Washington Nationals news & notes: Davey Martinez on errors by CJ Abrams in opener + more…

CJ Abrams’ Rough Day:

CJ Abrams had a rough day at the park Thursday afternoon in the Nationals’ season-opener in a 7-2 loss to the capital’s Atlanta Braves after making three mistakes (one fielding and two pitching). .

Well, yeah, it wasn’t the ideal start to the 2023 campaign for Washington’s 22-year-old infielder.

Abrams manager Davey Martinez admitted several members of the team were nervous after the season opener, including some who had played in their first season opener.

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

“All I can say is they were a little nervous,” Martinez said.

“I was nervous. That’s part of it.

The shortstop agreed that circumstances related to the opening game may have played a role.

“A little, maybe,” said Abrams, Words by Mark Zuckerman of MASNWhen asked. “But no excuses. I have to get better.”

There were a number of plays early in the game in which players from both clubs battled the sun.When asked about Abrams’ defensive error in the second, Martínez said: inning.

“I spoke with CJ after the double play should have happened. Look, to be honest, they had a hard time seeing the ball too. He didn’t see the ball from the plate.” Martinez explained.

“But I said to him, ‘Hey, we play day games here. Those are the plays we need to make.’

The second mistake was a high throw in the top of the 5th inning. Martinez said he sat down on the ball when Abrams should have charged it in that case.

“I think he has to come get the ball,” the coach told reporters. “He tried to stay behind, but he had to throw in a rush. They are teaching the moment.

“We’re going to teach them. We need them to understand.”

Abrams went 4-0 and struck out in the season opener, but Martinez said he wasn’t worried about pressing after his young shortstop struggled or made a mistake in the season opener. rice field.

“He wouldn’t,” Martinez said. “He’s a kid — he works hard and understands the game. He puts it in [behind] Like I said, he will be spoken to. i already talked to him. But we keep working with him, we keep talking to him, but he needs to understand the situation and he needs to understand that the game is fast, right? he needs to know who is running. He has to anticipate where he will get the ball and throw it. This is something that young children need to work on and be consistent with. ”

Abrams’ third error came when he intercepted a throw-in from Lane Thomas in right field and threw one to right at third base, aiming for an out, resulting in the final run of the game scoring and 7-1. 2 became the Braves.

“Maybe I rushed them,” Abrams said of his throwing error, In the words of MLB.com’s Jessica Cameralto“Playing in third, I probably should have kept it. But it happens.”

MOAR POINTS PEEZE!:

The Nationals scored two runs in the season opener, with Alex Cole bringing in a sack fly in second to Dominic Smith and Joey Meneses hitting a two-out RBI single in the fifth home half to drive Victor Robles from third base. I was. , but overall, as a team, Martinez’s club went 1-for-11 on aggregate, with runners in scoring position, with nine runners left in two-run games to the ninth inning.

A chance with runners in scoring position and less than two outs is something the Nationals manager talks endlessly about as something the club must excel in order to be successful going forward.

“They are very important,” the Knott skipper said after the loss.

“Like I said, those are the little things we have to do.

“We had to take advantage of those runs, especially hitting them with less than two outs.

“We talk a lot about moving baseball. We have to do it.”

Martinez said right after the game that he and the team will move on and prepare for the second of today’s 162 games.

“It’s one game, isn’t it?” he asked rhetorically. .”

That said, there were some positives to take from the game for the sixth-year manager.

“I saw Victor playing really well,” he said. “Our bullpen threw the ball very well most of the time. Mason [Thompson] I threw the ball really well. I was proud of it. Like I said, we have some moments — they’re young, they’re going to learn, but we have to come back. i can tell you that

“These guys are working really hard. Please keep playing.”

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