Game 20: Giants at Nats

The Nationals return home from a 5-2 trip to face the struggling Giants. Plus, news on Orlando Ribalta's demotion and Jacob Young's hand.

The Nationals are back home after a highly successful, 5-2 road trip. Could they have used a day off in between? Probably. But such is life in the major leagues, and this team is now on day eight of 17 scheduled game days in a row, so there’s no time for rest.

The Giants are in town for the weekend, and they come here having lost eight of their last 12 games. The problem: Offense. They haven’t scored more than three runs in any of their last five games, and they haven’t scored more than three runs in 13 of their 19 games to date. It’s making for an extra early challenge for new manager Tony Vitello, the first to ever make the leap straight from college to the majors.

Zack Littell’s job tonight: Keep that San Francisco lineup in check. The right-hander has been solid so far, going five innings each time and never allowing more than three runs. He has allowed five homers, but each has been a solo shot and not too damaging. His pitch counts in those three starts: 75, 70, 71. Will we see him extended any further tonight?

The Nationals lineup, which after a brief cold spell in Pittsburgh bounced back strong with eight runs Thursday afternoon, will face one of the sport’s best workhorses in Logan Webb. The Giants right-hander, though, hasn’t quite been himself so far this season, allowing 15 runs in 24 innings.

A reminder: Tonight is the first of 10 (mostly Friday night) games this season that will be simulcast on FOX 5 in the D.C. area and Gray Media stations in Virginia and North Carolina. Click on the channel listings link below to find out where you can watch in your town.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV, FOX 5 (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Clear, 79 degrees, wind 9 mph in from left

GIANTS
SS Willy Adames
2B Luis Arraez
3B Matt Chapman
1B Rafael Devers
DH Casey Schmitt
RF Jung Hoo Lee
LF Heliot Ramos
C Daniel Susac
CF Drew Gilbert

RHP Logan Webb

NATIONALS
RF James Wood
3B Brady House
1B Luis García Jr.
SS CJ Abrams
CF Joey Wiemer
LF Daylen Lile
2B Nasim Nuñez
DH José Tena
C Keibert Ruiz

RHP Zack Littell

Photo by Saúl Martinez / NATS JOURNAL

PREGAME NOTES

RIBALTA OPTIONED TO ROCHESTER
The Nationals officially added Richard Lovelady to the 26-man roster today, which led to the demotion of Orlando Ribalta less than 24 hours after the right-hander recorded the first save of his MLB career.

Ribalta, who had only been called up from Triple-A Rochester on Monday, enjoyed two strong appearances in Pittsburgh, headlined by his scoreless bottom of the 10th Thursday afternoon to prevent the Pirates from plating the tying run. The 28-year-old was presented with the game ball afterward and spoke about the significance of his first big-league save.

“I’ve always wanted that,” he said. “It was a good opportunity to help the team, and also to fulfill that dream, too.”

The decision to option Ribalta to Rochester had nothing to do with his performance and was likely predetermined once the Nationals acquired Lovelady from the Mets prior to Thursday’s game. It made for a delicate conversation this afternoon when manager Blake Butera had to deliver the news.

“I almost apologized to him, because it’s really difficult,” Butera said. “But when you sit back and look at it, when we sat back as a staff, as weird as it sounds: We want to get to a place where we’re sending really good pitchers down. I think if this wasn’t hard, it would be like: ‘Man, we must not be very good.’ But sending Ribalta down is really tough, because of the job he did. But that was the right person to do that with right now in this moment.

“We also told him: ‘Keep doing what you’re doing. You’ll be up here sooner rather than later again. I know this is a lot easier to say than it is to hear, but we do love you and believe in you. You’re going to be a huge part of this.’ He might not be hearing that the same way as I mean it, but I do mean that. And I couldn’t have been prouder what he did for us those two games in Pittsburgh, especially yesterday.”

LOVELADY COMES TO GRIPS WITH CONSTANT CHANGE
As he settled into his locker at Nationals Park this afternoon, Lovelady was glad to see plenty of familiar faces. The 30-year-old reliever spent part of spring training with the club in West Palm Beach, but that was only part of the constantly changing journey he’s been on the last two seasons.

Lovelady’s official transaction log:

Nov. 19, 2024 – DFA’d by Blue Jays
Jan. 22, 2025 – Signed by Blue Jays to minor-league contract
March 17, 2025 – Contract purchased by Blue Jays
March 30, 2025 – DFA’d by Blue Jays
April 8, 2025 – Signed by Twins to minor-league contract
June 18, 2025 – Released by Twins
June 23, 2025 – Signed by Mets to major-league contract
June 26, 2025 – DFA’d by Mets
June 29, 2025 – Re-signed by Mets to major-league contract
July 18, 2025 – DFA’d by Mets, outrighted to AAA
Sept. 20, 2025 – Contract purchased by Mets
Sept. 25, 2025 – DFA’d by Mets
Oct. 23, 2025 – Re-signed by Mets to major-league contract
Jan. 22, 2026 – DFA’d by Mets
Jan. 29, 2026 – Claimed off waivers by Nationals
March 10, 2026 – DFA’d by Nationals
March 14, 2026 – Claimed off waivers by Mets
April 11, 2026 – DFA’d by Mets
April 16, 2026 – Traded to Nationals for cash

Lovelady has pitched in 124 games for six different clubs since 2019, going 6-14 with a 5.25 ERA and three MLB games. Along the way, he’s learned how to deal with the lack of job security.

“It’s part of the game,” he said. “You know that role. Being a reliever, you’re dispensable. You’re a lot more dispensable, obviously, than a starting pitcher. A position player, you’ve got more freedom, so to speak. But as a reliever, you could be there for a day, you could be there for a whole year, you could be gone the next day, the next week. You just try to do the best you can with all the outings you’ve been given and hopefully get an opportunity with somebody else.”

Lovelady gives the Nats four left-handers in their bullpen for the moment, with Cionel Pérez, PJ Poulin and the recently promoted Mitchell Parker also here. That’s more southpaws than they’ve traditionally kept on the roster at one time, but it’s possible – perhaps probable, even – that alignment won’t last for long.

YOUNG OK AFTER HBP
Jacob Young isn’t in tonight’s lineup, but his right hand appears to be fine after getting struck by a pitch during Thursday’s game.

The Nationals center fielder was hit by a Yohan Ramirez fastball in the top of the seventh, the ball glancing off his left wrist before striking his right hand. He immediately dropped the bat in pain but was able to remain in the game and came up to bat again two innings later, hitting a grounder to third.

Young missed time this spring after getting hit by a pitch on the same hand, though he said it was in a different location. And in this case, the hand didn’t swell up in the ensuing 24 hours, leaving him confident he’ll be fine.