Gavin Williams did something few have been able to do this season – shut down the Washington Nationals offense.
Williams got his eighth win, holding the Nats to a run on three hits in seven innings, in a 3-2 Cleveland win on Wednesday.
A CJ Abrams RBI double got Washington (29-28, 9 GB, NL East) on the board first, in the third inning, but Williams (8-3, 3.07 ERA) took control from there.
Williams retired the final 13 hitters that he faced, and Washington didn’t get a runner on base until the ninth, when back-to-back singles from Curtis Mead and Abrams put runners on the corners with no outs.
Daylen Lile hit a sac fly to left off closer Cade Smith; then Abrams, with one out, stole second to get into scoring position.
Smith struck out Jose Tena and Jorbit Vivas to end the threat and record his 19th save.
Washington has an off-day on Thursday, then welcomes San Diego on Friday to start a three-game weekend series.
Game 1: Friday, 6:45 p.m. ET (MLB.TV)
Pitching probables
- SDP: Lucas Giolito (2-0, 2.70 ERA, 1.30 WHIP)
- WAS: TBA
Hitters to watch: San Diego Padres
- 1B Gavin Sheets: 9 HRs, 23 RBIs, .252 BA/.828 OPS
- SS Xander Bogaerts: 7 HRs, 24 RBIs, .242 BA/.678 OPS
- 3B Manny Machado: 9 HRs, 27 RBIs, .171 BA/.609 OPS
Hitters to watch: Washington Nationals
- RF James Wood: 15 HRs, 37 RBIs, .276 BA/.967 OPS
- SS CJ Abrams: 12 HRs, 46 RBIs, .294 BA/.9373 OPS
- C Keibert Ruiz: 4 HRs, 24 RBIs, .262 BA/.763 OPS
- LF Daylen Lile: 7 HRs, 27 RBIs, .259 BA/.744 OPS
Share
Chris Graham
