Washington’s Nationals put up 12 runs on 10 hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates last night, so it’s not too surprising that Davey Martinez said he’d likely go with the same lineup tonight in the third of four with the Bucs in the nation’s capital.
“We’ll let it ride for a couple days, see what happens,” Martinez said with a laugh after last night’s game. “We’ll see what happens.”
Wilmer Difo, Bryce Harper, and Matt Adams (who homered twice) all hit home runs in the 12-4 win over the Pirates, with Adams collecting three hits, and Difo going 2 for 3. Matt Wieters and Michael A. Taylor were hitless on the night, but the Nationals had good at bats up and down the lineup, which Martinez liked.
“They grinded some at bats out, they put the ball in play when they needed to,” Martinez said. “It’s just an all-around good day. When you’ve got a guy like Max [Scherzer] on the mound too and you score those runs, it’s kind of nice.”
It was also nice that the rare laugher this season and Scherzer’s six-plus innings of work let Martinez rest the big arms in his bullpen, with Wander Suero, Sammy Solis and then Carlos Torres wrapping things up once the starter was done.
“It was awesome,” Martinez said. “We get to rest our big three a little bit. These other guys, we got to see Suero pitch, and [he] did well, and we got some other guys in. Overall, it was a big day.”
The talk all afternoon, of course, was that Bryce Harper was penciled in as the leadoff hitter after he’d struggled over the last few weeks and grown frustrated with opposing teams, who’ve decided to walk him rather than have the 25-year-old slugger hit when runners are on in front of him.
Harper went 1 for 3 with a walk and a three-run blast, his eighth on the season and his first since April 16th, so they might go back to avoiding him, but the Nats’ skipper was happy to see his right fielder have a positive day at the plate.
“He had some good at bats today,” Martinez told reporters. “I’m proud of him. Like I said, he was frustrated. It was a good day for him.”
There are a few changes, but Harper’s back on top tonight as the Nationals try for their third straight over the Pirates and their fourth straight overall.
HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR THE 3RD OF 4 WITH THE PIRATES:
Letting it ride.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 2, 2018
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