Curtis Mead's Two-Run Blast Saves Nationals From Series Sweep Against Giants

The Washington Nationals dodged a sweep on Sunday, beating the San Francisco Giants 3-0 at Nationals Park behind some clutch hitting and a stellar pitching performance. Curtis Mead's two-run homer in the fifth inning was the difference maker, while Keibert Ruiz chipped in with two hits to keep the Nationals' bats alive when it mattered most.

Mead Delivers When It Counts

With Nasim Nunez on second base after stealing the bag, Mead stepped up and lined the first pitch he saw from Giants starter Robbie Ray out to left field for a two-run blast. That shot put Washington up 3-0 and proved to be all they'd need. The timing couldn't have been better, and it capped off a fifth inning where the Nationals finally broke through after leaving runners stranded earlier in the game.

Ruiz had set up the inning perfectly, ripping a shot to left center that Giants outfielder Heliot Ramas couldn't track down for a diving catch. That hit allowed Nunez to score and gave Mead the chance he needed.

Pitching Dominates on Both Sides

Andrew Alvarez, called up from Triple-A Rochester earlier on Sunday, earned the win with a strong showing. The right-hander tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out five without issuing a walk. Miles Mikolas came in and threw four more scoreless innings, giving up four hits. It was Mikolas' best outing of the young season after entering the day with an 11.49 ERA.

San Francisco's Robbie Ray struck out seven and walked just one over six innings, but the three runs he gave up were enough to seal the loss. The Giants went cold when it mattered most, finishing 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Rafael Devers and Drew Gilbert each had two hits, but the offense couldn't string anything together when it counted.

Giants Can't Get It Done in the Clutch

San Francisco had opportunities but couldn't capitalize. They had runners on first and second with two outs in each of the first two innings but failed to score. In the eighth, the Giants got the first two batters on base following an error and a single, but Casey Schmitt grounded into a double play and pinch hitter Jerar Encarnacion struck out to end the threat.

The loss halts a three-game winning streak for San Francisco. Washington fights to stay in contention heading into their next matchup.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.