Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats lose mistake-filled finale with Red Sox, 3-2, drop two of three in Fenway…

Will Goa bounce back?:

Mackenzie Gore avoided a single and a throwing error by catcher Riley Adams in the home half of the first inning on Sunday afternoon, but got away with a leadoff walk, a single and a perfectly catchable fly ball to center fielder Victor Robles. ROE was unable to catch the ball. (It went in and out of his glove on routine plays.), proved too much for the starters to overcome.

Gore got an out at home in his next at-bat, but a Gore fly to right shortstop led to a timely double, which bounced out of the play, allowing two runs, and then a wild pitch that led to one in, scoring three runs. -0 Boston, and Red Sox The three goals conceded in the early stages held up.

Eddie Rosario hit a home run (Also?), his fifth RBI of the season and fourth in six games, but those two were the only runs the Nationals scored in Washington’s 3-2 Game 3 win at Fenway Park last weekend. It was just that.

It also didn’t help that the Nationals encountered multiple outs on the basepaths, leaving runners in scoring position and four runners on base for just five hits in the three-game rubber set. .

After a rough second inning, Gore settled down, striking out nine overall, giving up six hits, three runs and two earned runs, walking two batters in a 111-pitch start, totaling 17 swings and 14 called strikes. .

“It was a frustrating game as a group, but we’ll be OK,” Gore said after the Nats dropped 2 of 3 to the Sox. “We’ve got to clean up some things here and there. We gave up some batted balls with two strikes, our content wasn’t great, and there were things we could have improved on a little bit more. So we’re good. We have a game tomorrow with the aim of winning.”

What could you have done better?

“It’s just understanding the hitters and what they’re good at and getting some execution with two strikes,” Gore said. But like I said, it was just as good as the whole outing. we need to keep improving. ”

Coach Davey Martinez stated the obvious: “We made some mistakes.” “I got out on base on a dropped ball and it cost me. It may have cost the game, you don’t know it, but when you make a mistake like that, it definitely costs the game. It will hinder your way to exit.

“So, it was disappointing because Mackenzie stayed calm and pitched really, really well. He threw the ball well.”

“I’m glad [Gore] Finished that strong,” Martinez added at another point in the postgame presser.

“It was a growth moment for him to pitch that much. I think it was six innings, 110-111 pitches. It was good for him to do that.”

Robles’ errors and base running gaffes:

In addition to the dropped ball, Victor Robles was hit out on the basepaths in Sunday’s game on what was actually a routine play, all too familiar for the soon-to-be convertible 27-year-old outfielder. It happened. He’s played well since returning from an IL stint due to hamstring issues, but in the final game of the series against the Red Sox he looked a little like the Robles he’s been the last few seasons.

Trailing 3-0 in the third inning, Riley Adams singled to start the inning, and Robles committed an error just as the visiting team was starting to put things together at Fenway Park. At the plate, CJ Abrams singled to right field, and Robles continued running near second and heading toward third, apparently not realizing that Adams had stopped there. The Sox pitched it in, got an out when Robles took an embarrassing setback, then grounded out, ending any hopes of a rally.

“As soon as the base hit came out, I kept thinking I was going to go to third base and hit the extra bases,” Robles explained. Quoted by MASN’s Bobby Blanco After the loss.

“But as soon as I saw they hit the ball, it was my mistake that it was hit so well, and as I was running around second base, I looked in my face to look for Riley. I didn’t raise it.” I couldn’t tell just by looking at the ball. That was a mistake. ”

“I’ll be completely honest,” coach Davey Martinez said when asked about Robles’ mistakes in the postgame presser.

“And what I couldn’t do was [Jesse] The turn signal was slightly damaged.i knew it [Winker] I had back spasms. ”

“That can’t happen. That can’t happen,” he said of Robles’ gaffe. “The game changed a little bit there. We could have been out. [the second] inning.

“You talk about Luis Garcia having to clean up because he’s been here so long, but we also had to clean up those things with him. That can’t happen anymore.”

“Vic has to run with his head up,” Martinez added about the out on the basepaths. “There was a catcher running in front of him.”

The manager said he would talk to the outfielders.

“I’m going to talk to him tomorrow. I needed him to focus on the game, he needed to play, but I’m going to talk to him about it tomorrow, because that’s not allowed. ”

Weekend Update – Leftover Notes. Quote:

Quick hits and leftovers from a weekend spent in Boston, Massachusetts:

Cade Cavalli throws again:

Cade Cavalli, the Nationals’ 2020 first-round pick, is working his way back from Tommy John surgery with the goal of returning to the mound and (hopefully) joining the Nationals’ rotation later this season. But this weekend, he pitched with a live bullpen.

“Cade Cavalli threw raw BP yesterday,” manager Davey Martinez told reporters before Friday night’s series opener against the Red Sox.

“He threw a good ball again. So he’s getting better. He’s progressing well, so I’m looking forward to it.”

According to the Nats’ captain, Cavalli threw 45 pitches in live BP and came out of the game feeling good.

Photo by Saul Martinez for The Washington Post, via Getty Images

“He threw two pitches.” ²⁄₃ Today’s innings. He threw one five days ago. He’s doing well,” Martinez said.

Are there any benchmarks or hurdles he must clear before beginning his rehabilitation mission and returning to competitive activity?

“It’s a feeling and it’s progress,” Martinez explained.

“With Tommy John, we basically know what the timeline is. So we’re going to follow that timeline as closely as possible.

“We’re working backwards to see when it should end to get him to this point.”

Running game:

[ed. note – “This was written before Sunday’s game.”]

Victor Robles was caught stealing a base against the Red Sox on Saturday, the Nationals’ only steal attempt in a 4-2 loss, but as of Sunday morning, the club ranks second in the majors with 66 total stolen bases. Ta. The team is second only to the Cincinnati Reds (67 stolen bases) and ahead of the third-place team (Milwaukee, 53 stolen bases) with 13 total steals.

Not only that, but this was a team effort for Washington, with 14 different players having at least one steal. [ed. note – “C’mon, Keibert Ruiz, Nick Senzel, and Riley Adams, the only non-pitchers on the roster with a stolen base, get running.”]

Manager Davey Martinez said last weekend that the club has embraced the running game this year, turning singles and walks into doubles and trying to get to extra base every time, giving the entire team permission to run when they want to. I was asked if I was. can.

Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images

“We’re teaching our players how to be aggressive,” Martinez said. We do different things with all of our players and have them warned before the game of what they can and cannot do.

“So there are times when we let them go and there are times when we don’t rely on the game.

“But the most important thing for me is trying to get into scoring position as quickly as possible. I think that helps the hitters. That’s what we’re trying to do.

“We’re more athletic than we’ve ever been, so it’s fun to watch them go out there and play the way they play. We bring things to the surface. No intention, it’s just how we are now and who we are.

“So we’re going to push the boundaries a little bit.

“What we have to do is score one more point than the other players, and we’re going to keep striving for that.”

[ed. note – “Riley Adams sole his first base of the year on Sunday (Eddie Rosario stole one too), but CJ Abrams and Jacob Young were thrown out trying, Young for the final out.”]

Lip comb round 2:

Trey Lipscomb was on the verge of making the Opening Day roster after a standout performance in spring training, and when an early injury gave him a chance, he had a solid performance with the Major League club, but he was sidelined in seven games early this season. He was absent.

After going 0-for-3 in Saturday’s game at Fenway, the 23-year-old infielder had a .242/.324/.284 batting average in 29 games and 109 at-bats on the year, but a .261/. It was .370/.283. Since being called up for reinstatement on April 24, he has recorded 54 PAs in the 15 games he has played, with more walks than Ks (7/6) and three stolen bases (Total of 7 times per year).

“He’s doing really well,” manager Davey Martinez told reporters before Saturday’s game when asked about the infielder’s second stint with the team.

Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

“The most important thing, and I always tell him, is, ‘Be on your feet and make every second count.'” He did that really well. And “remain within yourself.” I said, “You’re the guy who stays in baseball, hit the ball the other way.” When I’m asked to do something for the team, I just do it. ” And he did it. He plays really good defense. I know he’s worked really hard to get his feet ready for throwing. [Third Base and Infield Coach] ricky [Gutierrez], and he got much better. But he’s playing really well. You know, he made some big steals for us, he’s doing everything we’ve asked him to do. ”

What has been the biggest area of ​​growth or improvement for Lipscomb since spring training began this year?

“He’s ready,” Martinez said. “As I always say, routine is important for some young kids. He’s learned what his routine is and he sticks to it.

“It’s fun to see kids stand up and have a little bit of success and all of a sudden they have confidence. He did that.”