Martinez on Rendon, Voth, Zimmerman and Venters (Nats lose 7-5)

DETROIT - Nationals manager Davey Martinez said one reason they decided to give right-hander Austin Voth another shot to start today was how he went after hitters last Sunday in the six innings of work against the Braves.

"For me it was his aggressiveness," Martinez said. "Pounding the strike zone. Utilizing all of his pitches and throwing them for strikes. He was really good, really efficient. We thought that warranted another start for him here."

Voth was able to get his fastball to 95-96 mph after averaging 93 mph at Triple-A Fresno.

"It was his location," Martinez said. "He made good pitches: in, out. He worked all four quadrants of the plate and he pitched well."

Martinez noted Voth has built up his body and arm strength, but also his mechanics are smoother than what they saw from him in the past.

"He gained 10 pounds of muscle and strength," Martinez noted. "But for him it was more his fluidity and his mechanics and his mechanics has been really good. That's something that he has worked on a lot. He went down and started in the minors and worked on that and worked on throwing all his pitches for strikes. His last outing was really good so we hope that he repeats that today."

* Veteran relievers Fernando Rodney and Jonny Venters both joined the Nationals earlier this week in Miami. Rodney has already made two appearances, but Venters has yet to make his Nats debut. Martinez is almost assured that will change today.

"He needs to get in there. He needs to pitch," Martinez said. "Looking for situations to get him in. I talked to him before. When he's really good he can get lefties and righties out. The issue is we got to try to get him in there."

* There was some question whether Martinez would go to Ryan Zimmerman for the second straight day. But the Tigers are starting a southpaw again today, and Zimmerman is back in the DH role so he won't have to play defensively in the field. Martinez got a good report from the veteran.

"Felt good. Real good," Martinez said of Zimmerman's status. "I talked to him last night, asked him if he was available today and he said absolutely. We will get him out there today and we'll go from there."

* Third baseman Anthony Rendon has not exactly been flying around the basepaths in recent games. Martinez would not confirm that the veteran is dealing with some sort of nagging lower body injury, but it is obvious Rendon, 29, is not running at 100 percent down the line.

"He's good," Martinez said. "When you get guys like that that just play constantly every single day and you don't take them out of the lineup there's time where I tell him, 'hey, look if you get a base hit ... a base hit is a base hit. You're not going to get a double, you're not going to stretch a double, just be smart about what you do.

"Now if you've got to go first to third or try to score, that's when you have to turn it up. He's been smart. We need him on the field every day. So he's just trying to be smart."

Martinez believes that the grind of a long season can tax an every day player. Since Rendon's return from an elbow injury he has played every day. So those type of players have to pick the times when they go all out.

"It's not just 162 games, it's everything that goes with it," Martinez said. "The traveling, the ups and downs, the day games, night games, there's a lot involved. And when these guys get up every day and play every day, you got to figure out ways to kind of ease your way. Not take a break, because you're always trying to compete, but yet be smart about it, about what you do."

Update: Rendon crushed a 3-1 pitch from Tigers left-hander Gregory Soto well over the left field wall to break the ice in the fourth inning. He has 18 homers on the season. Brian Dozier later connected for an RBI double. Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Mark Ripperger. It was the seventh time this season he has been tossed. Tigers southpaw Soto was then replaced by left-hander Blaine Hardy. Victor Robles lined a single into the left field corner to score another run.

Voth has allowed only one hit with two strikeouts and a walk through three frames.

Mid-fourth, the Nats led the Tigers 3-0.

Update II: Voth allowed three singles in a row in the bottom of the fourth. A walk to Niko Goodrum made it 3-1 Nats. Voth got out of the jam by dealing John Hicks a called third strike.

After four innings, the Nats led the Tigers 3-1.

Update III: Voth allowed a single and a double to begin the bottom of the fifth. He was replaced by Javy Guerra. Cabrera smacked a two-run single to right field to tie the game at 3-3. Despite a hit by pitch of Christin Stewart on his first pitch as a National, Jonny Venters recorded two outs to get out of the threat.

Voth went 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. He threw 78 pitches, 47 for strikes.

After five innings, the Nats and the Tigers are tied at 3-3.

Update IV: The Nats took advantage of sloppy Tigers' fielding in the seventh and some timely hits to regain the lead. Yan Gomes singled thanks to Ronny Rodríguez's inability to glove a grounder to his right at first base. Adam Eaton singled and went to second on a throwing error by third baseman Jeimer Candelario, which allowed Gomes to score. Rendon's single scored Eaton.

Mid-seventh, the Nats lead the Tigers 5-3.

Update V: The Tigers quickly countered in the bottom of the seventh. Tanner Rainey walked the first two batters he faced. Cabrera drilled an RBI single and Stewart added a line drive sac fly to center off Tony Sipp to tie the game 5-5. Goodrum's single gave the Tigers their first lead of the series, 6-5.

Update VI: Wander Suero surrendered an RBI double to JaCoby Jones in the bottom of the eighth to extend the Tigers' lead to 7-5. The Nationals had no answer in the top of the ninth as Matt Adams, Robles and Trea Turner were retired in order.

Final score: Tigers 7, Nats 5.