WASHINGTON -- After three appearances back in the rotation, right-hander Brad Lord has returned to starter mode.
“I would definitely say the throwing going into the sixth inning and then now being able to get up to 90 pitches again, I feel like it’s like, ‘All right, I’m back full-go,’” Lord said.
Lord threw 92 pitches (58 strikes) across 4 2/3 innings on Sunday in the Nationals’ 14-3 loss to the Brewers. The jump from 59 pitches in his 5 1/3-inning start on Monday in Houston marked progress for Lord.
“It’s good for building the amount of pitches I can throw and building innings,” Lord said. “I still felt good. I wasn’t really tired, and so it’s a promising sign.”
Lord had been a starter until this Spring Training, when he transitioned into the ‘pen in Major League camp and made the Opening Day roster. He was placed back in the rotation for six starts early this season while Michael Soroka was sidelined, returned to the bullpen from May 11 to July 12, then was tabbed to replace the injured Trevor Williams after the All-Star break.
Lord is 1-5 with a 4.02 ERA in nine starts (40 1/3 innings) and 1-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 29 relief appearances (38 2/3 innings) this season.
“I wasn’t executing my fastball as much as I was in the last two outings,” said Lord. “I threw a lot more balls, worked deep into counts. But they battled and they fouled pitches off.”
On Sunday, Lord allowed six hits, two walks and three runs and recorded six strikeouts against the MLB-leading Brewers. He worked through three consecutive hits in the first inning and a two-run homer to Brice Turang in the second.
“He actually had pretty good stuff,” said Milwaukee shortstop Joey Ortiz. “I thought he was mixing the ball [well], in and out -- at least I noticed to righties -- and had a really good sinker. So I mean, you just tried to get him out over [the plate] and try and get a good swing off.
Lord, 25, was an 18th-round pick by the Nationals in the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of South Florida. He advanced from High-A to Triple-A throughout last season as a starter, and he was named a co-winner of the Nationals Way Minor League Award.
“That was good scouting,” said interim manager Miguel Cairo. “The development in the Minor Leagues, it was awesome with him. You see, he can do it as a reliever, and he’s showing right now that he can do it as a starter in the big leagues. That tells you everything.”
Following Thursday's Trade Deadline, when Soroka was traded to the Cubs, the Nationals’ starting rotation includes MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker and Lord. The club has not announced a starter for Wednesday.
“I feel like I’d definitely be fully built up,” Lord said of his next outing. “Being able to go 90 pitches today I kind of feel like set me to be built up for the next starts.”