Soroka strong, but Nats overpowered by Ray in loss (updated)

So far in this series between the Nationals and Giants, one team scores and the other does not. That was the case in each of the first two games that the squads split via shutouts.

Surely, that meant they were destined for more offensive output in Sunday’s finale in front of an announced crowd of 31,581 at Nationals Park, right?

Early on, it seemed that way. But the Nats were unable to overcome an early deficit in an eventual 3-2 loss to the Giants, giving Washington its first series loss in the last three matchups.

After MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin pitched quality starts in the first two games of this three-game set, it was Michael Soroka’s turn to attempt to get deep in the game and give his team a chance at a win.

Soroka cruised through his first inning, throwing seven of eight pitches for strikes. But he labored over the next two frames to bring his pitch count to 60 after just three innings.

The right-hander started the second by hitting leadoff hitter Wilmer Flores, who advanced to third on Matt Chapman’s single to right and scored on Willy Adames’ dribbler up the first base line.

Already with a 1-0 lead, the Giants tacked on two more in the third, thanks to some mistakes by the Nats outfield.

Soroka surrendered a leadoff home run to No. 9 hitter Sam Huff (just his second of the season) that just barely missed the glove of a leaping Alex Call in left field, bouncing off the top of the wall and into the Giants' bullpen. Then Robert Hasssell III couldn’t make a leaping catch at the wall in center, giving Mike Yastrzemski a triple in the next at-bat. Heliot Ramos drove him in with a groundout to short, giving the Giants a quick 3-0 lead.

“The sun wasn't an issue. The wind was kind of playing a little bit of a factor," Call said of the homer after the game. "And I just couldn't quite get back to the wall in time, and it was just kind of over my head. I needed the wall to not be there, to get it. I don't know if my glove hit the wall or not, but yeah, one I'd really love to make. I think it's definitely within my reach if I just have one more half step or get a real jump off instead of kind of just running into it.”

Call then came charging in on a low liner from Flores and missed the ball in the air while sliding. Though it probably should have been ruled an error by the left fielder, it ended up being a double as the outfield mistakes kept costing the Nats extra bases.

“I had a great jump on it. Had a beat on it," Call said. "And just kind of a combination, unfortunately, here sometimes, those line drives go kind of right in the lights and with the glare of the fans in the stands. And I don't know if it knuckled on me, too. But bottom line, I missed it. But I had a great jump on it, I had a great beat on it. It's embarrassing when you don't get it in your glove, but I had my head in the game and gave it the best I had.”

But Soroka settled in from there to finish strong. He only needed 31 pitches to complete the next three innings while retiring nine of the final 11 batters he faced. He relied on a lot of weak contact to get nine groundouts in order to complete six innings for the first time since April 4, 2024 with the White Sox and continue the Nats’ streak of strong starting pitching.

“I found it. I just found timing," Soroka said. "I was kind of struggling a little earlier and just couldn't quite time it up on a consistent basis. And kind of found it and made sure that I kept the team in it and gave them a chance late. You never know what can happen with this team. We were probably about a foot away from tying the game against a really good bullpen. That's ultimately what starting pitching is, is battling on days when you don't have your best stuff and giving the team a chance.”

“Today it looked like everything was very effortless," said manager Davey Martinez of his starter, "so it was good to see him go out there and compete and give us six innings. It was awesome.”

The downside for the Nationals: The guy on the mound for the other team was even more dominant.

Robbie Ray, the former Cy Young Award winner who was once a Nationals draft pick and traded as part of a three-player package to acquire Doug Fister, continued his stellar start to the season as one of the best pitchers in the majors.

The veteran left-hander only allowed three baserunners over his six innings. Two of the three hits were, in fact, doubles, but the runners were stranded at second in each instance.

Only Nasim Nuñez, getting a rare start at second base in place of Luis García Jr., was able to manufacture a run off Ray, and he did it basically all by himself. Nuñez led off the third with a single up the middle, moved to second on a dribbler, stole third and then scored on a wild pitch.

But Ray continued his domination after that, sitting down 12 of the final 13 batters he faced, including at one point 11 straight. He finished his six innings of one-run ball with no walks and seven strikeouts as he improved to a major league-best 7-0, with the Giants now having won 10 of his 11 starts this season.

“He's got a really good fastball," Nathaniel Lowe said. "He did a good job mixing. He works fast and he throws strikes.”

The Nationals' bats were able to finally put together a rally in the ninth, with doubles by CJ Abrams and James Wood getting them within one run. Lowe just barely missed tying the game, but the ball landed foul down the left field line and he struck out on the next pitch. Then Call popped out to right to end the game.

“I hoped it did (land fair)," said Lowe, "but I sliced it and it went foul.”

“Probably another foot, and it's a different ballgame right now," Martinez said. "Nathaniel had a good at-bat. But I like our at-bats late in games like that.”

Now they’ll take a less-than-happy cross-country plane ride to Seattle, where they’ll begin a six-game West Coast road trip after tomorrow’s off-day.

“I like the way we battled, we came back, we tried to make a comeback at the end there. Made it exciting," Martinez said. "So for me, we came off the homestead at 3-2. Now we have a day off. We gotta go play another really good team up in Seattle.”

“We're going to have a good off-day tomorrow. We're going to have a good flight to Seattle," Lowe said. "Rally the troops and we're going to have a good week on the road. We're going to wash this one. It sucks not to get it done. Obviously sucks to lose a series. Sucks to lose at home. And sucks not to come through in a situation where I could have tied or won the game.”