Jake Irvin threw eight shutout innings before a pinch-hit home run by Jesse Winker propelled the Nationals to a 1-0 victory over the Mets on Thursday afternoon.
Irvin threw a gem, striking out eight while allowing just one hit and one walk.
“That was unbelievable; he really was really good all day,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “He mixed his pitches really well, kept those guys off balance, and his fastball was really good today.”
The 27-year-old now ranks fifth in the National League with a 2.81 ERA.
“Pitching means a heck of a lot more on the Fourth of July, I’ll tell you that,” Irvin said. “It was a cool accomplishment; it was a fun day … I had a lot of fun.”
It was a pitchers’ duel through seven innings as both squads struggled to find any offense, combining for just five hits as they entered the eighth inning.
“The energy was unbelievable in the dugout, the whole game. They were fired up every time Jake [Irvin] came in,” Martinez said. “I really felt like it was a matter of time. We hit the ball well; we just couldn’t get nothing.”
The offensive stalemate ended after the Mets pulled starter Jose Quintana for reliever Adrian Houser in the eighth inning. Quintana had held the Nationals to just four hits through seven innings of work.
In the bottom of the eighth, with the game still tied at zero, Martinez called in Winker to replace designated hitter Harold Ramirez.
“(Winker) was biting at the bit, I can tell you that,” Martinez said. “He said, ‘I’ll be ready.’”
Winker teed off on the first strike he saw from Houser, sending it into the center field stands for the game’s only run.
“To come up there and do what he did is awesome,” Martinez said.
Reliever Derek Law earned the save for Washington, retiring the side in the ninth inning.
With the win, the Nationals earned a split in their four-game series against the Mets.
“We lost the first two games, so to win the third and the fourth was awesome,” Martinez said. “We’ve got to stay hungry.”
The Nationals are now 41-46 this season, 16 games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies. Washington returns to action Friday to start a three-game series at home against the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.