WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It was a two-out walk in the first inning on Feb. 26. Not that big a deal, right?
For DJ Herz, it was a big deal. Not because the result of today’s exhibition game – a 3-0 loss to the Astros – was important. But because he knows two-out walks are among his biggest bugaboos, something the young left-hander is really trying to focus on correcting this year.
“Obviously, we don’t want to do the two-out walks,” Herz said. “A lot of weird stuff happens when that happens.”
What happened after this two-out walk of Isaac Paredes? A two-run homer by Yainer Diaz. Then back-to-back singles. And suddenly, what could’ve been a quick, 1-2-3 top of the first turned into a laborious 24-pitch frame.
So, even though the game didn’t count, is the two-out walk in spring training that important?
“Yes, it really is,” manager Davey Martinez said. “Only because we instill in them that when you get to two outs, get that third out. Don’t let things unravel when you get to two outs, especially like that. Now, if the guy hits the ball, he hits the ball. But to give him a free pass … and then what happened after that was a home run.
“That’s what he’s thinking about, but it all stems to the walk. He doesn’t walk that guy, we’re out of the inning, and it’s nothing-nothing.”
These are the kinds of things Herz is working on this spring, as the promising 24-year-old tries to take the good things he did as a rookie and eliminate as many of the bad things he did as possible. The Nationals know he’s got the stuff to dominate big league hitters; some of the team’s best starts of 2024 came from his left arm.
But Herz, who finished with a 4.16 ERA and 1.263 WHIP in 19 starts, knows he needs to find a level of consistency that will allow him to be effective over an entire season.
He took the first step in that direction today, coming back from the long first inning to record two outs in the second and depart with 32 pitches in total (20 of them strikes). He’ll be back at it in five days, emphasizing the little things again and hoping by the end of spring he’s made his case for one of the last spots in the Opening Day rotation.
“This time was just about getting out of here healthy,” Herz said. “That’s like the biggest win at the start of your season, just get out of here healthy, as long as we’re ramped up to start the season. But next time, let’s not do two-out walks.”
* The Nationals did very little at the plate in this shutout loss, their first of the spring. They totaled eight hits, one of them an Andrés Chaparro double, the rest of them singles.
They did, however, make some eye-opening plays in the field.
Most notable was a diving catch by Stone Garrett in the top of the third. The right fielder had to run a long way to get to Diaz’s sinking fly ball and then make the sprawling catch right along the line. It was a fine play by any outfielder. It was especially fine given the fact Garrett was physically unable to make such a play one year ago as he recovered from his broken leg and torn ankle ligaments.
“Very good,” Martinez said. “He’s a lot better this spring than he was last spring, obviously. He looks like he’s moving around pretty good. … He definitely looked like he was running the way he should be running.”
Trey Lipscomb also made a leaping catch of a line drive at shortstop. And Brady House made a nifty backhand play of a grounder down the third base line, firing all the way across the diamond for the out.
* Orlando Ribalta replaced Herz in the top of the second and got out of the inning by striking out Cooper Hummel. The 6-foot-8 reliever then returned for the top of the third and retired the side, getting the aforementioned play by Garrett in right while also striking out Paredes and Jon Singleton.
All told, Ribalta has now faced seven batters this spring and retired them all, four via strikeout.
“He’s been really good,” Martinez said. “Here’s another guy that doesn’t understand how effective he can be. Everything that he does really plays. He’s got a good (vertical rise) on his fastball. He’s got a good two-seamer. His changeup is really, really good. The thing is attacking the strike zone with him, and he’s been doing that so far.”