Dylan Crews Hits Leadoff Homer in Nationals’ 5-2 Win Over Yankees.
Rookie Dylan Crews led off the game for the Nationals with his first career home run and later added an RBI double, helping Washington beat the New York Yankees 5-2 on Wednesday night. The win secured two out of three games for the Nationals against the AL’s top team.
Crews, ranked as baseball’s 3rd best prospect, launched a high drive to the left-center field bullpen on the second pitch from Carlos Rodón. In the 4th inning, he ripped a 105.8 mph double to extend Washington’s lead to 5-1 as his parents cheered in the stands. “It was awesome. I got that one pretty good,” Crews said of his homer.
The Nationals kept Aaron Judge in the ballpark for the 3rd straight game after he hit two homers on Sunday to reach 51 on the season. Judge, who is on pace to challenge his own AL record of 62 homers, had not gone three games without a long ball in over two weeks. He managed just a soft RBI single and two walks in this contest.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit his career-high 22nd homer, his 9th as a Yankee, launching a 97 mph fastball from MacKenzie Gore over the center field wall in the 2nd inning. Juan Soto, a key part of Washington’s 2019 World Series title, struggled throughout the series, going 0-for-12 for New York.
Gore (8-11) delivered a solid 6-inning start, allowing 2 runs and 6 hits. The Nationals’ lineup, featuring 6 rookies, posed challenges for Rodón (14-9) on a sweltering 98-degree night. After Crews’ homer, Rodón seemed frustrated with the PitchCom system, committing a balk that allowed a run to score. The Nationals stole 5 bases, taking advantage of Rodón’s slow times to the plate.
Juan Soto, who played a crucial role in Washington’s 2019 World Series victory, went 0 for 12 in the series for New York, which currently leads the AL East by a single game over Baltimore.
MacKenzie Gore (8-11) pitched six strong innings, allowing two runs and six hits. Jose A. Ferrer and Jacob Barnes each contributed a scoreless inning, while Kyle Finnegan navigated a tough ninth to secure his 34th save in 38 opportunities.
“We’ve added several sparkplugs to the lineup, and it shows on the field,” Finnegan remarked. “These new additions are exciting and provide us with momentum. This was one of our better crowds and series of the year, creating a playoff-like atmosphere.”
The Nationals’ lineup, featuring six rookies, posed challenges for Carlos Rodón (14-9) on a sweltering 98-degree night.
Following Crews’ homer, Rodón allowed the next two batters to reach base and then expressed frustration over an issue with the PitchCom system. He failed to step off the rubber and was called for a balk, allowing James Wood to score from third. Rodón walked toward plate umpire Tony Randazzo in protest before manager Aaron Boone intervened.
“I should have stepped off first to address the PitchCom issue, and I ended up giving up a silly run,” Rodón said, expressing his frustration.
Rodón, visibly sweating in his gray jersey, showed little interest in holding runners, making slow pickoff attempts while allowing the Nationals—who lead the majors in stolen bases—to run freely.
Washington stole four bases in the second inning alone, scoring two runs on RBI singles by Nasim Nuñez and Wood, who had two hits and three of the Nationals’ five steals. Boone acknowledged that the malfunctioning PitchCom system impacted their running game.
“I think it affected our running game a bit since we relied on it for many plays,” Boone stated. “We need to be able to adapt.”
The Nationals’ baserunning took a turn for the worse in the eighth inning when José Tena hit a liner over Judge’s head in center for a single. Joey Gallo hesitated after rounding third, with Juan Yepez trailing him. Gallo was tagged out in a rundown while Yepez retreated to second, resulting in an 8-6-2-3-2-5-4 double play.
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