Matt Williams on Joe Ross: "For such a young pitcher, he's not rattled"

PITTSBURGH - Rookie right-hander Joe Ross delivered another impressive effort in yesterday's 3-1 loss to Pirates. Pittsburgh scored twice in the third on three hits plus a costly error and added a solo homer in the fourth, but that was all the offense Ross allowed in his fifth big league start.

"I thought he threw really well," fellow rookie Michael A. Taylor said. "His stuff looked good. His slider was working. We just couldn't pull it out for him. I think he's done great. He's shown great composure. His stuff is really good. He's come up big in some tough spots."

Neil Walker's home run off Ross in the fourth was the first the 22-year-old has surrendered in the majors. Ross has walked only three in his five outings while striking out 34 with a 3.03 ERA.

"For such a young pitcher, he's not rattled," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "Regardless of the situation and who he is facing, it doesn't matter. And he's been effective. He's given us an opportunity to keep us in games and allow us to stay ahead or come back. He hasn't let it get out of hand, which is great. He just continues to pitch well."

Williams opted to go to his bullpen after the sixth inning yesterday despite Ross throwing only 78 pitches. The Nationals have Ross on an innings limit as he continues to develop. He threw 122 1/3 innings in 2013 in the minors and peaked at 121 2/3 innings last season on the farm in the Padres organization. In his 14 starts in the minors and five in the majors this year, Ross has combined to throw 108 2/3 frames.

"The managed innings are a function of his total, not taking him too deep into the season and pushing him from 120 to 185," Williams said Saturday. "That's not fair to him. And we want to look out for his health, too."

Ross is scheduled to make his next start on Saturday at Citi Field where he could face a rematch with Mets ace Jacob deGrom.

The Nationals have an off-day in Miami today before beginning a three-game set with the Marlins. Here is how the starters line up:

Tuesday: Jordan Zimmermann vs. Jose Fernandez
Wednesday: Doug Fister vs.Tom Koehler|
Thursday: Max Scherzer vs. Dan Haren