley. Don’t let one win obscure the legitimate issues that this team has, especially in the bullpen following the departure of Craig Stammen to the disabled list. But realize that the rest of the season won’t feature the doom-and-gloom of the first two games in Boston, either.