Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats out-homer Bronx Bombers, beat Yankees 2-1 in NY…

Bronx Grey:

Josiah Gray threw 83 pitches (50 of which were strikes) over three innings. boston red sox Last week, in Washington, D.C. at Nationals Park, he allowed five hits, three walks and five earned runs, all in a 5-4 loss to the Sox.

“I have absolutely no control over the fastball,” Nationals manager Davey Martinez told reporters while evaluating Gray’s recent struggles.11.12 ERA, 5.56 FIP, .306/.404/.510 batting average in 3 starts and 11 games ¹⁄₃ IPs of the month before last night), “…and he’s trying to rely on too much of the vice-ball. He’s behind, but he’s lost the plate there. I had to make him understand that when he was really good, he could throw a fastball, get a strike, run for a while, and then move on to the second, but his pitch. The numbers have increased considerably.”

“He just relies too much on the second pitch,” Martinez repeated at another point in the post-match press conference. “He has to go into attack mode again.”

Gray told reporters: Quoted by Mark Zuckerman of MASNhe viewed his recent tough growth as part of the ups and downs of the major league season.

“Some good starts, some bad starts, some okay starts,” he explained. “I think the last three are more or less self-inflicted damage. One pitch to go and I can’t get out of the traffic. I know things will turn around for me.”

The New Rochelle, N.Y. native pitched at Yankee Stadium last night, Yankees He hit a solo homer in the fifth inning, allowing catcher Ben Rotvedt to explode from the bat to right-center on the 0-1 curve, but other than that, he didn’t do much offensively, but Gray Although he chose 5 walks in 21 at-bats, the batter faced 5 innings (85 pitches).

Gray’s 16-ball, 1-2-3 sixth pushed him to 101, at which point the score was tied at 1-1 in the Bronx and the night was over.

Josiah Gray quotes: 6.0IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 5BB, 4K, 1HR, 101P, 50S5/5 GO/FO.

Photo credit: Mike Stobe/Getty Images

According to BaseballSavant.com, Gray threw a 45% sinker, which is a significant increase from his 2023 average sinker of 12.5% ​​through tonight, mixed with a slider of 25% (YoY 26.6%), threw 22% curve (up from 16.1% average), 5% fastball, 3% changeup, 1 cutter (1%, down from 17.8% this season), produced 12 swings on Night 6, 12 Obtained Cold Strike. He swung with a slider and called seven with a sinker.

After the Nationals beat the Yankees 2-1, Martinez said, “Josiah wasn’t very sharp, but he pitched when he needed it and pitched six strong innings.”

Is it true that he threw the ball more times than he struck?

“For me, it’s a testament to how good his work is,” Martinez added. “But he pitched when he needed it, that’s the key. always talks about having to sort out some things, but he will compete.He will compete and he will give you everything he has.”

“[Gray] After the game, CJ Abrams told reporters, “They defended and hit the RBIs.”

Keyboom & CJ!!:

Carter Keyboom has struggled in the majors since the 2016 first-round pick was first called up in 2019, suffering a string of injuries, including Tommy John surgery, with a new, hard-won feeling. Went back to the majors for the weekend. His shoulder impingement in 2022, plus an oblique injury earlier this year, kept him to just 44 games across three levels for the Nationals.

“It’s been a slow process for him because he got injured, he was in rehab, he came back and played, then he got injured again,” said manager Davey Martinez, who said Keyboom will be Little League’s 27th player on Sunday. I explained when I joined the Nationals. A classic from Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

He was swinging the bat much better. He plays as a third baseman. I hope he can get over his injury and come back and start playing in earnest and get him back in shape.”

Keyboom, who turns 26 on Sept. 3, hit six doubles and six homers in 196 at-bats in the minors by Sunday, posting a .256/.362/.411 combined batting average.

After his return, he told reporters that this time his comeback was different.

“A lot went through my head when they said that to me,” Keyboom explained. Quoted by Mark Zuckerman of MASN. “I was exhausted in a way but I’m very excited with the energy. I just worked hard for this and worked hard to come back so I have to enjoy it. I told myself.

“I don’t have to put any more pressure on myself. Just enjoy the time I have left. That’s what’s on my mind right now.”

Keyboom didn’t play for Williamsport, but Martinez picked him in his third at-bat against the New York Yankees in the Bronx this week, hitting a 1-0 fastball low in the first inning and out to left center. hit the He exploded 382 feet on his second pitch, hitting Carlos Rodon deep on his first swing back in the majors since 2021, making him the only Nationals to break through seven in New York.

“It was great,” said the Keyboom manager after a 2-1 win over the Yankees.

“He had a good swing on the ball, but I also liked his take and his patience there. will contribute to our victory.”

And there’s no doubt that Keyboom’s return to the majors will boost his confidence, right?

“Yes, big. Big,” Martinez said. “He just came out of my office and I said I’m proud of him. He went there and worked hard to get back here and had a good first day.” But when you have to go back, it’s not always easy.He went through the process and did well.”

Mason Thompson pitched a scoreless seventh for Josiah Gray to tie the season opener.

Tommy Carnley took the first two outs of the eighth inning for the Yankees, but he entrusted the first pitch change to CJ Abrams, and the Nationals shortstop flicked it to the foul pole, 345 to right. It was feet tall. It was his 13th win of the year in the Bronx, leading 2-1.

Was Abrams sitting on a fastball, (Knowing that Carnley throws 79.6% of the time, it makes sense)?

“I always sit on the fastball and just react with my hand. I believe in my hand,” Abrams said after the game.

“I mean, I’m not trying to hit a home run, but I think a home run is something that happens at the right time. But I look for my pitch and just react.”

Is anyone surprised by the fact that Abrams hit 13 homers in a season?

“I know I had them,” Abrams joked. “But I didn’t know when they would show up.”

“No, we’re not surprised by the power. Like I said, we’re just trying to teach him the right way,” laughs Martinez.

Bullpen action:

Hunter Harvey struck out 2 on 19 pitches (12 strikes) in the bottom of the 8th inning, 1-2-3, giving the Yankees 2 strikeouts. Ta. season.

“They’ve been playing hard until 27 out and that’s all I ask of them,” Martinez said of the series opener win.

Gray pitched six innings and the bullpen threw three clean sheets and a home run to beat the Bronx Bombers 2-1.

“The bullpen comes in and locks them out, but we score important points. CJ Abrams hit a big home run to help us out,” Martinez said. It was a great win here at Yankee Stadium. We don’t often win 2-1 here, but the players played well. “

Martinez Extension:

“Dave Martinez represents the Washington Nationals organization on and off the field, and we are thrilled to have him continue as manager,” said Mark, Nationals managing principal owner. David Lerner said in a press release about the club. And Martinez, who has been captain since 2018, has agreed to another multi-year deal that will allow him to see through to the organization’s reboot starting in 2021.

“We are particularly proud of the club’s play since the end of June,” said Lerner. “…and the team’s play is a direct reflection of Davey’s leadership.

“He’s determined, passionate, and the right person to lead not only the current group of players, but the next wave of talent coming to Washington, DC.”

This, of course, is what Martinez himself said he was looking forward to a few weeks ago when he spoke about his contract status and the prospects for the team to manage talent acquired through trades and drafts over the past few years.

“We have a lot of good young players and some of the guys that are coming that I’m really, really looking forward to,” Martinez told reporters recently. “Some of the core players that we got in Double A are doing well and we are excited about them. So it looks like the plan is moving pretty quickly. I think, we play here, we compete every day, the guys go out and play hard, and I love that about them, so we keep going forward, We have to keep improving.”

Photo Credit: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Following the announcement of his new multi-year deal with DC, Martinez, who signed a three-year contract with the Yankees in New York, said he appreciates the opportunity to continue doing what he’s passionate about.

“It’s been a blessing for me and my family to be able to do what I love,” he said.

“And actually when I look at how the players are playing, it’s going a lot better now. And I really believe our future is bright here. So I’m excited about that.”

Martinez’s club arrived in New York this month with a 12-6 record, winning 23 of its last 37 games and, as the Nationals wrote last night in their pre-game notes, “since June 24. 29-21 (.580)”. It added, “Washington’s best 50-game streak since finishing the 2019 season with a 34-16 (.680) record in its last 50 games.”

The opportunity to continue the process with young players who have already made it to the majors and step up to the next wave means a lot to the manager.

“It always feels good when you’re working hard to get better, but it means a lot to me that you keep giving me that opportunity, especially with a young group like this,” he said. said. “And like I said, we’re heading in the right direction and they’re playing very well right now. And it’s more about them than anything else. I love the process. I love the process. I mean, I love what we’re going through, and it’s been a lot of fun to see them out there every day and see what they’re doing, so we’re continuing to improve. There’s a lot more to this than we’re seeing, and we’re excited about that as the players in the minor leagues continue to develop as well.”

And it’s going to be even more fun when the clubs get to contention. world series Winning the championship again, as in 2019 when Martínez won every match in his second season on the bench.

It was a bumpy story — sorry, I’ll leave it to Davey.

“We could never have imagined how this road would turn out, but we are here today,” Martinez said.

“I always talk about being on your feet, but I like where we’re heading.

“I have said before: ‘Bumpy roads lead to beautiful places.’ We are going to get there.”

Also:

Keibert Ruiz in the 4th, Ildemaro Vargas after 1 out, and Alex Cole in the top of the 5th were all pitched last night in an attempt to extend singles to doubles, resulting in a 2-1 lead. won. So… what did their manager think about the baserunning mistakes? If he thinks they were gaffes?

“What’s the role of the baserunner?” Martinez said with a laugh. “Yeah. Like I said before, I think some of these guys were Lou Brock or something, and I was like, ‘What the hell is going on here?’ But look, they’re playing aggressive, and that’s what I like about these guys, they’re trying to play really aggressive, you know, today’s three. They ran the bases well, except for one small instance. “