There wasn’t much for the Washington Nationals to celebrate Tuesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals. Starter Stephen Strasburg was roughed up for eight runs. The bullpen didn’t help much allowing six runs. In order to not tax the bullpen, the Nationals turned to infielder Hernan Perez to pitch the eighth inning.
Perez didn’t disappoint either, striking out back-to-back batters in a clean frame. After getting Cardinals outfielder Lane Thomas to whiff on a 54 mile per hour pitch, Perez strutted around the mound in the ultimate flex.
Perez made the Opening Day roster after being a Spring Training invite. His ability to play just about every position, including catcher, earned him the spot. Hopefully his pitching days will be limited, but in a pinch, manager Davey Martinez has an unusual arm to get Washington through the mud.
