Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats beat Royals with another big 6th; 4-2 final

Front Page – Grays vs Royals:

Josiah Gray threw a total of 88 pitches in five innings against the Detroit Tigers last week in the Detroit capital, walking six batters while allowing just three hits and one run.

Clearly not an ideal outing, [points to the walks] But he closed out with a quick 16-ball, 1-2-3 No. 5 after an unstable first four frames. According to the director, this was ultimately a good sign.

“He wasn’t very sharp,” Davey Martinez told reporters after the club’s 6-4 win over the Tigers. “His cutter wasn’t that good. What I liked about him is that he came out in those five times and got a lot better. His mechanics were better, he stayed closed, His head was in good position and he threw the ball — his tongue was up that inning, but for me he’s had six or seven good pitches. [innings]today was a short day for him and I wanted to get him out of there.

“He pitched five innings, 87-88, and I said,” [Pitching Coach Jim] Hickey: Enough is enough

“Today is his day, so we cut a little time for him, but he fought.”

“Six walks is definitely disappointing,” Gray admitted in the postgame scrum. Quoted by Mark Zuckerman of MASN. “And I was feeling really good before the game, in the bullpen, and before the game.

“It wasn’t what I wanted to do today, but I made an important pitch and only conceded one run today,” he added.

The 25-year-old starter finished 57 games in 10 games with a 2.65 ERA, 4.35 FIP, 28 walks, 47 kicks and a .241/.331/.361 batting average. ²⁄₃ IP related to the season. His ERA was 2.76 after allowing a wild pitch from second out to third base in the home half Saturday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

With two outs in the third, Gray hit an inside-corner slider to Royals catcher Salvador Perez, and the veteran hit a 382-foot solo left to give the home team a 2-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, he again caused trouble with a walk to MJ Melendez, and the next batter, Royals DH Michael Massey, singled to right field and advanced the runner to third base with no outs. Gray went 0-2 on Michael Garcia with a 95-m.p.h. won. Then, after giving a walk, left fielder Nick Pratt hit a fly to center to stop the bases-loaded threat.

However, he finished pitching 34 pitches in just 4 innings, and his participation ended.

Josiah Gray quotes: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 Ks, 1 HR, 91 P, 57 S, 3/2 GO/FO.

Denny Medley – USA TODAY Sports

Gray had 14 swing strikes over four pitches, nine of which were cold strikes, and the Royals hitter fouled 22 of his 91 pitches, knocking out the starter a little earlier than usual…

“Today he did a great job keeping us 2-0,” Martinez said after the 4-2 win over the Royals. Quoted by Mark Zuckerman of MASN.

“The situation could have collapsed there, but he did a great job getting the outs we needed.”

“I think it was a good test today, I think we had a strong line-up,” Gray told reporters at the post-match scrum.

“I think I had a few at-bats with eight or more pitches, so I probably got knocked out a little earlier than I expected. But I think it was better than the last game.”

Key moments:

• Joey Meneses and Jaymer Candelario stole back-to-back walks from Royals starter Brady Singer in the top of the first inning this afternoon, but Corey Dickerson was one short of his 1,000 career hits and remained active. was playing. The 1047th major game in total, liner out to the left wing seat. The story was really building there, très décevant…

“When he got his 1,000th hit,” the club said in pre-match notes. [Dickerson] He is the 12th player in Nationals history (since 2005) to record 1,000 hits in a Nationals uniform, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“The last person to do it was Brian Dozier in 2019,” added Knotts.

• In the 4th inning, leading 2-0, the Nationals got a double from Candelario and then Keibert Ruiz’s ground ball after Dickerson swiped and took third base with a 1 out, but Candy was stuck there. bottom(at third base), (after Dom Smith’s two-out walk)), Alex Cole also struck out, leaving Washington with a runner in scoring position, 6-6, with five on base for the day.

• 1,000: About that story… The Nationals went 2-1 with a single by Jaimer Candelario in the bottom of the sixth, scored in the next at-bat, and a double to center by Corey Dickerson to make it 1,000th in his major career. I got a hit. royals. Congrats, Corey. That was the starter for KC…

• Dickerson made it 2-2 with a double to Keibert Lewis’ RBI off lefty Josh Taylor. He is 1 to 9 with RISP. In the ensuing at-bat, Dom Smith singled, Alex Cole walked, giving CJ Abrams a bases-loaded 0-out chance, and Dom Smith survived with a 2-2 fastball double to center field. . Left-handed relief pitcher, 4-2 with the Nationals. However, they ended up 2 out of 13 in the scoring position and 2 out of 13 combined with RISP. But big innings…

Nats captain Davey Martinez said after the game that he loved Abrams’ approach to the at-bat (also via MASN’s Mark Zuckerman):

“Stopping the hard pitch, that was the key. He stopped some sliders. And getting ready on time was a big deal. He put his foot down and the ball was up a little bit. I saw him and had a great swing.”

Martinez’s club put runners in scoring position and finished the game 15-2 with runners on 10th base, but ultimately won.

“They are playing hard now,” he said. From the 6th inning, my bat condition improved and I was able to score more points. ”

Following 8 points and 6 points in the opening game of the series, it was the second consecutive victory with a big 6 point difference.

“We want to launch an attack.” [scoring] We concede early in the game,” Martinez joked.We’ve done really well and we have to keep doing that, but like I said, we have to come out early and try to score first and try to score. [up] Some people concede early in the game. ”

Bullpen action:

Mason Thompson replaced Josiah Gray in relief in the fifth inning to keep the Nationals clean.

With Carl Edwards and Kr. Kr. Knott leading 4-2, he won the seventh and scored twice before striking out Salvador Perez to keep a clean sheet.

Hunter Harvey evaded a base for a scoreless eighth inning.

Kyle Finnegan allowed a single in the bottom of the ninth inning, but he picked up Ks in the next two at-bats to end the game. Final Score: 4-2 Nationals.

Back page – Luis Garcia’s 6-hit game:

“Luis Garcia,” the club said before two of three games in Kansas City, Missouri. “On Friday night, he tied the Nationals record (pre-2005) with six hits. Two doubles, two doubles, 6 for 6.”[s]and scored three goals,” said the 23-year-old infielder in an important game.

“Combined with his two hits against San Diego on May 25, Garcia has had safe hits in eight of his last nine at-bats,” Knuts added.

“Garcia (23 years and 10 daysSan Francisco’s Jesús Alou (22 years and 108 days) on July 10, 1964 in Chicago, New Jersey. ”

The fact that five of Garcia’s six hits were knocks in the opposite direction was very noticeable to manager Davey Martinez as a sign of the young player’s development this season.

“That’s what he’s really been working on: putting his feet under him,” said the sixth-year captain. “…and to stay on the ball and throw the ball in the opposite direction. And tonight he did it.”

Garcia’s big night matched his total hits in his last seven games, batting .288/.330/.394 with 7 doubles, 1 triple, 3 homers, 12 walks and 21 kickouts. He pitched in 186 plate appearances in 44 games during the year.

Jay Biggerstaff – USA TODAY Sports

Martinez spoke ahead of the second of three games in Kansas City about how Garcia’s perseverance and improved pitch selection helped him hit better pitches.

Garcia’s Zone Swing % (Swing at Pitch in Zone / Pitch in Zone) 75.9% this season (up from 67.6% in 2022), zone contact rate also increased (80.5% to 87.7%), his Chase % dropped significantly (from 40.8% in 2022 to 25.1% this year).

“I think he’s been able to pitch better because he’s been creating situations where it’s easier for him to hit,” Martinez explained. “Yes, and the biggest thing for me is that he understands better how he uses his feet, his swing. He hits the ball harder and puts the ball into play a little more. So , that’s the key.” For me, I can say to all hitters, “Hey, when you get a ball you can hit or drive, put it in play, don’t go for two strikes, barrel up. Put it in play right away.” And you have to fight to keep the ball in the zone. It’s been tough since then, but he’s come back early and is doing a much better job with his legs. ”

So having the pitcher throw strikes and having a higher chance of making contact when he throws strikes is all part of the plan, what are they repeating to him every day?

“We’re trying to make him understand that it’s good to have the ball in the zone,” Martinez continued. . Yesterday he did a great job of just keeping the ball, trying to stay in the middle of the field and hitting a lot of left field hits, but he doesn’t have to pull the ball all the time.

“And if he’s prepared, he’ll recognize the pitch sooner and be able to do it.”