The Washington Nationals will look to snap an eight-game losing streak when they host the Colorado Rockies to open a four-game set on Monday night.
The Nationals capped a tumultuous weekend with another poor offensive showing Sunday in a 3-1 loss to the Miami Marlins, who swept a three-game series for the first time this season.
On Saturday, Washington manager Dave Martinez absolved his coaches from any blame for the team’s recent struggles, appearing to put the onus on his players. Before Sunday’s game, Martinez said he was not blaming the players. Either way, the offense remained stagnant.
“We’re just not scoring any runs,” he said after Sunday’s game. “We just need that one big hit to break out of it, and we’ll go from there. We got to keep fighting. That’s the key: Keep fighting.”
The Nationals have scored three runs or fewer in 11 of their 13 June games.
Altering the batting order Sunday did not work and the Nationals are taking other measures. Multiple media outlets reported Sunday that the Nationals are promoting top hitting prospect Brady House from Triple-A Rochester.
A third baseman, House was Washington’s first-round pick in 2021. He is hitting .304 at Rochester with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs in 65 games.
The Nationals also reportedly will recall outfielder Daylen Lile, who made his major league debut in May. They optioned outfielder Robert Hassell III and infielder Jose Tena to Rochester after Sunday’s game.
Colorado rookie left-hander Carson Palmquist (0-4, 7.77 ERA) opposes right-hander Jake Irvin (5-3, 4.21) on Monday.
Palmquist, recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, will be making his sixth big league start. He is taking the place of left-hander Kyle Freeland (1-8, 5.13), who was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday (retroactive to Thursday) with lower back stiffness.
“I don’t think it’s going to be that big of a deal,” Freeland said. “Just getting it calmed down. I think the 15 days on the IL is going to be what I need to get back.”
In his last major league start last Tuesday, Palmquist gave up two runs on four hits in a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants.
Despite sporting MLB’s worst record, Colorado had a better weekend than Washington, salvaging the series finale against the Atlanta Braves with a 10-1 road win. Ryan McMahon hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh, Jordan Beck added a two-run double and the Rockies won despite being no-hit through five innings and striking out 16 times.
“We could have easily just thrown in the towel and been like, ‘Hey, probably gonna lose this one, something like that,’ ” McMahon said. “But the boys stayed locked in, and I felt that, and I wanted to go out there and put up a good at-bat, and I got a pitch I could handle and put a good swing on it.”
Irvin is 1-2 in his past three starts and has given up 13 runs in 15 innings. Against the Mets on Wednesday, gave up four runs on five hits — including two home runs — and three walks in five innings of a loss.
“We have to get him back on the fastball. We talk about it all the time,” Martinez said about Irvin, who is 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in three starts against Colorado. “His curveball is the one that got hit today. His fastball, when he gets it over the plate and gets it arm side, it’s really effective.”
–Field Level Media
