Interim manager Jerry Manuel had not used Bobby Parnell since the rookie joined the Mets when rosters expanded Sept. 1. But with the unsettled state of the bullpen, Manuel had planned to have the hard-throwing right hander toss a simulated game Tuesday afternoon to see if he might be usable down the stretch.
But that simulated game won't occur. With the Mets trailing by five runs in the eighth against the Nationals on Monday night, Manuel instead inserted Parnell into the game for his big-league debut. A week after his 24th birthday, Parnell required only eight pitches for a 1-2-3 inning. Now Manuel is pledging to try him again, perhaps in a more meaningful spot. Parnell is viewed as a future closer candidate, though he won't be thrust into anything close to that role in the season's final 13 games.
Parnell worked nearly exclusively as a starter in the minors.
"It's definitely different," Parnell said of relief pitching. "You have to stay on your toes."
Said Manuel: "I've got to give him another look."
NATIONALS 7, METS 2: The Mets' NL East lead was trimmed to one-half game over the Phillies with Monday's loss to the last-place Nationals. Pedro Martinez allowed four runs in six innings and Duaner Sanchez surrendered a crushing three-run homer to Elijah Dukes in the seventh that gave Washington a six-run lead.
After the Mets closed to within five runs in the eighth, David Wright grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
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