Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats take opener with Phillies; 2-1; Josiah Gray unflappable + more…

Josiah Gray in Philadelphia:

Josiah Gray walked four batters on 99 pitches, giving up four hits and five runs. ¹⁄₃Inning outing for last weekend’s away game San Diego Padres While at Petco Park, he managed to hold off all eight runners on base and eventually won 2-0 on the road.

“Tonight’s story for me is Josiah,” manager Davey Martinez said after the game against the Flyers. “He fought through. A little bit more pitches, but he got through it. It was a tough line-up, but we were able to give him the win.”

“He got in a bit of a tight spot here and there, but he pitched well and got out of there,” Martinez added at another point in the postgame press.

“He’s learned, he’s learned a lot. He knows he can compete here, he knows he can win games here, so he’s done really well.”

“I limited the damage,” said Gray, Quoted by Mark Zuckerman of MASN.

“Each time I gave up on a walk, a player got stuck in place, but it didn’t add up.

“You could say they were kind of strategic. They went to base, but I was able to hold them back.”

“He’s done everything we asked him to do. He’s getting better and he’s pitching really well in high-leverage situations,” Martinez said before Gray’s trip last night.

“That’s what we talked to him about last year and he’s doing great.”

Gray entered the game by striking out three batters after walking the lead in the first inning of the series opener at Citizens Bank Park. PhilliesBryson Stott scored the second point with a 2-0 lead, but Bryson Stott hit a low curve in the center of 0-2 and stole second base from outside the zone. hit a single to center to score. A fastball from the Nationals’ starting pitcher was low but went over the middle of the at-bat to make it 2-1.

Up to 45 balls (With the help of CJ Abrams, he stole the ball from Tory Turner with a jumping grab onto the short center grass.)Gray gave a one-out and two-out hit (by Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott respectively) However, Alec Bohm hit a 95 mph 2-for-2 fastball on the “black” outside to stall two runners and finish the 21-ball fourth with a total of 66.

Kyle Schwarber had a 3-2 fastball that landed in Keibert Lewis’s mitt for a cold strike three, 1-2-3 5th-3rd out of 15 pitches and Knots leading 2-1. After finishing 5 points, it was a total of 81 RBI. Intact.

In the sixth inning, Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos singled off Gray, and Turner stole third base with no outs on third base, but the Knotts’ starting pitchers were Bryce Harper and JT Realmuto, and Bryson Stott was on 3rd. -2 high heater and got the first out. He got out of trouble again, scoring three goals as he held the game 2-1 in favor of the Nationals after six games. 99 balls in total.

Josiah Gray quotes: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 99 P, 69 S, 3/1 GO/FO.

Gray has proven to be steadfast in some tough situations.

“This is something we talked about,” Martinez said after the 2-1 win.

“What he’s learned from last year and this year is to stay in the moment. ‘If something goes wrong, don’t get mad. Focus on your next pitch.’ I am doing well.”

“The fact that he was able to control his emotions when it mattered, seize the moment and score a big out for us was huge today,” added the coach.

Key moments:

• Keibert Lewis hit an error on a high throw to first base to allow Tory Turner to ground out short and Stone Garrett hit a 2-run homer to left field on a 1-1 changeup low in the zone for the Phillies. Left-handed Christopher Sanchez. Garrett’s fourth fly of the year was a 363-foot fly that led the Nationals 2-0 in the top of the second inning.

• Stone Garrett doubled and Dominic Smith dribbled to third base, which remained fair, but in the fourth inning, a one-out chance at first and third, Derek Hill ran into his own bunt on the way to first base. and CJ hit. Abrams threw the first pitch he saw to first base to get third out…and the chance wasted.

• Lane Thomas singled the 0-2 Sanchez slider with a weak ground ball, took second base on Luis Garcia’s ground ball, hit third on a wild pitch caught by Phillies catcher JT Realmut, but was stuck with three outs. bottom. Then, in a game that was still 2–1, with runners in scoring position and five on base, the club were left 1–5–5 overall.

Bullpen action:

The Nationals were singled out in the seventh inning by Mason Thompson, who doubled first to Alec Bohm, but back-to-back Ks held Bohm to second and Nationals skipper Davey Martinez hit Kyle Finnegan. It turned against Kyle Schwarber. There is also the possibility of a tie at second base,

Last night, Finnegan, who batted .160/.300/.280 left-handed (8 for 50), ended the threat with a weak grounder to second base. The Nationals still have 2 wins and 1 loss.

Finnegan returned in the eighth inning and got two quick outs, but Bryce Harper reached for a short ground ball and CJ Abrams struck out, but it didn’t make for a clean defense. Realmuto stepped next and the catcher grounded out to second base, where Abrams gained strength…and threw to first base.Or because you forgot the number of outs).

It took Hunter Harvey 10 pitches to get his team out in order. ball game. Final Score: 2-1 nuts.

Kyle Ross – USA TODAY Sports

Back Page – Jose A. Ferrer Opportunities:

Ahead of last night’s series opener, the Nationals announced their first roster move in weeks, placing Patrick Corbin on a widow’s list and calling up left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrer from Triple-A Rochester. .

“Patrick Corbin is currently on the bereavement list,” manager Davey Martinez explained at his pre-match press conference at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. The club were due to play three games this weekend. “So we thought we’d bring in one of our young lefty relievers, Ferrer. Give him a chance, hopefully in a few days. With all the left-handers. [the Phillies have], let him into the game. Yes, he will be here and we will see what happens to him.”

No reason was given for Mr Corbyn’s absence.

As for the 23-year-old left-hander Ferrer, “From Maimon, Dominican Republic [who] Signed by the Nationals as an undrafted free agent on July 2, 2017, throwing low A, high A, and double A in the Nuts system in 2022, recording a 3.83 ERA, 4.93 FIP, 20 walks (4.50 BB/9), and 33 Ks (7.43). K/9) played 34 games in Triple-A this year and made 40 IP appearances before he got the call to join the big league club.

What’s your manager’s advice to a southpaw who finally hears his name called in the bullpen of his MLB debut?

“We need to control his heartbeat,” Martinez said. “His walk was there [at Triple-A Rochester]. But…he’s gotten a lot better at throwing the ball in the last few games. Find some more strike zones. ”

A note in the Nationals’ press release regarding this transfer supports this scouting report.

“Ferrer has kept a clean sheet in his last five games since June 17, [he] He averaged .158 (3 of 19) against his opponents. He struck out nine in 6.0 innings, and also struck out on June 22 against Omaha (KCR). ”

“He adjusted the mechanics a little bit,” Martinez said. “So let’s see. We’re going to keep an eye on him, so I’m glad he’s here.”

The sixth-year captain has managed without a left-handed pitcher in the bullpen for quite some time this season, but now has two left-handed pitchers (Joe La Sorsa joined the club earlier this month) it must be really extravagant.

“It’s kind of great because left-handed hitters have two different looks,” Martinez added.

“Some guys have a little bit of funk. Other guys are going to come at you. So that’s what I like. Ferrer has been throwing really, really good the last few games.

“So he’ll get his chance here in the next few days. We’ll take him there and see what he does.”