The Royals got their first glimpse at right-handed reliever Luinder Avila in Wednesday's series finale against Washington. Avila pitched a scoreless eighth inning against the Nationals. He induced two groundouts and registered his first career strikeout.

After starter Jake Irvin struggles, bullpen pieces together five innings of one-run ball in an 8-7 win that included no shortage of drama.

In one of the most exciting games of the season, the Washington Nationals overcame a Royals comeback thanks to Daylen Lile’s clutch hitting. This game showed the best and the worst of the Nats. The young offense was humming, but inconsistencies and poor pitching made this closer than it needed to be.