Washington Nationals news & notes: Mitchell Parker in Coors Field; Nats drop back & forth battle to Rockies, 8-7

Parker in Coors:

Mitchell Parker appeared in 76 games, started 72 times and walked 167 times (4.56 BB/9) in 329 appearances. ²⁄₃ The 24-year-old was the Nationals’ fifth-round draft pick in 2020 and spent four seasons on the mound in the minor leagues before making his major league debut earlier this year.

Washington’s rookie left-hander pitched six scoreless innings in Miami last week and has a 2.00 BB/9 in 12 starts and 67 plate appearances this season. ²⁄₃ IP as a major league starting pitcher.

“It’s hard to win games when you allow free runners,” manager Parker said after the game against the Marlins.

“Things are going to happen. So if we can keep guys off base as much as we can and get them to work to get on base, good things will happen for us.”

Manager Davey Martinez said Parker is taking to heart the message he received from the team during 2024 spring training.

“This all started in spring training,” the seventh-year captain told reporters. He told Parker, quite simply: “Limit your walks and you’ll be pitching in the major leagues.”

“His pitches have always been good. ‘But you’ve got to limit the walks. You can’t take a free pass here. You’re going to get caught.’

“And he’s done his job. He understands, ‘I’ve got to throw strikes.’ And he’s always been up to bat, giving us the innings we need and pitching really well.”

Before Saturday’s second of three games against the Rockies, Martinez was asked what it was about the left-hander that allowed him to continue to perform so well over the past two months.

“That goes back over two months,” the manager said. “The first time I saw him, I loved his composure. He doesn’t seem to be shaken by anything. He’s very calm throughout. I love that about him, whether he’s pitching, in the clubhouse, working out between starts. He goes out there and has a really slow heart rate and is in the moment, which I love. But that’s the kind of guy he is, and that’s always been the same. He knows what he has to do. He’s very talented, very smart. He reads everything we give him, he watches the video, he knows how to attack hitters. So he’s a really good player.”

Parker took the mound last night at Coors Field in Colorado with a 3.06 ERA, 3.53 FIP, 2.00 walks per nine innings and 6.65 strikeouts per nine innings.

Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Limiting walks made all the difference for the southpaw.

“It’s huge,” Parker said.

“It’s tough giving up walks, especially out here with walks, hits and things happening fast, so if we can limit the number of guys on base, that’s big.”

Parker gave up an early run on three singles in the first inning, but the Rockies got two outs with one out on an Ezekiel Tovar single, a single by Ryan McMahon and a force out at second base before Jacob Stallings’ RBI single gave the home team a 1-0 lead early in the three-game series.

In the third inning, with one out, Tovar walked, McMahon singled and Brendan Rodgers hit a three-run homer that made up for the first of two walks Parker had in the game.

Rodgers hit Parker’s first pitch fastball high in the zone for a 436-foot home run.

After the home run gave the Rockies a 4-2 lead, Parker walked with one out in the fifth inning, then struck out 10 of the last 12 batters he faced, making it five straight.

He allowed six hits, two walks, and four earned runs on 98 pitches and 66 strikeouts, but struck out eight of the 25 batters he faced, throwing 13 (nine on his curveball) and 15 (eight on his fastball). The end result was a disappointing 8-7 loss after Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan was ejected for a pitch clock violation with the bases loaded.

Note:

• With the first of C.J. Abrams’ three hits last night, a leadoff double in the third inning, the Nationals shortstop extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Abrams doubled on a low outside curveball from right-hander Cal Quantrill, then hit a line drive to center field in his first at-bat and then led off the fifth inning with a smash on a 2-2 cutter ball low (411 feet) to right-center field for his 12th home run of the 2024 season.

Abrams hit the tying run in the seventh inning, his third hit of the game.

• Prior to last night, Finnegan hadn’t missed a save opportunity since May 18, but last night he allowed four consecutive singles to tie the game at 7-7 in the ninth inning, then committed a pitch clock violation on what should have been his fourth pitch with the bases loaded against Ryan McMahon, and failed to get a single out.

“I’m proud of our guys, they bounced back, they almost lost, they fought back and got the lead,” Davey Martinez said after the loss.

“Any time we have a lead like this we’re going to put them in, so come back tomorrow and beat them.”

Finnegan wasn’t the only one to struggle: Jacob Burns gave up a home run in the seventh inning, Harvey allowed a run in the eighth, and Finnegan gave up two runs on four total hits after that.

“I think he’s the leader in the league in fouls, so he needs to be aware of that,” Martinez said after the loss.

“He could have got off. It’s a tough situation but he has to keep that in mind.”

Why does this keep happening to Finnegan?

“He’s just slow. That’s who he is. He’s a closer. It hurt him today, but it doesn’t usually. He has to be aware of that,” Martinez said.