WASHINGTON NATIONALS NOTES:
OPPONENT – MINNESOTA TWINS
The Nationals and Twins will meet three times in 2023 (all in Minnesota)…Nationals Manager Dave Martinez coached Minnesota Manager Rocco Baldelli in Tampa Bay in 2008, Martinez’s first year as a full-time member of the Rays coaching staff… Twins outfielder Michael A. Taylor was a member of the Nationals from 2014-20…Taylor had one at bat in the 2019 World Series, a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of game two… Nationals equipment manager Dan Wallin graduated from Hermantown High School in Duluth, Minn. before attending Itasca CC and graduating from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
RARE TRIP TO THE TWIN CITIES
The Washington Nationals continue a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins today following a 3-2 comeback win last night…
• Trevor Williams held the Twins to two runs on four hits over 6.0 strong innings…Williams has now pitched at least 5.0 innings and allowed no more than three earned run in all four of his starts in 2023.
• Joey Meneses snapped the Nationals scoreless streak at 24 innings with his seventh-inning home run… It was Meneses’ first home run of the year and cut the Twins lead to one…In the eighth, CJ Abrams started a rally with a double and later scored on an RBI single by Lane Thomas…Thomas came around to score one batter later on a base hit by Keibert Ruiz who was batting second for the first time this season.
• Hunter Harvey struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth and Kyle Finnegan locked down his fourth save in the ninth, working around two baserunners.
• With a game time temperature of 37 degrees, last night’s game in Minnesota was the coldest game in Nationals (2005-pres.) history. Washington previously played in 41-degree weather on April 7, 2007 vs. Arizona and March 31, 2011 vs. Atlanta, both in Washington D.C..
• The Twins franchise began in Washington D.C. as the Washington Senators from 1901-60 before their move to Minnesota in 1961…The franchise won the 1924 World Series over the New York Giants in seven games, including a thrilling 4-3 win in a 12-inning game seven that ended in a Senators walk off victory.
CATCHING FIRE
Keibert Ruiz leads all Major League catchers in batting average since April 12…Ruiz is 10-for-28 (.357) with a double and three RBI in seven games since April 12.
• Ruiz has not struck out in that span and is fifth in the National League (sixth in Major League Baseball) in strikeout percentage this season (8.5%).
CLOSE CALLS
The Nationals lead the National League and are tied for second in Major League Baseball with eight one-run games so far in 2023…Only the Cleveland Guardians (12) have played more one-run contests…The Nationals are 3-5 in one-run games, including a 3-2 victory last night.
BULLPENNING
Since April 10, Ricky Bones’ bullpen leads Major League Baseball in ERA (1.69) and opponents average (.176)…In nine games since April 10, Nationals relievers have allowed six earned runs in 32.0 innings and have struck out 29…They have allowed just 19 hits and one home run over that span.
• The Nationals rank fourth in Major League Baseball in Inherited Runners scoring percentage (10.5%) since April 10…Just two of 19 inherited runners have scored in that span.
5.0 ALIVE
Jim Hickey’s starters are tied for third in the National League lead in starts of at least 5.0 innings this season with 16…The rotation ranks tied for fifth in Major League Baseball behind the Minnesota Twins (18), Kansas City Royals (17) and Milwaukee Brewers (17)…In 2022, the Nationals ranked 28th in Major League Baseball with 94 starts of at least 5.0 innings.
DEFENSE NOT RESTING
Thanks to strong infield defense so far this season, Nationals opponents have a .211 batting average on ground balls, fifth-best in the National League (MLB avg: .243)…In 2022, the Nationals had the third-highest opponents’ batting average on ground balls in Major League Baseball (.260).
• Washington has turned 24 double plays this season, good for second in Major League Baseball.
• Third baseman Jeimer Candelario is tied for second among National League third basemen in defensive runs saved (3), according to FanGraphs.com…He trails only Pittsburgh’s Ke’Bryan Hayes (4)
• Slick-fielding first baseman Dominic Smith is one of two National League first baseman to accumulate at least two defensive run saved along with Arizona’s Christian Walker, per FanGraphs.com.
STARTING PITCHER – #26 CHAD KUHL
Veteran right-hander signed a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training and went on to make the club…Enters 2023 at 31-31 with a 4.74 ERA in 127 games (111 starts) in six Major League seasons…Began his professional career with Pittsburgh before spending the 2022 season with the Colorado Rockies.
LAST START
Suffered the loss at home against Cleveland on April 15…Worked 4.2 innings, allowed five runs on seven hits , walked three and struck out two.
vs. MINNESOTA
Has never faced the Twins but has held hitters currently on the Twins roster to a combined 4-for-18 (.222) in his career.
MINNESOTA TWINS NOTES:
THE TWINS: After completing their seven-game, eight-day roadtrip with a record of 3-4 (2-2 at Yankee Stadium and 1-2 at Fenway Park), the Twins began their 10-game homestand with a loss to the Nationals last night…today the Twins will play the second of three with the Nats through tomorrow…they will continue the homestand on Monday with three games against the Yankees (April 24-26) and four games against the Royals (April 27-30)…the Twins have gone 4-3 at Target Field and 7-6 on the road.
BATS STAY COLD ON CHILLY MPLS NIGHT: The Twins lost to the Nationals last night at Target Field by a score of 3-2, making them 3-4 in one-run games this season…Tyler Mahle was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing one run on three hits in 6.1 innings pitched, exiting with a 2-0 lead in the seventh…Griffin Jax (1-2) was issued the loss, allowing two runs on three hits in the eighth inning…the offense recorded six hits, two from Byron Buxton, who doubled and singled…Joey Gallo hit his team-leading fifth home run of the season…the first-pitch temp was 37º, the Twins’ coldest first pitch temperature at Target Field since a 33º first pitch on April 13, 2021 vs. Boston.
PABLO DAY TODAY AND FOR A WHILE: The Twins announced yesterday that they have signed right-handed pitcher Pablo López to a four-year contract extension through the 2027 season… López, 27, has gone 1-1, 1.73 ERA (26.0 IP, 5 ER), six walks, 33 strikeouts, a .167 (15-for-90) opponent batting average, 0.81 WHIP and 11.42 strikeouts-per-nine innings through four starts this season for the Twins.
He made the start for Minnesota on Opening Day, joining Johan Santana (2006-07) as the only Venezuelan-born pitchers to start on Opening Day for the Twins.
López recorded his 500th career strikeout on April 5 at Miami, recorded his third career 10-plus strikeout game on April 11 vs. Chicago-AL and his 33 strikeouts so far are the most by any pitcher within his first four career games in a Twins uniform.
The 6-foot-4, 214-pound right-hander has gone 29-32, 3.83 ERA (536.0 IP, 228 ER), 148 walks, 522 strikeouts, a .238 (478-for-2007) opponent batting average and a 1.17 WHIP in 98 career major league starts between Minnesota and the Miami Marlins.
A native of Cabimas, Venezuela, López was acquired by the Twins from the Marlins on January 20 along with infielder Jose Salas and outfielder Byron Chourio, in exchange for infielder Luis Arraez…he was originally signed by the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent in 2012 and traded to Miami in July 2017.
INTERLEAGUE PLAY: The Twins have gone 1-3 in Interleague Play this season, going 1-2 in Miami from April 3-5, followed by a loss last night against the Nationals…the Twins are 251-235 all-time in Interleague Play (full rankings to the right).
Jose Miranda is hitting .309 (21-for-68) with three doubles, three home runs, 12 RBI, a .485 slugging percentage and an .819 OPS in 19 career Interleague games.
NATIONAL NEWS: The Twins are 9-10 all-time against the Montreal/Washington franchise… their last series came in three games at Target Field from September 10-12, 2019 as the Twins lost the series two games to one…the Twins have gone just 1-8 in their last nine vs. the Nats, dating back to 2013…excluding a three-game series sweep in Montreal in 2004, the Twins are 6-10 all-time against Washington (since 2007).
The Twins enter today’s game with an all-time club record (since 1961) of 4878-4945-8 and an all-time franchise record (Senators and Twins) of 9101-9809.
DO YOU EVEN LIFT, JOE?: Joey Gallo hit his fifth home run of the season last night and now has an at-bat-per-home run ratio of 5.40, second highest in baseball (minimum 30 plate appearances)…despite missing 10 games (right intercostal strain — April 11-19), he still leads the club in homers and ranks tied for sixth in the American League.
He ranks sixth in baseball (minimum 5 home runs) in average home run distance at 410 feet, trailing Matt Olson (419 ft.), Ryan Mountcastle (413 ft.), Jack Suwinski (413 ft.), Nolan Gorman (412 ft.) and Yandy Díaz (411 ft.).
RISPY BUSINESS: The Twins are hitting .328 (43-for-131) with runners in scoring position this season, ranking third in all of baseball, trailing Texas (.359) and Tampa Bay (.341)…addi- tionally, they are hitting .317 (20-for-63) with RISP and two outs, also third best in baseball.
Notable individuals with RISP: Ryan Jeffers is 3-for-9 (.333), Joey Gallo is 3-for-6 (.500), Donovan Solano is 5-for-9 (.556), Christian Vázquez is 5-for-7 (.714), Trevor Larnach is 6-for-16 (.375), Jose Miranda is 7-for-18 (.389) and Michael A. Taylor is 4-for-11 (.364).
STARTING PITCHER – PABLO LóPEZ 49
Making his fifth start and appearance of 2023 in his sixth major league season (Miami – 2018- 22)…also his 99th career appearance (all starts).
Facing Washington for the 13th time in his career…4-2, 4.57 ERA (61.0 IP, 31 ER) with 24 walks and 43 strikeouts in 12 previous starts vs. the Nationals.
Acquired by the Twins from Miami on January 20, 2023, along with infielder Jose Salas and outfielder Byron Chourio, in exchange for infielder/outfielder Luis Arraez.
LAST TIME OUT: Took the loss at New York-AL on April 16 in a 2-0 Twins defeat…went 6.0 innings, allowed two runs and seven hits, walked one and struck out seven batters…pitched opposite of Gerrit Cole, who tossed a complete-game shutout…infielder DJ LeMahieu had both RBI against López, producing a run-scoring single in the third inning and hitting a solo home run in the sixth…the 340-foot home run was the second shortest over-the-fence home run against López in his career, according to Statcast (Harold Ramírez – 337 feet on May 24, 2022)…López eclipsed 100 pitches for the first time since September 20, 2022 vs. Chicago-NL (105 pitches) and became the first Twins pitcher to throw over 100 pitches in an April game since Kyle Gibson on April 28, 2019 vs. Baltimore (105 pitches).
TWO STARTS AGO: López did not factor into the decision against the Chicago White Sox on April 11 at Target Field…pitched 7.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts… after the first four batters reached base in the first inning, retired the final 23 batters he faced in order…recorded 10 strikeouts for the third time in his career and was one short of his career high of 11, done twice in the 2022 season…opposed right-hander Lance Lynn, who also took a no-decision… Twins won 4-3 in 10 innings to take the second game of the series.
Per Elias, the 23 batters sent down in succession was the third-longest single-game stretch by a pitcher in Twins history (1961-present), trailing Scott Baker (24 – 8/31/2007 vs. Kansas City) and Jack Kralick (25 – 8/26/1962 vs. Kansas City).
A HAPPY PABLO DAY, INDEED: Yesterday, the Twins announced that they signed López to a four-year contract extension through the 2027 season…in his first four starts with Minnesota this year, López notched his 500th career strikeout (April 5 at Miami), recorded his third career 10-plus strikeout game (April 11 vs. Chicago-AL) and set the record for the most strikeouts within the first four career games in a Twins uniform (33)…López currently ranks fourth in strikeouts and ninth in ERA among MLB pitchers with at least four games started in 2023.
NATIONAL NEWS: In 12 career starts against Washington, López is 4-2, 4.57 ERA (61.0 IP, 31 ER) with 24 walks and 43 strikeouts…all 12 starts were with Miami…in his last start vs. the Nationals on July 3, 2022, López went 6.1 innings, allowed two runs on three hits, issued three walks and struck out five batters in a no-decision…the Marlins beat Washington 7-4…Miami won six of López’s last eight starts against the Nats dating back to September 22, 2019…López is 4-0, 2.09 ERA (38.2 IP, 9 ER) with 34 strikeouts in his last seven starts vs. Washington, dating back to August of 2020…his last win was on April 27, 2022 at Nationals Park.
HOME COOKING: Today is López’s second home start of the year and second career start at Target Field…in his last three home starts since September 15, 2022, López is 1-0, 2.14 ERA (21.0 IP, 5 ER) with two walks, 21 strikeouts, and a .164 opponent batting average…his 10.50 strikeouts-per-walk ratio at home is fourth best in baseball during that stretch (min. 20.0 IP)…over his career, López is 14-15, 3.43 ERA (291.2 IP, 111 ER) with 80 walks and 278 strikeouts in 51 home starts…in 47 road starts, he is 15-17, 4.31 ERA (244.1 IP, 117 ER) with 68 walks and 244 strikeouts.
LEFT, RIGHT, DON’T MATTER: López has limited left-handed hitters to a .161 (5-for-31) batting average this season…right-handed hitters have not fared much better, batting at a .169 (10-for-59) clip…his 22 strikeouts against righties are tied for third most in the American League…over his career, López has enjoyed more success against right-handed hitters (.650 OPS) than left-handed hitters (.740 OPS).
PITCH BREAKDOWN: López has used a five-pitch mix in his first four starts this season, according to Baseball Savant…opposing batters are hitting .087 (4-for-46) against López’s off-speed offerings this year with 23 strikeouts…threw 13 curveballs against New York-AL on April 16 for a 12.6 percent usage rate, the most he has used the pitch in a start this season…here is a look at his 2023 arsenal
