Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats hold on for 7-6 win over Colorado Rockies in Coors Field…

Front Page – Williams vs Rockies:

Trevor Williams has expressed frustration at the “unlucky play” he failed to make, saying he made several mistakes. Tampa Bay RaysThe hitter got it all and hit it when the 30-year-old starter made his Washington debut after signing a two-year/$13 million free agency deal with the Nationals this winter. Williams struggled defensively with several ground balls, giving up two homers and four total RBIs (get 3.

“They made a good swing on the pitch where I made a mistake,” Williams told reporters. [catcher] key bart [Ruiz] We were on the same page in every game and it was awesome.

“But overall, I think we can take a lot of positive things out of this loss and carry that over to the next start.”

Manager Davey Martinez said in evaluating Williams’ outing, “There have been some unlucky plays.

“He hit hard with a few balls left, but overall, we saw him make a few plays out of the inning in the first inning and then — that he wasn’t injured. Thank you, but he went down I could have gotten that one and I needed to get another little ground ball [an] outside.

“But I thought he was going to be okay. He wanted to go out in the sixth inning, but he threw more than 90 pitches in five innings, so I thought that was a good thing.”

Williams, who has moved between the bullpen and the rotation over the last two seasons but has mostly pitched in relief, signed on for a restart opportunity in D.C. and is happy to start again after his first outing. said.

“I am grateful [Nats’ GM] Mike Rizzo gave us a chance here. We hope to earn Davey’s trust as a starter, but things will go well over the next five days and I’m looking forward to getting ready for the start in Colorado,” Williams said.

When he attended last night’s game against the Rockies, his manager said he just wanted to see a right-hander hit the zone…and avoid defensive issues.

After joking that “he’s a competitor,” Martinez said what he really wanted to see was Williams defending his position, “but he’s the guy who has to throw strikes. In the strike zone.He mixes all his pitches.He’s not afraid to throw a fastball or a two-seamer, it works, changeups and sliders work as well, but most of the time he’s in front. I have to go to

Williams kept the Rockies off the board for four games, leading 3-0 after two and a half innings and leading 5-0 after four and a half, but the Rockies eventually caught him in the fifth try with Harold. rice field. Castro started with a single in the bottom of the fifth and scored two outs on Brian Saven’s double left to make it 5–1 for the Nationals.

Williams gave up a leadoff double in the sixth, scoring one out before Nutt went to Hunter Harvey’s pen, scoring a runner on third and one down. Ryan McMahon hit his one out to left and sacked his fly to score the Nationals 5-2, but Harvey held it back…

Trevor Williams line: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 Ks, 88 P, 62 S, 4/4 GO/FO.

Overall, Williams produced seven swing strikes, four on fastballs, picked up 13 call strikes, and eight were out on heaters.

“Trevor was holding the ball. That was what we talked about. He raised it when he needed to, but most of the time he was holding the ball and going for strikes,” said the club as they went on to win 7–6. After maintaining, Martinez told reporters.

“I’m happy to hit the strike zone,” Williams said in the postgame scrum at the Rockies’ home. “We stuck to Plan A most nights and me and Riley [Adams] They were on the same page, so it was great to be able to get into the rhythm with him especially early on and make a big pitch at the end.

Garrett’s Turn Again:

Stone Garrett was 1-for-2 in 2 walks in his first start of the season in the series against the Tampa Bay Rays in DC last week. Colorado this weekend.

Davey Martinez said before last night’s game that he liked Garrett’s approach in the 2023 four-at-bat last week.

“I love it,” Martinez told reporters. “Don’t chase. We talked a lot with him in spring training about chasing and staying in the middle of the field. He did all of that in his first game. He was good with the bat. If I can do that, I can hit the ball hard, and if he can lay off some balls and get the ball in the zone, he’ll have a good swing.”

Giving him another start as a DH again and hitting him second will hopefully boost his outfielder’s confidence, Martinez said.

“Definitely,” the manager explained. “I really think he can help us against left-handed pitching.”

Rockies lefty Austin Gomber took to the home team’s mound last night.

Garrett doubled the first with a 0-1 fastball up in the zone from left-hander, and in the second, he hit a 432-foot opening knuckle curve into right field for the Coors in the third inning. A field with a 3-run shot and a 3-0 Nuts lead.

His first home run of the season came after Victor Robles’ leadoff double and Alex Cole’s one-out hit.

CJ Abrams and Cole scored when Garrett lined a 1-0 changeup in the zone to left field in the top of the fourth, and on a two-run single, RBI in the fourth and fifth of the game, 5-0. collected.

Garrett lined up a two-out double to left field in the top of the seventh, going 4-for-4 with 5 RBIs, but struck out in his fifth at-bat.

Martinez said after the game, “He dropped the ball into the zone and put a good bat on the ball, whatever ran in there.” He had a great day, scoring his 5 RBIs. i love his swing I mean, he played last week and did the same thing.

“I practiced a few steps, positioned the ball for handling, and had a good swing.”

“As I said earlier, when he doesn’t chase the ball in the zone, he hits the ball hard and we saw that tonight,” added the coach.

Did Garrett get another start in the series finale?

“I have to stay awake for a while about this,” Martinez said.

Safety squeeze:

Lane Thomas and Michael Chavis singled to start the top of the eighth inning, Thomas moved to third on a Chavis hit, and after one out, Victor Robles dropped a perfect bunt, and a safety squeeze Thomas moved from third to third. Score, 7-2 game in favor of the Nationals.

“Vic did a great job getting the ball down. Lane did a great jump. said after Come back tomorrow, put 7-8 on the board and give it another chance. “

Mason Thompson and Kyle Finnegan scored an inning-ending double play after giving up a one-out walk and a single, trailing Williams and Harvey to a scoreless inning.

Anthony Banda was lifted in favor of Carl Edwards Jr. after giving up Ryan McMahon’s leadoff single and Mike Moustakas’ two-run home run, then giving up a walk to Elefris Montero, and Carl Edwards Jr. got the first out before giving up one RBI. Jarrickson Plofer’s right double, who hit pinch hitter Elias Diaz’s two-run single, making it 7–6, before Edwards Jr. doubled. Charlie Blackmon flies to right field.

Yonathan Daza singled with two outs and extended the inning to allow Kris Bryant to hit, but the Nats right-hander struck him out to end the game in a 7-6 final.

Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

BACK PAGE – The latest from Luis Garcia:

After 22-year-old infielder Luis Garcia left the game Friday after tweaking his foot running toward first base at Coors Field, Davey Martinez said, “His right hamstring was tight on him. I got it,” he said.

“Let’s see how he feels tomorrow. let’s

Martinez was asked Friday night if he thought he was serious enough to put someone from the Nationals affiliate on the plane.

“I think he’s fine,” explained the manager. “They examined him. He has good strength. If he needs a day tomorrow, we can give him a day.”

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

“But let’s see how he feels when he wakes up tomorrow.”

When Garcia’s name wasn’t in the lineup for three of the four games in Colorado’s Rockies, reporters followed up to see if they had any additional information.

“Everything seems fine. This is going to be a day-to-day thing,” Martinez repeated in the pre-match presser before last night’s game.

“He’s feeling a little better. He’s still a little sore. So it’s wise to give him a day and see how he feels throughout the day.”