Ferrer makes most of high-leverage opportunity

Jose A. Ferrer had already faced the minimum three batters required of him in the top of the eighth Wednesday night. And now, with two on and Marcell Ozuna stepping to the plate representing the tying run, no one would’ve batted an eyelash had Davey Martinez summoned a right-hander from his bullpen in place of Ferrer.

Martinez instead decided to stick with the 24-year-old left-hander, believing this was an opportunity to see how he handled a big spot against a big hitter.

“That was his moment,” the Nationals manager said. “I told (pitching coach Jim) Hickey: ‘Let him face these guys. We’re going to need him to do that, so let him get used to it.’ And he went through it fine.”

That he did. Ferrer got Ozuna to fly out to right field on a 99 mph fastball. Then he got Matt Olson to tap a grounder back to the mound on a 100 mph fastball to get out of the jam and ultimately help lead the Nats to a 5-1 victory over the Braves.

“It felt great, especially since for this season, based on the way the game was going, that was the toughest inning I’ve pitched this year,” Ferrer said, via interpreter Octavio Martinez. “And to be able to pull a zero out, not give up any runs in that situation, I felt great about it.”

It was indeed a big moment for Ferrer, one the Nationals have been waiting to see. And based on the result, there could be more coming in the short and long term.

In their quest to develop effective and reliable relievers from within their farm system, the Nats have pinned hopes on Ferrer, who signed with the organization way back in 2017 as a Dominican teenager. He debuted last summer to mixed results, finishing with a 5.03 ERA in 39 games, then had his 2024 season thrown a wrench when he suffered a strained teres major muscle in his upper back during spring training.

Ferrer wasn’t finally ready to pitch in the majors until mid-July, and he admittedly needed some time to start feeling comfortable again once returning from the 60-day injured list, charged with eight runs in his first eight appearances.

Since then, Ferrer has been outstanding. He has allowed only one run in his last 15 appearances, striking out 13 while walking only two in the process.

“When I first got here, I had some bad outings,” he said. “And I was able to keep working hard and focus on the strike zone. I think that helped me a lot and gained some confidence.”

With the aforementioned triple-digit fastball, an effective changeup and a still-developing slider, Ferrer has the repertoire to face both left-handed and right-handed hitters. That prompted Martinez to let him stay in Wednesday’s game and go up against Ozuna.

Having had his taste of a high-leverage assignment, Ferrer now looks forward to more to come.

“I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I get,” he said. “First and foremost because in general, you want to finish strong. My mindset is to finish strong all the way through Sept. 29.”

The Nationals, for their part, are glad they stuck it out with Ferrer, giving him time to recover from his injury and now reaping the benefits of that patience.

“I thought when he first got hurt, and they told me what it was, he was going to miss a very long time,” Martinez said. “But he’s a strong kid. He worked really hard to come back. And the best thing is, he didn’t lose any of his velo. Everything’s intact. He’s understanding he has to maintain his strength throughout the season. He does all his work in the training room, and his legs are strong. I’m really happy that he bounced back the way he did.”