Ramirez has quietly given Nats strong season

ST LOUIS – Had the Nationals hung on to win Wednesday night, instead of watching as Kyle Finnegan blew a four-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, the story of that victory might well have focused on Erasmo Ramirez, who quietly strung together 2 2/3 perfect innings of relief to keep the game close and put his teammates in position to rally in the top of the eighth.

In a way, it’s actually fitting that Ramirez’s performance was lost in the shuffle at night’s end. Because it feels like his entire season has gone under the radar when it has deserved far more attention.

Entering today’s series finale against the Cardinals, Ramirez sports a sparkling 2.84 ERA and 1.082 WHIP. The only major league reliever with at least 70 innings pitched and a lower ERA is the Angels’ Jaime Barria (2.60). Only Barria (0.991) and the Orioles’ Keegan Akin (1.009) own a lower WHIP.

“He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do, and then some,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He’s been a quiet leader in the bullpen, as well. He’s helped out a lot of guys. But he’s a bulldog. He takes the ball every day; if need be, multiple innings. We asked him to start one day, he had no problems with that. So he does whatever we’ve asked him to do, and he’s been great.”

Indeed, Ramirez has pitched in just about every possible scenario he could this season. He was an emergency starter June 13 and July 17 against the Braves, each time churning out three innings before giving way to another reliever. He’s pitched as many as 3 1/3 innings in long relief, then entered to record two outs with runners in base in the seventh inning of a close game. He’s been credited with four wins and three holds, though he has yet to secure a save.

Then there was Wednesday’s performance, in which Ramirez was summoned to replace starter Cory Abbott with one out in the fifth of what was a 1-0 Cardinals lead at the time. He proceeded to retire all eight batters he faced, departing with the score now 1-1 after the Nats rallied to tie in the top of the seventh.

“It’s always exciting,” he said. “Anytime you get the call, you just prepare the best you can for any situation, knowing that you’re the long reliever and no matter what you’ve got to execute the best you can.”

This has actually turned into one of Ramirez’s best seasons in a career that began in 2012 with the Mariners, including an 11-win campaign with the Rays in 2015 and in total has seen the 32-year-old make 267 major league appearances with six different franchises.

The Nationals signed him to a minor league contract just as a delayed spring training was getting underway and offered him a chance to make the opening day roster. He wound up opening the season with five appearances at Triple-A Rochester before making his Nats debut April 21 with a scoreless inning against the Diamondbacks, and he hasn’t looked back since.

“I’m kind of proud of myself, how I’ve been throwing,” Ramirez said. “I don’t know, I’m just happy they gave me the opportunity all over: Starting, short relief, long relief, close the game. I’m just happy I’ve been able to take the tasks and do it.”

Said Martinez: “We took a chance on bringing him to camp. And as you can see, it paid off for us.”