CINCINNATI — If there is a soft spot on this Washington Nationals roster, it is the same soft spot as always seems to exist there. As soft spots go, it is not exactly flimsy, particularly when compared with its constitution at this time last season. Brandon Kintzler, Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle have created a foundation in the much-discussed, oft-troubled Nationals bullpen. But the middle relief corps has not proven itself and does not include many pitchers who have done so recently.
When Manager Dave Martinez needed someone to face Joey Votto with the bases loaded and one man out in the seventh Saturday, he had three non-Doolittle lefties to choose from: Sammy Solis, Matt Grace and Enny Romero. He chose Solis, who the Nationals regard as their most effective left-handed reliever outside of their closer, but who fared better against right-handed hitters last season than lefties (.218 BAA against righties, .227 BAA against lefties). He is not a typical matchup lefty.
But, in his first appearance of the season, first appearance since a disappointing showing in Game 5 of the National League Division Series in October, Solis retired Votto on four pitches, the last of which was a fastball up that caught one of the best hitters of the decade looking. He then got recently mighty Scooter Gennett to ground back to the mound, shutting down the Reds’ best chance to tie the game in the process.
“That was phenomenal,” Martinez said. “He got put in a big moment. I thought he could do it. I told him I was proud of him. Told him that’s who he is. That was good to see.”
The game eventually got out of hand, sending the moment into the realm of the esoteric. But it mattered, and will continue to matter, because the Nationals need Solis do to exactly what he did to Votto, to be the fourth shutdown option in a bullpen that started the season with three. No playoff team can rely on so few, particularly when those three have varied injury histories and endured high workloads in the second half of last season.
Solis’s import grew more obvious as the game went on and both Matt Grace and Enny Romero surrendered two-run home runs in their innings of relief. Both had a cushion with which to work. Both were making their first appearances of the season. But neither inspired confidence, particularly Romero, who walked the leadoff man with an eight-run lead, losing his near-constant battle with command. One of those two — Romero or Grace — will probably have to go if the Nationals call up Jeremy Hellickson or when Daniel Murphy returns from injury. They are both out of options, so they are both pitching for their Nationals careers.
Solis does not battle his command like Romero, and has better natural stuff than Grace, who is more of a groundball pitcher with the always helpful habit of throwing strikes. The story with Solis has never changed. When he is healthy, the 29-year-old can dominate. After landing on the disabled list in each of the past two seasons, most recently with a nerve problem in his throwing arm, he has to stay healthy.
Because when he is healthy, Solis can dominate. He couples a mid-90s fastball, like the one that froze Votto, with an effective curveball and relevant change-up — like the one that puzzled Votto for strike two. Put through late-inning test runs in recent years, Solis began throwing that curveball more often, meaning he relied on his fastball less. But that pitch continues to be his greatest weapon. Commanding it — something he does best when healthy, when he doesn’t have to think twice about syncing up his mechanics — is of the greatest importance.
“That’s been a weapon for me, maybe more than any other pitch, a high fastball,” Solis said. “You see it with Doolittle all the time. Obviously guys know it’s coming and they still can’t get on top of it. I would say we utilize it well, but it’s not really our go-to. Our go-to is whatever our strengths are, which for me is going right after guys, pounding the ball inside and hopefully getting weak contact.”
Solis said he is emphasizing pitching to those strengths, attacking and not backing down, this season. When he was struggling with arm trouble last year, he did not have the confidence to do that. This season, he does — and he will only have more of it after his showing against Votto on Saturday.
“I mean, just think about it,” Martinez said. “You get one of the best hitters out in the game and do what he did, that should boost his confidence pretty good.”
Martinez needs a confident, healthy Solis in his bullpen. He needs a fourth weapon, let alone a fifth or sixth. One game will not define Solis’s season. But that game, in particular the way he handled that hitter, certainly won’t hurt it.
Solis will be one of Martinez’s main late-inning options Sunday, as Brandon Kintzler is unavailable after throwing an inning Friday and warming up twice Saturday. Madson, who also threw in Friday’s game, also warmed up at one point Saturday. His status for Sunday’s game is unclear.
Gio Gonzalez will hit eighth Sunday, the first time Martinez has put his hitter in that spot this season. With Wilmer Difo in the lineup instead of Howie Kendrick, Martinez thought Difo would serve his lineup best as a second leadoff hitter.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (2-0)
Adam Eaton LF
Anthony Rendon 3B
Bryce Harper RF
Ryan Zimmerman 1B
Trea Turner SS
Michael A. Taylor CF
Miguel Montero C
Gio Gonzalez P
Wilmer Difo 2B
CINCINNATI REDS (0-2)
Billy Hamilton CF
Eugenio Suarez 3B
Joey Votto 1B
Adam Duvall LF
Scooter Gennett 2B
Devin Mesoraco C
Scott Schebler RF
Jose Peraza SS
Sal Romano P
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