Disparate paths meet in LA as Nats hurlers Kent, Sinclair show promise

LOS ANGELES -- The Nationals' 5-3 loss to the Dodgers on Friday night put two distinct sides of the organization’s pitching development on display: a top prospect navigating big league growing pains and a Minor League veteran making his long-awaited debut.

On one end stood Jackson Kent, 23, Washington's No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, learning to trust his stuff against elite hitters in his fifth Major League start.

On the other end was Jack Sinclair, a 27-year-old reliever who spent five years grinding through the system before taking the mound for his Major League debut.

Kent made his fifth start coming off a career-high seven-inning victory over Miami on Aug. 28. Before Friday's contest, manager Blake Butera reflected on what Kent's willingness to go 106 pitches in that start revealed.

"We asked him to go seven innings, over 100 pitches for the first time in his career. He wanted the ball, right?" Butera said.

"I think that was the part that excited me the most and allowed me to understand kind of like who he is when he's tired, when he's out of gas -- to be able to dig deep and want the ball in that situation versus trying to hand it over to the next guy. If you're trying to win games against really good teams, you got to be competitive and you've got to want the ball."

For the first two innings, Kent efficiently attacked the zone and held Los Angeles hitless. Command issues resurfaced in the third, as three walks paved the way for Mookie Betts' RBI single and Teoscar Hernández's two-run double.

Kent would go on to allow four hits and three earned runs over five innings, walking four and striking out four on 87 pitches.

"The first two innings I was getting ahead of guys the entire time. That's what got me through it," Kent said. And then third inning came around, wasn't getting ahead of guys, walked guys and paid the price for it."

After relying on pinpoint control in Double-A and Triple-A, Kent's transition to facing big league hitters is something Butera believes requires a shift in mindset.

"I think one thing when you come up here, you obviously see the guys that we're facing -- Major League hitters that he's watched on TV for a long time," Butera said.

"Maybe he's trying to be a little bit too fine there and not wanting to attack as much. It looked like he's nibbling a little bit against some good hitters. We just need to remind him his stuff plays. When he's living in the zone, teams are more inclined to swing. Establishing his pitches for strikes early in counts allows him to expand."

While Kent represents the Nats' blue-chip pipeline, Sinclair’s road looked entirely different. A 16th-round pick in 2021, he took a longer path toward his big league debut. After reshaping his body and mechanics this past offseason -- pushing his fastball to 99 mph while adding a cutter -- the 27-year-old earned his opportunity.

Over his final eight appearances with Triple-A Rochester, Sinclair posted a 0.87 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 10 1/3 innings to earn his callup on Friday.

"They've all kind of created their own unique paths to get here," Butera said of relievers with extended Minor League stints. "You learn when times are tough, how did you respond versus the guy that maybe had the clear path up here? Each of them has had difficulties along their journey."

With 10 family members in the stands for their first trip to Dodger Stadium, Sinclair pitched a perfect eighth inning in his debut. He battled Max Muncy across 10 pitches before striking him out on an 85.1 mph sweeper, then induced a flyout and a groundout.

Having played alongside Sinclair in the Minors, Kent appreciated seeing his teammate deliver on the big stage.

"Yeah, it was awesome. It was really cool," Kent said. "First guy to strike out ... it was awesome to see. He's a great guy."

"I knew his fastball was good, but to touch 99 -- that was impressive," Butera added.

Trailing 5-0 in the ninth, Washington mounted a late rally. Abimelec Ortiz and Jorbit Vivas drove in runs before James Wood -- activated off the injured list on Wednesday -- laced an RBI double to cut the deficit to 5-3, but the comeback ultimately fell short.

"When you have an extended period of time like he had injured, you worry about the timing," Butera said of Wood.

"But he's done a nice job, especially as he's gotten more at-bats since he's been back, looking comfortable all the time -- especially tonight against some tough lefties."