The Nationals beat the New York Mets Tuesday behind six shutout innings from starter Josiah Gray and a home run from Keibert Ruiz, two players who, Washington general Mike Rizzo told 106.7 The Fan they are "two of the guys that we're gonna count on to be part of that next championship run."
"I think they're both young exciting players that have a lot of upside and personality and I think they're just good for the city and good for the game," Rizzo said during his weekly appearance with 106.7 The Fan's The Sports Junkies, which is presented exclusively by our partners at MainStreet Bank — Cheer Local. Bank Local. Put Our Team in Your Office.
"Obviously it's gonna be dictated on how well they play, but I think they have the talent and the skill level to do it. And I think they have the instincts to be championship-caliber players," Rizzo said. "I just think they're really, both of them, are scratching the surface, they're good young players with the chance to be much better."
Rizzo thought the club played "good, clean baseball" in a "professional" win over the Mets.
"We got some timely hits and Gray and [Mason] Thompson were outstanding against... you know, that's a helluva lineup you have to navigate against and they did it well," the GM told the Junkies.
In his best performance of the year, Gray kept New York off-balance with a good mix of fastballs and his offspeed pitches to scatter four hits and one walk over six innings pitched while striking out nine batters. And the 25-year-old right-hander did so in an efficient 91 pitches with 60 strikes. Thompson got the rare save in a five-run game by pitching three innings of scoreless relief allowing just one hit and striking out four on 28 pitches (22 for strikes).
"He's throwing the ball extremely well," Rizzo said of Gray.
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Gray got his first win on the season after finally getting some run support after the Nationals put up just a single run in support of his first four starts this season. The Nats hitters poured on 11 hits while walking six times, with Ruiz and Joey Meneses each having three-hit nights.
The Nationals turn to fellow young pitcher MacKenzie Gore on Wednesday and Rizzo said there is "nothing on paper in terms of an innings limit" for the 24-year-old left-hander.
"We're gonna try and get him through the season as we did [Gray] last year, we got him through a full season, that's the next step in the progression, I feel," Rizzo told the Junkies. "It's such a long season if you can get your 28-31 starts that's a real developmental coup. I think that's the next step in your progression as a pitcher. We're going to do everything we can to get MacKenzie through this season healthy and finish the season strong."
When asked for an update about Stephen Strasburg, Rizzo said there was "no change" in the diagnosis for now on the former World Series MVP, but he is around the ballpark when the Nationals are playing home.
"He's trying to work his way back and that's the way we're gonna keep it," Rizzo told The Junkies. "We're going to make sure that he's got every avenue that he can for him to get better and see where he's at periodically through the season."
The GM explained the issue is "a conglomerate of the injuries over the years and then you throw in the new thoracic outlet injury and it just has taken a large toll all over the course of the right side of his body.
"He's trying to strengthen and strengthen and strengthen and stretch and be more flexible and stronger on that side of the body. But it's a slow, painstaking rehabilitation."
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