Good Morning, Washington Nationals Fans,

Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, April 5.

Welcome to the Morning Briefing! Haden here. Let’s talk about yesterday’s game!

Leading this Morning’s Briefing: Rain delay loss before weekend series against the Phillies

Josiah Gray did not look like a major league pitcher in the first two innings of yesterday’s game, allowing five runs while walking two and striking out one batter. He settled in for two scoreless innings where he struck out two, but in the top of the fifth after recording the first out he walked Jack Suwinski ending his night. Derek Law, his replacement, immediately gave up a home run, putting the Nats down 7-1. Gray’s line ended up at 4.1 innings pitched, allowing six runs and seven hits, with three walks and three punchouts.

His two best pitches last night were his sliders; the sweeper and the traditional gyro slider. The real issue was a lack of command. Sure, he threw over 60 percent of his pitches in the zone, but a lot of his misses were non-competitive pitches.

I disagree with the way his start was handled by Davey Martinez though. Everyone knew Gray was struggling and I am all for letting pitchers face as many hitters as possible when the bullpen is weak or it is a game that matters. But it is the first week of April, and the Nationals are supposed to have a strong bullpen this year.  Gray should not have been out there in the fifth inning if they intended to wait until he allowed a baserunner.

The team and management should know by now that the pitchers struggle to be efficient in their outings, so there should be more than one multi-inning reliever. Let Law get a clean frame and work two innings, which would get the team to the sixth inning, and let your one-inning guys get you the rest of the way there.

The Nationals dropped the series finale to the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4

Richard • Apr 5, 2024

Washington D.C. -This afternoon, the Washington Nationals fell short of securing a victory in their series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Nationals Park, resulting in a 7-4 loss. Despite a delayed start to the game, RHP Josiah Gray, who received the start today, encountered a rough beginning. The Nationals cu…

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As frustrating as it is, this is modern baseball. Expecting our guys to just simply go six innings every time is not possible, so the way the team is managed and the roster is built needs to adapt.

Maybe it is because of their approach to the game offensively that they think their starters will make it deeper into the game. Martín Pérez got through nearly seven innings and threw just 85 pitches. That is frankly unacceptable.

Parts of the team did well offensively. Jesse Winker did a good job working the count, barring his first pitch double play groundout in the sixth. I have been impressed with CJ Abrams’s approach so far, who went 2-5 with a home run. But when Lane Thomas and Joey Meneses see just 17 pitches across six plate appearances, then the problem begins to appear. Winning cures all, but they went a combined 1-9 with a walk yesterday against a soft-tossing lefty. It is their job to crush this guy and they did not do it.

Then you have plays like these, where, I am sorry, but Trey Lipscomb should not be beating Ildemaro Vargas to second base. You wonder in part why Gray does not make it deeper into starts, and this leads to Gray having to throw four more pitches. At least attempt to get the out.

Now the Nats will host the also 2-4 Philadelphia Phillies. The Phils will have Aaron Nola on the bump while the Nats trot Patrick Corbin out there. The first pitch is supposed to be at 6:45 pm ET and the game is on MASN.

Down in the Minors

Triple A: The Rochester Red Wings

The Rochester Red Wings had their game against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs rained out yesterday. As long as the weather permits, today should be their home opener.

Double A: Harrisburg Senators

The Harrisburg Senators' season will start on Friday, April 5th, against the Erie SeaWolves in Harrisburg. The first pitch is at 7:00 p.m.

Harrisburg Senators

2024 Harrisburg Senators Preview: Hitters

Owen Ranger • Apr 5, 2024

The AA season kicks off tonight at home for the Nats’ most interesting and exciting affiliate against the Erie Seawolves and the Tigers’ top pitching prospect, Jackson Jobe. There are few better tests for the promising collection of hitters that have gathered at FNB Field. On Wednesday we covered the more nondescript Senators’

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Harrisburg Senators

2024 Harrisburg Senators Preview: Pitchers

Owen Ranger • Apr 3, 2024

Welcome to your 2024 coverage of the Nationals’ AA affiliate, the Harrisburg Senators! I will be writing regularly (generally on the Monday off-days) about potentially the most exciting minor league team in the system this season, as the Senators are likely to see a large handful of both top prospects and intriguing sleepers at points throughout the summer. Although the crop of hitters who will be playing on the banks of the Susquehanna are more interesting (Crews! House! Morales! Hassell! Pinckney!), we will begin our preview series with the pitching staff. Only one or two of the Nats’ top thirty prospects that pitch are likely to spend any serious time in Harrisburg this year, but there are a few under-the-radar names to watch as well. The Senators are opening the season this Friday with a whopping FIFTEEN pitchers on their staff (the excess might be due to the uncertainty around Cole Henry’s health going forward), most of whom you are probably not that familiar with. Let’s get started, shall we?

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High A: Wilmington Blue Rocks

The Wilmington Blue Rocks will kick off their season on Friday, April 5th, in Wilmington against the Brooklyn Cyclones. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Single A: Fredericksburg Nationals

The Fredericksburg Nationals will kick off their season on Friday, April 5th, against the Delmarva Shorebirds in Fredericksburg. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Featured Stories of the Day

Voters reject sales tax for Chiefs, Royals stadium projects, raising questions about future in KC via The Athletic

Phillies reveal City Connect uniforms via MLB.com

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