Asked before last night’s game what he wanted to see from Paolo Espino in the 34-year-old right-hander’s sixth start of the season (and 17th overall appearance), Washington Nationals’ manager Davey Martinez said really the same as usual.
“Just to attack the strike zone, a mix of all his pitches,” the skipper explained.
“For Espino it’s about getting strike one and getting ahead of hitters. When he gets ahead of hitters he’s pretty productive. So, we told him that — same conversation that we had with Jon Lester about attacking the strike zone, not to be so fine with all his pitches — but attacking the strike zone early in the count and getting some early swings and not going 3-1, 3-2 on hitters, just getting ahead and staying ahead.