Going Deep with The Nats

Five days from today is Opening Day in Cincinnati for the Washington Nationals. Manager Dave Martinez has already named Josiah Gray as his starting pitcher for that game. There will be no extra rest as Gray is set to pitch in the second game of this day/night split-squad doubleheader and stay on that 5-day schedule for Thursday’s start. Jake Irvin is set to start the first game today at 1:05 pm against the Cardinals in Jupiter. The second game begins at 6:05 pm at CACTI Park as the Nats final home game of the Grapefruit League in 2024.

We are now at the final weekend of the Grapefruit League, and the 15-10 Washington Nationals have assured themselves to have clinched a winning record with just three games remaining that include a split-squad doubleheader tomorrow, and a Sunday afternoon finale. The team will then fly to Washington, D.C. after Sunday’s game. Monday is a day-off, and Tuesday is the On Deck: Nationals Futures Game. Of course, Thursday is Opening Day in Cincinnati. Josiah Gray will start one of the games tomorrow on regular rest and pitch Opening Day on regular rest.

Yesterday, we wrote that the Washington Nationals game, last night, would be the final audition for Zach Davies, and unfortunately for him, he stumbled off of the stage. Davies hit the skids in the fourth inning — giving up seven runs, and nine in the game to push his Spring Training ERA to 9.00. Davies, fighting for the fifth spot in the starting rotation, seemed to have it sewn up, until he didn’t, after that fourth inning collapse. Trevor Williams pitches today in his final Grapefruit League game for that same fifth starter’s spot, and there’s the issue, there are no more games for Davies to prove himself. Maybe Davies and Williams pitch in the Future’s game on Tuesday — but how do you get past yesterday’s meltdown?

This will be Zach Davies final audition in the Grapefruit League for the Washington Nationals. There has been no indication if Davies is set to make the Nats’ roster, and a fifth starter is not technically needed until April 7 against the Phillies. As of now, his next start is TBD, and could be at the Nats’ On Deck: Nationals Futures exhibition game in six days at Nationals Park, or he could stay behind at extended Spring Training at the CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.

While technically not a home game for the Washington Nationals, this really is as the Nats share the CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches with the Houston Astros and that makes these head-to-head games so convenient. The Nats will be providing the radio coverage tonight, and the Astros will have the TV coverage. This is also a great pitching matchup between Josiah Gray and Cristian Javier.

Time flies when you’re having fun. The Washington Nationals wrap-up their Grapefruit League play a week from today. It’s St. Patrick’s Day so who else would you want pitching today than someone named Patrick and MacKenzie. The Nats will probably be donning their green hats today.

The Nats will have two starters on the same schedule as both MacKenzie Gore and Patrick Corbin will both pitch today, and Josiah Gray was named by manager Dave Martinez as his choice for Opening Day in 11-days in Cincinnati.

What a day yesterday for the Washington Nationals organization and their fans. We had hoped to see Travis Sykora pitch for the first time, Yohandy Morales play first base, and some other positive signs. We got it all. Sykora and Morales were third and second round draft picks respectively in the 2023 draft, and Sykora hasn’t appeared in a game of record until yesterday. That was worth it all.