Jake Irvin pitched 96 pitches over six innings last week for Tampa Bay, posting a 3.03 ERA/3.53 FIP with a .224/.276/.382 ERA/.276/.382 Slugging percentage while walking 23 (2.11 BB/9) and striking out 86 (7.90 K/9) in 98 innings across 17 starts.
After the start against the Rays, the manager said Irvin’s performance was a continuation of the growth he showed late in the 2023 season.
“We saw that at the end of last year,” Davey Martinez told reporters, “and we’ve talked to him about just continuing to grow from there. He stumbled a little bit in spring training, but overall, I said the kid is OK. He listens well, he wants to learn, he wants to get better. He’s going to go out there and learn from it and keep moving forward.”
“I talk about him, but a lot of our young starters do the same thing. They motivate each other, so it’s great.”
Martinez was asked if Irvin has performed well enough this season to warrant All-Star consideration later this month.
“I really think a lot of our guys should be All-Stars, and I hope he gets that opportunity,” the captain said. “He’s definitely done well. He’s led the team to victory every game and he’s done a great job.”
When asked if he was an All-Star, Irvin refused to entertain the idea of being selected as an All-Star.
“Ha ha, I’m not gonna answer that question,” Irvin said, per MASN’s Mark Zuckerman. “No, no. Kyle Finnegan’s a really good player.”
Irvin pitched really well on Thursday, allowing no runs in eight innings, just one hit, one walk and eight strikeouts. He threw 99 pitches, 70 strikeouts, 15 strikeouts (7 curveball, 6 four-seam, 2 sinker) and called 23 strikeouts (13 curveball, 4 fastball, 6 sinker).
Irvin walked with one out in the second inning, left the runner on base two outs later, and allowed the only hit with one out in the third inning, but retired the next two batters that inning and then 15 more, finishing with a streak of 17 consecutive hits in his unforgettable start in the nation’s capital on July 4.
The score was 0-0 after the eighth inning, but he struck out the final batter with a high fastball, eliciting a cheer from the crowd as he left the mound for the final time. Jesse Winker then came in to pinch-hit with one out in the eighth and smashed a 1-0 fastball 407 feet into right field for a solo home run to extend the lead to 1-0. With Kyle Finnegan, Hunter Harvey and Robert Garcia out, Derek Law earned the save with two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 inning. The game ended with a 1-0 score.
“I just felt like I needed a little bit of energy,” Irvin said of his actions as he left the field.
“And those moments, you don’t really plan them like that. They just happen. You score and you win the game. It’s pretty cool.”
“For him to go out there and do what he did today, especially in an early game like today, it says a lot about his character. He was ready to go, he was ready to go and he carried the team,” Martinez said after the win, which gave the Nationals a four-game winning streak. Mets.
It really meant a lot to the team and its manager that Irvin got in the game when the Nationals really needed it.
“That was just unbelievable,” Martinez said. “He was good all day. He mixed his pitches up well, but he kept guys off balance. His fastball was really good today. We definitely needed it. We really needed it. We were hoping to score some runs for us, but luckily Winker hit a home run to get us one back, but it was awesome. It was fun watching him play.”
Winker was eager for the opportunity.
“He was super motivated,” Martinez said. “He said, ‘I’m ready,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I know you’re ready,’ but it was amazing what he did out there.”
“It’s a big win for us.”
Winker said he wants to go out and score for Irvin.
“It’s very moving,” Winker said. Quote from MASN’s Mark Zuckerman Irvin’s start.
“I just want him to get one. I’m glad we did. It was a great game, a great series.”
Irvin said doing it on the Fourth of July from his home in Washington, D.C., meant even more to him.
“I would say it means much more on the Fourth of July,” he told reporters.
“It was a great result. It was a fun day. And [catcher] Riley [Adams] We were on the same page all day. He led a great game and I’m really grateful to him.”
Irvin finished the seventh inning with 90 pitches, and with the starters getting going, Martinez brought him back to the mound in the eighth, and he closed out the game with a quick 1-2-3 run off nine pitches.
“He was still strong and looking good after the seventh inning,” Martinez said when asked if there was a chance Irvin could be used in the ninth.
“He came out, fired up, pumping his fists and all that stuff. [tell-tale sign] He’s done. But it was a great performance.”
“He pitched in the eighth inning,” Martinez added. “He threw about 100 pitches and I thought that was it. Whatever happened. It was good. It was hot. I knew he sweats a lot, but he was great.”