Andrew Alvarez pitched seven innings of one-hit ball before the Washington Nationals survived a late Los Angeles comeback to beat the Angels 6-5 in 10 innings Saturday.
Los Angeles erased a four-run deficit and took a 5-4 lead in the eighth behind Vaughn Grissom’s two-run homer. Washington answered in the ninth on Andrés Chaparro’s tying single before CJ Abrams scored the winning run on an error in the 10th.
The Angels fell to 4-14 in extra-inning games this season. Washington earned the win despite its bullpen recording a major league record-extending 39th blown save.
Alvarez Controls Angels for Seven Innings
Alvarez delivered the strongest start of his young career and left Washington with a four-run advantage.
The 27-year-old allowed one hit across seven scoreless innings. He struck out a career-high eight, walked four and threw 61 of his 97 pitches for strikes.
Alvarez also struck out Mike Trout twice.
Los Angeles did not record its first hit until the sixth inning, when Jose Siri doubled inside the left-field line.
Alvarez quickly recovered and continued to control the Angels. He retired 13 of the final 14 hitters he faced.
The seven-inning performance marked the longest of his 20 career major league starts.
Alvarez had previously taken a no-hit bid into the fifth inning of his MLB debut against Miami on Sept. 1, 2025. This time, he went another inning before allowing his first hit.
Washington Builds Early Lead
The Nationals gave Alvarez an early cushion with three runs in the second inning.
Abimelec Ortiz delivered the biggest hit of the inning with a two-run single.
Jacob Young also drove in a run as Washington established a 3-0 advantage.
Keibert Ruiz later added an RBI to extend the lead to four runs.
Alvarez protected the 4-0 margin throughout his outing. Los Angeles had trouble creating sustained pressure against the left-hander despite drawing four walks.
Washington appeared to have firm control when Alvarez departed after seven innings.
That changed quickly once the Nationals turned the game over to their bullpen.
Angels Rally Against Washington Bullpen
Los Angeles finally broke through after Alvarez’s departure.
The Angels scored three runs against Brad Lord in the eighth and turned a comfortable Washington lead into a close game.
Grissom provided the key swing.
The first baseman connected for a two-run homer during the inning as Los Angeles closed the gap. The Angels continued the rally and eventually took a 5-4 lead.
Wade Meckler, Denzer Guzman, and Moisés Ballesteros also drove in runs during the Angels’ comeback.
The five unanswered runs erased Washington’s 4-0 advantage and handed the Nationals bullpen another blown save.
It was Washington’s 39th blown save of the season, extending its major league record.
The rally also put Los Angeles in a position to complete a comeback after generating only one hit through the first seven innings.
Nationals Answer in Ninth
The Angels carried their 5-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth and turned to Ben Joyce.
Washington refused to let the game end there.
Chaparro delivered a game-tying single off Joyce, bringing the Nationals back even at 5-5 and sending the game into extra innings.
The hit erased the Angels’ first lead of the afternoon.
Washington then relied on Jack Sinclair, who retired four batters during his appearance.
Sinclair kept Los Angeles from scoring and put the Nationals in position to win the game in the bottom of the 10th.
His work earned him his first career major league win.
Error Ends Game in 10th
Washington started the bottom of the 10th with another chance to finish the game.
Abrams eventually stood at third as the Nationals brought the winning run within 90 feet of home.
With the Los Angeles infield drawn in, Harry Ford hit a ground ball toward shortstop.
Neto could not handle it cleanly.
The error allowed Abrams to score, ending the game and giving Washington a 6-5 win.
José Fermín took the loss and fell to 4-3.
The unearned winning run completed an unusual game in which Washington controlled the first seven innings, lost its lead in the eighth and then recovered in the final two frames.
Angels Comeback Falls Short
Los Angeles received little offensively while Alvarez remained on the mound.
Siri’s sixth-inning double represented the Angels’ only hit against him. Alvarez’s eight strikeouts and ability to work around four walks kept Los Angeles scoreless.
The game changed after his departure.
Grissom’s two-run homer became the central hit in a five-run comeback. Meckler, Guzman and Ballesteros also contributed RBIs as the Angels moved ahead.
Los Angeles could not protect the lead.
Chaparro tied the game against Joyce in the ninth, and the Angels failed to score in their half of the 10th.
Neto’s error then allowed the winning run to cross the plate.
The defeat continued the Angels’ struggles in extra innings. Their record in such games dropped to 4-14.
Washington Survives Another Bullpen Problem
Alvarez’s performance gave the Nationals a strong opportunity to win without needing late offense.
He departed after seven innings with Washington ahead 4-0 and Los Angeles limited to one hit.
The bullpen could not maintain that advantage.
Washington’s 39th blown save extended an MLB record, but the Nationals recovered before the Angels could close out the game.
Chaparro’s ninth-inning single provided the tying run. Sinclair then kept Los Angeles scoreless long enough for Washington to finish the game in the 10th.
Abrams scored the decisive run without the Nationals needing a hit in the final sequence.
The result gave Washington the win after Los Angeles had come within three outs of completing a four-run comeback.
Up Next
The series continues with Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez scheduled to face Nationals right-hander Jake Irvin.
Rodriguez enters the matchup with a 4-7 record and a 6.28 ERA.
Irvin is scheduled to start for Washington with a 2-9 record and a 5.52 ERA.
