NEW YORK – The Nationals had grinded out 17 games in 17 days before a well-earned off-day on Monday ahead of their series against the Mets. They entered Citi Field having gone 9-8 during the stretch – a two-week-plus period in which a new coaching staff and front office learned about the team.
“I think there’s always a few games you point back to, like gosh, we should’ve won those,” said first-year president of baseball operations Paul Toboni before Tuesday night’s 8-0 loss to New York. “But on the whole, I think the team really competed during a stretch where we didn’t have any off-days. We had to be pretty aggressive bringing guys up. On the whole, I thought we played fine. But hoping we can continue to push forward here in the coming weeks.”
The stretch began on April 10 with three games in Milwaukee and spanned four games at Pittsburgh, seven home games against the Giants and Braves and a three-game road trip to the White Sox.
The Nationals made roster transactions on nine of those days. Every player involved was a pitcher except for infielder/designated hitter Andrés Chaparro. Orlando Ribalta, Jackson Rutledge, Mitchell Parker, Richard Lovelady, Paxton Schultz, Andrew Alvarez, Julian Fernández, Riley Cornelio and Andre Granillo were on the move, while Cole Henry, Ken Waldichuk and Clayton Beeter were placed on the injured list.
“It’s a tough needle to thread,” Toboni said. “Wanting to make sure over the course of a long season we’re keeping players fresh, while also there are going to be times when you don’t have an off-day in 17 days and we need to use guys.
“And then the other piece is, there’s certain players that have better matchups with certain teams, and we want to take advantage of those matchups as well. We’ll continue to try to be proactive and identify those matchups for our players, so when they go out there, we’re giving them hopefully the highest likelihood of having success.
“I think it’s something we can expect and will continue to do going forward.”
The most notable move was the Major League debut of Nats 2025 Minor League Pitcher of the Year Cornelio. A starter his entire career, Cornelio was tabbed to throw multiple innings out of the bullpen Friday against the White Sox. He allowed three runs (two earned) off two hits and four walks in two frames.
“Riley going through it for the first time, even though it didn’t go how he would’ve liked, knowing that he’ll be back up here probably sooner rather than later, him knowing exactly what he’s stepping into, I think will be a good thing,” said Toboni.
The Nationals also called up starting southpaw Alvarez to pitch out of the ‘pen behind Miles Mikolas on April 19. Alvarez gave the Nats 4 1/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts, a contribution that made a lasting impact.
“Especially during that stretch, I think we were in a spot where on a couple of those days we really needed someone to come up and provide length,” said Toboni. “I think about [Alvarez], when he came up and threw great that day. The bullpen needed a reset, and him coming up and throwing great and allowing us to not only win that game, but allowing the whole ‘pen to get a rest, that was huge.
“It wasn’t immediately recognized, I think, because it took a day or two for us to see rested relievers going out there and performing. But it’s all part of the calculus.”
While relievers were frequent travelers, the Nationals looked for consistency from their starters, including veterans Zack Littell and Mikolas.
In three starts against the Pirates, Giants and White Sox, Mikolas threw 11 innings and allowed five runs. Littell yielded 16 runs (14 earned) in 10 frames against the Giants and Braves.
“Zack specifically, he had a late start to Spring Training,” Toboni said of Littell, who signed with the Nats on March 10. “That factors in. We're going to hang by these guys. Zack has had moments, as has Miles, where he's thrown really darn well. We're going to continue to stand by him.”
Littell was the first to take the mound coming out of the off-day. As the Nats ended their stretch of consecutive games, Littell was hoping to snap his own skid Tuesday. But a steady three innings were quickly erased by a seven-run fourth. He allowed eight runs for his third straight start, though only four were earned.
“It kind of feels like all for nothing,” Littell said.
In the first month of the season, Toboni and the Nationals have experienced the joys of victories and the disappointment of defeat. After a grueling stretch of 17 games, Toboni appreciates what he has seen from each result.
“That was a thing I was unsure of coming in: When we lose a game, is it really going to matter to the players in the clubhouse?” Toboni said. “And that’s been a resounding yes. When you go into the clubhouse after games, it’s like, ‘Dang, we should’ve won that.’ Which is cool. It means they have high standards and expectations, which is a good thing.”