FRONT PAGE – Gray and O for DC:
Hosted by Josiah Gray los angeles angels On the streets of Anaheim, California, he went 1 run on 2 hits through the 5th inning, but faded quickly in the 6th, giving up a leadoff home run, a single, a back-to-back, and a two-out walk.8 balls in a row), before being lifted with the bases loaded in the home half of the inning.
Gray took the L and eventually lost 2-0, but overall it was a pretty strong start for the 25-year-old right-hander.
“It’s a sting,” he said after falling 0-3 in the first three games of the season. “It’s always a bit acrimonious to get the L and make a name for yourself, but I know I’m out there and doing my job to keep the team in the game. I do it myself.” It’s easier, and I’m starting to see the results I was hoping to see.”
His manager said he likes what he’s seen from the starter so far in the 2023 season as well.
“He’s definitely been a lot better this year,” Davey Martinez said after losing to the Angels.
“We’ve done a lot this winter,” continued Martinez. So, there is no doubt that it will continue to attract attention in the future. He’s young, but he knows what he needs to do.”
Gray got off to a good start last night against the Orioles in the first of two games against Baltimore in DC, keeping three scoreless innings on 54 pitches before giving up a leadoff single and a one-out walk in the top of the fourth. , recorded an RBI single. A 13-pitch frame pushed the Nationals starters to 67 overall to win the visiting team 1-0.
Leadoff double to the left (Jorge Mateo) and a walk (to Ryan O’Hearn) In the first two at-bats of the sixth, Gray pitched up to 75 pitches and received a visit from pitching coach Jim Hickey before making a full count with the next batter, Cedric Mullins, striking him out with a 3- . 2 curves on the dirt. Adley Lutschman sent a fly left in his next at-bat to get the second out. On the next pitch he is 3. Still 1-0 O.
Gray came on the mound with 89 pitches in the sixth, and he had 98 after a leadoff walk to O’s outfielder Anthony Santander.
Josiah Gray quotes: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 Ks, 98 P, 58 S, 6/3 GO/FO.
Gray had 8 swing strikes, 4 sliders, 18 call strikes, 7 sliders, 5 curves, and threw mostly curveballs (According to Baseball Savin, 48% slider, 22% curve, 13% sinker, 13% four seamer, 3% cutter*), maintaining what he did earlier this season, if a little higher in terms of sliders (He threw fewer fastballs this season, down 18.2% from 39.2% in 2022.).
The real tough part? With the 1–0 loss, Gray fell to (0–4) for the season, and in four starts he didn’t get a single support and was shutout on each of his last three turns in the rotation. I was.
“I think we’ll be breaking through here soon,” said Gray. Words by Mark Zuckerman of MASN.
“I’m just trying to think about the team and go out there and try to get as many zeros out as possible and give them a chance to win the ball game.”
“He was really good,” Martinez said after the game. “He understands that he gives us the chance to win the ball game and he keeps us there.
“I said to him: ‘Wait a minute. We’ll score some runs for you. But he’s pitching really good.'”
Martinez said he was happy with Gray’s outing overall, although he was late again.
“He started by getting ahead of every hitter,” Skipper said. “Then he pitched when he needed to, and it was great. “I was on the ball and started to put the ball up a little bit. He had a long at-bat against Santander. I thought it was the right time to bring him out.”
[ed. note – “ * = There is some discrepancy as to Gray’s pitch selection, with his manager telling reporters after the game he thought some of the pitches counted as sliders were actually cutters.
“I’m not so sure that some of those ones that were called sliders were not cutters. They were a little harder than normal, so we’ll have to go back and look at those as well, but I thought he used if fairly well today.”]
RISP:
It was 0–0 after the first 2.5 of two in DC’s Os when CJ Abrams lined a leadoff single to center field and Victor Robles reached for a throwing error by Orioles third baseman Gunnar Henderson. The runners moved into scoring position at E:5, but Baltimore starter Dean Kremer, a right-hander, beat the next three Nationals, Lane Thomas saw, Dominic Smith and Joey Meneses swung, It remained scoreless in the country’s capital.
“We took the lead and then missed a fastball,” Martinez said of the big spot in the 1-0 loss.
“I’ll take another chance with them in second and third with no such outs. One is to get the ball in the zone, and two is to be ready to drive those runs.” It had to be done.
“We talk a lot about riding the fastball, staying in the middle of the field, but we missed those today.”
The Os went 1-0 in the fourth, and Kremer held it up through six innings, giving up three hits and stealing six. In the first half of the seventh inning for the Knots Stone, Garrett hit his two-out single on his to cap off a starter’s night for the Orioles…
Bullpen action:
Mason Thompson replaced Gray in the sixth inning and threw a scoreless frame, coming back in the seventh as well to take O off the board for the second straight time.
Carl Edwards Jr. avoided a leadoff walk in the top of the eighth inning.
Erasmo Ramirez had two strikeouts in the top of the ninth at 1-2-3.
The Orioles bullpen completed a combined shutout with a 1–0 win by Danny Courombe, Yenier Kano and Felix Bautista following Kremer on the mound.
Back Page – Trapped Lewis:
Keibert-Lewis closed out Washington’s 7-game trip to Denver, Colorado and Anaheim, California with 24 (.167/.259/.208) for 4. The capital’s catcher had 17 batting averages in 5 at bats (.294/.400/.529) with a double, a home run, two walks, and a 4-K in five he’s played in the season-opening homestand in six games. .
Back in Washington DC last weekend, Lewis started all three games for Cleveland, going 4-for-12 (.333/.333/.417) and hitting a series double. He watched from the backstop as things were going well in front of the plate.
Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images
“He’s in time to hit the fastball,” Martinez explained. “You saw it yesterday. He’s swinging the bat very well now.”
And what do they tell him to stay where he is when things are going well?
“Just make sure he understands that we’re ready for the fastball and we’re on time,” Martinez said.
Lewis lost 4-0 to the Orioles.
Can Jeter Downs be in the game?:
Jeter Downs, a first-round pick from the Cincinnati Reds in 2017, was traded to LA. dodgers (with Josiah Gray), in Boston in 2018 Red Sox Having made his Sox debut in 2020, he’s already had a taste of major league action, and the fact that he’s been in service since April 11 but hasn’t played in a game yet isn’t all that painful. but it may not be very fun.
In the aftermath of Ildemaro Vargas’ shoulder injury, Davey Martinez said three days after the 24-year-old infielder, who was picked off waivers by the Nationals this winter, came on the scene, “eventually put him in the game.” I want to go out,” he told reporters.
“We just got Lewis. [García] Martinez said explaining why Downs is not yet in the lineup. [with García]I want to be very careful.
“So we might have to give him a day or two off, and then we might put Jeter in there.”
Going into last night’s game against the Orioles, the infield still hadn’t had a chance (who will play second, third and short).
![Miami Marlins v Washington Nationals](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lk2AxOISOIl6mKH4ixZYM86GgPE=/0x0:5092x3395/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:5092x3395):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24595329/1249482867.jpg)
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images
“It’s very tricky,” admitted Martinez. “Unfortunately, the man in front of me [CJ Abrams] He’s also very young, he has to play every day and he’s playing well.so i speak [Downs] I try to tell him to be prepared because I don’t know for this game, but I think he’s probably the one who needs to play every day. He has many strengths. That’s why we like him, but he’ll have to hang in there for now and wait his turn.I said to him, ‘Hey, you got the chance to come over here and work and he’s been working hard in the cage to flatten his swing a little bit. [coaches Gary DiSarcina, Tim Bogar, and Ricky Bones] On his defense, he gets ground balls everywhere, so it’s good to have him here and work with him. ”
Is Vargas ready to go back?
“Vargas, he hit a soft toss from both sides today,” Martinez said.
“He actually said he was feeling really good, so that’s encouraging. Yes, let’s see how long it takes.
Vargas injured his shoulder on a diving play at Coors Field and has been with the IL since then, with the Nationals taking a cautious approach to his rehabilitation.
“We want to make sure we are cautious about strength,” Martinez told reporters. he feels good Like I said today I saw him hitting in the cage, he did soft toss, tee work, soft toss. He swung the bat well. Cut him with some swing, so build from there. Range of motion issues, defense, I think will be the key to getting him back.