Nats reunion satisfying for Aníbal, Clippard

WASHINGTON -- The Nationals turned back the clock -- twice -- on Thursday against the Braves.

The series opener at Nationals Park began with 38-year-old starter Aníbal Sánchez taking the mound for his first Major League outing since Sept. 26, 2020. The nostalgia continued when 37-year-old reliever Tyler Clippard made his first appearance for the Nats since Oct. 6, 2014, in Game 3 of the National League Division Series.

“All those butterflies just came to me,” Sánchez said after the Nats’ 5-4 loss. “I had a few years that I didn’t feel that, but today, just everything came back. For me, it’s being competitive again. That’s the adrenaline. It made me feel good today.”

After playing for the Nationals from 2019-20, Sánchez sat out the entire ‘21 season. He inked a Minor League deal to return to the Nats in Spring Training, and he earned a spot in the starting rotation at the end of camp. But rather than making his ‘22 debut in early April, Sánchez missed 89 games on the injured list because of a cervical nerve impingement he sustained on the team flight back from camp.

He required a lengthy rehab and four Minor League starts before he got the call last weekend that he was cleared to pitch, wiping away any uncertainties he had considered about his big league future.

“'This is it,'” Sánchez said he thought to himself the morning of his season debut. “'This is the day that I’m working for, that I asked for. Let’s show what I’ve got, because it’s not easy at my age to keep competitive with the young guys.' But I think I did pretty good overall.”

Sánchez struck out five and allowed four runs on four hits (including two homers) and two walks over five innings across 90 pitches (52 strikes). After allowing a leadoff walk to Ronald Acu?a Jr., followed by a dinger to Dansby Swanson, he settled in and tossed 1-2-3 third and fourth frames. Sánchez exited after the fifth inning, during which he gave up a go-ahead two-run homer to Michael Harris II.

“He put a lot of time and effort to get back and get healthy,” manager Dave Martinez said. “To see him go out there and it come to fruition, it was awesome. I talked to him after the game, he gave me a big hug. Typical Aníbal -- he was upset, frustrated. But I told him, ‘You waited a long time for that, but I thought you did well. You were one pitch away from doing some really good things.’”

Like Sánchez, Clippard’s reunion with the Nats began in West Palm Beach, Fla., this March. He pitched for Washington from 2008-14, and he most recently appeared in 26 games for the D-backs last season. Although he felt ready for the Major League roster when he entered Spring Training, he was assigned to Triple-A Rochester.

Clippard made 33 appearances for the Red Wings, going 4-1 with one save and a 2.48 ERA over 36 1/3 innings. Within the last month, he began to ponder if he would need to go elsewhere to make it back to the bigs. When the Nationals called him up, he was “glad it worked out the way it did.” He reflected on his influential time in Washington during his six-hour drive to Nationals Park on Wednesday.

“The most memorable moments of my career were here,” Clippard said. “Stepping into the stadium again with the Curly W, it gets me a little bit, man. It's emotional for me. I'm happy. This is going to be a fun few months."

Clippard soaked in not one, but two innings in his season debut. He hurled scoreless eighth and ninth frames to keep the Nationals within striking distance. Throwing 16 of his 24 pitches for strikes with a comprehensive mix, Clippard allowed only one hit and collected one strikeout.

“I’m glad the camera wasn’t on me when I was warming up for that outing -- I was a little all over the joint,” Clippard said. “But I settled in once I got out there. That’s how it always works: you get the nervousness and the butterflies. But once you get the hitter in the box, you’ve got to lock it in. I’ve done it a few times, so I got comfortable and it felt fun.

“That run in from the bullpen was probably the coolest part for me. I haven’t felt that good running in a long time.”

Sánchez and Clippard will look to stay in the Nationals’ starting rotation and bullpen, respectively, as pitching is at a premium amid key injuries. For a club that is focused on development this season, they bring a veteran presence and timeless insight their teammates can embrace.

“These guys are valuable when you’re trying to bring up youth, because there’s always teaching moments throughout the game,” Martinez said. “They’ve been really good, and I’m proud of them going out there and competing the way they have been and teaching the young players how to compete as well.”