Braves 5, Nats 0
The good times came to a crashing halt for the Nats on Saturday afternoon. They made Derek Lowe work a little harder, but the result was the same as last time against him – no runs scored. With the Nats’ bats silent starter Yunesky Maya couldn’t afford the big inning that has plagued him in his first three major-league starts. Unfortunately, he couldn’t avoid it as a four-run sixth inning for Atlanta put the game out of reach. You can read more in our game story here.
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Maya had his moments early. Two of the Braves’ four hits through five innings were infield singles. He worked with a better pace, according to Nats pitching coach Steve McCatty, and was more aggressive with the Atlanta hitters. It didn’t hurt that Maya had seen this lineup before in a Sept. 13 start at Turner Field. But he couldn’t escape the sixth and paid for it. Now that we’ve seen him a few times – remember, Washington’s coaches only had video on Maya, a Cuban defector who signed in late July, until he arrived in Washington prior to his Sept. 7 debut. So what do they think so far?
“His stuff is good. He’s not an overpowering guy,” McCatty said. “But he’s got a good fastball, a good sinker, nice change-up, slider is good and he’s got the big, slow curveball.”
Nats manager Jim Riggleman compared Maya’s style to Florida’s Anibal Sanchez, who has tormented Washington this season and has a 3.60 ERA in 2010. But the big difference? Sanchez has experience on his side. On the fly Maya is jumping from international baseball to the major leagues. McCatty just smiled and shook his head while trying to explain the gap between the two. Maya himself was impressed with how patient hitters were during his five minor-league starts in August. Even that level is nothing compared to what he’s facing now. The guys who chased breaking balls in the minors leave those pitches alone and umpires won’t call strikes until you prove you have consistent command around the plate.
“[Maya is] changing his whole idea of how to pitch,” McCatty said. “Learning in the big leagues can be a tough thing to do. You get exposed fairly quick. But I think he’s made strides every time he’s gone out there.”
There are, of course, the cultural adjustments, too. Maya speaks little English, communicating with McCatty through teammates like fellow Cuban Livan Hernandez. He left everything behind in Cuba and hadn’t pitched in over a year since defecting to the Dominican Republic last September. It will be a while before the Nats can make a true judgment of what they have.
“Today I felt great, controlling the fastball. I felt like myself,” Maya said in Spanish through teammate Wil Nieves. “I felt like how I pitched back home. Obviously, there’s room to improve. I have a lot more to show and prove here. This is the best baseball in the world. But every day I feel more comfortable and more comfortable. That’s what I’m looking for.
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