Game 70: Mariners at Nats

After a successful West Coast trip that ended on a sour note, the Nationals are back home to face a tough Seattle team tonight

And we’re back. The Nationals have had 48 hours to stew over their historic loss in San Francisco and now look to flush that one away forever and get back on track at home. It’s not an easy task, though, with the red-hot Mariners coming to town having won 11 of their last 16 (though they did just lose back-to-back games in Baltimore before hopping on the BW Parkway to make the drive to D.C.)

In something of a surprise, the Nats have not made any roster changes since Wednesday’s game. So, the bullpen remains intact, though a lot fresher than it was for that series finale at Oracle Park. Everyone of consequence should be available if needed.

First things first, though. The Nationals want another quality pitching performance out of Zack Littell, which they’ve been getting a lot of for more than a month now. Over his last seven games (four of them starts, three of them coming behind an opener), the veteran right-hander is 6-0 with 2.27 ERA and 0.953 WHIP. He’s only allowed two homers in 35 2/3 innings, which is a huge turnaround from April, when he gave up 13 in only 28 2/3 innings.

The Nats lineup gets it first-ever look at Bryce Miller, the 27-year-old Seattle right-hander who has a 1.33 ERA and 0.778 WHIP in five games after opening the season on the IL with an oblique strain. He has never faced the Nationals in his career.

We just had one storm cell blow through the area, forcing the cancellation of batting practice. There could be more to come, unfortunately, so stay tuned for updates...

SEATTLE MARINERS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Chance of storms, 81 degrees, wind 11 mph out to right

MARINERS
2B Cole Young
CF Julio Rodriguez
1B Josh Naylor
LF Randy Arozarena
RF Luke Raley
DH Dominic Canzone
3B Miles Mastrobuoni
C Jhonny Pereda
SS Colt Emerson

RHP Bryce Miller

NATIONALS
LF James Wood
1B Luis García Jr.
3B Curtis Mead
SS CJ Abrams
RF Dylan Crews
DH Daylen Lile
CF Jacob Young
2B Jorbit Vivas
C Keibert Ruiz

RHP Zack Littell

PREGAME NOTES

Photo by Serena Brown / ALL-PRO REELS

IRVIN PLAYS CATCH, SUSANA THROWS OFF MOUND

Jake Irvin took the long-awaited step of playing catch with a baseball on Wednesday, throwing from 60-to-75 feet in San Francisco. The right-hander also continues to throw a weighted plyometric ball as he attempts to get his shoulder fully healthy.

When Irvin went on the 15-day IL with a shoulder strain on May 24, the Nationals said he was expected to resume throwing in only three days. But that process played out slower than planned, turning what was hoped to be a 15-day absence into one that will now last longer.

Jarlin Susana, meanwhile, recently threw off a mound in West Palm Beach for the first time since undergoing surgery for a torn lat muscle late last season. The 22-year-old, rated one of the organization’s top pitching prospects, is considered “on time with his throwing progression,” according to the Nats.

DJ Herz made his second rehab start in the FCL in West Palm Beach on Thursday and threw three hitless innings with four strikeouts. The Nationals are waiting to decide when to move the left-hander (recovering from last spring’s Tommy John surgery) up to one of their minor-league affiliates to continue his rehab.

NATS CLAIM RELIEVER FROM BRAVES

The Nationals made a roster move today, but not one that involves the major-league roster. The club claimed right-hander Jhancarlos Lara off outright waivers from the Braves and optioned him to Double-A Harrisburg.

Lara, 23, had some wild minor-league numbers in the Braves system. In 15 relief appearances at Double-A Columbus this season, he posted an 8.22 ERA across 15 1/3 innings, striking out 21 batters but walking 29. Over the entirety of his five-year professional career, he has struck out 12.0 batters per nine innings while walking 7.2.

To make room for Lara on the 40-man roster, the Nats designated veteran reliever Julian Fernandez for assignment. The 30-year-old right-hander had a 3.27 ERA in 13 games at Triple-A Rochester this season and also made three big-league appearances in April.

OGASAWARA RETURNING TO JAPAN

Shinnosuke Ogasawara has reportedly reached an agreement to return to pitch in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants, leaving the Nationals organization before his two-year contract expired.

Ogasawara was the first free agent the Nats signed directly out of Japan in club history, albeit for a modest $3.5 million over two years. Signed by former general manager Mike Rizzo, the left-hander never came close to performing as hoped, going 1-1 with a 6.98 ERA in 23 big-league games last season, only two of them starts.

The Nationals removed Ogasawara from the 40-man roster over the winter, making him a full-fledged minor leaguer despite his major-league salary. He pitched in three games for Rochester this season before getting demoted to Harrisburg, where he went 2-1 with a 2.15 ERA in eight starts.