Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats drop opener with Phillies; Mitchell Parker rocked in CBP…

Minimize errors; pitch well; allow no more than 27 outs:

They won two games in a row and lost each. Baltimore Orioles (72-50) at Oriole Park, Camden Yards. Philadelphia Phillies Heading into the series against a National League East opponent at Citizens Bank Park (70-50), manager Davey Martinez knew he had to play a clean game to even the odds against a rival that had won five of the six games between them going into the series.

“This team can’t afford to make too many mistakes offensively, they’re going to get you,” Martinez told reporters in his pre-match press conference.

“They can hit the ball out of the park with all their bats. We have to pitch well and play good defense. We can’t let them get more than 27 outs.”

“So you’ve got to play hard.”

Things didn’t go well for the Nationals (currently 55-67), who lost the series opener by a final score of 13-3.

Martinez’s team scored three runs on eight hits (two of which were solo homers by Cavert Lewis), but went 0-for-6 with six runners in scoring position and committed three defensive errors. On the mound, left-hander Mitchell Parker was hit hard and called out early, then pitched three-plus innings, throwing 72 pitches, 48 ​​of which were strikes, while allowing 10 hits (two of which were homers), two walks and nine runs (all unearned).

Alex Bohm hit an 0-1 fastball high and inside to left field in the bottom of the first inning for a 403-foot, three-run homer, then Nick Castellanos in his next at-bat hit an 0-1 split ball to left field for a 380-foot solo homer over center field to give Philadelphia an early 4-0 lead in the first of four CBP innings.

Parker walked a batter in the second inning but retired all three batters in the third, then gave up five consecutive hits in the fourth, giving up four more runs. But then the manager called in the bullpen, and Parker’s line drive allowed the final run two batters later.

“It was a location issue,” Martinez said, succinctly summing up Parker’s struggles. “He threw a lot of balls. A lot of curveballs.”

“They were all high. He threw some fastballs high intentionally, but they weren’t. He couldn’t get his curveballs down. His split wasn’t as effective as usual, he just threw them high. Every time he threw it high, he got hit pretty hard. Hopefully this is a learning process for him. He’s got to understand that he’s got to keep the ball low, especially in this ballpark.”

“Some days you lose,” Parker told reporters. Quote from MASN’s Bobby Blanco After the game he said: “We just lost today. Everything was going well, but they’re a good team and they did everything right today.”

Nationals?

“As I said today, there are two things that must never happen: you must not give up an out and you must not make a pitching error. We did both today,” Martinez said.

“He needs to forget about this, learn from it and move on, and we all agree,” he added.

Coach Parker said he thinks Parker will be able to bounce back from this game and be ready for the next rotation.

“He gave up four runs, settled down and then came back after that. He was a little off, but last I saw him he’s a young guy and I could tell he was a little frustrated. But I know he’ll be back to normal tomorrow and be ready to pitch when it’s his turn.”

Martinez said Parker and other members of the club need to put this behind them and move on.

“We’ll let this wash over us and come back tomorrow and get ready to play tomorrow.”

Bonus Wood Talk:

After James Wood had four hits in the first of two games against the Orioles this week, manager Davey Martinez spoke about the 21-year-old outfielder’s offensive development since making his major league debut earlier this season.

“We’ve been talking about him staying in the middle of the field. He’s been really good. I’m really proud of him because all four of Wood’s hits came left-handed against left-handed batters. He really focused on hitting the ball high and staying in the middle of the field. It was a great day.”

Photo: Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Wood finished the game with a .283 batting average, .369 on-base percentage, .449 slugging percentage, five doubles, three triples and four home runs in 37 games and 157 at-bats.

“I always talk about how smart he is when it comes to hitting. He has a plan and he learns what to do every at-bat, every swing. Tonight was a great example of what he can really do. He took every ball well, launched the ball high and stayed in the middle of the field.”

The reporter wondered if Martinez and Wood, a Rockville, Md., native, talked about the young major leaguers they watched play at Oriole Park as kids and what it means to be in the major leagues now at Camden Yards.

“Nice try,” Martinez said. “He’s from the Nationals, you know? He actually said he loves coming here, probably because that’s where he grew up watching baseball, but I’m happy he’s here.”

Wood was hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts in the second of two games against the Orioles, but Martinez said he would try to learn from it.

“He’s doing well,” the manager said. “He really is. He’s doing well. He’s going to learn from today and go to Philadelphia and bounce back and do his best again.”

“It’s exciting to watch him get better each and every day,” Rizzo told Junkies. “He brings his major league routine to the ballpark every day and is getting better as a left fielder. He was nearly perfect with the bat in the minor leagues and has already made some adjustments to his swing and approach at the plate.”

“Not only his results and performance on the field, but the balls he hits are hit harder than anyone in the game. The velocity is elite and the sound the ball leaves his bat is unlike many others. We’re thrilled with how far he’s come as a player and major leaguer, and we just watch in amazement that this guy has, at the end of the day, only scratched the surface of what he could become.”

Photo credit: Diamond Images via Getty Images

“It’s been amazing to watch him get better every day,” GM and team president Mike Rizzo told Junkies before the team’s final game against the Orioles.

“He brings his major league routine to the ballpark every day and is getting better and better as a left fielder.

“He’s been extremely consistent with the bat in the minor leagues,” Rizzo added, “and has already made some adjustments to his swing and approach at the plate.”

“Not only his results and performance on the field, but the balls he hits are hit harder than anyone in the game. The velocity is elite and the sound the ball leaves his bat is unlike many others. We’re thrilled with how far he’s come as a player and major leaguer, and we just watch in amazement that this guy has, at the end of the day, only scratched the surface of what he could become.”