Twins routed by Nationals in Washington

Final

Nationals 15, Twins 2

Starting pitcher performance

Twins starter Bailey Ober began his day with three perfect innings, working efficiently through the Nationals’ lineup. His trouble started in the fourth inning, which began with a James Wood single. Ober walked a batter and gave up a game-tying double to CJ Abrams later in the frame.

In the fifth, he allowed a two-run home run to Drew Millas and in the sixth, he departed after allowing back-to-back doubles. All told, Ober gave up five runs in five-plus innings pitched.

“I feel like I started getting away from my release,” Ober said. “I had trouble locating it as the game went on. Even in the first three innings, I know I had some quick innings, but I felt like I wasn’t locating as good as I normally (was) the last few starts. I don’t know if it was just timing, mechanics. I didn’t feel great the last few innings, mechanically.”

Player of the game

Like the Twins did a night before, the Nationals used a fairly balanced attack, getting production from up and down the lineup. Abrams drove in a team-leading five runs, four of which came in the eighth on a grand slam. Brady House knocked in three, and Wood and Millas drove in two apiece.

For the Twins, outfielder Matt Wallner had two of their three hits in the game, including an RBI single in the third to bring home Luke Keaschall, and a home run in the fifth off starter Miles Mikolas.

“We need to get Wally going, so to see the Sunday game where he had two hits and then (Wednesday) where he had two hits, that’s very encouraging,” manager Derek Shelton said.

Key moment

The two-run blast that Ober allowed to Millas, who had not hit a home run yet this season, gave the Nationals a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in the fourth. But still, the Twins were only trailing by a run at that point.