Nationals blow 8-run lead, lose to Giants on walk-off grand slam

SAN FRANCISCO — One swing changed the game for the Nationals.

They were reeling, clinging to a 10-7 lead in the ninth inning. Left-hander Mitchell Parker had just allowed a single to load the bases, and with slugger Bryce Eldridge at the plate, any mistake could be damaging against a hitter hit with his power.

Parker threw a 2-0 slider near the middle of the strike zone that Eldridge hit hard to right field. As the ball traveled through the air, Eldridge just stared as he watched its trajectory. Once he saw the ball leave the park, the 6-for-8 Eldridge jumped and threw his bat.

His walk-off grand slam allowed the Giants to complete an eight-run comeback to win 11-10 on Wednesday as the 32,459 fans at Oracle Park erupted.

But in the Nationals’s clubhouse there was silence. There were hushed voices and a lot of staring off, searching for answers. This wasn’t the way the Nationals wanted to finish their six-game West Coast road trip. In a 162-game season, it’s easy to brush off losses, or “flush” them.

But losses like this? Those stick. The Nationals blew an eight-run lead in the eighth inning or later for the first time in franchise history.

“These guys are hurting right now, and I told them, ‘This one should sting,’” manager Blake Butera said. “This will probably be our worst loss of the year. It’s one of the worst losses I’ve been a part of.”

The bullpen couldn’t stop the bleeding, and it bit them as they failed to record a series sweep.

Paxton Schultz allowed five runs on four hits over one inning. He allowed back-to-back homers to start the eighth that got the Giants off the mat.

But the Nationals still led 9-3 after the solo shots. The problem came when Schultz issued back-to-back walks and an RBI double by catcher Daniel Susac. Orlando Ribalta entered the game and recorded a groundout, but he allowed a run to score on a wild pitch. Ribalta then regrouped and got Buddy Kennedy out on strikes and induced a flyout.

Third baseman Curtis Mead homered to extend the lead to 10-6 in the ninth. The Giants had seized momentum, but four runs is still a tall task for one inning.

To close out the game, Butera went to right-hander Gus Varland, who pitched three times in four games, and he struggled immediately, allowing back-to-back doubles and a walk before Parker replaced him. Butera’s options were limited because the bullpen was taxed at the end of the road trip.

“We wanted Gus to finish that game,” Butera said. “But, when you see the way those first three, four hitters went, we got to make a move there. We can’t wait too long with the lefties coming up like that.”

But Parker, who entered Wednesday with a .353 batting average against in high leverage, couldn’t close it out. He was soft-spoken and disappointed after the game, taking accountability.

“Take the positives from it and flush the bad things, and come out for the next game,” Parker said.

The loss spoiled a 4-2 road trip for the Nationals. For seven innings, they looked like the team fighting for a wild-card spot. The last two innings resembled a rerun of 2025.

Left-hander Foster Griffin, who threw six innings of one-run ball, said everyone deals with losses like this differently. But he echoed sentiments throughout the locker room about how the team should feel the pain and frustration.

“Let it soak here, remember how it feels, see what you can do to make an adjustment, and then once we get out of here, get on the [plane], it’s over,” Griffin said.

With the off day Thursday, it’s important for the team to use it to reset. The Nationals face a red-hot Mariners team starting Friday, and they can’t let their frustration carry over.

“They’re pretty upset about it, which is a good sign of a competitive team that wants to win and expects to win,” Butera said.

Mead finding a home at third base

Mead’s bat has gotten the attention this season, and for good reason. He entered Wednesday posting an .816 OPS.

But, since taking over third base against left-handers after the team optioned Brady House to Triple-A Rochester, Mead has held up well in the field. He doesn’t have the strongest arm, but he has acquitted himself well — Wednesday’s misplay notwithstanding — because of his prepitch routine and footwork.

“It’s been a smooth transition for me, which has been nice just getting reps there every day,” Mead said recently. “I feel like I play well at third when I move my feet good. I know I don’t have the best arm in the world, but I feel like, if my feet are active, I can make a lot of plays.”

Mead has a rating of 2 outs above average, which measures range. He’s also a plus-1 in defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs. Mead said he’s been more aggressive in his prepitch, ensuring he’s preparing with intent and forward momentum.

“I think getting in a rhythm of playing there a little bit more has helped a lot,” Butera said. “He’s gotten a lot of his work in pregame at third base, and then when he’s able to get some game reps consecutively at that same position, it’s helped because he’s gotten a handful of opportunities to make some plays, and he’s made some tough plays, too.

“I think the biggest thing for him is just getting into the routine of playing every day, and then also some confidence goes along with that when you’re making the plays.”

Mead is aware of his strengths and weaknesses. Given that his arm strength is subpar, he’s doing everything he can to put himself in a better position to set his feet and compensate.

“At third base, you have to be sharper with your footwork and put yourself in a better position to throw the ball across the diamond,” Mead said.

Butera has said Mead’s earned every opportunity that has come his way. At first, the team planned just to use him in a platoon against left-handers — though Mead has been better against right-handers this season. Mead took to the role and excelled, earning more at-bats against right-handers.

Crews sticking to the process

Dylan Crews was 1-for-5 and scored a run in the sixth inning on Wednesday. The former No. 2 pick hasn’t translated his strong underlying metrics into consistent production yet. But, after tagging Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez for a homer, Crews was hitless for three consecutive games.

Crews and Butera talked before the game, and the manager assured his young hitter that he was doing the right things. Crews entered Wednesday batting .179 with an average exit velocity of 91.9 mph and a 49% hard-hit rate. He’s doing a better job of squaring up pitches, but those balls haven’t found grass as often as Crews would like.

“I feel really confident in the box,” Crews said Saturday. “Sometimes [balls] land, sometimes they don’t, so it’s all part of it.”

This article has been updated.