Blake Butera made some rookie mistakes for the Washington Nationals last night
Last night was the first time you could really tell that Nats manager Blake Butera is learning on the job
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 20: Manager Blake Butera #10 of the Washington Nationals walks across the field during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park on April 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images Overall, I think Blake Butera has done a solid job in his first few weeks as Nats manager. Sure, there are some bullpen decisions you could question, but he does not have many great options.
However, I thought the Nats first year manager showed his inexperience in a big way last night. Clearly there was a script to use both Miles Mikolas and Riley Cornelio. After opener PJ Poulin surprisingly got five outs, the ball was handed to Mikolas.
The veteran right hander was solid, going 3. 2 innings, allowing 2 runs. He was not outstanding, but he gave the Nats a chance to win.
When Mikolas ran into trouble in the 6th inning, Butera turned to Richard Lovelady, not the debuting Cornelio. That move made sense as there was a stack of left handed hitters coming up. The Nats got out of that inning only allowing one run, which set up the 7th inning.