Winless in his last four starts (8.14 ERA, a 5.99 FIP, .326/.396/.558 line against in 21 IP), Jake Irvin, 27, had struggled in the second half (a 6.12 ERA, a 5.56 FIP, and a .290/.340/.525 line against in 9 GS and 50 IP), to reproduce the results from his strong first half (3.49 ERA, a 3.87 FIP, and a .231/.283/.395 line against over 20 GS, and 116 IP).
Nationals’ manager Davey Martinez told reporters after Irvin gave up seven hits, three walks, and six earned runs in five innings against the Pirates in PNC Park, in a start in which he got up to 87 pitches, 46 of them in a long second which almost ended his start.