Washington Nationals news & notes: Patrick Corbin enters final year of 6-year deal in D.C.

Notes and quotes on Patrick Corbin’s final Grapefruit League start on Sunday…

CORBIN WRAPS UP SPRING:

Davey Martinez’s message for Patrick Corbin coming out of the left-hander’s fourth start of the spring was one he has been repeating throughout the past few seasons as the now-34-year-old starter has struggled to find his form from 2018, which earned him a 6-year/$140M contract with the Nationals, or 2019, when he helped Washington win the first World Series title by a D.C.-based club since 1924.

“We always talk about with him: When he’s down, he’s very effective,” Martinez reiterated, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman.

Corbin gave up three hits and two runs in the first inning of that March 11th outing, in what ended up a 30-pitch frame, and then a third run in the second, with a two-out single, walk, and RBI hit adding to the total. He was up to 52 pitches overall after two.

“The balls that were really hit hard, they were all up,” his manager said.

“Pitch count got up there. … He’s got to understand that down is good for him.”

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Corbin settled in with a scoreless third, and recorded two outs in the fourth before he was done for the day, having thrown 74 pitches in 3 ²⁄₃ IP.

“Obviously, you want good results,” Corbin said after the outing.

“The first inning, to throw – what, 30 pitches? – is not ideal. But it’s going to happen at some point in the season. It’s not what you’re trying to do, but sometimes just try to see how you bounce back from that.”

As for the positives from the outing? Corbin’s cutter was effective. He threw it 16 times (22% of his total pitches), and recorded four swinging strikes with the pitch which he’s working in to the mix this spring, with four of his six Ks on the pitch.

“I’ve been around the zone with it, throwing strikes with it,” Corbin said of the progress he’s made with the new offering in his arsenal:

“I think it’s going to tick up a bit in velo as the regular season comes and you get into a big league stadium. I’m excited where it’s at. It’s very different from the slider, and another look off the fastball. I’m just excited to see where it comes. But I think the location has been pretty solid with it.”

The outing left Corbin with a 5.11 ERA, two walks, 16 Ks, and a .286 BAA in his four starts and 12 ¹⁄₃ IP in Grapefruit League action.

He pitched on the back fields between starts, but took the mound again on Sunday for his final tune-up for the regular season.

Corbin gave up two doubles, a walk, and a run on a double play in the second inning, then surrendered a two-out RBI double which put the New York Mets up 2-0 early.

A leadoff double, walk, and RBI single in the fourth put the Mets up 3-0, but held in there and got out of the inning having given up seven hits, two walks, and three earned runs in the 86-pitch, 55-strike start.

“We were thinking four and 60,” Corbin said of the pitch count getting away from him a bit in the outing, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman.

“So, some more pitches than I thought. But it was definitely good to at least get one more game, a real spring game, in. I’m ready to go, ready for Saturday.”

Corbin generated 12 swinging strikes, eight of them on his slider, which he threw 41% of the time, mixing in his four-seamer (28%), sinker (19%), and cutter (8%).

“I got ahead of guys, worked on the cutter a lot, which was the big thing,” he said. “I think overall I’m pretty pleased with it. And I’m ready to make that first start.”

In 15 starts and 16 ¹⁄₃ IP this spring, Corbin finished with a 5.51 ERA, four walks (doubling his total in Grapefruit League action on Sunday), 18 Ks, and a .309 BAA.

His next start will be Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati, OH.

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