Washington Nationals: Davey Martinez decision making under fire in loss
By Blake Finney
The Washington Nationals lost a tight game to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. And it was Davey Martinez’s decision making that’s drawn scrutiny.
In a 6-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays Friday night, the Washington Nationals manager Davey Martinez had key decisions to make during the game. And in a one-run loss, these can come under even more scrutiny as to whether they were correct or not.
In what is likely the moment that may have cost the Nationals, Martinez left Gio Gonzalez in to start the seventh inning. The left-hander had thrown 94 pitches at that point and would’ve had four right-handers due up.
He allowed a leadoff single to Devon Travis, and then a bizarre double to Teoscar Hernandez that Adam Eaton lost in the lights. Both then came into score as Justin Miller couldn’t work his magic this time, and the Blue Jays lead 6-3.
More from District on Deck
- Latest DraftKings Sportsbook Promo Code in Maryland: Bet $5, Win $200 Guaranteed
- Nationals Claim Jeter Downs Off Waivers
- Washington Nationals Minor League Spotlight: Robert Hassell III
- Washington Nationals Tuesday Q&A
- 3 Free Agents the Nationals Should Gamble On
On this occasion, the Nats’ manager got it wrong, as it allowed the inning to snowball. Miller has been great this year, but asking him to work out of a second and third jam with no outs was near impossible.
After the game, Martinez told Mark Zuckerman of MASN that “he liked how Gonzalez looked in the 6th and liked him against the bottom of the lineup in the 7th.”. This isn’t the first time this year that the Nats manager has pushed his starters well beyond their usual limits.
Their starters have thrown over 2000 more pitches than anyone else in the National League so far in 2018. He will need to refine some of his management decisions as he gets more experienced. It’s easy to forget it’s only his first year, so these things will happen.
Matt Adams leaves with injured finger
One the Nats most consistent players this season, Matt Adams, left the game in the third inning after getting hit on the finger. The first-baseman was attempting to beat the shift with a bunt in the second inning, but had to come out an inning later.
After the game, Adams confirmed that his left index finger was swollen. This will leave him day-to-day for the rest of the series and will depend on how he feels tomorrow as to whether a DL stint is needed.
Adams likely would’ve been in the lineup the rest of the weekend, with the Blue Jays throwing two more right-handers out there. Now the baton is passed to Mark Reynolds, who will need to rediscover his early form to help the scuffling offense.
Daniel Murphy checks in with first of the season
After going hitless against the New York Yankees, Daniel Murphy got his first hit of the 2018 season. At the time, it seemed to be a huge one. He drove in Anthony Rendon to reduce the deficit to 6-4 in the eighth inning.
Murphy has been slowly finding his form at the plate, and understandably so given the injury. He had good at bats on Wednesday with a 10 pitch effort and scorching a line drive. But in this game, he had the hit and didn’t record a strikeout.
Although the games with the designated hitter are running out, Murphy will be a key piece of this offense moving forward. Where he plays in the field will be another matter, as on rehab with the Harrisburg Senators we made a whopping six errors. They’ll need to be careful regardless, as they can’t afford to lose him again.
The Washington Nationals will need to get back on track behind Max Scherzer on Saturday. Hopefully, Davey Martinez will be better off in the long run after a tough lesson on Friday.