Starting pitcher Ross Detwiler struggled throughout his 4 2/3-inning start against the Diamondbacks on Sunday. He gave up five runs on three hits and never really had good command in the 7-4 loss. The defeat ended Washington’s eight-game winning streak, but what happened after the loss showed how competitive Detwiler is and why he’s developing into a solid starting pitcher.
Manager Davey Johnson, when speaking to the media, said Detwiler was dealing with some tough health issues in the game. Johnson said the left-hander had sinus and stomach problems, couldn’t hold anything down, and really wasn’t feeling right. But when asked about it, Detwiler waved off those excuses, saying he wasn’t going to use them. He simply said he didn’t do his job right. “I was just trying to battle through it,” he said. “I was kind of fighting against myself all day. I just didn’t get the ball down today.”
Detwiler would be a top-level starter on most major league teams. But on the pitching-rich Nationals, he’s stuck battling for the No. 5 spot. However, they’re going to need him in some form in the playoffs. Depending upon what happens with the rotation and Chien-Ming Wang, Detwiler could still start or wind up instead in some kind of long-relief role.
But there’s no question the left-hander’s growing and getting better. The Nationals need that. He could wind up being a big weapon for them in the playoffs, and they need him to keep growing — which Detwiler’s been doing all season.