Crews brushes off rough day, Ruiz moves up to cleanup, López available out of 'pen

Dylan Crews may be young, but he’s played baseball at a high level long enough to know how not to make a big deal out of one bad game, especially one this early in the season.

“It’s the second game,” the Nationals rookie said. “There’s a whole lot of games left. We’re just going to keep stacking these days, put it in the past and keep looking forward.”

Crews’ second game of the season, though, was about as bad as they get at the plate. He opened Saturday’s ballgame against the Phillies with a brilliant play in right field. But he then proceeded to go 0-for-5 with five strikeouts, the at-bats progressively getting worse as the afternoon progressed.

Crews was caught looking in each of his first two at-bats, with plenty of credit going to Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo, who painted the corner with a 98 mph fastball in the bottom of the first and then a slider in the bottom of the third. His subsequent three at-bats, though, each lasted only three pitches, the first against Luzardo, the latter two against relievers who exploited his overaggressive approach and got him swinging.

“They’re pounding him a lot with fastballs in, and a lot of sliders down and away,” manager Davey Martinez said. “Yesterday, Luzardo got him to think in and then went hard away. Some of those pitches – I looked at them last night – are tough to hit. They were right on the line.”

Crews’ 31-game debut late last season offered up glimpses of the elite prospect that made him the second-overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. It also exposed a weakness against breaking balls, one Crews worked vehemently to correct this spring and was pleased with the results he saw in Florida.

Has he noticed any different approach from opposing pitchers so far this year?

“Not at all,” he said. “We get scouting reports just like they do. They know how to pitch us. We know how to attack them. Some days, it’s their day. Some days, it’s our day. No matter if it’s good or bad, we have to put it in the past and move forward.”

Martinez made a point to talk with Crews after Saturday’s game, offering the 23-year-old some words of encouragement.

“You’re going to have 600 more plate appearances,” the manager told his young outfielder. “We’ve all been there. Just keep battling. …

“I love his energy. I love the way he goes and plays the game. He’ll be fine.”

* Three games into the season, the Nationals are trying out a new cleanup hitter.

With Josh Bell already 0-for-8 – including 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position – Martinez decided to move his designated hitter down to the 6-spot and move the hot-hitting Keibert Ruiz up to the 4-spot.

Ruiz has been on fire in the opening series, going 4-for-7 with a double and two homers (one from each side of the plate). The idea entering the season was to take some pressure off the catcher and bat him down in the order, but his performance to date (coupled with the early struggles of others) prompted Martinez to move him into a prime position for today’s series finale.

“The biggest thing is his swing decisions,” Martinez said of Ruiz’s strong showing through two games. “But also, staying in on his legs, not collapsing. He’s staying above the baseball a lot better so far this year. That’s the combination of getting ready to hit strikes. The key for him is to get the ball in the strike zone.”

Ruiz, notably, has started all three games of the opening series, the Nationals again prepping their No. 1 catcher to take fewer games off than the average starter at his high-demand position. Martinez did send backup Riley Adams up to pinch-hit for him in the eighth inning Saturday, once the game had become lopsided, giving Ruiz a little break before returning to catch this afternoon.

* Jorge López is available to pitch today after spending the last two days feeling ill, a potential boost to a Nats bullpen that desperately needs one.

López warmed up at one point on Opening Day but said he didn’t feel well and never entered the game. He received IV fluids before Saturday’s game and was held out altogether, with Lucas Sims and Colin Poche instead making their second straight appearances and struggling in the process.

The veteran right-hander was in better spirits this morning, walking around the clubhouse and talking with teammates. He’ll be available for the late innings, ideally pairing up with Jose A. Ferrer to set up closer Kyle Finnegan if the game is close.