Nathaniel Lowe, Riley Adams come through to lift Nats past Astros

Washington Post

5 days ago

HOUSTON — Just about everyone knew what was coming: Houston starter Framber Valdez, who stood on the mound staring down the Nationals' Nathaniel Lowe; Lowe, facing a full count with two outs; Josh Bell, who stood on first base as the tying run; and many in the crowd of 28,786 at Daikin Park, which had turned raucous by the sixth inning.
All evening, Valdez had carved the Nationals up with his curveball. So it was little surprise when he went to it in that crucial spot against Lowe. Only this time, Lowe smacked it down the right field line for a double. Bell chugged around to score, knotting the game.
An inning later, catcher Riley Adams launched an opposite field solo home run that stood up in a 2-1 victory. The Nationals won almost in spite of themselves — they struck out 19 times, marking just the fifth time in MLB history that a team has won with at least that many strikeouts.
'You just got to keep grinding out good at-bats,' Lowe said. 'He's one of the best in the league. Thankfully, I got a pitch to hit, I hit it hard, it found a hole and obviously we got a run across at a big moment.'
Brad Lord, making his second start since the all-star break, was dominant for Washington (44-62). He retired the first 14 batters he faced before wobbling ever so slightly with a two-out walk to Yanier Diaz. Mauricio Dubon hit an RBI double on the ensuing pitch and the AL West-leading Astros (60-47) had their first lead.
Lowe made sure it didn't last, Adams turned the momentum and four relievers — Konnor Pilkington, Luis Garcia, Jose A. Ferrer and Kyle Finnegan — combined to pitch 3⅔ scoreless innings. The Nationals won for the fifth time in seven games.
'[Lord] got ahead of guys all day,' Lowe said. 'Obviously a base runner happened fast and a run happened fast, but we were able to bounce right back. Was a really well-pitched game from both sides.'
Valdez has one of the best curveballs in baseball. Entering Monday's contest, the Astros' lefty had produced whiffs on 42.9 percent of the curveballs he threw — the fifth-highest mark among qualified pitchers.
'He's a really, really good pitcher,' Adams said. 'Mixes all of his stuff really well, throws it where he wants it and it's not a comfortable at-bat.'
'All the players, all the hitters were like, 'It looked like a fastball,'' interim manager Miguel Cairo said.
Valdez struck out 12 — 10 swinging and two looking — all with his curveball. Before Lowe's double, the Nationals swung at 19 curveballs. They whiffed on 14 of them. They fouled off five. They hadn't put a single curveball in play until Lowe's swing produced a double.
'Especially for guys facing him the first time, he's super tough,' Lowe said. 'It really doesn't get any easier. You just have to be very disciplined with your approach. And I guess, in a sense, hope that he throws it in a good place where you can hit it.'
The Nationals traded for Lowe during the offseason hoping he'd produce at the heart of the order. But Lowe, the highest-paid player on the team at $10.3 million, has struggled, batting just.226, his lowest average since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He is producing the lowest slugging percentage of his career, struggling against left-handers.
But he's shown a knack for producing in the clutch, hitting .303 with a .894 OPS with runners in scoring position.
As the trade deadline nears, the Nationals have an opportunity to move a handful of veteran players. Ahmed Rosario was dealt Sunday and pitchers Michael Soroka and Finnegan could also be on the move. Other possibilities include Bell, hot after a dismal start, and outfielders Alex Call and Jacob Young.
And then there's Lowe, 30, who is arbitration eligible in 2026 before he is due to become a free agent in 2027. His salary makes him a non-tender candidate for the Nationals, which also makes him a strong trade candidate for a Nationals team hungry for prospects.
Notes: Derek Law had surgery Monday afternoon to repair a partial tear of his right flexor tendon. ... Trevor Williams returned to Washington to begin his rehab as he recovers from an internal brace procedure. ... Josiah Gray is scheduled to throw his next bullpen Tuesday as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery.