Austin Voth pitched a marvelous five innings, blanking the Baltimore Orioles in his start. Voth was on his way to victory, when the Washington Nationals bullpen imploded. The catalysts were Sean Doolittle and Daniel Hudson.
Doolittle took a 3-0 lead into the eighth inning. Then he allowed back-to-back home runs to start the inning. Pat Valaika took him deep three pitches in. Doolittle then served up another home run to Pedro Severino on the very next pitch. Just like that the Nationals’ Doolittle flipped the narrative of the game.
Juan Soto hit his first home run and Voth put on a dominating performance. But, those bullet points vanished in a blink. Washington was now clinging to a one-run lead. Doolittle got Chris Davis to strike out swinging.
Manager Dave Martinez was forced to give the hook to Doolittle after he faced his minimum three batters. Unfortunately, the often reliable Hudson fared no better.
Last year’s dominant closer, got rocked as the Orioles lineup flipped. He allowed a walk, a single and then a three-run home run by Anthony Santander, blowing the Nationals’ lead and the game.
Doolittle’s velocity has dropped
Hudson got the lost, but Doolittle’s struggles spearheaded the Nationals’ collapse and the Orioles’ rally. Doolittle hasn’t looked right in the early stages of this abbreviated season. His velocity has dipped into the high 80s to low 90s.
Doolittle opened up his postgame interview by saying he has no answers for his struggles this season.
“I feel terrible. I’m letting the team down,” Doolittle said per Jesse Doughtery of the Washington Post.
His ERA has ballooned to 18.00 through four appearances thus far in the season.
Doolittle admitted he hasn’t felt right since arriving the club reconvened for the season last month.
It’s back to future for him for sorts. Just last August, he struggled mightily with his velocity and command. Last year, those were signs of a knee injury that landed him on the IL until late September. While, he insists he is healthy and not bothered by the same knee, he understands he is not right.
Martinez to consider pitching Doolittle in ‘very low situations’
Martinez admitted he may have to re-evaluate the bullpen, but won’t give up on Doolittle.
“If I have to pitch him in very low, low situations, we will do that,” Martinez said, per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. “We need him. He’s a big part of this team.”
The Nationals may have to do something fast. Saturday’s loss dropped them to 4-7 on the season. Sunday they’ll try to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of their Beltway rivals, the Orioles.
Their slow start is reminiscent to the one they had a year ago when they opened the season at 19-31. Washington regrouped and went on a tear finishing the regular season with 93 wins and ultimately going on to win the World Series.
But that was in a normal scheduled 162 games. This year the season is only 60 games long. They’ll need to turn the season around fast.
Tanner Rainey is an option worth considering
Will Harris continues to rehab a strained groin. When the Nationals signed the former Houston Astros closer, they thought to have the ultimate trio on the backend of their bullpen. However, Harris is injured and Doolittle is struggling.
One option not struggling is Tanner Rainey. The 27-year old has been stifling, stating his case to earn a larger role out of the bullpen. Is he the closer of the future?
There’s a lot more evidence needed, but he has been the most consistent out of the ‘pen this year for Washington. In Saturday’s loss, Rainey breezed through the seventh in 10 pitches, striking out two before Doolittle’s meltdown.
In seven appearances this season, Rainey has a 1.35 ERA and an astonishing 0.45 WHIP.
If Doolittle goes to less stressful situations, Rainey is surely to get the nod at least while Harris is out.
