Ribalta's Clutch Performance Secures Nats Victory

On April 17th, teams rarely plan ahead for extra innings and baseball.

They just wing it to snag the win.

That was the vibe Thursday night when the nationals edged the pirates 8-7 in the 10th.

James Wood singled home the bonus runner from 2nd to grab that slim lead for Washington

in the top half.

Then Orlando Rebalt is stepped up for the bottom, facing pressure with a runner, already

itching to score.

Despite a lead off infield single, Rebalt is struck out Brian Reynolds and induced the

game ending double play from Jake Mangum.

He locked it down, turning a nail-biter into a Nat's victory.

This guy is an underdog story before this year, 26 big lead games with a rough 7.81 ERA.

But now he's tossed two scoreless frames for Washington, including this clutch one

that topped the game's win probability added at 44.8.

Rebalt's fastball hit 96.9 miles per hour on that strikeout, showing real heat.

With the Nat's lean on him in tight spots again, this performance could build his confidence

and open more doors.

That's the story for today.

Washington Nationals News Today, driven by AI.