How Thompson became a strike-throwing machine

Mason Thompson

MINNEAPOLIS – During the final days of the 2022 season, Mason Thompson entered Davey Martinez’s office for the same kind of exit interview everyone on the Nationals roster was given before leaving for the winter.

It was a chance for Thompson to discuss what he felt he did well and what he did not do well in his first full big league season. And, more importantly, it was a chance for Martinez and his staff to tell Thompson what they believed he could do to get better.

The primary message they wanted to get across to the big reliever: Throw strike one, because things get a lot easier for him once he does.

“They broke down my numbers and said: ‘When you get ahead, you’re basically unhittable,’” Thompson recalled Sunday. “That was the main focus this offseason, just pounding the zone. For me, it’s produced a good result.”

That’s putting it mildly. After tossing 2 1/3 innings with one unearned run scoring on his watch and emerging as the winning pitcher in the Nationals’ 10-4 thumping of the Twins, Thompson finds himself the owner of some enviable season stats. His ERA is 1.15. His WHIP is 0.638. He has 13 strikeouts and only one walk.

Nats go quiet at plate again, can't sweep Twins (updated)

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MINNEAPOLIS – The Nationals aren’t going to score 10 runs every day. They know that. They know as much fun as Saturday’s lopsided win over the Twins was, that’s not often going to be their path to victory.

For these Nationals to win, execution in key moments is imperative. If they only provide themselves with a handful of legitimate scoring opportunities each game, they’re going to have to make the most of them and hope their pitching is good enough to make it stand up.

The pitching was good enough this afternoon at Target Field. Patrick Corbin gave up three runs in six innings, a quality start that can only be deemed a success for the long-struggling left-hander. The lineup, however, did not come close to making the most of its few scoring opportunities, in one particular instance giving away outs in spectacular fashion to help make a 3-1 loss to Minnesota possible.

Thus did the Nats fail to do something they haven’t done in nearly two years: sweep a three-game series, last achieved in June 2021 against the Pirates. And they certainly didn’t do something they hadn’t done in nearly four years: sweep a road series, last achieved in August 2019 against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

"The guys played hard, and they played hard today," manager Davey Martinez said. "To come out of here, when these guys have been playing well, and win two out of three with a day off coming up tomorrow, it feels good."

Thomas gets first day off, Meneses back to DH

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MINNEAPOLIS – Two members of the Nationals lineup started each of the season’s first 20 games. Only one of them will have started each of the first 21 games.

Lane Thomas is not playing today’s series finale against the Twins, the right fielder finally getting a chance to rest more than three weeks after Opening Day.

“Just felt like giving him a day off today,” manager Davey Martinez said. “I’ve been wanting to give him a day off, so I thought today would be a good day for him.”

Thomas has been perhaps the team’s most consistent hitter so far, though he has cooled off in recent days. Owner of a .323 batting average through the first 16 games, he’s gone two for his last 17 with seven strikeouts, including three during Saturday’s 10-4 win at Target Field.

The 27-year-old talked this spring about his desire to get off to a strong start, recognizing how streaky he was last season. He’s been pleased with the way he’s put together quality at-bats for the most part this month.

Game 21 lineups: Nats at Twins

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MINNEAPOLIS – Do you remember the last time the Nationals swept a three-game series? Here are some hints: 1) Kyle Schwarber was their leadoff hitter, 2) Ryan Zimmerman was a pinch-hitter, 3) Brad Hand got the save. If you said June 16, 2021, when the Nats beat the Pirates to complete a three-game sweep in D.C., congratulations!

Yes, it’s been a long time, and a lot of things have changed around here. But today, these Nationals have an opportunity to finally accomplish that feat again if they can beat the Twins for the third straight day.

To do that, they’re going to need to keep their bats hot after Saturday’s 10-run explosion. The weather’s a little bit warmer today, if that helps at all. They’re facing another relatively unknown pitcher in Bailey Ober, a 27-year-old right-hander who was squeezed out of the Twins’ Opening Day rotation but was just called up from Triple-A St. Paul to make a spot start. He pitched well in the minors, and he’s got solid big league numbers as well (3.82 ERA, 1.146 WHIP in 31 career starts), but the Nats have never seen him before.

The Nationals also need Patrick Corbin to give them a chance, something that has too often proved too difficult a challenge for the left-hander. Corbin was better in his last start, though, holding the Guardians to two earned runs (four overall) in six innings, all of the damage coming in one inning. He’s had a full week of rest, so that could help as well.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MINNESOTA TWINS
Where: Target Field
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 42 degrees, wind 9 mph out to right field

Nats stay hot in the cold, beat Twins for first series win (updated)

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MINNEAPOLIS – As the mercury dropped to 35 degrees – remarkably 2 degrees colder than it was Friday night for what temporarily stood as the coldest game in club history – the Nationals bundled up in long sleeves, gloves, hoodies, balaclavas, anything they could find to protect themselves from the elements and took the field this afternoon in search of the kind of offense that has eluded them throughout the season’s first 20 games.

And then a funny thing happened. They scored two runs in the top of the first. Then two more in the top of the second. And they just kept going and going until they walked out of Target Field with a resounding 10-4 victory over the Twins and their stunned (and well-compensated) ace.

Who cares what the thermometer read. The Nationals inexplicably have been at their best this month the colder it’s been. Their best offensive display to date had come in Colorado, which of course also has the added benefit of thin air. Now they’ve won two games in a row in Minnesota despite the ever-present threat of snow flurries, and in the process secured their first series victory of the young season. On Sunday, they'll attempt to complete their first three-game sweep since June 2021.

"If we keep playing like this," manager Davey Martinez said, "I hope it's 20 degrees for the next four months."

That probably won't be happening without a massive shift in global warming trends, so eventually the Nationals will have to learn how to hit on a hot day. But for now, it's been a winning formula, Friday night via a late rally to eke out a 3-2 win. Today’s came far more comfortably, with offensive fireworks both early and late, and contributors up and down the lineup.

Meneses gets chance to play first base, Ruiz gets chance to sit

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MINNEAPOLIS – The role of designated hitter can be tougher than it sounds, especially for someone who has spent most of his career playing a position in the field but then finds himself only batting four times a game and watching the rest of the game from the dugout.

It’s admittedly been an adjustment for Joey Meneses through the first month of this season. Having played either first base or the outfield most of his professional life, the 30-year-old has become the Nationals’ everyday DH.

Perhaps that has something to do with Meneses’ slow start at the plate. He enters this afternoon’s game against the Twins batting .227/.266/.333 through his first 18 games, and he just finally hit his first home run Friday night.

“He’s trying to develop a routine DHing,” manager Davey Martinez said. “It’s tough when you’re DHing every day to find a routine, when you’ve never done it before.”

With that in mind, Martinez decided to have Meneses and Dominic Smith switch roles this afternoon. Though Smith is the superior defensive player, he’ll serve as DH and give Meneses a chance to play first base and keep himself more engaged in the game.

Game 20 lineups: Nats at Twins

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MINNEAPOLIS – After playing (and winning) the coldest game in club history Friday night, the Nationals are back at it this afternoon for what might even be a colder game despite the earlier start time. Temperatures again are in the 30s, and the wind has picked up, making it feel even colder. Gotta love it.

The Nats’ bats finally got hot just in time Friday night to pull out a 3-2 win. They’ll be facing a tougher pitcher today in Pablo López, who just signed a four-year, $73.5 million extension with the Twins. The 27-year-old right-hander has a 1.73 ERA, 0.808 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 26 innings so far this season, so he certainly earned that contract. The Nationals do know him from his five seasons with the Marlins and faced him three times last year, scoring five runs on 10 hits over 15 1/3 innings.

Chad Kuhl gets the ball for his fourth start of the season, and he’s going to need to be better than he has been in his first three outings if he wants to avoid speculation about losing his place in the rotation. Kuhl has allowed four or more earned runs each time out, and he has yet to record an out in the sixth inning. He’ll be challenged to keep Minnesota’s potent lineup in the park this afternoon, especially with the wind blowing out to right.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MINNESOTA TWINS
Where: Target Field
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Cloudy, 37 degrees, wind 16 mph out to right field

NATIONALS
LF Alex Call
3B Jeimer Candelario
1B Joey Meneses
2B Luis García
RF Lane Thomas
DH Dominic Smith
C Riley Adams
SS CJ Abrams
CF Victor Robles

Nats break through with late rally for chilly win over Twins (updated)

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MINNEAPOLIS - Combine the coldest lineup in the majors with the coldest gametime temperature in club history, and it could not have taken anyone by surprise to see nothing but zeroes on the scoreboard for six innings tonight at Target Field.

Did you really expect these Nationals to get hot on a 37-degree April night in the Great White North?

Well, actually, yeah. It just took a while to finally happen.

But once it did, once Joey Meneses launched his first homer of the season in the seventh, and once Lane Thomas and Keibert Ruiz delivered back-to-back two-out RBI singles in the eighth, everything was OK again for the Nationals, who exchanged high-fives and handshakes on the field and then quickly bolted for the heated clubhouse to further celebrate a much-needed, 3-2 victory over the Twins.

"We were huddled under our one little heater we've got out there (in the bullpen)," closer Kyle Finnegan said. "Taking the lead there definitely gets us going. You start moving around, get the juices flowing a little bit. It's exciting. Take the lead late in a game and then shut it down to get the win? You've got to enjoy a win like that."

Workhorse Ruiz bumped up to No. 2 spot in lineup

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MINNEAPOLIS – Trying to find some kind of spark for a lineup that has been shut out its last two games, Davey Martinez has moved Keibert Ruiz up to the No. 2 spot for tonight’s series opener against the Twins.

Ruiz had mostly been batting fifth or sixth this season, with two other games in the cleanup spot. He’s been one of the team’s few productive hitters in recent days, with a pair of three-hit games during the Nationals’ last homestand to raise his batting average 40 points to .262.

Martinez had tried to stick with Dominic Smith in the 2-spot, but the first baseman has looked lost at times at the plate, has zero extra-base hits so far this season and sports a weak .550 OPS. Smith was moved down to the No. 6 position tonight, the lowest he’s batted so far this year.

“We really need to get Dom going. He’s a big part of our offense,” Martinez said. “I just dropped him down a little bit. Keibert’s swinging the bat well. I talked to him today and not changing anything. Just continue to put the bat on the ball. He’s done well, so we’ll give him an opportunity to bat second today and see how it goes.”

Though he hasn’t hit for much power either, with one double in his last seven games, Ruiz has been hitting the ball with more authority, going 9 for his last 24. Even more impressive, he hasn’t struck out during this stretch.

Game 19 lineups: Nats at Twins

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MINNEAPOLIS – Hello from one of the Twin Cities, where there was white stuff falling from the sky just a few minutes ago. Outdoor April baseball in Minnesota: It’s a beautiful thing!

The Nationals come to Target Field for only the second time in their history, the previous visit back in September 2019, when things were just a little bit different. They’ll try to get their bats going this weekend, despite the cold here, with a tweak to their lineup: Keibert Ruiz has been moved up to the No. 2 spot, with Dominic Smith moved down to the No. 6 spot. Davey Martinez has been trying to take pressure off his young guys and let them hit down in the lineup, but at this point he really has little choice but to see how Ruiz handles a prominent position in the order.

Pretty much everything else remains status quo, with Stone Garrett again starting in left field in place of Alex Call, who will come off the bench for the series opener against Twins right-hander Tyler Mahle.

Trevor Williams gets the ball for the Nats, and he’s been solid through his first three starts, entering tonight’s game with a 3.52 ERA and 1.174 WHIP. The right-hander hasn’t completed six innings yet, but that’s not all that important with him, given his history as a swingman who may be best-suited to a maximum of five innings per start anyway.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MINNESOTA TWINS
Where: Target Field
Gametime: 8:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of snow (seriously), 39 degrees, wind 12 mph out to right field

White finding room on Nats farm at first base

TJ White Wilmington

WILMINGTON, Del. – The Nationals farm system is stacked with elite prospect talent almost two years removed from the organization’s decision to rebuild.

Trading stars such as Max Scherzer and Trea Turner netted top prospects Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz, who are now a part of the young core leading the major league club. Last summer’s trade of Juan Soto and Josh Bell also brought the Nationals in return MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams at the big league level, while Robert Hassell III, James Wood and Jarlin Susana instantly became some of the franchise’s top prospects.

Three straight last-place finishes in the National League East gave the Nats top draft selections in Brady House and Elijah Green, with the No. 2 overall pick coming later this summer.

And of course, the Nats continue to have success signing top talent on the international market, including one of the top prospects of the 2021 class in Cristhian Vaquero, and another highly ranked prospect in Jeremy De La Rosa.

If you count them up, that’s at least five outfielders the Nationals have as top prospects in hopes of some combination of them manning the three spots in Washington on the next competitive team.

Thursday morning Nats Q&A

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It was a frustrating couple of days for the Nationals, who were swept by the Orioles without scoring a run in either game of their first Battle of the Beltways matchup of the season. And yet, there were still signs of encouragement, most notably in the form of Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore. But about that lineup ... yikes.

In a strange bit of scheduling, the Nats were off Monday, are off again today and will be off again next Monday in between road series at the Twins and Mets. So let's take this opportunity to delve into the topics of your choosing.

If you've got something about the Nationals you'd like to ask, submit it in the comments section below. Then check back throughout the morning for my responses ...

Quality start for Gore, but another shutout loss for Nats (updated)

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If this season is going to be about the development of young pitchers above all else, there are probably going to be more nights like this. Nights when the Nationals’ inept lineup can’t generate any semblance of consistent production, leading to a loss despite a quality effort by the club’s pitching staff.

Add tonight’s 4-0 loss to the Orioles to the growing list. Shut out for the second straight night by a Baltimore pitching staff that didn’t exactly come to town with a sparkling resume, the Nats never really felt like they were in it. They went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, dropped their second straight to their interleague rivals and fell to 5-13 overall.

"We're in a funk as a team," manager Davey Martinez said. "Just can't drive in that run. We out-hit them today. We just can't get that one big run across the board there."

The silver lining, then, was provided by MacKenzie Gore, who was far from outstanding in his fourth start of the season yet still showed the flashes of dominance that make the Nationals hope they’ve found their No. 1 starter.

Gore allowed three runs in six innings, all of them coming in the third and fourth. Before and after, he allowed only one batter to reach, striking out seven and departing with a 3.43 ERA and more strikeouts (25) than innings pitched (21) for the season.

No rotation changes for Nats while young starters get extra rest

Josiah gray blue jerseys

Among the top priorities for Nationals’ player development at the major league level this year is the production of the young arms in the starting rotation: Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore.

In that category, they are off to a great start. Despite being 0-4, thanks in large part to the lack of run support, Gray has a 3.74 ERA over his first four starts, including five-plus innings on one-run ball against the Orioles last night. He has only allowed one home run since surrendering three on Opening Day against the Braves.

Meanwhile, Gore is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts over his first three starts ahead of tonight’s outing against Baltimore.

But right up there with the organization’s list of goals is also keeping these two young arms fresh to pitch throughout the course of the season.

Gray more than doubled his previous season high in innings pitched last year by throwing 148 ⅔ frames. He started to fade near the end of the campaign, so the team shut him down in the last week of September.

With Robles sitting, Call gets nod in center over Thomas

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Victor Robles is getting his first day off of the season tonight, which isn’t all that newsworthy on its own merits. The player who will take over in center field in Robles’ absence, though, is somewhat surprising: Alex Call.

Call is getting the nod in center for tonight’s game against the Orioles instead of Lane Thomas, who will remain in right field as he has been for each of the Nats’ first 17 games this season.

The reason: Manager Davey Martinez didn’t want to move Thomas out of his regular position for just one day, given how well he has played there since Opening Day.

“I could’ve swapped everyone around,” Martinez said. “But I thought the best thing to do was leave Lane where he’s comfortable, put Call in center and leave Stone Garrett where he’s comfortable.”

Garrett is in left field for the third straight game, the only outfield position he has played so far this season in the majors.

Nats looking at O's rebuild blueprint

Mike Rizzo

The Battle of the Beltways is one of the most unique rivalries in sports.

Between 1972 and 2004, there was not a Major League Baseball team in Washington, D.C. The Orioles arrived in Baltimore in 1954. That created a couple of generations of Washington baseball fans growing up rooting for the Baltimore team.

When the Nationals arrived ahead of the 2005 season, the latest edition of the Washington baseball club started slowly, but surely, regaining its fan base in the region. But there are still plenty of fans that remained loyal to the Orioles. And with the two teams less than 40 miles apart, it has created lively atmosphere whenever the regional rivalry is renewed.

“It's kind of fun,” Nationals manager Davey Martinez said ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Orioles. “They're just around the block really. So it is fun, but for me and for the coaching staff and the players, it's business as usual. We're playing an opponent. We try to go 1-0 today. We know that they're close by. A victory would be awesome today, no matter who it is, but it is kind of fun. Plus, a good friend of mine over there is the manager as well. So I can't wait to see him and talk to him and see what's going on over there. But it'll be a lot of fun tonight.”

Martinez is of course referring to Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, who was with him on Joe Maddon’s coaching staff with the Cubs from 2015-17. When Martinez was hired as the head man of the Nationals before the 2018 season, Hyde took over as Maddon’s bench coach before being hired by the Orioles ahead of the 2019 season.

Orioles lineup vs. Nationals in D.C. (updated)

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The Orioles posted their lineup for tonight’s series opener against the Nationals in D.C. and didn’t announce a roster move.

Ramón Urías left Chicago in concussion protocol after being hit in the head Saturday. His condition had improved the following day, and manager Brandon Hyde will provide another update later today to the assembled media.

Ryan O’Hearn is batting ninth and playing first base in another new lineup from Hyde. Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter.

Adam Frazier moves up to fifth in the order. Gunnar Henderson is playing third base and batting seventh.

Dean Kremer is making his fourth start tonight. He’s allowed 13 runs and 16 hits with six walks in 12 1/3 innings. He’s also surrendered five home runs.

Thompson set up for multiple innings with reintroduced curveball

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The Nationals have been looking to get reliever Mason Thompson stretched out to cover multiple innings out of the bullpen since late last summer. The right-hander, who was acquired in the 2021 trade for Daniel Hudson with the Padres, has previous experience as a starter that can translate to a long-relief role.

Between 2016-19 in San Diego’s farm system, Thompson started all but four of his appearances. He made 20 starts out of 22 games for Single-A Fort Wayne in 2018, pitching to a 4.94 ERA, 1.419 WHIP and 9.4 strikeout-per-nine-innings rate.

After the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the 2020 minor league season, Thompson came back in 2021 as a full-time reliever. He went 3-2 with seven saves, a 5.74 ERA, 1.238 WHIP, 8.1 K/9 and 3.00 strikeout-to-walk rate in 23 appearances with Triple-A El Paso. He only allowed one run on four hits in three innings of relief with the Padres.

Later that summer, he was traded to Washington, where he appeared 27 times out of the bullpen. Last year, he went back and forth between the Nationals and Triple-A Rochester, while only starting to go more than three outs in September.

Now the Nats are looking to continue that stretch as a multi-inning arm this season.

Bullpen can't back up solid Williams start in loss to Guardians (updated)

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Carl Edwards Jr. has been one of the strongest relievers the Nationals have had over the past year. After signing a minor league deal and making the major league roster last May, the right-hander gave up three runs in his Nats debut and vowed he would be better.

He would go on to pitch to a 2.76 ERA over 57 games in 2022 and return this year as one of the back-end bullpen arms. He began the night allowing only one run in six innings.

But Edwards had one of those rough outings, leading to a 4-3 loss at the hands of the Guardians in front of an announced crowd of 21,367 at Nationals Park.

Edwards entered a 3-2 game with two outs in the seventh and the bases loaded. It only took Edwards five pitches to walk in the tying run. He then got a popup to finally end the frame.

Back out for the eighth, he looked all out of sorts. He couldn’t handle an easy comebacker and thus allowed the leadoff runner to reach first before former teammate Josh Bell hit a double to the same spot he had homered to the inning prior. Edwards then surrendered the go-ahead RBI via a groundout, and although the run was unearned, it was made possible by his own fielding error.

Updates on Dickerson, Doolittle, Kieboom and more

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The start of a new series brings the latest injury updates from Nationals manager Davey Martinez.

It’s a new habit he’s starting this season. It’s helpful for him so he doesn’t get caught off-guard when we ask about a hurt player. It’s helpful for us so we don’t forget about a player to ask about.

Corey Dickerson, Sean Doolittle and Carter Kieboom are the headliners, with each making some steps forward in their respective rehabs.

Dickerson, now eligible to come off the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain, is able to do basic baseball activities including hitting and throwing. It’s just running that still is an issue.

“The soreness is diminishing. He's hitting, he's throwing,” Martinez said of Dickerson. “The next step is to get him on the field and start doing some agility stuff and then get him to run. Once he builds to that, the agility stuff is going to be the key. Once he can do that and do it well with no pain, he can start running. So hopefully we get him back.”