Nationals’ pitching staff continues fine form to run winning streak to 4 games

CLEVELAND — Pitching coach Simon Mathews made his light jog out of the dugout for a mound visit with starter Cade Cavalli in the fifth inning.

Cavalli had just walked rookie Travis Bazzana with one out, and All-Star slugger José Ramírez was at the plate with the bases loaded and the Nationals leading by four runs. After missing with a changeup near the top of the zone, Cavalli worked down and threw a curveball low.

Ramírez chased and lofted the ball to left field but didn’t hit it hard enough to leave the park, instead settling for a sacrifice fly that chipped into the Nationals’ lead.

With runners on first and second and two outs, Cavalli fell behind in the count against Chase DeLauter 3-1. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Cavalli threw a changeup middle-middle that DeLauter hit sharply to Jacob Young to end the inning.

“His stuff is so good, I feel like he can get himself out of any type of sticky situation,” left fielder James Wood said after Tuesday’s 6-3 win over the Guardians at Progressive Field.

While the offense has been powering the team for the majority of the season, the pitchers have started to keep their end of the bargain. Washington’s pitching staff has allowed three runs or fewer in four straight games, the longest streak for the club since July 25-28 last year.

Entering Tuesday, the pitchers had posted a 2.51 ERA over the last seven days.

“It makes my life a lot easier when those guys go out there and do what they’ve done recently against some really good lineups,” manager Blake Butera said. “Cade’s facing nine left-handed hitters today, not easy, right? [The pitching staff] keeps getting better and better, and it’s definitely makes it more fun in the dugout for us when they’re pitching the way they are.”

After allowing 26 runs over the first three games of the Mets series, the unit has stabilized, allowing 12 runs over the past six.

Standout pitching performances allowed the Nationals to win two of three games against the National League East-leading Braves. The starters in the rotation have posted a 1.00 ERA over the last six games — the list includes Zack Littell and Miles Mikolas, who had openers pitch before them but operated in a bulk role.

Cavalli’s strong performance helped push the Nationals to 29-27, and if the pitching staff can continue complementing the offense, the Nationals could keep their record on the right side of .500.

Over six innings the right-hander allowed one run on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks, brining his ERA in May to 2.20.

The offense put up four runs in the second inning. Catcher Keibert Ruiz hit a two-run RBI single to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead, and Wood then blasted a two-run homer. The Nationals tacked on two runs in the ninth inning on first baseman Andrés Chaparro’s two-out, two-run single.

With a powerful fastball and developing breaking and off-speed pitches, Cavalli is developing into a reliable, top-of-the rotation arm.

Because it was an all-left-handed lineup, he and Ruiz leaned on the curveball, four-seamer and changeup.

Cavalli utilized those pitches last year, but he’s more confident throwing them in the zone, trusting that his stuff will play. When he’s throwing the curveball for strikes — seven of his 17 first-pitch strikes were off the curveball — it shows how good of a groove he’s in.

“You can really see the confidence and the comfort on the mound,” Butera said. “Each time he’s out there, he looks like he’s having a blast out there.”

Left-hander Mitchell Parker entered in the seventh and continued to stymie the Guardians for two innings before conceding two runs in the ninth. He allowed three hits and struck out five.

As the Nationals finish out a string of 16 consecutive games, they have managed to conserve their bullpen. They have only needed two pitchers each of the past two days and should have plenty of fresh arms for the series finale Wednesday before an off day Thursday.

The Nationals have won five consecutive series and are in position to record a series sweep.

“We’re a really good club, so I just [wanted] to go out there, give us a chance to win,” Cavalli said.