Washington Nationals news & notes: Jake Irvin back on track? James Wood oppo HR + more…

Notes and quotes on Jake Irvin’s solid start and James Wood’s oppo blast…

IRVIN RETURNS TO FORM:

Jake Irvin gave up 18 hits, five walks, and 13 runs, 12 earned, in 10 innings over his final two pre-All-Star break outings, with the four home runs he allowed in those starts matching the total he gave up in his previous eight starts and 49 IP.

“He was pitching really well,” before the two rough starts, Nationals’ manager Davey Martinez said before Irvin took the mound on Sunday afternoon for his first outing out of the break.

“I think the rest definitely helped him, not more physically, but mentally,” Martinez added. “So he feels good. I watched him throw a bullpen. He threw the ball really well. So hopefully he can continue to do what he did the first half. He’s been really, really good.”

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Irvin finished the “first half” with a 3.49 ERA, a 3.84 FIP, 29 walks, 99 strikeouts, and a .231/.283/.395 line against in 20 starts and 116 IP.

“He’s in a good spot,” Martinez said. “I think out of anybody, he really could’ve used the rest over the All-Star break, even though I felt like he pitched really well in the first half. Hopefully he continues to do that in the second half.”

In the series finale with Cincinnati’s Reds on Sunday, Irving went seven innings on 100 pitches, 66 strikes, giving up a total of five hits, two of them solo home runs, which accounted for the only two runs he allowed. He struck out seven without allowing a walk, with 13 swinging strikes, nine on his fastball, and 19 called strikes, seven on his fastball and eight on his curve.

“He was really good,” Martinez said after a 5-2 win which gave the Nationals three straight over the Reds for a series sweep.

“Curveball was really effective today as well. He was sharp. He wanted to go back out there for another inning, but seven innings and 100 pitches is pretty good, so he did a great job.”

Irvin threw 50% four-seam fastballs in the start, up from a season average of 36%, and went with fewer curves (26%, down from 34.6% on the year), which Martinez said was just a matter of going with what was working.

“I think his four-seamer was working really well as well,” Martinez explained.

“So, when he’s attacking the strike zone and he mixes his pitches up, he’s very effective. We saw that today. He threw a couple fastballs right over the plate, and then one breaking ball that he wished he had back, he didn’t get it down, but other than that he was good.”

“I think the break served as a nice little refresher,” Irvin said, as quoted after the outing by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman.

“Just a reminder to stay grounded, to be where your feet are and live in attack mode. Coming out today and trying to get the sweep, setting the tone for me was just to keep us in the game and allow us to do the things we did on offense. And it was pretty sweet.”

SOLID WOOD:

James Wood got off to a good start in the majors, going 8 for 25 (.320/.452/.480) with a double, home run, six walks, and seven strikeouts in his first seven games, but he was 6 for 36 (.167/.189/.167) with no walks and 17 Ks in his next nine games and 37 PAs as he and the league began to adjust to one another.

His manager, Davey Martinez, said Wood was the same person and player in those stretches, after Wood hit a go-ahead, 3-run home run in the eighth inning of the Nationals’ 5-2 win over the Reds Sunday.

“He’s been the same guy. Teams come in, they’ve got a game play, they find your weaknesses,” Martinez explained. “He’s going around just making adjustments as he goes along, but you talk to him, he’s really smart and understands what he wants to do, and today shows. He stayed on a pretty good fastball that was up in the zone, hit the ball the other way really hard, I think it was 106 MPH, but he can do that. When he goes up there, I feel like every time he goes up there, he’s going to hit the ball hard.”

The 21-year-old slugger, Martinez said, is also willing to listen and learn as he gets used to playing at the major league level.

“He wants to learn. He listens. And like I’ve said, writing his name in the lineup makes me feel good,” Martinez said with a laugh, “and I know that when he gets up there he’s going to do everything he can to hit the ball hard, I know he’s going to run the bases hard, he does all the little things we ask him to do. He’s going to get better at playing left field, and he’s been better.

“With him here, our future is looking good.”