What happened to Mackenzie Gore? Nationals pitcher forced to exit game vs Red Sox

A dazzling performance from Washington Nationals pitcher Mackenzie Gore against the Boston Red Sox was unfortunately cut short due to injury.

He pitched a brilliant 6.1 innings, allowing only two hits and giving up zero earned runs. Seeing it end early is just about the worst way it could have ended.

The injury appeared to be a finger issue, likely a blister on his middle finger. Some fans are surprised when they end a pitcher's night, but it can have a huge impact as anything that impacts the way a pitcher grips the ball can radically change their game.

Mark Zuckerman of MASN provided some context for how well Gore was playing and reported on exactly why he left the game.

"MacKenzie Gore's final line: 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 85 pitches, 56 strikes. He threw first-pitch strikes to 17-of-22 batters before departing with what appeared to be a blister on his left middle finger" - Mark Zuckerman

This injury won't likely cause Gore to miss his next start so he will look to build off some of this game's momentum.

Mackenzie Gore could be a top starter for the Washington Nationals by next season

This was a great outing considering his last start resulted in seven hits and six earned runs allowed. Gore is in just his second season in MLB, so inconsistency between starts like this is something to be expected. It takes years and years of experience before great performances like this become a regular occurrence.

Pitching Ninja, or Rob Friedman, highlighted a particularly great pitch from Gore on Twitter.

"MacKenzie Gore, Dirty 85mph Curveball" - Rob Friedman

Gore has all the talent needed, and he showed it against the Boston Red Sox. After another season of hard work and training, fans could soon view him as one of the top pitchers in the National League.