Rangers Star Patrick Corbin Shines in Facing Former Nationals Teammates

WASHINGTON — Patrick Corbin will be the first to tell you that he still has plenty of friends over in the Washington Nationals clubhouse.

He was there for six years, from 2019 until last season. He knows most of the roster and the manager Dave Martinez.

But, Friday night was just another night as far as he was concerned.

“I wish nothing but the best for those guys — except when we play them,” Corbin said after Texas’ 2-0 loss to the Nationals on Friday.

Patrick Corbin Shines in Return to Washington

Corbin ended up throwing one of his best games of the season in the loss. He pitched a complete game — eight innings in this case — giving up two runs, five hits and two walks. He only managed one strikeout as he threw 89 pitches, 60 of which were strikes.

He made only one significant mistake, which was a seventh-inning home run to Alex Call, his first of the season, a home run that pushed the Nats’ lead to 2-0.

The Rangers managed two hits off Nationals pitching and manager Bruce Bochy was almost apologetic after the game for the lack of offensive support for Corbin.

“Eight innings, complete game, two runs (allowed), you’ve got to think you’re going to win that game,” Bochy said.

It was the kind of gem that Corbin threw in 2019, the first year of his six seasons in Washington, during which he helped the franchise win its first World Series.

He went 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA that season and recorded the win in Game 7 of the World Series, as the Nationals defeated the Houston Astros.

That was the high point. The low point was the next five years. Corbin reliably took the ball every fifth day, but the Nationals were gutted after the World Series and went into a rebuilding mode. Eventually, that reflected on Corbin’s potential trade value and Washington was never able to move him.

Corbin never had a .500 season after his 2019 campaign, the closest being his 10-15 season in 2023. His ERA was over 4.50 each season. When last season ended it was clear Washington wasn’t going to re-sign him.

Texas took him on for less than $2 million after injuries robbed them of their starting pitching depth. He’s paid off handsomely, even though he’s 3-5 with a 3.52 ERA. Like every other Rangers starter this season, it seems, he kept the team in the game.

Corbin admitted to some nostalgia as he started in a park that he called home for so long. But, once he stepped on the mound, that was it.

“I’ve got a lot of friends over there,” he said. “But when they’re in the batter’s box I just try to go after them and necessarily look at them like that.”