PHILADELPHIA — Tim Redding has heard it all about the Washington Nationals’ rotation. How the Nationals don’t have a single reliable starter on the roster. How these five pitchers remain the weak link of an otherwise improved club.
Redding refused to give that kind of talk any credence all spring. The 30-year-old right-hander consistently propped up his fellow rotation mates, insisting this group was better than advertised.
“We weren’t cocky, but I think we were confident that we could play with these guys,” he said. “Go out there and believe. Believe that we can compete. Believe that we can play with anybody in the league. We’re going out there every game believing that we have a chance to win.”
So far, the Nationals have done just that. And with the kind of pitching gem befitting a front-line, big league starter, Redding last night added another improbable chapter to this young season. He authored seven innings of one-hit ball en route to a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington’s third straight win to open the year.
Ryan Zimmerman provided the only offense needed at Citizens Bank Park, lofting a solo homer down the right-field line off Cole Hamels in the sixth.
And the Nationals’ reconfigured bullpen managed to cobble together the evening’s final six outs, with Luis Ayala getting three ground balls in the eighth and Jon Rauch (subbing for injured closer Chad Cordero) retiring the top of the Phillies lineup in the ninth to earn his seventh career save.
But the star of the night clearly was Redding, who came through seven shutout innings without a single man reaching second base.
“Tremendous,” manager Manny Acta said.
Said Rauch: “The guy goes out there and busts his tail for seven innings.”
There was plenty of concern over the state of the Nationals’ rotation all spring and for good reason. The two men who were supposed to serve as the No. 1 and No. 2 starters — Shawn Hill and John Patterson — didn’t make it to Opening Night. Hill landed on the disabled list with a sore right forearm; Patterson landed on the waiver wire after getting released the final week of March.
That left Washington with a hodgepodge of arms to open the season, including journeyman Odalis Perez and second-year left-hander Matt Chico as the top two starters.
But through it all, Redding (who posted a 3.64 ERA in 15 starts last season) went about his business and strung together strong starts all spring. He suffered a brief hiccup late in camp when he tweaked his back pitching against the Florida Marlins but quickly recovered and never had to push his throwing schedule back.
“Because of what he did for us last year, I kind of feel that he can go out there and give us five-to-six quality innings,” Acta said.
Redding far surpassed those limits on a chilly, windy evening at the ballpark. He allowed only Pedro Feliz’s second-inning single and three walks.
All that despite spending Tuesday in bed suffering the effects of some bad food he ate the previous night.
“I had oysters for the first time in my life,” he said. “I don’t think they agree with me.”
The crowd of 44,986 never would have known Redding struggled physically, not even when he started to falter in the seventh by walking Ryan Howard with one out and falling behind Pat Burrell 2-0. But with the bullpen beginning to stir, Redding came back strong and coaxed a hard smash to third out of Burrell. Zimmerman made a nifty play to short-hop the ball, then set in motion a 5-4-3 double play that ended the inning and had Redding pumping his right fist in celebration.
“I was kind of disgusted and thought it was through for a hit,” the pitcher said. “And then I forgot I’ve got a Gold Glove-caliber third baseman over there.”
Zimmerman also has a knack for coming through at the plate, just as he did last night in driving in the game’s lone run. With Washington unable to muster anything against Hamels, Zimmerman struck in the sixth, belting a high 1-2 fastball.
On a night in which Redding was in top form, that was all the offense Washington needed to keep its perfect record intact.
“These are the kind of wins that build character,” Zimmerman said.
TODAY’S GAME
Nationals RHP Jason Bergmann Record, ERA: 6-6, 4.45 (in 2007)
Phillies LHP Jamie Moyer Record, ERA: 14-12, 5.01 (2007)
Time: 1:05, TV: MASN
CHAT EXCERPT
Join Mark Zuckerman each Wednesday on washingtontimes.com for a live chat:
From Steve in Fairfax Station:
I think the improved lineup will score more runs, but to me the other half of the equation is pitching. I’m not sold on the current starting rotation because of health concerns or because they didn’t pan out with other teams. Do you see the Nats working out a trade this season for a real front-line starter — someone who can win them at least 15 games and doesn’t have a history of health issues? Otherwise it seems we’re looking at another 73-win season.
Mark Zuckerman: You are absolutely justified in being worried about the rotation. There’s nothing close to a sure thing in there, and that will ultimately decide the Nats’ fate in 2008 more than the lineup or bullpen or anything else. I don’t, however, see this team trading for a proven starting pitcher (not unless they’re in a pennant race come July). I do see them promoting several of their top prospects from Class AAA Columbus as this season plays out. The rotation may be Perez-Chico-Redding-Bergmann-Hill right now, but come August it could very well be Lannan-Mock-Balester-Clippard-O’Connor.
$>E-mail your questions each week to natsmailbag@washingtontimes.com
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