Washington Nationals avoid sweep with 1-0 win over Los Angeles Dodgers in series finale

It took some effort and a bit of good luck, but the Nationals salvaged a series finale for the third series in a row…

Fedde vs the Dodgers:

Erick Fedde had put up decent/solid numbers this month, with a 2.49 ERA, a 4.54 FIP, 13 walks, 17 Ks, and a .213/.323/.338 line against in four starts and 21 ²⁄₃ IP.

He took the mound today coming off a 5 ²⁄₃-inning outing against the Brewers on the road in Milwaukee’s American Family Field, where he gave up four hits, three walks, and just two earned runs, both of which came on a home run in the sixth, after he’d issued a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the inning.

“Lately all those walks are not really conducive to being successful,” Fedde said earlier this month.

Fedde took on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series finale in Nationals Park with 4.77 BB/9 overall this season (21 walks over in 39 ²⁄₃ IP), and walked just one his first time through the lineup.

Fedde, 29, tossed three scoreless to start, on 51 pitches, as he worked around a two-out single in the first, a leadoff double in the second, and an ill-advised 1-out walk to former teammate Trea Turner in the top of the third.

Hanser Alberto doubled to right, over Juan Soto’s head, to lead off the fifth, the third time in five innings the Dodgers put their leadoff man on, but Alberto made for third base on a ball hit to short and was tagged out for out No. 1, and Fedde got a grounder to second from Trea Turner in the next at-bat, and a 4-6-3 inning-ending DP. You stink, Trea! J/K. Miss ya.

A nine-pitch, 1-2-3 top of the sixth left Fedde at 90 pitches overall on the day, in what was still a 0-0 game, but the Nationals put a run on the board in the bottom of the sixth, so he was lifted at that point after throwing six scoreless…

Erick Fedde’s Line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 Ks, 90 P, 58 S, 6/3 GO/FO.

Urías in D.C.:

Julio Urías, 25, took the mound this afternoon in the nation’s capital with a 2.74 ERA, a 4.56 FIP, 16 Ks, and a .278/.275/.533 line against in four starts and 23 IP this month, in which the left-hander hadn’t walked a single batter. Urías walked eight in 18 IP in April, striking out 18, and posting a 2.50 ERA, a 4.40 FIP, and a .156/.260/.250 line against in his first four outings in his seventh big league season after signing with the Dodgers out of Culiacán, Mexico in 2012.

Urías was coming off five scoreless vs the Phillies last time out before today, and his third scoreless outing of the season to this point, and he tossed two scoreless to start things in the series finale with the Nationals in D.C., but he walked Victor Robles with one out in the third, his first free pass given up in 27 IP going back to April 27th, then got a double play a batter later when Alcides Escobar lined out with Robles running for a double play.

Urías issued his second walk of the game, to Juan Soto, with two outs in the Nationals’ 4th, but picked Soto off when the Nats’ outfielder took off before an 0-2 pitch to Nelson Cruz.

Cruz got a fresh count and a leadoff at-bat in the fifth, and doubled to right field on a 2-1 curve from the Dodgers’ starter, then took third on a Josh Bell groundout, but three outs later, he was stranded at third, and Urías was through five scoreless on 56 pitches.

Robles took the third walk of the game from Urías, his own second, moved up on a bunt single by Alcides Escobar, then scored on an RBI single by César Hernández, 1-0, but it ended up being all the Nationals got as they failed to make more of the opportunity.

Julio Urías’s Line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 Ks, 87 P, 54 S, 5/2 GO/FO.

Bullpen Action:

Carl Edwards, Jr. came on for the Nationals with a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh, and the right-hander worked around a leadoff walk in a 21-pitch frame.

Josh Bell singled and Nelson Cruz doubled to start the Nationals’ seventh, with right-hander Yency Almonte on the mound, but they never moved past second and third, with both Riley Adams and Victor Robles striking out unproductively, before Yadiel Hernández hit a ground ball to first to end the threat. Still 1-0 Nationals.

Mookie Betts led off the eighth, as a pinch hitter, against Nats’ righty Kyle Finnegan, and the Dodgers’ left fielder, who went 5 for 7 with a double and two homers in the first two games, K’d looking at a high 1-2 sinker for out No. 1. Trea Turner singled to center in the next at-bat, and promptly stole second base, so the Nationals put Freddie Freeman on, opting to go at Justin Turner, who popped out to first before Edwin Ríos K’d swinging. Hold acquired.

Tanner Rainey got the save opportunity in the ninth, and he walked Max Muncy with one out and then surrendered a single to left by Gavin Lux. Ruh-roh, Raggy. Cody Bellinger sent a fly to center for out No. 2. Almost. Will Smith stepped in next and worked back from 0-2 to 3-2, but lined out to the base of the out-of-town scoreboard in right where Juan Soto caught out No. 3. Ballgame. 1-0 Nationals.

Nationals now 15-30