Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats shut Mets out, 5-0; Josiah Gray Ks 9; Mason Thompson with 3.0 scoreless…

Gray vs. Metzees:

It’s hard to argue against the results. But Davey Martinez had some ideas for the process.

On the road at Target Field before Sunday’s series finale with the Twins, the sixth-year skipper spoke with reporters about what he saw from starter Josiah Gray earlier this year and what he wants to see in Josiah Gray, 25. I told you, the old starter will do things differently from now on, as it builds on its early successes (3.74 ERA, 5.77 FIP, 9BB, 16Ks, 4HR, .281/.362/.476 BAA).

According to Baseball Savant data, Gray threw a 4-seam fastball significantly fewer times after an opposing hitter hit a . After hitting the inning, Gray gave up entirely from the fastball in 2012.

Gray threw it 39.2% of the time in his first full season in the majors, but has dropped to 26.2% in four starts so far in 2023, with his slider usage a little less. rose (29.5% to 32.8%), and the cutter he added this winter, the weapon he was leaning against (15.6% of the time), and about the same amount of curveballs (24.1% in 2023, 24.8% last year).

Asked if he’d like to see Gray throw Heater more often, Martinez replied, “For me, it’s all about where his fastball is.”

“When he’s throwing the ball, there’s more movement than when he’s throwing it up. I talk a lot about throwing, but he was so much better.My big thing with him, as we all talk about, is that he learned to throw a cutter. I just want him to use his fastball a little more, and sometimes even a cutter.His slider is a great pitch.

“But understand that he has to throw with a fastball.”

Gray stole seven of the first 14 batters he faced and had a season-high Ks in four innings, but he walked before Sterling Marte with a double with one out and a single with two outs and five walks. (0) He went from 0-2 to 3-2, but K swung Gray’s cutter down and fell out of the zone.

Gray had a maximum of 81 pitches after five, 20 swing strikes, 7 fastballs, 11 sliders, 13 call strikes, 8 four seamers, and 4 curves.

Through the fifth inning, the right-hander threw four seamer 42%, slider 29%, curveball 18%, and cutter 11%, coming back in the bottom of the sixth and retiring the sides in order with a fast 10 pitches. A frame that left him on 91 pitches overall.

Josiah Gray quotes: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 Ks, 91 P, 60 S, 1/4 GO/FO.

“He really attacked with his fastball down,” Martinez said after a 5-0 win in the series opener. “I think he blew them away a lot just by throwing a fastball for a strike. I mean, he threw a lot of first-pitch strikes, and from there he used cutters and sliders. Honestly, his key is the fastball. We talk about it all the time: the fastball in the strike zone, keeping it down, everything else works for him.So what a great, what a great day, man. We hit a really good hitter on Marte in high conditions, which was great, and we thought about getting him out, but the inning went long and he threw 91 pitches, so we just had to put him out on the high note. I thought it was right.”

After the game, Gray was asked what worked for him on the New York mound.

“All right,” said Gray. “You just have to execute your game plan early on. We just see a lot of good opportunities early on, so the more we do that, the more we’re able to command the zone and take advantage of it. We had a lot of success today just by going on strike and putting away putaway pitches.”

point!!!!:

Keibert Ruiz beats 25-year-old Mets starter José Butto, 2-0, next pitching out to center field at Citi Field (414 feet in the first run of the series opener in Flushing, NY). hit the It would have/could have been a two-run shot had Joey Meneses not been thrown out by third baseman Brett trying to extend the lowliner. When he recovered, he was tagged at second base.

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Luis Garcia grounded second hard after a one-out walk by Alex Cole in the top of the third, before Meneses lined up before Jaymer Candelario got the second walk of the inning and the Mets starter. took the third free pass in the game by His RBI single to center field on a 0-1 fastball overtook Garcia from his second place he led 2-0.

Garcia hit a Backdoor 3-2 sweeper into the base of the right-center wall in the sixth from reliever Jimmy Yakabonis for a two-out, two-run double. Back, one-out hit in pairs, 4-0. Knott’s second baseman and 2023 second baseman. Garcia scored Meneses’ RBI on his single (4-for-3, 2 RBI), 5–0.

“It’s a tough place to play here in New York, it’s a difficult place to play in. So I think it makes it easier for everyone to get out and take an early lead. But the game wasn’t over.” Manager Davey Martinez said after the game.

“We had to keep playing and they did it tonight.Kiebert had a great swing today and was swinging the bat so well that he could have the ball in the middle of the field. It was nice to see him drive the ball like that.

Thompson role:

Mason Thompson threw heavy weights 72.8% of the time in 24 games. ²⁄₃ IP at the 2022 Majors is 23.9% sliders and less than 2% four-seam fastballs and changeups.

in his first 15 ²⁄₃ This season at IP, before Tuesday’s game, the 25-year-old reliever’s sinker usage dropped slightly, with 62.6% sinkers, 27.4% sliders, 5.8% four-seamers and 4.2% curves.

Last year, opposing hitters didn’t hit much on either of his top two pitches (.233 AVG on the sinker, .133 AVG on the slider226 AVG on the sinker and .133 AVG on the slider, Thompson hasn’t hit much earlier this year.

“His stuff is very good. Manager Davey Martinez smiled last weekend when asked about his early season success and the importance of one strike for Thompson.

“They analyzed my numbers and said, ‘If you keep going, you’re basically unbeatable,'” Thompson said last Sunday. Words by Mark Zuckerman of MASN.

“My main focus this offseason was getting my zone pounding. For me, it produced good results.”

Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

“He has a lot of movement on the fastball,” Martinez added. It’s a nasty pitch and tries to kick out anyone chasing a slider or something. Strike 1 is key for him, talking about 1-on-1 counts and trying to win 1-on-1 counts. So I want all of these guys, especially Mason, to strike his zone. Don’t be afraid to throw the ball over White. Let everyone hit it. His ball is hard to hit. He throws a heavy ball. So he’s really successful at doing that. ”

Thompson struck out two in the seventh inning at 1-2-3, one on swing and one on looks, replacing Josiah Gray to hold the game 5–0 at Citi Field. He returned to the mound and added two of his Ks for a 1-2-3 8, and on 23 pitches and 18 strikes he completed two scoreless runs.

Martinez sent him back in the ninth and Thompson gave a leadoff single before starting a 1-4-3 DP on Pete Alonso’s comebacker and ending the game with a second groundout.

The Knots skipper said after the game that it was a really big outing for Thompson and the team given their schedule.

“Huge,” he said.

“I mean, we’re on our way to a 16-game winning streak, so it’s kind of old fashioned to give the bullpen a little rest and let him do what he’s doing.

“A lot of relievers saved three innings when I played. It was awesome to see Mason doing it.”

Backpage – Dangerous things:

Sean Doolittle took another step in his recovery from left elbow surgery when he pitched live BP in West Palm Beach on Tuesday. Doolittle, 36, had internal brace surgery on his elbow last summer in place of Tommy’s John surgery.

“Doolittle actually threw a raw BP,” Davey Martinez told reporters before last night’s series opener at Citi Field.

“I’m still waiting for the results now, but the point is he felt really good. So I want to see what Bello is and how many pitches he threw. Is not.”

Upon joining, Martinez said he hoped to get Doolittle up to about 20 pitches.

Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images

“I haven’t seen results yet,” he repeated. “But from what I heard, he said he felt a lot better afterward.”

As he explained, it’s still too early to think or talk about a timetable for whether lefties can return to the majors.

“My focus is today and getting through him today. And the main thing is to see how he feels tomorrow. “We’ll get an update on how we’re feeling,” Martinez said, though he said it’s a little off in the future.

“Basically where we are now is the beginning of spring training with him,” he added.

“So he has to throw and get a couple of live BPs and then we’ll see how he goes from there.

“But he’s going to have to pitch. We’re going to have to give him consecutive days. So there’s still time.”