Martinez still focused on wins, supports coaching staff

For his team's final home game of the season, and then final road series of the season, Davey Martinez doesn't envision doing anything in a different manner than he's done it all year long. In other words, the games themselves will take precedence over individual moments the rookie manager might otherwise try to create for his most popular players.

Bryce Harper is, of course, in the lineup batting third and playing right field. And though this could be his final game at Nationals Park as a member of the home team, he may not get pulled early for the sake of creating a curtain call of sorts from the crowd.

"We'll play it out," Martinez said. "We want to win the game. It's our last game at home, and we want to win this last game here. So we'll see how this plays out."

The Nationals, who need to win at least two of their final four games to ensure a seventh consecutive winning season, are facing a Marlins club today that has nothing at stake. This weekend's series at Coors Field, however, should have major implications for the Rockies, who enter the day 1/2-game behind the Dodgers in the National League West.

"We're going to go out today and try to win and move on to Colorado," Martinez said. "Those are some big games over there. They're playing for something. I want us all to go there, they all want to play. They all want to do something special."

Martinez's first season as a big league manager won't end as he hoped it would, but he continues to point to positive developments from the last six months and expresses an eagerness to return next spring with a roster he expects will be healthier and improved.

General manager Mike Rizzo and other club officials have given no indication Martinez's job is in jeopardy. He still has two years remaining on his contract, and he has received praise from the vast majority of the clubhouse even during rough patches of the season.

Asked what he's learned this year, Martinez (who turns 54 today) laughed and replied: "Honestly, I learned I have a lot more patience than I thought I'd have."

"It's been trying at times, but it's been a lot of fun," he continued. "It really has. I got to understand individual players in different moments, and then being around and going through difficult times. And injuries. I got to understand injuries a lot more this day and age. I'm looking forward to finishing out the season, and honestly looking forward to 2019. Because of what I've seen ... people forget, if we didn't have these injuries, we wouldn't have seen Juan Soto until September. I'm looking forward to in 2019 having him here for a full year, and some of our young guys who are going to be here for a full year and the players we're probably going to add. I'm looking forward to the 2019 season."

Martinez also gave a vote of confidence to his coaching staff, most of whom had never worked together prior to this year but - the manager believes - came together well and is ending the season better than it entered it.

"Oh, no doubt," he said. "From the beginning we kind of meshed and blended really well, and it was all about communication. I've always had meetings with them and always asked how we can make things better, and what do they see. ... I couldn't have gone through this by myself, and having these guys by me has been awesome. I respect all of them. They've all done a great job, and I look forward to working with them for many, many years."