Diamondbacks 9, Nats 2
It should take everyone involved – players, fans, media, umpires, soda vendors, Clint – all of 10 seconds to forget tonight’s game ever happened. Stephen Strasburg pitches tomorrow, giving the Nats a chance to win this three-game series against Arizona. And top draft pick Bryce Harper should sign a contract by midnight Monday – maybe along with fellow 2010 selections Sammy Solis (2nd round), A.J. Cole (4th round) and Robbie Ray (12th round). Those talented young players give Washington a lot of hope for the future if it can reel them all in. General Manager Mike Rizzo is confident the organization can do so.
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But all the Nats were left with on Saturday night were the struggles of starting pitcher Jason Marquis. You can read all about them here, if you wish. It wasn’t pretty. Then again, nothing has been for the 31-year-old veteran this season. He was expected to be a prominent free-agent signing at two years, $15 million. Instead, Marquis is a question mark heading into the final stages of the 2010 season and under contract for 2011.
So what’s the problem? Obviously, Marquis was pitching hurt in April and eventually underwent surgery on his right elbow. It seems likely that’s what turned him from an All-Star for the Colorado Rockies last summer into a pitcher deemed not good enough to even crack their playoff roster by October. So give him a pass there and again early this season. But what’s happened after some decent performances in the minor leagues during his rehab stint? Marquis insists he is healthy. He has looked good in bullpen sessions with pitching coach Steve McCatty. But something isn’t working right now.
“I can’t sit there and say on every pitch ‘Well, I missed the ball up a little bit because of some mechanical issues where my foot, my hip, my this and that,’” McCatty said. “His release point was just a little bit too early. And that happens to a lot of guys. You got to focus on getting the ball down.”
McCatty says the effort is there for Marquis. He’s watching plenty of video to identify why his ball isn’t sinking. The organization knows his first three starts, especially a seven-run, no-out disaster against Milwaukee, were because of injury as much as anything. That mitigates Marquis’ numbers. But it doesn’t change them.
“Yeah, you can put it aside. There were bone chips in there,” McCatty said. “But I’m not one for giving a crutch or an excuse. He came back and he threw the ball in some [minor-league] games with really good sink. The bullpen was really good when he came back – the first one. It’s not a pass in that first game against the Dodgers. I know he was excited. But the key to any guy that’s a sinkerball pitcher is you’ve got to get the ball down. And it wasn’t down.”
Nats Notes
» Ryan Zimmerman hit home run No. 23 of the season. In the 14 games since July 31 he is batting .358 (19-for-53) with four doubles, eight walks, six homers and 14 RBI.
» Attendance on Saturday night at Nationals Park was 22,400.
» Jason Marquis wasn’t the only Washington player who struggled on Saturday night. OF Roger Bernadina was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
» Arizona OF Justin Upton hit into two double plays and was 0-for-4 with a sacrifice fly.
» The two teams have split their six games played in 2010 and will decide the season series Sunday afternoon at 1:35 p.m. when rookie Stephen Strasburg (5-3, 3.07 ERA) faces Barry Enright (3-2, 2.64 ERA).
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