Nationals need Daylen Lile to heat up as offense deals with All-Star absences

MIAMI — There are only so many absences an offense can take before its production falters, and the Nationals are learning that firsthand.

In the weeks after the trades of stalwarts Curtis Mead and Luis García Jr., the Nationals continued to put up high run totals. Even in a series loss against the Cubs, Washington scored at least six runs in all three games — without All-Star James Wood, who’s recovering from a mild oblique strain.

Add in the recent loss of All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to a sprained left ankle, and the attrition is becoming too much for Washington. Friday had the making of another squandered opportunity, not because the pitching was inadequate but because the offense didn’t score enough.

But with the Nationals trailing by a run and Jacob Young on second base after drawing a two-out walk and recording his 14th stolen base, they needed Daylen Lile to deliver in the ninth inning with Washington down to its final strike.

It was a big spot for a hitter who has scuffled in an up-and-down sophomore campaign. Lile quickly fell behind 0-2 but battled to stay alive, fouling off three pitches and taking two balls. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat against Pete Fairbanks, Lile delivered a game-tying single.

Lile’s ninth-inning hit was the big knock that has eluded him much of this season, but he briefly kept the Nationals alive — and paced the offense with his three-hit performance. But the team couldn’t sustain the momentum as Clayton Beeter allowed a walk-off single to Javier Sanoja in a 3-2 loss to Miami.

“I was just trying to go up there, have a lot of confidence,” Lile said. “Try to help the team out as much as possible, whether it’s hitting the ball hard, seeing where it goes, or just draw on the walk.”

Lile hasn’t built on a stellar season that culminated in his finishing fifth in rookie-of-the-year voting. He entered Friday with a .696 OPS. His season has been defined by starts and stops. Just when you think he’s about to embark on a torrid stretch — think about his exploits in Cincinnati — his bat goes silent and the results aren’t there.

Particularly in August, Lile hasn’t been performing. He had a .535 OPS this month with 19 strikeouts and two walks before Friday’s game. When asked what he was most pleased about in his at-bats Friday night, Lile brought up his swing decisions.

“When I got to two strikes, I really wasn’t pressing,” said Lile, who went 3-for-5. “At the end of the day, [the pitchers] still had to throw a pitch in the zone, and I’m really proud of myself for doing that because I feel like I’ve been chasing a lot lately. For me to battle with two strikes, it’s just part of my game. I just got to keep it going.”

Lile’s chase rate has risen each month since June, spiking with an alarming 47% in August — last season, his highest chase rate was 32% in May, his first month in the majors. With two strikes, Lile’s chase rate rises to 58.9%.

Pitch selection is essential. Forcing pitchers to throw strikes will give Lile more opportunities to do damage.

“I thought he had a great game all the way around,” manager Blake Butera said. “Huge hit for us there in the ninth to tie it.”

Lile was quick to say it’s just one game, which he’s right to acknowledge. He’s had tremendous stand-alone games that resulted in disappointing follow-ups. But, given that the team doesn’t have the services of Wood and Abrams, and dealt Mead and García Jr, the Nationals will need the best version of him.

With the lack of offensive punch, the margins are thin for the Nationals. So, when Nasim Nuñez gets caught stealing third base in the sixth inning with Lile at the plate, that hurts. Or when the bullpen can’t hold a late lead when runs are tough to come by.

“You’re seeing the last week or so, it’s been tighter games,” Beeter said. “But our job is to put up zeros.”

They’ll need multiple players to step up, including Lile, until the lineup receives reinforcements. Abrams is getting closer — Butera said he felt better Friday but isn’t ready to return. He remains day to day, but the outlook on Wood looks murkier by the week.

To stay afloat and continue playing competitive baseball, the Nationals need Friday’s performance from Lile to kick-start a strong finish.

“Keep fighting, together,” catcher Keibert Ruiz said. “Keep competing every at-bat like Daylen [did in the] last at-bat that last inning.”

This article has been updated.