Game 16: Nats at Pirates
Cade Cavalli faces Paul Skenes in a premier pitching matchup to open this four-game series at PNC Park
PITTSBURGH – Hello from gorgeous PNC Park, where the Nationals and Pirates open a four-game series that actually looks really intriguing on paper. It’s not often a mid-April series between these two clubs draws much attention, but the stars have aligned in this case. The Nats are coming off a three-game sweep in Milwaukee and are off to an optimistic 7-8 start. The Pirates are coming off a series win in Chicago and enter tonight atop the NL Central at 9-6.
Both teams have some exciting young talent, and that’s especially true atop their respective rotations. Paul Skenes is the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. Cade Cavalli has a long way to go before he’s in that conversation, but the former first-round pick is off to a good start this season and tonight gets to go up against one of the best in baseball.
Cavalli enters with a 2.51 ERA, but he’s had to pitch his way out of a lot of jams to maintain that low number. His task tonight: Complete at least a couple of clean innings, which in turn would allow him to reach at least the sixth inning and take some stress off the Nationals bullpen.
Speaking of that bullpen … the Nats announced several roster moves this afternoon related to that group. Not only has Ken Waldichuk been placed on the 15-day IL with what for now is being called left forearm tightness, but Cole Henry also has been placed on the 15-day IL with right rotator cuff strain (which might explain his struggles to date). Taking their place are right-handers Orlando Ribalta and Jackson Rutledge, both promoted from Triple-A Rochester. Check back before gametime for a full article on all of those transactions and hopefully more details about the severity of the two injuries.
I’m back on site after skipping the series in Milwaukee, so I’ll have full postgame coverage again. That will include the Instant Analysis piece (I’m going to try to wait 30-60 seconds after the final out is recorded before publishing to accommodate those of you who have complained about being spoiled before you see it) and the more in-depth piece at the end of the night based on whatever takes place here in this ballgame.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Where: PNC Park
Gametime: 6:40 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Partly cloudy, 76 degrees, wind 11 mph out to left
NATIONALS
RF James Wood
1B Luis García Jr.
SS CJ Abrams
LF Daylen Lile
CF Jacob Young
DH José Tena
3B Jorbit Vivas
2B Nasim Nuñez
C Keibert Ruiz
RHP Cade Cavalli
PIRATES
CF Oneil Cruz
2B Brandon Lowe
DH Bryan Reynolds
RF Ryan O’Hearn
3B Nick Yorke
1B Spencer Horwitz
SS Konnor Griffin
LF Jake Mangum
C Henry Davis
RHP Paul Skenes
Among the 16 full innings he's pitched so far this season, Cavalli has retired the side only 3 times. Somehow managed to only allow 4 earned runs prior to this. But eventually all that traffic was going to come back to bite him. And now the Nats have to ask their bullpen to take over in the bottom of the 2nd. Reminder: This is game 4 of 17 in a row for these guys. Not good.
The Nationals, who entered the day having scored the 4th-most runs in the majors, have 1 run on 1 hit (Abrams' 1st-inning homer) and 1 walk through 5 innings. This Skenes guy might be decent.