Barraclough believes he needs to trust slider more in big situations

Of course, Nationals right-hander Kyle Barraclough is not thrilled with allowing Justin Turner to hit the game-changing, three-run homer in the eighth inning of Friday night's 4-2 loss to the Dodgers.

Turner hit the homer on Barraclough's 94.7 mph four-seam fastball. Before the game, manager Davey Martinez said Barraclough had been working on his mechanics, specifically his slider, in his time in the minors rehabbing on the injured list.

After giving up that homer, Barraclough said he will now consider throwing his slider more.

"That might be something to look at because I've been working really hard down there getting my breaking ball back to being what it is a couple years ago. I've been really happy with the adjustments I've made and how it's been working down there."

Double-A baseball is different than Major League Baseball. Barraclough said that is part of the adjustment with his slider grip in the bigs.

"It's just a matter of getting it up here with a different ball trying to get it to do all the things that it's doing down there," Barraclough noted. "Obviously the first part of that is throwing it. That's something that talking with (Kurt Suzuki) and Yan (Gomes) about moving forward: maybe mixing up the pitches a little more so those guys can't just sit dead red."

Barraclough also knew that he was very likely going to warm up to face Turner.

"Yeah, they called down and gave me plenty of time and said you have Turner if it gets to him," Barraclough said. "Right after Tony (Sipp) went in, they called down and said just be ready for Turner.

"Obviously got ready and went over the scouting report before the game. I've faced him a couple times in my career so generally I know how to attack him. But then I got to get out there and execute it."

Velocity had been down this season for Barraclough. So when he saw he was hitting 96 mph tonight, he tried to do even more with the fastball. Then on his second pitch to Turner was a wild pitch to the backstop.

"I think it was just trying to reign in the adrenaline because that first pitch I threw was really good and it felt really good," Barraclough recalled. "That's something I hadn't necessarily been feeling down there in terms of the connection between my lower body and upper body. (The pitch) felt good coming out.

"I think sometimes when it feels that way you want to try and throw it harder. You think you can put more on the ball and it's generally when you get those arm-side misses up and in when you try to throw it too hard."

So were you frustrated after the wild pitch? Did that lead to the homer?

"I wouldn't say it was frustration," Barraclough said. "It was more like, OK, take a deep breath and analyze the situation in what you got to do going forward."

So, the result of his first appearance since June 15 was far from what he had envisioned. As a veteran reliever, Barraclough knows he must turn the page. He knows he must remember the progress he was able to make at Double-A Harrisburg.

"I mean you just try and keep moving forward," Barraclough said. "It's the first time I've been in the minor leagues for three years and I feel like I (did) some really positive things."

Barraclough is stoked he is getting his velocity back up. But now he must learn to trust his slider in hitter's counts.

"I haven't been 94-96 mph all year," Barraclough said. "And to come out and just have that in the tank and see that some of the stuff's working, and now it's just a matter of getting into games and (doing it). Even down there that was kind of the problem, I can do it in the bullpen, I can do it at 70-80 percent, but getting into game speed is what's taken a little longer than I would like. It's just a matter of executing now at game speed."