5-run fourth inning lifts Nationals to series win over Mariners

The Nationals must have sensed blood in the water because they went for the kill.

After a Dylan Crews double and a CJ Abrams single put runners on the corners, the Nationals recorded three consecutive first-pitch base hits. After that aggressive hitting, Mariners starter Emerson Hancock’s pitch count was still low but his ERA was rising and the game was getting out of reach.

Jorbit Vivas’ fielder’s choice RBI made it a five-run fourth inning for the Nationals that allowed them to wrest control from the Mariners in Sunday’s 10-1 win. Their quick-swing approach seemed to rattle Hancock, who threw 61% of his pitches in the strike zone.

“[He was] attacking with the fastball early in the game,” said catcher Keibert Ruiz, who was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. “I guess everybody saw that and just started swinging the second time through and got good results.”

The Nationals improved to 37-35 overall and 14-21 at home. They’ve won three straight series after being swept against the Marlins at the beginning of the month.

After the lead had ballooned to 5-1 following Nasim Nuñez’s two-run single, Hancock attempted a pickoff throw that first baseman Josh Naylor couldn’t catch. The ball careened toward the Nationals’ dugout, allowing Nuñez to reach third.

That was the tell that the Nationals had Hancock out of sorts. Their offense showed all of the components of the team at its best. They strung together hits, capitalized on mistakes and were aggressive against pitches they could do damage on. All nine batters recorded at least one hit.

“It’s just good energy going around,” All-Star James Wood said. “When you can get on and pass to the next guy, I feel like the next guy feels like he can get on too and it snowballs.”

Ruiz’s seventh-inning solo homer added to the gaudy run total. RBI doubles by Jacob Young and Wood extended the lead to 9-1. Wood advanced to third on a wild pitch, and Crews’ groundout gave the Nationals a nine-run lead.

They recorded 14 hits and 10 RBIs, and they were 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

For Washington, this series was important coming off Wednesday’s loss against the Giants. They reaffirmed their place in the National League and avoided falling into a lull.

The team moved past the blown lead and maintained the demeanor that allowed it to have early-season success.

“I think really good teams, you see them try to prolong when we’re playing really good baseball, and then also be able to stop when things are going poorly,” manager Blake Butera said. “There’s going to be ups and downs throughout the season. There’s no way a team is only going to play well for 162 games, but really good teams are able to shut down those tough skids that you’re going to go through and flip the switch.”

When Washington is racking up opportunities with RISP, the lineup is going to take advantage more often than not. The Nationals have proven that they’re one of the best offenses in the sport as we enter mid-June, but to perform at the rate they have against a Mariners team that has one of the lowest ERAs in baseball is notable. The Mariners’ starters have one of the highest rates of throwing pitches in the zone.

The staff forces offenses to match its aggression, and the Nationals were up to the task.

The Nationals responded to Friday’s 10-1 loss with eight runs in Saturday’s win and 10 on Sunday. This weekend, the team played relatively clean baseball. The Nationals fielded well and were smart and opportunistic on the bases, and Wood looked like one of the premier sluggers in the sport.

Right-hander Miles Mikolas, who entered the game in the second after PJ Poulin opened, continued his turnaround, throwing seven shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks with three strikeouts. He was sitting at nearly 95 mph on his fastball.

Mikolas is posting a 3.31 ERA over his last seven games. He’s been receptive to the new coaches, who have helped him alter his routine to tap into extra velocity and spur his turnaround. He’s not lifting as frequently between starts, so his body is fresher when it’s his turn.

When the team is receiving quality pitching, it puts even more pressure on the opposing pitcher, given how potent the Nationals’ offense is.

Mikolas, a two-time All-Star who’s been to the postseason twice, was impressed with the team’s resolve against the Mariners.

“It shows maturity beyond a lot of their years,” Mikolas said. “There’s a lot of young guys in here, but their ability to bounce back and have a short memory is something that can take players a long time to develop that, and to see that in these guys is special.”

This article has been updated.