Laboring to a win
Submitted by Jeff on Tue, 09/04/2007 - 6:48am.
- The Nationals were cruising after seven innings, holding a 6-1 lead thanks to a good start from Jason Bergmann and hitting from Brian Schneider (a two-run two-out double in the second) and Wily Mo Peña (two-run homer in the sixth). Then the bullpen took over and things got a little shaky. Jesus Colome loaded the bases and a Ronnie Belliard throwing error allowed two to score. Jon Rauch came in and walked a batter to load the bases—only to strike out the next two batters to end the inning and the scoring threat. Chad Cordero got the save with a scoreless ninth as the Labor Day crowd sighed in relief. Nats beat the Marlins, 6-3, taking sole possession of fourth place in the NL East. (Box score)
- The Nats will call up five players today, including top prospects Ross Detwiler and Justin Maxwell. Also called up: Triple-A relievers Jonathan Albaladejo and Arnie Muñoz and exiled outfielder Ryan Langerhans. Reliever Micah Bowie is expected to come off the DL today as well.
- Detwiler and Maxwell may not get much playing time, with Detwiler perhaps making some relief appearances. "He doesn't even have to pitch, if we don't want to," said Manny Acta. "Maxwell, same way."
- Detwiler, in his last minor league start Monday, allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks in just three innings. Maxwell, though, helped power the P-Nats to a season-ending win with a three-run homer.
- Left behind in the minors were John Lannan and Billy Traber, two pitchers who had previously been expected to be called up when rosters expanded. The Nationals decided to shut Lannan down for the year (you can hear Chase Utley sighing in relief) while Traber failed to make the cut because other relievers at Triple-A were doing better, as well as "certain budgetary responsibilities", in the words of GM Jim Bowden.
- Luis Ayala has quietly put together a respectable season after spending all of last year on the DL. The reliever has a 3.31 ERA in 31 games for the Nats. However, pitching coach Randy St. Claire says Ayala still has some work to do: "His delivery is still out of whack. He is not as consistent as I think he would like to be. He gets on the side of the ball more than we want him to. His velocity is getting better."
- The Nats don't plan to pursue big-name (and thus expensive) pitchers this offseason on the free agent market, electing instead to work with what they have, plus perhaps a low-cost veteran. Thom Loverro sees this as a trend given the poor performance of a number of recent free agent signings (think A.J. Burnett and Carl Pavano): "The pendulum has swung back from free agency to player development, particularly with pitching."
- Brian Schneider has a "classroom" batting average this season, noted John Markon in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, but doesn't have to worry about his job security just yet because of how he handles the pitching staff. "'Handling' pitchers is one of those half-art, half-science things. Even though Schneider's allegedly very good at it, he admits he has a hard time defining and understanding exactly how he does it."
- The Double-A Harrisburg Senators ended the season on a high note, winning 17 of their last 26 games, including Monday's season finale. Harrisburg manager Scott Little announced, though, that he would not return to the Nationals organization next season.
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