Martinez on Scherzer, Rodney, Taylor and more (Nats win 4-1)

CINCINNATI - Right-hander Max Scherzer is 4-1 versus the Reds in his career and 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two career starts at Great American Ball Park. But the Nationals are 2-10 in his starts this season.

Nationals manager Davey Martinez does not read too much into these trends for Scherzer, good or bad.

"It's an anomaly in baseball," Martinez said. "One thing I know about Scherzer, he goes out there and competes every outing, so I'm 100 percent guaranteed that's what he's going to do today is go out there and compete and do everything he can to win."

"He's a true professional. He understands a lot of those games he's pitched and gave us opportunities to win. That's all he can do and that's all we can ask for him to do. He will go out there today and give us everything he's got. Hopefully, we can score enough runs to win today."

* The Nationals agreed to a minor league deal with veteran reliever Fernando Rodney, who will report to Triple-A Fresno. Martinez knows Rodney well from his time with the Rays.

"He hasn't pitched in a while," Martinez said. "We got to get him back in there and get him right. He's going to throw a couple of sides. He's a veteran guy that I've known for years, had in Tampa. Great guy, very good clubhouse guy, had a lot of success at the big league level. Hopefully, we can get him right. Just another veteran, a guy that can pitch in the back end of the bullpen."

Rodney is 42, but can still throw a 95 mph fastball. He has struggled with control this season, however, registering 12 walks in 14 1/3 innings with the A's. His WHIP this season is a career-high 2.23.

"As long as he can get outs and he feels like he can get outs," Martinez said. "He's got two good pitches, really does. His changeup is unbelievable. I looked at some of his stuff. We got to get him back on track. He's walked a lot of guys and that's typically not what he does. He's usually a strike thrower. He's going to go down there and (we'll) probably hone in on him a little bit and see where he's at. Hopefully, he can come up here and help us."

* Martinez has the red-hot Gerardo Parra in the lineup in right field and is staying with Matt Adams at first base against right-hander Sonny Gray. Adam Eaton gets the day off, which means two days off with the off-day Monday before the Nationals take on his former team, the White Sox, beginning Tuesday. Howie Kendrick is available as a substitute and pinch-hitter. All three have made a major impact for the Nats on offense.

"They've been huge," Martinez said. "To have those three veteran guys, especially being able to prop them in on occasion, playing them off the bench, they know their job and they're really, really good at it. Like I said yesterday, Howie is about as good as it gets. He's done well. Matt Adams swinging the bat well, playing well. And we get Parra and he's done everything we ask him to do. They've been around, they understand the game, they get it, they're positive. They are unbelievable in the clubhouse as well. I'm fortunate to have those guys."

* The skipper said he would rather hold on to Michael A. Taylor for pinch-hitting and pinch-running opportunities late in the game today, instead of as a defensive replacement.

"You'd like to get him in, but you hit it on the nose with a short bench, when Howie's playing, Matt Adams is playing, you want to have that guy that can actually go in as a pinch-runner and maybe steal you a base as well," Martinez said. "I look at all those things. Yesterday, we thought about putting him in there and we went with (Victor) Robles. He's our everyday center fielder and just as good in center field. But having Michael there, off the bench, gives me a lot of options to do a lot of different things.

"He's actually as of late been swinging the bat fairly well. I like knowing he's out there knowing he can pinch run, pinch hit, go in the outfield and go in and play defense."

* The Nationals are wrapping up a quick five-game road trip today and then travel home to begin a two-game homestand with the White Sox on Tuesday. Then they go back on the road for four games at San Diego and two more in Chicago against the Pale Hose. The Nats have two days off this week after going 16 days without a rest from May 14-29.

When the team is moving around the country so much and back and forth to Nats Park, does Martinez lose track of the day of the week?

"Yeah, I don't (know what day it is)," Martinez said. "I just let somebody tell me. Every day you come to the ballpark, it doesn't matter, just remember what time the bus is at and you're good."

Is it weird to not know what day of the week it is?

"Not when you've been doing it for 30-some odd years," Martinez smiled. "It's just routine. It is Sunday, right?

Update: Trea Turner doubled to lead off the game against the Reds starter Sonny Gray. Anthony Rendon brought him home with a RBI single. Max Scherzer as struck out six through three innings, including five in a row.

In the fourth, Rendon singled and Kurt Suzuki doubled to make it 2-0 Nats. Rendon and Suzuki are each 2-for-2 against Gray. Suzuki's RBI came with two outs. He is hitting .423 (11-for-26) with two homers and 16 RBIs this season with runners in scoring position.

Mid-fourth, the Nats lead the Reds 2-0.

Update II: The Reds finally tallied some hits off of Scherzer in the fourth. Joey Votto dropped in a bloop single over the glove of a diving Rendon in short left field. Derek Dietrich followed with a run-scoring double down the right field line. Scherzer got back on track by recording three outs sandwiched around a walk of Josh VanMeter to get out of the jam. Scherzer had seven strikeouts through four innings.

After four innings, the Nats lead the Reds 2-1.

Update III: Scherzer struck out the side in the sixth for the second time today. He has 11 strikeouts through six innings. It is the 86th time in his career he has had double-digit strikeouts in a game.

After six innings, the Nats lead the Reds 2-1.

Update IV: Rendon walked and Juan Soto singled against David Hernandez in the eighth. Rasiel Iglesias walked Suzuki. Brian Dozier delivered an opposite-field two-run single to score Rendon and Soto.

Mid-eighth, the Nats lead the Reds 4-1.

Update V: Another vintage performance by Scherzer. He struck out 15 over eight innings on 120 pitches, all season-high totals. He went eight innings April 14 versus the Pirates as well. Scherzer allowed only one run on three hits with one walk. He struck out at least one batter in each of the eight innings.

After eight innings, the Nats lead the Reds 4-1.

Update VI: Sean Doolittle goes 1-2-3 in the ninth for his 12th save.

Final score: Nats 4, Reds 1.