Notes and quotes on the Nationals’ series finale with the Brewers…
PARKER’S REVENGE:
Mitchell Parker retired just two of the seven hitters he faced when he went up against the Milwaukee Brewers last month in American Family Field, giving up three hits, two walks, and five earned runs in a disaster of a start for the 24-year-old rookie, who threw 46 pitches total in 2⁄3 of an inning.
“When you look back on that game, he fell behind a lot,” Nationals’ manager Davey Martinez told reporters on Sunday afternoon in the nation’s capital, where Parker lined up against the Brewers once again, “… and when he had to throw a strike, they were on it. So he’s got to continue to work ahead, and one thing I don’t want him to be is afraid of throwing strikes.”
“His stuff plays,” Martinez added. “We saw him when he was really good. We saw him when he got hit a little bit. It doesn’t mean that the stuff isn’t good.
“He’s just got to understand that he’s got to work ahead.”
A few hours later, Parker went out and tossed six scoreless innings against the Brewers in Nationals Park, giving up three hits and three walks with three strikeouts in an 87-pitch, 52-strike appearance. He made a 1-0 lead hold up through five and a half, then James Wood’s base-clearing triple put the home team up 4-1 in what ended up a 4-3 win.
is your james wood running u better go catch it pic.twitter.com/R0krFeD9Zt
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 4, 2024
“That was a big moment, and he came through,” Martinez said of Wood’s big hit. “The kid’s going to be okay, he really is. I love the way he’s approaching the baseball right now.”
Wood went 2 for 4 on the day, extending an on-base streak to nine straight games, in which he’s gone 12 for 33 (.464 AVG), with two doubles, two triples, eight RBIs, seven walks, and a total of six runs scored.
“He does well because, as I always said, he’s very patient, and very calm,” Martinez added.
“He stays on the ball really well. He doesn’t try to do a whole lot, but he got a good swing, and he tries to get the ball in the strike zone, and he did it again today.”
Martinez made sure to give Parker his credit as well.
“I can’t say enough about Mitchell Parker, who last time he faced [the Brewers] it didn’t go as well,” the skipper said.
Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports
“Today he did really well. He stayed in the zone, utilized all his pitches, and he kept us in the ballgame and pitched really well.”
Parker’s velo was down early, and it raised some concerns, but he was able to turn things around on his own.
“My concern was he came out and he was throwing 88-89,” Martinez explained, “… and we knew what was happening. I wanted to know why, but it’s hard to talk to a guy when he’s out there. And then all of a sudden, he figured it out and all of a sudden the velo was 92-93, where he’s supposed to be. He was getting underneath the ball, trying to push the ball a little bit, and he realized it right away, and started getting on top and driving down, and it was beautiful.”
“I like to feel like I’m getting on top of it,” Parker said, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman after the game, “and I was just getting really behind it, not really throwing it.
“It’s been there here and there. Not much this year, but it has been there in the past. Luckily, we were able to get it quick and be able to get on top of it.”
“But I was concerned, because I know he doesn’t throw 88-89, but he figured it out himself, and it was awesome,” Martinez said. “So my conversation was, ‘Hey, what did you do, what happened because your first inning your velo wasn’t there?’ and what we saw was the same thing. He said, ‘Man, I really felt like I was pushing the ball and trying to get underneath, because he wants to pitch up and I said, ‘And then?’ And he said, ‘Well, I just really focused on getting on top of the baseball, and letting the ball do what it’s supposed to do.’ And I said, ‘Perfect. That’s exactly what we were seeing, and I’m really happy that you were able to catch it and correct it yourself.’”