Heavily used Madson delivers in an emergency for Nats

CINCINNATI - The plan was to give both Brandon Kintzler and Ryan Madson the day off. Both had pitched in Friday's season opener. Both had warmed up in the bullpen during Saturday's nailbiter, even though neither was needed in the game.

But when Sammy Solís failed to retire the first four Reds batters he faced in the bottom of the eighth Sunday evening, and with the bases loaded and nobody out in what had become a three-run game, Nationals manager Davey Martinez thought back to the conversation he had with Madson earlier in the morning.

"I tried to stay away from Kintzler and Madson today, I really did," Martinez said. "But (Madson) told me in an emergency if we need him. And that was kind of an emergency."

Yes, it was. And the job Madson then provided in getting the Nats out of the jam was worthy of a meritorious award from the local fire department.

Facing Cincinnati cleanup hitter Adam Duvall, Madson induced a 5-4-3 double play. One run scored, but now there was only one runner on third and two out. And when he got Scooter Gennett to fly out to right, the inning was over with the Nationals still holding a two-run lead.

"I was definitely looking for a ground ball," Madson said. "A strikeout would have been great, too, but really was just focused on getting an out, getting out of the inning and slowing their momentum down. Ground ball was perfect, exactly what I wanted. And then I just had to get that last out."

It was merely the latest brilliant performance from the 36-year-old reliever since he joined the club last July. Madson has now pitched in 22 games for the Nationals. He has surrendered a run in only two of those games.

And given how much he had thrown the previous two days - including 15 warmup pitches in the bullpen Saturday, enough to get him hot even though he never made it into the game - this was an especially impressive performance.

"Going three in a row out of the chute, it's a lot," he said. "But I think I prepared enough. I didn't feel any negative effects of throwing three days off the mound in the row. I'm just really excited to be a guy that they chose to be in that situation. It feels good to me. I really enjoy that. It just feels good to get it done for the team like that."

Madson most certainly will be off limits to Martinez tonight when the Nationals open a three-game series in Atlanta. He earned a break. Not to mention something extra from his manager.

"I told him I owe him a dinner or something," Martinez said.