WASHINGTON -- Right-hander Brad Lord hadn’t started since May 6.
Lefty Konnor Pilkington hadn’t pitched in the Major Leagues since 2023.
On Tuesday night, they anchored a pitching staff that fended off the Reds’ offense until the Nationals bats got hot in a 6-1 win at Nationals Park. The Nats will go for the series sweep on Wednesday afternoon.
Lord, who was moved back into the rotation in place of Trevor Williams (right elbow sprain), delivered four innings of one-run baseball with six hits, no walks and one strikeout across 50 pitches (34 strikes). His seven-pitch, 1-2-3 first inning set the tone for a well-paced outing.
“I’m happy,” Lord said. “I’m loving anything where I’m pitching in games. [My role] doesn’t matter to me. Ultimately, I’m happy to be back.”
Lord had been a starter throughout the Minor Leagues, and he transitioned to the bullpen to fill a need on the big league team this season. He met the Nationals’ goal of completing four innings on Tuesday to help manage the ‘pen.
“He attacked the strike zone,” said interim manager Miguel Cairo. “He has a good sinker. He’s so deceptive that the ball -- if you ask other hitters -- it’s like the ball gets to them quick. It’s like the ball jumps. He’s got some life in that fastball and the slider. But when you’ve got a guy that attacks the strike zone with secondary pitches, they’re very effective.”
Pilkington, fresh off his promotion and drive from Triple-A Rochester, pitched two hitless and scoreless frames in relief. He struck out three in what he described as “a blur.” Pilkington earned his second Major League win, and his first since June 1, 2022.
“It’s special,” said Pilkington. “I was very excited, to say the least. To be able to come in there and only pitch two innings and do my job is pretty cool.”
Pilkington became the seventh pitcher in Nationals team history (2005-present) to earn the win in relief in his team debut. Justin Miller was the last to do so on May 26, 2018.
“He was throwing 96, 97 [mph], he was throwing strikes, amazing changeup and the slider,” Cairo said. “When you attack the strike zone, now you can play with chasing and stuff like that, and that’s what they did. It’s nice to have another lefty in the bullpen.”
The hitters felt confident at the plate seeing how the pitching staff had kept them in the game. The Nationals offense that scored 10 runs the previous night stayed hot. Veteran Josh Bell rode momentum with his second home run in as many games -- one week before the July 31 Trade Deadline -- to even the score at one apiece in the fourth. Washington added insurance runs in the sixth inning with a bases-clearing single by Riley Adams that scored Brady House all the way from first base on a throwing error by right fielder Jake Fraley.
Luis García, Andrew Chafin and Andry Lara closed out a scoreless evening from the bullpen.
“[Lord] pitched great,” said Jacob Young. “We got to see Pilkington come in and do what he does; that was awesome. It was great when we were able to jump out to a lead like we did and then extend it. It was a good feeling to be able to do that and take some stress off that back end of the bullpen that’s been going heavy lately.”