Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats rally late; blow lead; fail to sweep; win series with New York Mets…

Front page – Trevor Williams’ sport:

“I’ve been watching him for years,” said Davey Martinez after free agent Trevor Williams made his fourth start of the new season.for /.282/.436 lines in the first 21 ¹⁄₃ Innings pitched by the Nationals.

“He did a great job,” added the manager. “He keeps you in the ball game. That’s what we expect from him. He gets out there and competes.”

Williams signed a two-year, $13 million free agent deal with Washington this winter after a season and a half in New York that oscillated between the bullpen and the starting rotation. Metsmainly work with peace of mind.

“I love his competitiveness,” Martinez said when asked why the club targeted Williams in its search for a starting pitcher this winter. I love

“He has four pitch combinations and we felt that was important for what we were trying to do here.

“But I really — face him, the guy competes, the guy is a gamer, and that’s what I really love.”

Returning to Citi Field last night, the 30-year-old right-hander threw 10 pitches at 1-2-3 the first time, then ran into trouble the second, giving up singles to Jeff McNeil and Daniel Vogelbach and allowing McNeil to take. rice field. The Mets tested Alex Cole’s arm and scored on Vogelbach’s hit and Mark Khanna’s sack fly to left as his throw went up to the first base line.

Brett Batty’s single sent Vogelbach to third, and a walk to Francisco Alvarez loaded them before the second-place force finished second on 26 pitches.

It was 1-1 in the fourth thanks to a solo homer by Alex Calloff of Mets starter Joey Lucchesi in the top of the third when Brett Batty hit a 0-1 curve low 400 feet from center. It was a draw. Robles grab and outfield wall, 2-1.

Back-to-back singles (by Francisco Alvarez and Brandon Nimo) and bases (to Sterling Marte) loaded the bases after a home run, and a two-run double from right by Francisco Lindor made it 4–1. Favors the home team.

Williams was up to 95 pitches when he got out of a 2-on-2-out jam in the top half of the Mets’ fifth inning. Then the Nationals went to Penn…

Bullpen action:

Joey Meneses, Lane Thomas (off joey luchesi), Stone Garrett (relief tommy hunter off) The Nationals singled in the bottom of the sixth, so the Nationals went to Luis Garcia’s bench and kept the line moving with a one-out RBI single to center field, making it a two-run game, 4-2 NY. Victor Robles was scored when he made a strong showing in third, but he hustled first to avoid an inning-ending DP, making it 4–3 after five and a half minutes.

Brandon Nimo singled off Erasmo Ramirez to start the Mets’ sixth, then Lindor’s double made it 1 at 5-3, and Pete Alonso snapped the rut 0-for-19 with an RBI hit 6-3, 7. -3, when Alonso scored on Daniel Vogelbach’s short off-bat to center field.

Hunter hit the first two batters he faced in the eighth for the Knots, bringing in Keibert-Lewis and Lane Thomas, and an error by Francou Lindor on a potential DP loaded them up, giving the Nationals the bases loaded. I gave it a chance.

Brooks Reilly takes over for the Mets, gives up Luis Garcia’s sacrifice fly 7-4, hits Victor Robles, sets up CJ Abrams…go-ahead slam, 8-7. What?

Mason Thompson pitched three innings in relief on 28 pitches in the series opener, and the Knotts skipper headed for him again with a one-run lead in the eighth, but Sterling Marte singled to make it home half of the inning. started. They stole second and scored 8–8 on Pete Alonso’s RBI double.

Alonso scored on a triple off right off of Jeff McNeill and Lane Thomas circled around to lose 9–8 at the fence.

“We played really, really well,” said Martinez after the club lost the final to NL East rivals after taking 3-2.

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

“We were depressed, but we came back to CJ with a big Grand Slam. But they have nothing to be ashamed of. Let’s keep playing the way we are.It’s been a great week and I really believe they’re playing with a lot of energy.They believe in each other.They believe in themselves. And they’re playing really well.”

Back Page – 2 Spot Luis Garcia Gets A Night Off:

Davey Martinez hit soon-to-be 23-year-old infielder Luis Garcia in the middle of the Nationals’ lineup (5-6-7) for most of the first month or more of the season, but this week In the series opener in New York City, he put second baseman in two spots.

“There are several reasons. ‘One is trying to get that group, the left-hander, just for the matchup. [versus Mets’ righty Josè Butto] The second is looking to find someone. This guy fits in well with Lewis. So I told Lewis today that I want to keep him there against his right-handed pitching, but he has to make a good count and get his ball in the zone. must be He’s swinging the bat better, so hopefully this helps him hit in front. [Jeimer Candelario]Candy swings the bat pretty well. So let’s try it and see what happens. But I think we can handle it. We’ve done it with him before. So hopefully he stays there and gets to base and hits balls.”

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Garcia has a .204/.271/.296 line against right-handed pitchers this season (.231/.214/.462 against LHP), but in his four-plus seasons, he’s The .268 is solid if unremarkable. /.300/.414 lines vs right-handed (.238/.251/.343 vs left-handed).

Martinez brought Garcia back for the second game at Citi Field as well, with another right-hander, Koudai Senga, starting for the home team, preserving the line-up that won the first game.

“I want to get Lewis out there and keep him there for a while. Let him hit second,” the manager explained. We have to do the same thing today we have to approach him the same way he’s going to chase you he has a really good changeup or he throws Whatever it is, it’s good.

Martinez has mixed and matched different lineups earlier this season, and this is part of the process of trying to find the best lineup for the team he has this year.

“We have so many young players. For me, we’re trying to find where they fit our line-up best. That’s the end result,” he said. rice field. “So we’ve been moving everybody. My biggest thing, as I said yesterday, is getting Lewis out there and keeping him in second place against the right-handers. Unfold it and see how it works.

“Yesterday was a good day.

“Tomorrow could be different”

Against lefty Joey Lucchesi on Thursday night, Martinez turned right in the lineup, giving both Garcia and lefty Dominic Smith the night off, Michael Chavis to Garcia at second base, and Joey Menezes. played the field at first base. He entered there as DH. Poor Jeter Downs, Amilite?

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

“I just wanted to give them a day off,” the Knotts manager said, referring to Garcia and Smith.

“We had back-to-back lefties, but that’s more important for Lewis. He’s been playing ever since he came back. [from] his hamstring [injury]Since he plays every day, I wanted to give him just one day. Then we have a long train ride tonight, but ultimately we need to be able to play today someday. “

But wait, “Is Jeter Downs still in the ballclub?” you ask. hello.

Downs: 2017 1st round pick by Cincinnati Reds, traded to LA dodgers (with Josiah Gray), in Boston in 2018 Red Sox Debut with Sox in 2020 and 2022. He’s been in Washington since April 11, but hasn’t played yet.

“Eventually we want him in the game,” Martinez told reporters. Appeared.

What has Downes been up to since then?

“Oh, he works,” Martinez said. “He’s working. He still feels young. He has work to do. He’s working hard.” [Run Prevention Coordinator Ricky Gutierrez] and [Third Base and infield coach] Gary Disarcina works hard on defense and hitting.

“In spring training, we saw some things we wanted to fix, and we’re trying to get him on the plane to flatten his swing a little bit more so he can initiate more contact. Hard. Contacts, but he’s got a job and it’s going well so far.”

Garrett’s start was his ninth of the season after playing two games for Minnesota. With the Twins, he went 0-for-5 with two walks and he had two K’s.

Martinez was asked about his previous story of wanting to get Meneses’ at-bat as a first baseman.

“Yeah, I mean, for me, now [Meneses is] He plans to get most of his at-bats at DH. that could change. There are some outfielders and I want to see them play. Stone Garrett is also a player whose playing time is limited, but I would like to play if there is an opportunity. Meneses has had the majority of his DH at-bats and was able to play first base today, with Dom taking the day off. So we try to get him out there as much as possible. But I told him about continuing to work on his routine, his DHing.