There are things you find out about ballplayers at 10 p.m.
They all matter in the end, and all of these experiences ultimately shape young ballplayers into the finished products they will become in due time.
“The pitches that aren’t located and going to get hit hard, and most of the time they’re home runs right now,” he said in his postgame Zoom session with reporters.
The former Dodgers prospect, a key piece acquired for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, struck out six, didn’t walk anybody and again showed off an impressive repertoire of pitches.
The Nationals, who had three chances with the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, have now lost 10 of 11, their lone win coming thanks to Riley Adams’ score-flipping homer with two outs in the ninth in Atlanta on Saturday.
“I can’t complain about the way these guys are going out and playing,” manager Davey Martinez said.
But the hope at the time was that the storm would blow through and the game would be able to begin on time.
And by 9:30 p.m., the fans were told they could return to their seats, and a few minutes later first pitch was announced for 10:15 p.m.
“I was just pacing around, watching some of the games that were on in the clubhouse and the batting cage, checking on the field occasionally to see how the rain was,” Gray said.
So it was that the Nationals began a home game this late for the first time since Aug.
Those who stuck it out tonight weren’t lacking in enthusiasm when the Nats finally took the field, Gray leading the way.
But that’s all the Nats would get against Morton, squandering several other opportunities to add a third, fourth or fifth run off the veteran right-hander.
For four innings, it didn’t matter because the young righty was on point, allowing just one runner to reach base while striking out five.
He’s been one of those quiet guys who just goes out there and does his job.
As the clock approached midnight, though, Gray began to fade, victimized not by sustained rallies or a complete loss of command but by the longball.
As careful as they’ve been with him so far, the Nationals could’ve pulled Gray after the sixth, when his pitch count was 77.
On this late night – or early morning, depending how you want to view it – they learned Gray indeed has the stuff and poise to be a big part of the future but is far from a finished product yet.
“I knew I could go out and get those hitters out again with my best stuff,” he said.