Mitchell Parker
Last Thursday’s day off gave the Nationals a chance to make some changes, with rookie starting pitcher Mitchell Parker getting an extra day of rest. Atlanta Braves The series opener will be at Truist Park in Washington.
“We just wanted to give Parker an extra day,” Martinez explained. Quote from MASN’s Bobby Blanco Before the opener against the Mariners last Friday.
“He didn’t do this (Major League Baseball starts every 5 daysSo I thought it would be nice to give him an extra day.”
Parker was a pleasant surprise (For those who aren’t involved in player development at the club or keeping a close eye on the Nationals’ futureSince making his MLB debut on April 15 following an injury to Josiah Gray, he has posted a 3.32 ERA and 3.44 FIP to go with a .252/.288/.371 slugging line in 38 innings over seven starts. He threw a season-high 94 pitches in his last appearance, and manager Martinez decided to let the 24-year-old 2020 fifth-round draft pick pitch a little longer to test him out.
Photo: Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
So it seemed like the perfect opportunity for the manager to give Parker an extra day between games.
“He’s been pitching, pitching every five days, pitching long games, so giving him some extra days would definitely help him,” Martinez said. But will that really happen?
“It was good that he got that extra day of rest. We’ll see how that extra day helped him,” Martinez said before Sunday’s game. “Sometimes you get so used to doing something an extra day that you don’t. But he’s been used to six days for so many years and the way we’re trying to use him and the way we’re using him, he’s been throwing a lot, so we wanted to give him an extra day of rest to kind of gather himself up, take a breather and get him ready to go.”
“He’s pitching every five days for us,” Martinez said before the game on Monday afternoon.
“It’s something he hasn’t really done in the minor leagues, so we thought this was a great opportunity to give him a little shot and hopefully it works out.”
It worked out well: Parker led 4-0 going into the game, but gave up a leadoff single in the first inning, then got out 14 consecutive batters, then allowed a single with two outs in the fifth, and then got out 17 of 18 batters by the time he finished the sixth inning with a 1-2-3 record, striking out five consecutive batters between the third and fourth innings.
Martinez started the seventh inning and Parker allowed a single, a double and an RBI grounder to the leadoff batter before Braves outfielder Adam Duvall hit a 410-foot zone-up slider to left field for a two-run homer.
With the score at 8-3 at that point, Parker threw 100 pitches, 74 of which were strikes, and was done for the day. He struck out 17 batters.8 with a slider, 6 with a four-seam, 3 with a splitter), 14 strikes (He has eight heaters.).
“He pitched really well,” Martinez said after the 8-4 win. “It was hot. I tried to get him to pitch a little bit longer to get through the sixth inning, but like I said, he made sure he stayed in the game. That offense is not easy. They swing the bat. So, he did a good job today.”
What stood out to you as a coach about Parker’s game? What was the key?
“Strikes. Strikes. He’s attacking the strike zone well,” he explained. “He’s using his fastball well. He’s using his curveball well. [were] very good.
“When I throw strikes, every pitch has movement and is very quick.
“Guys love playing behind him because he’s really quick and very efficient.”
“I like that he keeps picking up the pace,” C.J. Abrams said after going 2-for-5 with his second home run in two games.And 9th place this season).
“He goes out there every day and competes, and we’re happy for that. We’re behind him defensively and we’re going to continue to compete.”
Manager Parker said the key to efficient pitching in this game was “a lot of contact early on, a lot of ground balls.”
“The fielders were making a lot of plays. A lot of fly balls. I was keeping the counts short and pitching less. That’s what it was all about.”
Martinez tried to get a little more out of Parker in the seventh, but it was clear he was exhausted by that point.
“When he’s pitching like he is right now, you try to let him pitch and get through the inning,” Martinez said, “and try to conserve your pitchers.”
“But he was a little tired. He was a little hot, but the bullpen came in and kept him in check.”
Victor Robles designated for assignment:
The Nationals decided to designate Victor Robles for pre-allocation before Monday’s start of the game in order to make room on the roster for the return of Lane Thomas.
The 27-year-old Robles signed with the Dominican Republic in 2013, made his major league debut in 2017 and World Series He flourished in the 2000s but struggled in later seasons and has been plagued by injuries in recent years, limiting his time on the field.
“It’s always the hardest day when you lose a player, especially when you lose a player like Vic, who you’ve known for a long time and who helped us win a World Series,” Nationals captain Davey Martinez told reporters before the series opener in Atlanta.
“It’s been tough. It’s been really tough,” he said of breaking the news to Robles. “All I can say to him is I wish him the best and I hope he continues to do his best. He’s going to find himself and help a team somewhere. And like I said, I just wish him the best. But I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about Vic. We’ve been through a lot together. And like I said, we’re not going to win a World Series unless he’s roaming center field and performing like he did that year. It’s been a tough time for him with the injuries, but like I said, I think he’s still a very good player and a very valuable player. He’s going to help somebody. And if nothing else works out, I hope he’s back here.”
Why did this once highly-touted prospect never get it all together?
“For me, a lot of it was injury-related, it really was,” Martinez said. “So, he’s going to come back and change some things. And for me, I think he’s got to find his identity, and he really has. Hopefully, he’ll do that. He’s made a lot of changes hitting-wise, so hopefully, he’ll find a place where he’s comfortable. And for me, he’s a guy that needs to get on base, steal bases, play good defense. Be a guy that wreaks havoc. And I hope he finds that.”
With a ton of young outfielders in the organization, the Nationals decided this was their best bet.
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Photo by Cooper Neal/MLB Photos via Getty Images
“Obviously, we have a lot of young outfielders coming up, we’ve got a little ways to go,” Martinez said.
“But they’re getting closer. So when you have that many quality outfielders on your team, you have to make some tough decisions.”
“The biggest thing is having Lane back off injured reserve,” Martinez added.
“So we had to make a decision, we have a lot of young outfielders coming in.
“It’s still a little far away, but we’re getting closer.
“When you have a lot of good outfielders on your team, it makes for some tough decisions.
“But on the positive side, Lane is back, healthy and ready to go and is playing right field today.”
Thomas returned to the lineup and had two hits in five at-bats, two doubles, and one run.
