WASHINGTON – Richard Lovelady’s pitching calendar has been busy this week.
In the span of nine days, the lefty reliever was tabbed as an opener for the first time in his seven-year career, pitched in the seventh inning, earned his second save of the season and then opened a game again.
“[He looks] intense, like tunnel vision, almost,” manager Blake Butera said before the Nationals’ 7-3 loss to the Orioles on Sunday afternoon. “He’s so focused on the task at hand, it feels like all the outside noise is not there for him. He’s just focused on what he's there to do and getting the job done that he's very – it's like he's seeing red almost when he finishes, too. He’s locked in.”
Lovelady is the latest Nats reliever to be utilized by Butera to both start and finish games. He joins fellow southpaw PJ Poulin in the dual role. Lovelady prepares the same way for each outing, whether it is early or late in the game, but there is a difference in approach.
“Late innings are probably more familiar,” Lovelady said. “Early can kind of be tough. The mindset is completely different, as you're a tone-setter. You don't have that added adrenaline being in the game early as you do in late games, so it's definitely tougher.”
Last Saturday, Lovelady opened in Miami. He threw two scoreless innings ahead of Zack Littell.
On Wednesday, he delivered a scoreless frame in Cincinnati.
Two days later, Lovelady earned his second save of the season with a gutsy performance to fend off an Orioles comeback.
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Lovelady opened again on Sunday in the series finale. He pitched the first 1 1/3 frames, then Miles Mikolas followed for the next 5 2/3. Lovelady allowed two runs off two hits, including his first home run since March 31.
“I would say the first time I opened, it was a little bit less attack in the first inning,” Lovelady said. “You could settle in in the second inning in Miami. Today, we were on the attack the whole time. Obviously, two bad pitches got away from me.”
Lovelady is very expressive in late-game situations, particularly when he punches out the final batter. Even though he has had to curb that in early innings, his teammates still sense his intensity.
“It's super fun to watch,” said Mikolas. “I like seeing him in that late inning because he gets so fired up. He pitches with a lot of emotion out there, and it's tougher to have that kind of emotion in the first, second inning. But he’s been a Swiss Army knife coming out of the bullpen. He’s been effective at everything he does.”
Lovelady, 30, has expanded his resume before facing his former team this week for a four-game series. His winding road with the Mets led to the Nationals this season.
In 2026 alone, Lovelady was designated for assignment by the Mets on Jan. 22, claimed off waivers by the Nationals on Jan. 29, DFA’d by Washington on March 10, claimed off waivers by New York on March 14, DFA’d again by the Mets on April 11 and acquired by the Nats for cash on April 16.
Since then, Lovelady has compiled a 1-1 record with a 2.19 ERA and two saves in 12 1/3 innings.
“I know [the Mets] have added a few more left-handers to the roster,” said Lovelady. “So I’m sure there’ll be a lot of opportunities, for sure.”