Washington Nationals news & notes: Patrick Corbin & one bad inning vs the Rays + James Wood expected in D.C.

Notes and quotes from the series finale with the Rays…

CORBIN AND WOOD:

“Regardless of what people think of him,” Davey Martinez said of veteran left-handed starter Patrick Corbin, “… he’s been pitching really well his last three outings.

“He gave us everything he had. He pitched damn good.”

Martinez was speaking after a seven-inning, 97-pitch outing by the 34-year-old starter which saw Corbin give up four hits and three runs in a rough stretch in the second while limiting San Diego to one hit (and nothing else) in his other six innings on the mound in Petco Park.

It’s something Martinez talked about with the southpaw before the start against the Padres, when he discussed what dooms Corbin in outings where he struggles.

“Things spiral for an inning, and then he settles down and he gets some big outs for us,” Martinez explained, accurately forecasting what would happen a few hours later.

“He’s pitched well his last two outings, so we’re going to go from there. For him, it’s about keeping the ball down. He’s working good changeups, good cutter, a good two-seamer.

Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

“When he throws the ball down, he’s really good. When he tries to elevate the ball he gets hit. So we just got to continue to talk to him about keeping the ball down.”

As for his postgame comments about what people think of Corbin?

“I just know — I hear it just like everybody else, but he’s been the guy that I count on to go out there every five days, and take the ball,” the manager said. “I mean, that’s what I love about him. He takes the ball, he competes, he’s doing unbelievable. It gets to a point where we’ve got to start scoring some runs for him, that’s the key. But he’s given us everything he’s got, and I’m proud of him. He could get down on himself, but he never does. He goes out there and pitches for his teammates, pitches for the Washington Nationals, and I love that.”

Corbin entered start No. 17 of the final season of his 6-year/$140M deal in D.C. with a (1-7) record, a 5.46 ERA, a 4.70 FIP, and a .299/.358/.497 line against in 89 IP on the year, but a 2.60 ERA, a 2.52 FIP, and a .197/.279/.213 line against in his previous three outings and 17 ¹⁄₃ IP as Martinez mentioned.

It was, however, one bad inning which doomed him again, with Corbin retiring the side in order in the first inning in Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field, but the first-pitch sinker, belt-high outside he threw to Isaac Paredes landed 415 ft from home plate in the Rays’ ballpark, 1-0, and one out and one single later, José Caballero hit 1-0 sinker up and over the middle out for a two-run blast and a 3-0 lead in the second inning of what ended up a 5-0 loss in the series finale in Florida.

Paredes hit an 0-2 sinker in the zone and belt-high outside again to left for a leadoff triple in the fourth, and he scored on a sac fly by Jose Siri which put the Rays up 4-0.

“Two missed locations,” Martinez said after the loss, which wrapped up a 2-6 road trip to Denver, San Diego, and Tampa Bay.

“All of a sudden, that one inning – a three-run inning – got him. But other than that, he threw the ball well.”

“A little frustrating,” Corbin acknowledged, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, after a five-strikeout appearance, picking up 12 swinging strikes, spread out over four of his pitches, and 14 called strikes, seven with his sinker, in a 94-pitch, 61-strike turn in the rotation.

“I felt really good. I thought all the pitches today were working pretty well,” he continued.

“Threw some changeups in there, just first pitch fastball that was off the plate away, but maybe a little bit elevated, same with that second one there, but like I said, felt pretty good, thought I made some pitches, just kind of they got the three runs there, and then we weren’t really able to come back, and they tacked on a couple more late, so just a tough way to end our road trip here, but looking forward to getting home.”

“You know when you’re going through a season you’re going to have these stretches,” the Nats’ skipper said, “but I’m definitely excited to get back home and get going.”

Adding to the excitement is the rumored debut of 21-year-old, 2021 2nd Round pick James Wood, two years after he was acquired from San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto/Josh Bell trade with the Nationals in 2022.

Wood will be the third prospect acquired in the deal to reach the majors, along with CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore, both of whom debuted before the trade and are already firmly-established on the big league roster (while Robert Hassell III – .278/.369/.369, 6 doubles, 3 HRs at Double-A; and pitcher Jarlin Susana – currently at Class-A Fredericksburg – 13.15 K/9, 4.91 BB/9, 4.91 ERA, 2.56 FIP in 13 starts and 51 ¹⁄₃ IP — are still working their way up).

Martinez didn’t commit to the fact Wood was coming since the team hasn’t officially made the announcement, but he knows Wood is expected to debut on Monday in Nationals Park, after a strong run at Triple-A Rochester this season (.353/.463/.595, 16 doubles, 10 HRs, 40 walks, 42 Ks in 52 games).

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

“That’s the expectation. My biggest thing is that if he’s there, get him in that lineup and have him play,” the manager said.

“Whenever somebody like that comes up who has all the hype,” Corbin told reporters, as quoted by MLB.com’s Brian Murphy, “… you’re just excited as well to be able to see him go out there.”

As GM and President of Baseball Ops Mike Rizzo told 106.7 the FAN in D.C.’s Sports Junkies this past Wednesday:

“If you can’t get excited about where we’re at here, right now, then you’re not paying attention to this re-build.”