After a somewhat bumpy game against the New York Mets last week, Josiah Gray got his first win of the 2022 season as the Washington Nationals traveled to meet the 2021 World Series Champions: the Atlanta Braves. Not only did the Nationals win a close game this afternoon against the Braves but also won two of three games, yes that is a series win.
Starting pitcher Joisah Gray bounced back from a rough second game of the season against the Mets, and was extremely effective in this outing. In his comments after the game, Gray discussed what he saw as an improvement from the previous game: “The breaking balls for sure...Just working ahead with them, working in even counts with them, and then when I was ahead, just the command of them and the movement was really on point. Everything was on, but the breaking balls especially.”
"Being a pitcher, you see guys time and time again. And to continue to get them out, it gives you that extra confidence,” Gray discussed his successful outing and the Braves over the course of two seasons in the majors "OK, my stuff is still playing. They’re still having a difficult time picking up my stuff. It definitely gives you confidence.”
Confidence is going to bey key to Gray's development over not just this season but through some early moments in his career.
Josiah Gray’s Line: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 Ks, 82 P, 50 S,
“Before the game, we talked about if the situation arises where it’s the sixth inning, this is the guy and this is how we’re going to line up and this is what we’re going to do... It worked out well today"
Dave Martinez discussing his decision to sit RHP Joisah Gray at the end of the 5th and hand it over to the Bullpen
The Nationals offesense did enough for the team to win. All series long, including today, the Nationals leadoff hitter César Hernández singled to lead off the top of the first in the finale this afternoon, and Juan Soto lined a single to right in the next at-bat, which started the snowball into two runs in the top of the first. In a very little sample size, the Nationals have been effective at playing small ball and not totally relying on the homeruns. It was until the top of the sixth inning that the Nationals got their final run of the afternoon and believe it or not the bullpen closed out the game.
Not only did Doolittle pitch a 1-2-3 inning with just six pitches but he has yet to issue a hit in the 2022 season, which for now isn't bad for Doolittle.
The back of the bullpen has been pretty effective today, so much so that Sean Doolittle and Steve Cishek have combined to pitch 2 scoreless innings with just 112 pitches and 10 of those being strikes.
Nationals are now 3-4;
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