Starter Erick Fedde appears to be preparing him for the national championships

And why would it be?

Fedde is an aspiring buddy, a renowned competitor, conditioned to concentrate all his energy on the batter at a distance of 60 feet and 6 inches. So, he was there on Tuesday night, on the mound of Citizens Bank Park, watching Martinez come closer and hope that it did not mean he was offside. Fedde admitted later, laughing, that he said "unfortunate things". But Martinez had no plans to catch Fedde, not right away, not before talking to the pitcher to see what was left in Tuesday's first game. .

"I asked him, "What do you have? It's time for me to treat you like a big boy, "said Martinez after the match. "He said," I want him out. I said, "Well, it's your game, keep going and get it out."

[Svrluga: Ryan Zimmerman has always been a Nat. But will he always be a Nat?]

Instead, Fedde walked Rhys Hoskins and was released once the four ball was thrown. But Martinez's decision in this situation – with a runner already running, two outs in sixth of a tight game and one of the Phillies' best hitters – hinted at Fedde's progress this month. Fedde, 25, was the best prospect for the national pitchers this season and then missed most of the summer with a shoulder injury. Tuesday's departure was her second since she left the list of disabled people. He also proved to be the best start of his young career, having made 5 2/3 sleeves with just two hits.

He had never finished a start with less than three points on the display board. He has never received so much trust from his manager.

"My fastball has gone well today, "Fedde said. "I've been able to order it from both sides of the plate and I really think it just opened all the rest."

On September 4, on his first return from the injury, Martinez thought Fedde was moving away from his fastball and was too dependent on his slider. Fedde launched three scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, facing 13 batters, allowing no shots and a walk. But he was burned by a fourth round of poor quality that ended with four earned runs on his line.

[Juan Soto caps Nationals’ rally in Game 2 as they sweep doubleheader]

He agreed with Martinez's assessment that his slider was good, but that he should have thrown more fastballs. His chance to put these tips into practice was then delayed twice in the rain, Sunday and Monday, but Fedde still managed to jump into the fields to keep his arm free. Since his operation at Tommy John in 2014, Fedde feels his arm stiffening when he takes a day off. This has worried Martinez in recent days, especially when Fedde was throwing shorts and a t-shirt in the rain, but Tuesday's results justified the approach.

"He was attacking the strike zone. he was really good, "said Martinez. "Keeping the ball on the ground, used all his grounds. He was good. I wanted to give him a chance to go out and face Hoskins, he said that he felt good and that he was shooting the ball well, so he did very well.

In four days, the Nationals swept their second double and gave Fedde its second win of the season. But it mattered a lot more when we looked through a wide lens. The nationals are 73-72 with 16 games to play. They are approaching the mathematical elimination despite a series of four consecutive victories. The biggest draws this September will be those of the future, like the left side defender Juan Soto, aged 19, or the emergence of young weapons in the center, or Fedde. start the rotation.

[Joe Ross could start again for the Nationals on Thursday, weather permitting]

When the Nationals start building their team of the future, there are Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Tanner Roark and two interrogation points at the back. These slots can be filled in a free agency, or internally, or a combination of both, and Fedde should have two other chances to express his position. On Tuesday, his testimony included a fast two-sided ball that embraced the mid-90s and a tail at the end of his run. It included a reliable cursor that was not overloaded. This included the confidence needed to face Hoskins, regardless of the outcome, as his throwing counter reached 100 shots.

And, for at least one September night, everything was hard to ignore.

Learn more about nationals:

SvrlugaRyan Zimmerman has always been a Nat. But will he still be a Nat?

Juan Soto leads the national rally in the second match

Joe Ross could start again for the national championships on Thursday, weather permitting

The Nationals approach to all these rain delays? "All that will keep you healthy minded"