Notes and quotes on the Nationals’ second win in a row in the Marlins’ home…
WINK AND A NOD SLAM:
Jesse Winker started the day hitting .345 against right-handed pitchers in the first month-plus (19 for 55, with five doubles, a home run, and seven talks vs RHP on the year), but he struck out on three pitches/a two-strike foul-tip first time up against Miami Marlins’ right-hander Edward Cabrera in the top of the first, then K’d looking in a six-pitch at-bat in the third inning.
In his third trip to the plate, the bases were loaded with one out in a 2-1 game in the visitor’s favor, after the Nationals scored a run on a fielder’s choice play at the plate, and CJ Abrams walked. Winker got all of a 2-1 curve from Cabrera and hit it 391 ft. to the second deck out in right field in loanDepot park, for his third homer of the year and a 6-1 lead for Washington.
SLAM. JESSE WINKER. pic.twitter.com/YFYm1CYBbh
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 27, 2024
In a five-run fifth, the Nationals scored one more run than they did in getting swept in three straight by the Dodgers this past week in Nationals Park, and they went on to win a second straight on the road in the Marlins’ home, 11-4 final.
They kept it going with an RBI single by Winker in the sixth, solo home runs by Keibert Ruiz and Nick Senzel, and an RBI triple by CJ Abrams in the seventh, and an RBI groundout late in the game for Senzel which drove in the 11th run.
“Winker with the big blow. He put us up top and I think the guys kind of loosened up a little bit,” manager Davey Martinez told reporters.
“We started swinging the bats,” Martinez continued.
“Senzel with a home run. Keibert with a home run. It was a good day offensively, a good day.
“So we got to come back and do it again tomorrow.”
After they struggled to score runs against Los Angeles, and scratched out a 3-1 win Friday in the series opener in Miami, the club loosening up was a welcome sight.
a third dinger has hit the bleachers pic.twitter.com/2kkZCVUYU3
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 27, 2024
“Well, you saw it,” he said. “I mean, hey, it’s nice when you can put up a four-spot and take the lead like that. They all swung the bats a lot better today. So that’s awesome to see. Let’s keep it going, right? The big thing is now is to keep it going. Let’s get some consistency and try to get 1-0 tomorrow.”
The second win over the Marlins came in a game which saw upstart starter Mitchell Parker deal with some diversity for the first time, after two stellar outings to begin his big league career.
Parker, 24, held the Dodgers to two runs on four hits in his MLB debut on the road in Dodger Stadium, then shut LA out over seven scoreless innings in start No. 2 at home in the nation’s capital last week, but he gave one up early in Miami, on a bases-loaded wild pitch, and then held the Marlins off the board through four.
His pitch count got up to 82 pitches though, and the Nationals’ manager decided it was enough.
“He struggled a little bit,” Martinez acknowledged. “But he kept his poise. He had some high-leverage situations throughout the first couple of innings. And he got out of it.
“So that’s good to see that he can manage through when he’s not feeling all that great today. He kept us in the ballgame, which is great.”
Photo by Brennan Asplen/Getty Images
If that’s a less-than-stellar outing for Parker, who had 23 pitches fouled off, and managed to collect just nine swinging strikes (six on his splitter), with seven called strikes overall on the day, the Nationals will take it, especially when the offense busted out in a big way.
“My biggest thing is we swung at strikes,” Martinez said when asked what he’d take away from the win. “Early on it wasn’t — [we were] chasing the changeups, later on we tried to get the ball up a little bit and tried to stay on the baseball, and the at-bats got a lot better. So we got to remember to do that.
“Hey, take our walks, I think CJ had a big walk right there and got on for Winker, but that is what it’s going to take. Collectively as an offense, we got to do all the little things as I talk about.”
JOEY GALLO TO 10-DAY IL:
Joey Gallo was 0 for 12 with 10 Ks in four-plus games before the Nationals placed the 30-year-old slugger on the 10-Day IL with a left shoulder AC sprain on Saturday afternoon in Miami, calling up Alex Call from Triple-A to take his place on the roster.
“He has an AC joint sprain. So we just want to get it to calm down a little bit and get him some strength back in there,” Davey Martinez told reporters before the 2nd of 3 with the Marlins.
“Alex Call has been playing really well. I thought about just bringing another right-handed bat up, we’re really left-handed heavy. So having him will help.”
Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
On the year, Gallo’s now struck out in 43 of 91 plate appearances, with a .122/.286/.311 line, five doubles, and three home runs so far.
“It’s been going on for probably six or seven days. He thought he could play through it. He’s been getting treatment. Obviously, he came in yesterday and said it’s still pretty sore. So we made the decision to go ahead and put him on the IL. I think it’s best for him. We want to get him healthy. He said it bothered him when he swings.
“So like I said, we’re going to build up some strength back up in there, give him a couple of days rest, get him back going again. And then hopefully, this won’t take long.”