Washington Nationals call Joe Ross up to help bullpen...

Talking about the bullpen’s struggles early this season after an eighth-inning meltdown cost them Saturday’s game, Washington Nationals’ skipper Davey Martinez said that they would have to straighten things out with the arms they have.

“We’ve got to keep grinding and I’ve got to continue to put these guys into situations and they’re going to have big moments and they’re going to get big outs,” the second-year skipper said.

“We’ve got the same guys out in the bullpen,” Martinez added, “so they’ve got to come back tomorrow and we’ll do it again, and hopefully they can nail it down.”

Apparently, however, the Nats’ brass made the decision overnight to bolster the relief corps by adding Joe Ross to the bullpen mix in time for the series finale in Citi Field.

Ross did most of his work this Spring out of the bullpen, but as of mid-March, Martinez said he still thought of the right-hander, who is in his first season back after Tommy John surgery, as a starter, and they just wanted to do what’s best for Ross as he works his way back.

“It’s hard saying because of his injury but I still really believe he can start. I really do,” Martinez told reporters, as quoted by MASN’s Byron Kerr. “It’d be nice if we could get him a little bit stretched out right now and see where we are at.”

Having seen where they’re at after seven games, in which 17 of 40 runs allowed have come in the eighth inning, the Nationals apparently decided bringing Ross up to help out was the right move.

In order to make room on the roster, the Nationals optioned infielder Adrián Sanchez to Triple-A Fresno.