WASHINGTON - Let’s start with Brian Matusz and his hamstring cramps.
“It was just two pitches prior. I felt a hamstring cramp up, and it’s one of those things I try to walk off, shake off. It just held up on a ball in the back of my hamstring. Not much more I could do than that, so I made the right decision to come out of the game. But it’s just one of those things that happens. It was a hot day today, probably a little bit dehydrated, one of those things. But I’ve just got to take care of it and move on.
“I’ve had cramps before during a game where you’ll feel a cramp in your hamstring, you’re able to walk it off. Today, I felt the cramp and my next pitch it was still locked up. It was locked up and I just didn’t have everything behind it. It was just one of those things with the hot day and everything. We’ll take care of it and move forward.
“I felt fine the whole game. I felt really good that last inning. That sixth inning, I just made a bad pitch there to (Michael) Morse. You see (Ryan) Zimmerman swinging the bat really well, able to take that curveball and sit back on it, take it the other way. So they just stringed together a couple hits there and got things going. That’s the name of the game, jump on top of the other team when things aren’t flowing their way, and they did a good job.”
Matusz isn’t sure whether he’ll make his next start, but he’s fairly confident.
“It’s too hard to tell,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a strain or anything like that. It’s just a cramp and one of those things that might be a little bit sore tomorrow, but I’ve just got to take it day by day.”
At least his results were better than his previous outing.
“It was a huge step forward from my last start,” he said. “That was pretty evident, but there’s still a lot of room to go, still a lot of building, a lot more room for improvement. You want to go out there every day when you pitch and compete well enough to give your team a chance to win. Today, just not enough. But it was a lot better than my last outing, just being able to move forward and keep it going.
“I think I’m getting right on track to where I need to be and I’m just going to continue working hard each and every day and get back to my normal self.”
Now let’s go to Luke Scott, who was removed for a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning because of back spasms.
“First swing of the day, slider inside, I got some spasms going on in my back. I just finished the at-bat, kept going, hoping that the pain would subside or loosen up. Then, it just kept staying tight and, especially when I breathe and take a deep breath. It was hard for me to move.
“I’ve had this three or four times in my career. I’ve had it go away within in a day and I’ve had it last three days, four days.
“It’s tight right now because I just got done icing it.”
Could he end up on the disabled list?
“I don’t think so,” he said. “That’s from my experience with this happening, I don’t think so.
“It’s frustrating. It’s hard to express in words. But tomorrow is another day. Got to put today behind us and focus on the opportunities we have ahead of us.”