Washington Nationals reliever Trevor Rosenthal retired a batter for the first time this season on Wednesday night after allowing the first 10 he faced to reach safely.
Rosenthal came into the game in the ninth inning with the Nationals leading the Philadelphia Phillies 15-0. He walked Rhys Hoskins to open the inning before striking out Andrew Knapp. Rosenthal then walked Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez to load the bases, gave up a run on a groundout by Maikel Franco, but retired Aaron Altherr on a flyout to end the game.
Rosenthal entered the game with an ERA of infinity but lowered that to 72.00 on Wednesday.
"I felt the same I've been feeling, just trying to handle the emotions of being back and the early struggles," Rosenthal told reporters after the game, according to The Washington Post. "My teammates have been incredibly supportive of me. It's been like a family, like everybody wants me to do really well. So I try to embrace that and keep working hard, and that's all I can pretty much do."
Rosenthal, 28, signed a one-year deal with the Nationals this offseason after missing the 2018 season following Tommy John surgery.
"It'll all work out in the end. It's just about learning from it as you go through it, and then eventually, on the backside, I could help anyone else out if they were going through something similar," he told reporters.
Before Rosenthal, the last pitcher to have each of the first 10 batters he faced in a season reach via hit, walk or hit-by-pitch was David Lundquist of the Padres in 2002, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
In his five appearances this season, Rosenthal has allowed 8 earned runs, giving up 4 hits and 7 walks.
The former St. Louis Cardinals closer has a 3.20 ERA in 333 appearances and has 121 saves.
Rosenthal came into the game in the ninth inning with the Nationals leading the Philadelphia Phillies 15-0. He walked Rhys Hoskins to open the inning before striking out Andrew Knapp. Rosenthal then walked Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez to load the bases, gave up a run on a groundout by Maikel Franco, but retired Aaron Altherr on a flyout to end the game.
Rosenthal entered the game with an ERA of infinity but lowered that to 72.00 on Wednesday.
"I felt the same I've been feeling, just trying to handle the emotions of being back and the early struggles," Rosenthal told reporters after the game, according to The Washington Post. "My teammates have been incredibly supportive of me. It's been like a family, like everybody wants me to do really well. So I try to embrace that and keep working hard, and that's all I can pretty much do."
Rosenthal, 28, signed a one-year deal with the Nationals this offseason after missing the 2018 season following Tommy John surgery.
"It'll all work out in the end. It's just about learning from it as you go through it, and then eventually, on the backside, I could help anyone else out if they were going through something similar," he told reporters.
Before Rosenthal, the last pitcher to have each of the first 10 batters he faced in a season reach via hit, walk or hit-by-pitch was David Lundquist of the Padres in 2002, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
In his five appearances this season, Rosenthal has allowed 8 earned runs, giving up 4 hits and 7 walks.
The former St. Louis Cardinals closer has a 3.20 ERA in 333 appearances and has 121 saves.
