Martinez still searching for right bullpen matchups

Bullpens are an ever-evolving beast, even in good times. Few relievers hold a single role from Opening Day through Game 162, aside from a handful of the most established closers in the sport.

This has already proven the case for the Nationals, who only a few weeks ago seemed to have established a bullpen hierarchy but have since been forced to mix and match on a nightly basis while manager Davey Martinez tries to find the right combination late in close games.

“Honestly, it’s basically right now the matchups we’re looking at more than anything,” Martinez said this afternoon, prior to the Nats’ game against the Mets.

It wasn’t like that not long ago. Martinez had pretty much stuck with a plan that included Mason Thompson setting up Hunter Harvey for the eighth inning and setting up Kyle Finnegan for the ninth inning. But Thompson, after a dominant April, has hit a rough spot since, getting scored upon in four of his last five appearances. Finnegan, meanwhile, hasn’t enjoyed a clean inning since April 27, and he hasn’t pitched at all since blowing a save exactly one week ago in Arizona.

Add in some recent struggles from Carl Edwards Jr., who took the loss Friday night in relief of MacKenzie Gore, and what looked like a real club strength a few weeks ago now looks far less stable.

Martinez sees a common theme in relievers’ struggles.

“We’re getting to a little situation where we’re starting to walk a lot of guys, to create some havoc,” the manager said. “We need to address that. I know (pitching coach Jim Hickey and bullpen coach Ricky Bones) are going to talk about it today. Just continue to throw strikes. But up to this point, they’ve done well. I know Harvey and Finnegan, we tried to give them some rest. They’re both fresh, ready to go.”

Finnegan hasn’t appeared in a game since retiring only one of six batters faced last Saturday night against the Diamondbacks, spoiling his teammates’ dramatic, five-run rally in the top of the ninth. Harvey was used for the save the following afternoon, then sat for four days before coming back to pitch the top of the ninth down a run Friday against the Mets.

Seeking some help from an experienced arm, Martinez has tried Edwards several times in high-leverage spots recently, but the results haven’t been especially good. The 31-year-old right-hander hasn’t had a clean inning since April 22, and though he maintains a 2.40 ERA, his WHIP is an elevated 1.400, and he has allowed 5-of-11 inherited runners to score.

Two of those inherited runners to cross the plate came Friday night, via a three-run single Edwards surrendered to Francisco Lindor after walking Brandon Nimmo to load the bases.

“He was frustrated yesterday, and it wasn’t because he gave up the hit,” Martinez said. “It was because of the walk (to Nimmo) and the fact he got to 3-2 (against Lindor). He could’ve probably put Lindor away, which isn’t an easy thing to ask. But he felt like if he stayed ahead, he could’ve done that.”

Martinez has talked about wanting to entrust more situations of consequence to Hobie Harris and Thaddeus Ward, but both rookies are walking more than seven batters per nine innings. That leaves just Andrés Machado and Erasmo Ramírez, right-handers who typically have been used more in multi-inning roles earlier in games but might now need to be tapped for higher-leverage spots late.

No matter who gets the ball in what situation, the key to reversing this trend can be fairly simple. Even if achieving it isn’t easier said than done.

“Just like any hitter that goes in a funk, pitchers go in funks, too,” Martinez said. “We really try to correct it, and I think they try to be too fine at times. We’re playing good defense. Your job is to throw strikes. Let your defense play behind you.”