In a pitching pinch, Nats piece together a winning formula
PJ Poulin, Miles Mikolas and Andrew Alvarez pieced together an unconventional shutout today, with Alvarez in particular rising to the occasion
Andrew Alvarez woke up in Rochester at 2:30 a.m., having been informed about six hours earlier he was needed in Washington. His flight departed at 5:09 a.m. and landed at Reagan National Airport at 6:32 a.m. He sneaked in a quick nap, but by 11 a.m. he was all smiles as he spoke to reporters about his promotion from Triple-A and his willingness to do whatever the Nationals needed from him in today’s series finale against the Giants.
“I’m fully anticipating that if they need me, I’ll be ready,” he said. “However many they need: 100 pitches or 10.”
Blake Butera signaled to the bullpen at 2:53 p.m., taking the ball from a very effective Miles Mikolas with two outs in the top of the fifth in a scoreless game, then handing it to the 26-year-old Alvarez and asking him to give as much as he had in him.
Could Alvarez have imagined at that moment he would still be on the mound at 4:03 p.m., throwing the final pitch that got Willy Adames to ground out to short and complete the Nats’ 3-0 victory before an appreciative crowd of 20,026?
“Umm … I wouldn’t say it was on my mind,” the left-hander said with a laugh. “Really it was just to go as long as they would let me. Whatever they told me to
