Nationals end first half on dour note after frustrating series against Yankees

For the third consecutive game, the Nationals held a lead in the eighth inning.

And, for the third consecutive game, they saw the Yankees surge back and steal the victory in Sunday’s 5-3 loss. The Nationals end the first half on a sour note after being swept in a series in which they should have won at least one game.

Left-hander Andrew Alvarez recorded two outs in the eighth and nearly escaped without any damage done. But Alvarez allowed a Max Schuemann single and walked Trent Grisham. The finishing touch came on All-Star slugger Ben Rice’s two-run triple that put the Yankees back in front.

Alvarez peppered Rice with sinkers and curveballs, pitches he hasn’t hit particularly well compared to fastballs and changeups. But Rice got enough of a curveball down in the strike zone.

“[It’s] unfortunate to let the team down,” said Alvarez, who allowed three runs on four hits over two innings. “You never want to do that. You got to learn from your mistakes and your failures, and got to come back strong.”

But this loss wasn’t all on the bullpen. The offense squandered chances to create a cushion for its beleaguered pitching staff.

In the fourth, the Nationals had runners on first and third with no outs. Dylan Crews struck out, and Daylen Lile lined into a double play. The Nationals were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

“It’s frustrating, disappointing,” manager Blake Butera said of the loss. “Same feelings everyone else has watching the game.”

The Nationals are entering the second half with a 48-49 record.

At the beginning of the season, a Washington team that was predicted to be in the infancy of a rebuild would have been pleased with this record. But it’s how the Nationals earned that record that has left the team, and fans, frustrated.

Right-hander Cade Cavalli threw six innings, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk. He praised the Nationals’ resiliency, noting they’ve experienced tough series before and weathered the storm.

“We’re a good ballclub,” Cavalli said. “There’s been some tough games, and I think that it’s in our character to fight back. Our offense is ridiculous, and we’re just going to lean on them and try to pitch our way into winning ballgames.”

Whether it’s the walk-off grand slam against the Giants, the three consecutive go-ahead homers in the ninth inning against the Phillies or the meltdowns against the Yankees this weekend, the Nationals have a reasonable case that, if they had won even a handful of those games, the conversation surrounding the team would be different.

“I mean, I think the obvious answer is to secure leads and win games that we should win,” Butera said pregame. “If we would have done that a few more times, we’d be in a really good spot right now. I think that’s probably the hardest part. It’s like looking at how many games we should have won.

“It’s hard to forget each of those games where we should have won that game. When they add up the way they have this year, and to see the record that we have right now, which is a respectable record, but what it could be, that’s probably what sticks out.”

The Nationals haven’t been below .500 since June 3. They’ll wear this series sweep as they head into a brief respite before gearing up for the second half.

“We’re one pitch away from from winning a lot of these games and one at-bat away from winning a lot of them,” Crews said. “We’re not pointing any fingers here. This is all about us, and we win as a team, we lose as a team.”

Wood’s tear

Maybe the All-Star break is coming at a bad time for James Wood, who’s on a torrid power stretch.

On Sunday, Wood broke the club records for home runs before the All-Star break (28) and leadoff homers in a season (10). He recorded his fifth in seven games. He’s on one of those tears that reminds people why he’s one of the best young hitters in the game.

He still strikes out at a high rate, but he’s become more disciplined (17.1% walk rate), while maintaining his aggressiveness.

Ortiz’s debut

Wood gave designated hitter Abimelec Ortiz a warm embrace as he was heading out of the clubhouse. Ortiz was recalled Sunday morning and is the first player from the MacKenzie Gore trade to reach the majors.

Ortiz, the organization’s No. 25 prospect, batted .239 with 17 homers and 60 RBIs over 71 games with Triple-A Rochester.

“Really excited to be here,” Ortiz said. “For me and my family, it means a lot.”

Ortiz recorded the first hit of his major league career on a fourth-inning double against right-hander Will Warren. He waved to his family, who made the trip from Puerto Rico.

Ortiz said he was surprised to get the call, but he was bursting with enthusiasm as he spoke with the media. He said he’s been working hard and adhering to his routine, which has been critical to his success.

This article has been updated.