Nationals 8, Red Sox 1

 

No trophies tonight, but that's okay. Nothing lasts forever, and we should celebrate that the five-game win streak existed at all, not mourn that it ended.

If we're inclined to mourn, what we should be mourning is that young Connelly Early left the game early after four shutout innings and five K's.  Danny Coulombe started the fifth inning and gave up a run, and he was relieved by Greg Weissert, who gave up two runs. "You gave up a run? Let me show you how to do it - here's two runs."

And so it goes. Slaten gave up a run and then Tommy Kahnle gave up a whopping four. But that's not what people are talking about in this game.

In the top of the fourth, punk Washington pitcher Cade Cavalli struck out Willson Contreras, who had scored Boston's only run, and as Contreras was walking to the dugout, said something to him that Willson apparently didn't like. He looked back at Cavalli as if to say, "You talking to me?" and as the two walked directly toward each other, both dugouts and bullpens cleared.

A skirmish. In parts of Boston, a series without at least one benches-clearing brawl is considered a dull affair.

Pushing and shoving ensued and Carlos Narvaez tried to hold Contreras back. But Contreras broke free and sprinted toward the opposing players. Removing his helmet, he threw it into the swarm of players in Cavalli's direction. Several Boston players eventually pulled him back, but he got ejected. So did pitcher Nate Eaton and manager Chad Tracy. Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas was also ejected. Cavalli, the loud-mouth little bitch who started it all, was not.

So the homestand series is tied at one each. Payton Tolle (4-5, 2.78) will start the rubber match tomorrow (1:35 p.m.) in his first career start against the Nats. Washington will send Andrew Alvarez (1-1, 3.44) to the mound for his first start against the Sox. I dare, I double dare, Alvarez to say something, anything, to Contreras when he's at the plate. You're a pussy if you don't, Andrew.  

But the brawl and the end of the win streak obscure the real issue in today's game - young Connelly Early joins starting pitchers Garrett Crochet, Kutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval, and Tanner Houck, on the Injured List. You could put together a pretty good starting rotation just with the players on Boston's IL. Let's hope it's nothing serious on Early, and that the others return to action sooner rather than later.