Washington Nationals Rapid Reaction: Casey Janssen Blows Game Late Vs. Reds
May 30, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Yunel Escobar (5) prepares in the dugout at the beginning of a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Nationals played the second game of their three game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon and guaranteed that they would lose their first series in a month by losing 8-5. This was a game the Nationals very easily could have won.
After the Nationals took the lead in the top of the sixth inning, Gio Gonzalez handed some runs back to cut the Nationals advantage from three runs to just one. The Nats hung on to that lead until the bottom of the eighth inning, when Casey Janssen allowed the Reds to blow the game open and end the inning up 8-5.
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Some of the Nats batters have been watching Aroldis Chapman enough the last two days that they should to realize he is not throwing high pitches for strikes. That allowed them to draw walks, which kept the Nats hope alive in the ninth. However, some of them did not learn that lesson and tried to catch up with Chapman’s high fastball, which reached 103 miles per hour at some point, which led to back-to-back strikeouts by Dan Uggla and Ryan Zimmerman.
The Nationals hit well enough to win this game, even with Bryce Harper out of the lineup due to a sore back from being hit by a pitch from Tony Cingrani in Friday night’s game. The ultimate problem that led to this Nats loss was poor decisions by manager Matt Williams regarding when he used certain pitchers.
Here are my takeaways from yesterday’s game:
Next: Should Gio Have Not Come Out for The 6th?
May 30, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher
Gio Gonzalez(47) kneels after being hit by a pitch from Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher
Raisel Iglesiasin the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Gio Should Not Have Pitched The 6th Inning
Gio Gonzalez was running himself into a high pitch coun yesterday due to his inability to get batters out after getting ahead 0-2 or 1-2 in counts. He started nibbling around the outside of the plate looking for a close strike three call to go his way. It didn’t happen and he ended up in 3-2 counts, which resulted either walking the batter or finally throwing something in the strike zone. This attempt at finessing strikeouts leads to Gio’s inability to stay in games past the sixth or seventh inning.
Yesterday, Gio was nibbling. But, his pitch count wasn’t insanely high at the start of the sixth inning. The Nationals had just gone ahead of the Reds by three runs in the top of the sixth thanks to a three run homer by Michael Taylor.
However, one of the other things that happened during the top of the sixth inning was that Gio was hit by a pitch by Reds starter Raisel Iglesias for the second time in the game. The pitch hit him square on his left elbow. Gio pitches with his left hand, but bats righty. He wears a pad on his left elbow to protect it, but taking a pitch right off the elbow, even with the pad on, is painful. Gonzalez was clearly in pain when he was hit.
I’m sure Matt Williams and Gio had that conversation after Gonzalez came off the field–“How’s your elbow, do you feel OK?” “Yeah, I’m fine. I can still pitch.”
Williams needed to realize that no pitcher is going to admit that they are ready to come out of a game. Of course Gonzalez was going to say he was fine. Williams needed to be the adult in the room and say no–I want to make sure that elbow is OK. We just went ahead by three runs. I want to go to the bullpen. I don’t want to take a chance on Gonzalez damaging his elbow in case that pitch did do some damage.
Williams listened to Gio instead and Gonzalez allowed two runs to score and only got one more out before Williams pulled him. Gio was clearly having trouble. He started off the inning walking Joey Votto, and then gave up a double to Todd Frazier. Votto scored on a groundout to second by Jay Bruce, which advanced Frazier to third. Then, Gio gave up a single to Brayan Pena that scored Frazier. Blake Treinen had to come in to clean up the mess. The Reds were only down one run and back within easy striking distance.
Gonzalez should not have been sent out to pitch the sixth inning. Once he did start the inning, he should have been pulled after the walk to Votto and double by Frazier. It was clear from the first two batters that Gio’s control was gone and, I would hazard to guess, his elbow was hurting.
Next: No Harper, No Problem For Nats Offense
May 30, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Washington Nationals pinch hitter
Michael Taylor(3) hits a three-run home run off Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Raisel Iglesias in the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Reds catcher
Brayan Penawatches at right. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
The Nats Offense Produces Without Bryce Harper
The Nationals scored five runs yesterday and had ten hits without Bryce Harper in the lineup. Harper had to sit out Saturday’s game because of a sore spine after being hit by a pitch during Friday’s game.
Harper was hit in the back by a 95 mile per hour fastball by Reds reliever Tony Cingrani. It looked intentional and I don’t know why he wasn’t tossed from the game at that point and why MLB hasn’t suspended him. Cingrani should have been suspended as many games as was Cole Hamels for doing the same thing. Cingrani has all but admitted it was intentional from the way he has acted since then. He hasn’t apologized.
After the game, he called Harper out for not running to first base fast enough to suit him after he was hit, echoing the nonsense Joey Votto was spouting at first base when Harper got there. Those are not the actions of a pitcher who didn’t mean to do what he did.
Bryce was supposed to be in the lineup today until he tried to hit before the game and realized that his back was too sore to allow him to twist and swing effectively. When you get hit in the spine, it will do that to you.
Michael Taylor seized the opportunity to be a hero again in a game that Bryce wasn’t available to play. Last time it happened, Harper had been ejected and Taylor came in to replace him. Taylor hit a grand slam that won the game for the Nats that day against the Diamondbacks (May 13). Yesterday, Taylor hit a three run homer, his fourth of the season, that broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning and gave the Nats the lead.
Harper is questionable for Sunday’s game. Let’s hope the Nats keep hitting without Bryce in the lineup.
Next: Should Williams Have Gone To His Closer?
May 30, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds center fielder
Billy Hamiltonhits a two-run single off Washington Nationals relief pitcher
Casey Janssenin the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. The Reds won 8-5. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Drew Storen Should Have Pitched The Eighth Inning
The Reds had the heart of their order coming to bat in the eighth inning. This is where the game was going to be won or lost for the Nationals. Whoever pitched the eighth inning was going to have to cut through Joey Votto, Todd Frazier and Jay Bruce–any one of whom are capable of hitting a home run any time they are at the plate.
No, it technically wasn’t a save situation yet. It wasn’t the ninth inning. Bu, if the Nats didn’t shut down three dangerous hitters, there was going to be no save situation for which to hold Storen in reserve for.
Storen was the only pitcher left in the bullpen that should have been trusted to get the Nationals through that tough lineup and high leverage situation.
You can disagree that Storen should have pitched the eighth. What can’t be disagreed with is that you can’t send a reliever out to pitch against Votto, Frazier and Bruce with a fastball that tops out at 86 mph and who has only made three appearances thus far this year.
Once you make that decision, after Janssen allows a double that would have been a home run except for Denard Span’s amazing play to throw the ball back onto the field after it was over the fence and then walks the next batter, he needed to come out. Janssen clearly had no stuff today. Once that became apparent, he should have been removed while the Nats were ahead and Storen brought in to try to get the five out save or just get the Nats out of the eighth with limited or no damage. Instead, Janssen was left out there to give up four runs.
Storen can and has pitched more than one inning in the past. If you didn’t want to push Storen to pitch part of the eighth and the ninth, both Matt Grace and Aaron Barrett were available to pitch the ninth.
Without a reliable eighth inning guy, Williams needs to consider who is coming up in the eighth and whether or not Storen should be used for more than three outs in a game. He should not be rigidly locked into the idea that Storen is only available to get a save in the ninth. Sometimes, the “save situation” can occur in the eighth inning.
Until Janssen proves himself, he should not be anointed the eighth inning guy. He needs to earn that role. He didn’t do anything for his case today.