WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Sure, a dominant performance would’ve been nicer and may have firmly locked up the fifth starter’s job for Mitchell Parker.
But in some ways, the outing Parker did actually produce tonight might have been more valuable for the Nationals left-hander, who still made his case for the last spot in the Opening Day rotation thanks to his ability not to let a potentially disastrous third inning get out of hand.
“What I like is, he had to pitch in some high leverage situations,” manager Davey Martinez said. “And he was able to make some really good pitches and get out of it, which is just awesome.”
Parker went five innings overall during a 4-1 victory over the Mets, allowing one run on two hits while walking four. He got his pitch count up to 76, only 42 of them strikes.
It was the top of the third, though, that defined his evening. He put four men on base during the frame, three via walk. But he got out of the jam with only one run crossing the plate, and that came via a ground ball to third that still produced an out.
“Definitely not the ideal situation,” he said. “But the outcome can help give us the best chance. Limited the damage, didn’t let it snowball too bad.”
Making this effort all the more impressive, Parker did it against a Mets lineup featuring some big names atop the order: Brandon Nimmo, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso. That trio went a combined 0-for-6 with two walks against him, with Parker twice getting Soto to ground out, one of them for a double play to end his fifth inning.
“It’s always good to get out there and compete against them,” he said. “I’m hopefully going to be facing these guys for a very long time. Being able to get as many reps against them as we can, and figuring out what works best, is ideal.”
It was a workmanlike effort for the 25-year-old, who has positioned himself well to win the fifth starter’s job with eight days left in camp. Over four Grapefruit League games (the last two of them starts), he sports a 3.65 ERA and 1.216 WHIP.
“There’s obviously the little kinks you work out every year in spring training,” he said. “But I think we’re getting them out of the way quick, figuring out what we need to do to get through it. I feel like we’re in a good spot.”
Those numbers stand out compared to his two competitors for the job. DJ Herz has a 6.52 ERA and 1.966 WHIP in four games (three starts) and has been dealing with diminished velocity. Shinnosuke Ogasawara has a 7.56 ERA and 2.520 WHIP in four starts, though the Japanese lefty did look better today throwing 53 pitches over five innings in a minor league game.
“It was good to see both those guys today,” Martinez said of Parker and Ogasawara. “They both threw the ball really well. It was a good day for our pitching staff.”
Martinez hasn’t said when he’ll officially make the decision on his fifth starter, but the signs appear to be pointing more in Parker’s direction of late. He’s currently pitching on a day that actually lines up with the third game of the season (March 30 against the Phillies), which the Nats may see as a better matchup for them over right-handers Michael Soroka and Trevor Williams (who are lined up for the fourth and fifth games.