Nationals’ Papelbon makes pointed remarks about former Phillies team
There’s also David Buchanan, who until Tuesday, was squandering the opportunities he’s been given.
Strasburg gave up one hit and tied a career-best with 14 strikeouts in eight innings, Bryce Harper hit two homers and the Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 4-0 on Tuesday night.
It was just the second time in 12 starts that Buchanan allowed less than three runs in a start this season, and the right-hander got inning-ending double plays in both the third and sixth innings.
After the game, Harper endorsed his manager, who has faced some criticism the past few months.
Tuesday was more of what he had in mind. He entered the game with an ERA of 9.11 ERA. “The progressions he’s made are really nice to see”, Williams said. “He hung a breaking ball to [Bryce] Harper [in the first inning]”.
He’s never pitched the way the other guy did.
Mackanin continues to build a strong case to be brought back for another season, and MacPhail’s comments Thursday suggest he is open-minded in letting him stick around.
The slugging outfielder seems to be putting the finish touches on his campaign in Philadelphia. “I don’t worry about what the stuff is doing”. The Nationals have scored 17 runs in their last three games and four or more runs in seven of their last 10 games. I mean, it does teach kids what a telephone booth is, using an ear-wormy, Beatles-esque song structure, but why teach kids about something that doesn’t exist anymore? “You’ve got to like him”.
Strasburg (9-7) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and third baseman Cody Asche’s no-out single that inning was the only hit against the right-hander.
Update IV: Strasburg picked up his 14th strikeout in the eighth, matching his single-game career high acheived in his major league debut.
“For me, he [is]”, Mackanin said. This is his first year getting this many at-bats at this level, so I think he’s learned from it. He’s learned from some of the mistakes that he made. Strasburg became only the four pitcher to accomplish the feat against the Phillies since 1900 joining Seaver, the Mets’ Nolan Ryan (1970) and the Brewers’ Warren Spahn (1960). “Outstanding fastball, outstanding sharp breaking curveball. Pretty good”. On July 28th, the Nationals were in first in the NL East. Since then, they’ve lost six times to the Mets and lost all six games on a west coast swing in mid-August. However, Howard left after the seventh inning with what the Phillies reported as a contusion on his left knee. Maikel Franco is improving but if all goes well in batting practice today, he’ll just be headed to Florida to continue rehab work. Buchanan was rocked in his previous three outings, allowing 22 runs and 31 hits in nine innings. We just had too many nonregular guys in there, and granted we did [have injuries], but we didn’t have the personnel, the leadership, the A to Z to win.
“It was like, to me, I was never accepted in that, hey look, this guy wants to help our team and make us be better”, Papelbon said. “Not to avoid 100 losses, but to win every game they play”.
The Phillies had a two-game winning streak snapped. Adam Morgan, who was slated to start, will take the mound Friday in Atlanta.