Williams' steady presence provides 'huge pick-me-up' for Nats

MIAMI -- Trevor Williams doesn’t have a great history with the Marlins, even though they’re the team that kickstarted his professional career.

Williams, who was selected by Miami in the second round of the 2013 MLB Draft, entered Friday with a career 5.26 ERA against the Marlins (51 1/3 innings over 13 games (eight starts)). Last year, Williams posted a whopping 7.59 ERA against Miami, and the Nationals lost all four of his starts against the club from South Florida.

But this year, things are different for Williams. After winning the fifth rotation spot following a tight Spring Training competition, Williams has shoved. On Friday in Miami, his hot start continued, delivering five innings of one-run ball en route to the Nationals’ 3-1 series-opening win at loanDepot park. Williams, who celebrated his birthday a day prior, has gone at least five innings in all five of his starts this year.

“He worked really hard on some things over the wintertime,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He had a different workout program as well. But the biggest thing is that he’s trusting his pitches, the shape of his pitches. He’s throwing his changeup really well, the fastball’s got a little giddyup at the end; he’s done really well.”

Williams echoed those sentiments. Part of trusting his arsenal involves utilizing them most effectively against certain opponents. On Friday, Williams leaned more heavily on his changeup, with it accounting for 35% of his pitches compared to the usual 16.5%. Paring that with his four-seam fastball, Williams negated a Miami offense that is stacked with would-be heavy hitters (though they’ve been a bit quiet this season).

“The Marlins have a great lineup; it’s a lineup that can grind out at-bats, it’s a lineup that can put the ball out of the yard at any moment,” Williams said. “They’re a good fastball-hitting team and for me, I need to -- I don’t have the most elite fastball, but I need to make it look elite. And the best way to do that is to mix it up.”

It helped that Williams got some backing, both offensively and defensively. Miami had a chance to plate a second run in the fourth inning, but Jacob Young and Luis García Jr. combined to throw out Nick Gordon at home plate for the final out of the inning.

Ironically, the Nats’ third run came on a similar play at the plate. With the bases loaded in the eighth inning, Joey Meneses smashed a two-run line-drive single to center field. Trey Lipscomb cruised home easily from third base, with CJ Abrams hot on his tail from second base. Abrams slipped under the tag at the plate to give the Nats that elusive third run.

“The Nationals got some really good hitters up and down the lineup,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “They’re not easy to play because they can run, they can do different things on the bases and they play small ball really well. They play defense. It's a really good team, in my opinion. I know that whatever in the past was our record, but that’s a different team -- that’s a really good team, I think.”

With Williams providing a steady presence on the mound, it enabled the Nationals to make progress in the biggest area they struggled in vs. the Dodgers: offense.

The win, perhaps the first step in exorcizing some demons in Miami (Washington went 2-11 vs. the club last year), is the latest sign not only of Williams’ progress as a pitcher, but also of the team’s faith in him.

“That was a huge pick-me-up for us,” Martinez said, “that [Trevor] stayed and he fought through some at-bats there, he fell behind, got back in the count, got some big outs.”

“I'm just thankful that Davey trusts me every five days to take the ball and do the best of my ability,” Williams said.