Washington Nationals 6-4 over Texas Rangers for 2 of 3 in Arlington: Jackson Tetreault puts up another solid start...

Tetreault in Texas:

Jackson Tetreault, understandably, dealt with some jitters in his MLB debut against Atlanta in D.C. during the last homestand, but he rebounded the second time out with seven fairly strong innings against Philadelphia. Washington Nationals’ manager Davey Martinez said it was more what he expected to see from Tetreault in start No. 2, as he just went out and got outs after shaking off (and learning from) his rough initial outing, and he said he hoped for more of the same in this afternoon’s outing in Texas.

“Yeah. I mean, I really believe — look, he faced a very tough lineup his last outing, and these guys are the same,” Martinez explained, “... so I just want him to go out there ... go pitch-by-pitch, and control the breathing, and keep his heart rate down if things get a little crazy on him, and just go out there and have fun.”

Tetreault, 26, and a 2017 7th Round pick by the Nationals, took the mound for start No. 3 in the majors this season with a 3-0 lead, and he worked around a leadoff walk and single in a quick, 11-pitch bottom of the first, with a 4-6-3 DP, and a line drive out to right field, helping him out of the early jam.

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It was 6-0 in the Nationals’ favor when Tetreault came back out for the second, and worked around a two-out double in a 21-pitch inning, and a 12-pitch, 1-2-3 third left him at 44 total.

Tetreault worked around a leadoff walk in a 20-pitch fourth, then retired the side in order in the sixth, in a nine-pitch frame which left him at 73 total, with 11 of the previous 12 Rangers’ hitters set down.

A quick, 14-pitch, 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth left Tetreault at 87 pitches overall with nine outs in a row and 14 of the last 15 set down.

Adolis García singled off the Nats’ starter to lead off the Rangers’ seventh, and took third on a double to right-center by Kole Calhoun, and those hits brought manager Davey Martinez out to the mound...

Jackson Tetreault’s Line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 Ks, 99 P, 57 S, 5/4 GO/FO.

Otto Goes In Finale:

A 2017 5th Round pick by the New York Yankees, acquired in the July 2021 trade which sent Joey Gallo, Joely Rodriguez, and cash to the Bronx, Texas Rangers’ right-hander Glenn Otto, 26, debuted in the majors in August of ‘21, and he made eight starts for the club this season, going (4-2) with a 4.24 ERA, a 5.10 FIP, 23 walks, 33 Ks, and a .222/.341/.368 line against over 40 ¹⁄₃ IP, before he landed on the COVID IL earlier this month.

Otto’s 5.13 BB/9 are an issue, obviously.

And the first walk of the game today, which he issued to Juan Soto with one out in the opening frame, came around to score when Josh Bell singled back up the middle, and Nelson Cruz went the other way to bring Soto in from second base for a 1-0 lead.

A sac fly by Yadiel Hernández brought Bell in as well, 2-0, and Lane Thomas lined a 2-1 changeup from Otto off the left field wall on a bounce, 3-0 after a 1/2-inning in Texas.

César Hernández took the third walk of the game from Otto with two out in the top of the second, and Soto dropped a two-out single in fair down the left field line in the next at-bat, though he did not exactly hustle out of the box and had to stop at first. Hernández took third on Soto’s hit, and scored on a two-out double to right by Bell, 4-0.

Soto got over to third base on Bell’s 12th two-base hit of 2022, and both of them scored on a two-out, two-run line drive to right by Cruz, who was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double, 6-0.

Glenn Otto’s Line: 2.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 60 P, 35 S, 0/1 GO/FO.

Bullpen Action:

Rangers’ righty Garrett Richards worked around a two-out single by Luis García in a quick, scoreless third after taking over for the home team.

Richards worked around a two-out walk to Juan Soto and a single by Josh Bell when Nelson Cruz flew out to the warning track in center, just a few feet from a three-run shot... still 6-0 after three and a half.

Luis García tripled (2 for 3) off of Richards with two out in the fifth, but was stranded.

Rangers’ lefty John King walked Juan Soto with two out in the sixth, but stranded him, then he retired the Nationals in order in the seventh to keep it a 6-0 game.

Erasmo Ramírez took over for the Nationals with runners on second and third and no one out in the Rangers’ half of the seventh, and got one out without either runner advancing, before Jonah Heim hit a sac fly to get the home team on the board, 6-1.

Steve Cishek needed just 10 pitches in a scoreless eighth in which he worked around a two-out single by Corey Seager.

Juan Soto took his fourth walk, and reached base for the fifth time in the top of the ninth.

Francisco Pérez got the ball for the Nationals in the ninth, and gave up back-to-back hits to start the inning, with Kole Calhoun doubling and scoring on an RBI single by Nathaniel Lowe, 6-2. Jonah Heim followed with a two-run home run, 6-4. That was it for Pérez. Tanner Rainey came on in a save situation and recorded two outs before a walk to Josh H. Smith, which brought the potential tying run to the plate in the form of Marcus Semien who ... grounded out to second to end it. Ballgame. Final Score: 6-4 Nationals.

Nationals now 27-48