Paolo Espino filled in admirably as a late replacement for Stephen Strasburg as the starter in today’s series finale with the Arizona Diamondbacks in Nationals Park, giving up two runs on two home runs in 4 1⁄3 innings, but Washington’s offense scored just one run on the D-backs’ starter, Madison Bumgarner, and came up empty against the bullpen in what ended up a 5-2 loss in the nation’s capital.
Strasburg Espino vs the D-backs: Paolo Espino started in the majors for the first time since 2017 last season, and the right-hander, who pitched for the organization in the minors from 2014-16, before returning on minor league deals in 2019 and ‘20, and again this season, got the call this morning when Stephen Strasburg was placed on the 10-Day IL with some right shoulder inflammation.