We're through five innings here at Disney, Nats leading the Braves 1-0 behind some solid pitching.
John Patterson started things off with three scoreless innings, allowing three singles, no runs, no walks while striking out three. Pretty good. He did need 60 pitches to make it through those three innings, which forced him to depart earlier than originally planned, but he wasn't too concerned about that.
Of more importance was the fact that Patterson threw free and easy with no pain in his surgically repaired right arm. Here's some quotes from John after he departed the game:
On overall performance: "It felt good. I felt a little bit stronger today than I did my first time out. Threw all my pitches. Threw strikes. Did what I wanted to do most of the night."
On sharp curveball: "I felt comfortable with my curveball. I felt pretty good about when I could throw it in the dirt and when I could throw it for a strike. It's been a pitch I've been comfortable with. I got more comfortable with my cutter tonight. I hadn't been throwing that pitch real well, and it was a good pitch for me tonight, especially to righties."
On reaching his 60-pitch limit after only three innings: "I'd like to sit down and get up as many times as I can. But at this point, I don't think it really matters. It's getting to those pitch limits and going throughout my day and getting my full day in."
On not obsessing about his velocity yet (his fastball was clocked between 85-87): "No, I'm not. If I was obsessing about it, I'd have gone out there and tried to throw it through a wall. I'm pitching, and that's important for me right now. Just pitch until my arm strength comes. That's the frame of mind I'm in."
On possibility of starting Opening Night: "It's a big day. It's going to be a really important day for the city of Washington. I would like to have that start. I think it would be a great honor to earn that after everything that's gone on the last couple of years, to show them that I can pitch again, and for them to have the confidence to give me that start. But I think I'll have to earn it. I don't think they're going to give it to anybody."
