Washington Nationals news & notes: Patrick Corbin struggles early again, Nats lose to D-backs again, 6-2 in D.C.

Patrick Corbin’s 8 free passes in 11 games ¹⁄₃ The 33-year-old pitched one more inning in his last two starts before last night against the Arizona D-backs than the 53 he has allowed in his previous nine games. ¹⁄₃ IP.

Last time in Los Angeles, he gave up 4 walks in 5 innings, including a 3-run in the bottom of the 1st, but allowed 3 walks and 3 hits in 4 more innings, allowing just 1 run. There was no decision, and Washington won 10-6.

“I just try to go as deep as I can,” the Nationals left-hander said of his calmness after a tough first game. It was a run, so I kept it close, then I got more tackles in the second half, very good team over there, they tried to minimize their mistakes, looking back at some of those walks, it’s kind of frustrating, We stayed in it with that score that I think we came out with. ”

Corbin extended his four-game unbeaten starter streak in Los Angeles, posting an ugly 5.01 ERA and 5.64 FIP against opponents batting .301/.359/.473 in 23 games. ¹⁄₃ IPs beyond this range tend to be alarming.

Back home in Washington, D.C., last night, the left-hander gave up three runs on Keter Marte’s first double in a rough scene in the first inning (with the first ball sinker), Corbyn Carroll’s single (first pitch fastball), a two-run double by Emmanuel Rivera (Low & in with 1-2 change), the D-backs 2-0, and Evan Longoria’s one-out RBI double made it 3-0 (Full count sinker is not enough inside).

Corbin held it for three games (he pitched a complete game with 53 pitches) came in the top of the fourth inning in a 3-2 game and avoided a two-out walk (his first match) threw in a relatively early 11-ball inning.

The left-handed pitcher allowed three singles in the fifth inning (Although one hit was erased by outfield assist from Lane Thomas,)… [ed. note – “Stop running on Lane.”] However, no runs were scored in the 21-ball inning, making a total of 85 balls.

A sixth of 13 pitches that eluded a leadoff single ended Corbin’s game…

Patrick Corbin quote: 6.0 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks, 98 P, 61 S, 6/3 GO/FO.

“Patrick conceded three goals, but then he really calmed down and shut out the rest of the game,” Martinez said after losing 6-2.

“It was nice to see that, but when we lost 0-3 in the first game, [inning] When you play against a team that is playing really well, it’s hard to scratch and scratch and come back. ”

“After one inning, he was really, really good. That’s a great sign for me,” he added.

“The last few games have been kind of like that,” Corbin said of his opponents in the last few games. “What was thrown against dodgers and the diamondbacks Pretty much, or at least they know who I am, but maybe early on I was in a little better place and mixed in a little better. But even as the game went on they were getting some hits and I thought we mixed it up a little bit and we were able to get some big outs when we needed them . ”

Key moments:

• The home team, trailing 3-0 after two and a half innings at Nationals Park, slipped the D-backs’ lead in the bottom of the third when right-handed pitcher Alex Cole hit a 2-0 sinker. rice field. , Zach Davis, and Lane Thomas doubled high on a 1-1 sinker, followed by a single by Luis Garcia with a 1-0 sinker on a ground ball to first base, then a call-in, 3-1, It became 3-2. The second was scored on a double play ground ball off the bat by Jaymar Candelario.

• Carl Edwards Jr. got the lead off Corbyn Carroll and doubled with Evan Longoria for a two-out RBI to give the D-backs a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh.

• Returning Jordan Weems (see below) hit a 6-2 D-backs lead with a single and a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning.

“We took a lot of fastballs, really,” Martinez said of the offense’s struggles against Davis after three early runs.

“You can’t just go for the changeup. He’s got a really good changeup, but you have to keep using the fastball and be aggressive with the fastball.” threw I think we were obsessed with just looking for changeups we knew where we could have hit, but that’s something we have to learn.

“I know that guy has a changeup, but just keep using the fastball and get the ball up in the zone a little bit and be ready to hit the fastball.”

Smokey Air in DC?:

New York’s Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies Both teams postponed their home games due to concerns over deteriorating air quality. This is the result of smoke engulfing much of the northeastern United States, emanating from upstream in Quebec. According to Associated Press“… more than 400 fires nationwide” [in Canada] …20,000 people were evacuated. ”

Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Nationals captain Davey Martinez, entering his second of three games against Arizona in Washington, D.C., said he was going to play baseball despite poor air quality in the capital as far as he knew at the time. rice field.

“Everyone is fine at the moment,” he told reporters. “The air is a little weirder than normal. I know MLB is watching everything right now as we all know. I’m going to prepare for a baseball game.”

Back Page – Bullpen Changes:

Before Tuesday’s series opener against Arizona in the capital, the Nationals made a move in the bullpen, tapping 30-year-old right-hander Andrés Machado.8.47 ERA in 14 games as a reliever) calls up 30-year-old relief pitcher Jordan Weems from duty and AAA Rochester for the second time this season(In AAA, the defense rate is 4.50 with 24 IP. 0 ER in 2 ¹⁄₃ IP with major league teams).

They made some more adjustments ahead of their second of three games against DC’s D-backs. Up Cory Abbott and DFA Erasmo Ramirez to make space on the roster. Abbott, beginning with AAA, has allowed:10.0 innings, 2 hits, 1 run (0.90 ERA), 12 strikeouts”, having taken the mound twice in the last two years and racking up 33K over his last 23 IPs for the 27-year-old.

Ramirez, 33, “This season, he participated in 23 games with 2 wins and 3 losses and an ERA of 6.33.” before making a decision, he struggled in the most recent run on Tuesday, and the tough race continued (17.36 ERA, 13.78 FIP, .500/.516/.958 batting average in his last six appearances) by a veteran right-hander who spent 12 years with the Nationals.

Photo Credit: Rob Kerr/Getty Images

“He’s into the funk. He’s in the funk,” said Davey Martinez, who hit the first batter Ramirez faced Tuesday night, balking two runners and walking one batter. After allowing two sack flies around the RBI single, he said (and the final blow) before he was lifted.

“I think it’s mechanical,” Martinez continued. “We’re just trying to figure out some things. He flies open. We can’t control his fastball or cutter, so we need to get him back. He’s out of our bullpen.” A key figure, especially in that fifth or sixth inning where we needed to find a few guys to fill that gap to get to the guys behind us.”

“We’ve been on a lot of different things,” said the sixth-year captain after news of Ramirez’s DFA officially broke. “He stayed a little closed and flew open a lot. That’s why he ran armside a lot. And he didn’t understand staying closed, it was just all crazy. The two-seamer was out of control, the cutter didn’t work very well, and the tongue was falling. Last year he was 94-96, but this year he’s 90-92, and Bello has dropped quite a bit. ”

“He was really important to this group last year, but he wasn’t this year, so we decided to do something different.”

“Something’s wrong,” Abbott pitched for the third time this season, in his second year with the team.

“He’s done pretty well every time he’s been here,” Martinez said. “He’ll be given an opportunity to throw in the bullpen. Just put us out and throw a strike.”

And what about the previous day’s swap? Machado’s Weems?

“Obviously Machado was struggling a bit, but Weems was throwing really good balls,” Martinez said. “Hopefully Weems can actually give us multiple innings, but it’s a tough decision. I really like Machado and he’s got some good stuff, but his position makes it difficult.” Not good, he had been hit really hard.

Photo Credit: Jess Lapfogel/Getty Images

“So, like I said, Weems throws a really, really good ball.”

Machado was granted a waiver and was fully assigned to Triple-A Rochester.

Martinez previously spoke about how Weems tries to be perfect sometimes and how he’s been able to tweak things to get his latest chance. did he feel the difference?

“It’s a big difference,” said the manger. “He’s not afraid to throw one strike. That’s it, he’s trying to be a perfectionist in everything he does, so I told him, ‘Perfection is boring sometimes.’ It’s a big concept, so figure out who you are and what you want to do with every pitch.” Attack the strike zone and get convicted if you do. I always tell him, ‘If he has a set heart, if he is sure he should do it, do it.’ Don’t let anyone change you, and you can live with those consequences, but success often comes out of it. he did it really well. We also have to remember that he’s still a young pitcher because he turned from being a catcher and he didn’t take long to get here as a pitcher. He’s done really well, too. his stuff is good He sometimes overthinks when he gets into trouble, so we had to get him to relax and understand, “Now it’s your time.” You’ve had your ups and downs, but now it’s time to stay here. 』

“‘All I want from you is to go out, throw a strike one and get an out.’ But I think he’s going to take on the task.”

Also:

From a recent Notes post on The Athletic by Ken Rosenthal:

“Teams in need of bullpen help are already eyeing Nationals Kyle Finnegan, Hunter Harvey and Carl Edwards Jr.”

They are(the team in need) have also noticed some white socksA relief pitcher, according to Rosenthal.

Would you like to see GM Mike Rizzo trade any of these three relievers by the deadline this year?