Nationals Manager Riggleman Tries to Keep MacDougal's Confidence Up

Several hours before Monday's game, Washington Nationals interim manager Jim Riggleman held a brief meeting with his closer, Mike MacDougal, whose ERA has taken a beating in the last few weeks. Riggleman, who was joined for the chat by pitching coach Steve McCatty, had a simple goal: He wanted to ensure that MacDougal's confidence didn't take a beating, too. Though the conversation won't help the closer curb his recent problems, Riggleman reminded the closer that he hasn't been hit hard. He's just been wild.

"You're not a fun guy to hit against," Riggleman later said, paraphrasing the message. "Good things are ahead if you can somehow find that strike zone more consistently."

One day after a horrid three-run, 10th-inning performance against Atlanta, MacDougal on Monday rebounded in Washington's 2-1 victory. Though MacDougal has a reputation for control problems, he showed none of them in his 1-2-3 inning against the Mets. It was clean and easy. Eleven pitches, three groundball outs.

"I went out there and kind of challenged them and made the hit my pitches," MacDougal said.

"It was huge today for him to come right back and be composed," Riggleman added.

Sunday had been a tense low point for MacDougal, who blasted apart a 10th-inning tie game with a walk, a hit batsman, two infield dribblers and a single to center. MacDougal eventually allowed three earned runs in Washington's 6-3 loss.

"It's always helpful, that sort of communication," MacDougal said of the meeting. "I think it's one of those things, I've given up a lot of dinkers, but that is how it goes. It's kind of been that way the last few days, but we still have a few more games, so hopefully I can fix that up and finish strong."

Nieves Available to Play

Catcher Wil Nieves, who has missed the last 1 1/2 weeks because of a left hamstring pull, will be available to play Tuesday. Nieves already feels ready to resume catching, but Riggleman wanted to sit him out of Monday's game "just to err on the side of caution." Nieves injured his hamstring while running down the first base line on Sept. 17 against the Phillies. . . . The starting time for Saturday's game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field has been switched from 7 p.m. to 4:10 p.m., because it will be televised by Fox.