Blake Butera made some rookie mistakes for the Washington Nationals last night

Q: What mistakes did Blake Butera make as manager of the Nationals?

Blake Butera made several mistakes, including mismanaging pitcher Riley Cornelio and failing to pinch hit for Nasim Nunez in a crucial moment.

Q: Why was the decision to use Riley Cornelio considered a mistake?

Using Riley Cornelio, a debuting starter, in a high-leverage relief role was seen as unfair and ultimately backfired, leading to the Nationals losing the game.

Q: How did the Nationals perform in the game against the White Sox?

The Nationals held a 3-2 lead at one point but ultimately lost the game due to poor pitching decisions and execution.

Q: What impact might Blake Butera's mistakes have on his future as a manager?

Butera's mistakes could affect his credibility and decision-making confidence, but his youthful energy and potential for growth may still benefit the team in the long run.

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. With the Nats holding a 3-2 lead, Butera had a choice. He could either stick to the script and use Cornelio, or use more traditional high leverage relievers. Butera turned to Cornelio, which ended up being a mistake. It was just an unfair spot to put the kid into. Cornelio is a starter by trade, and does not really have experience in the bullpen. He was inevitably over-amped and did not have his command in this outing. After walking the first two batters of his career, Cornelio then made an error on a bunt hit to him. The ended up taking the lead in that inning. After the Nats tied the game in the top of the 8th, Butera should have turned to another reliever. I get the plan was to use Cornelio for multiple innings, but it was pretty clear the kid did not have it. Instead, Butera kept Cornelio in the game. Just like his first inning, Cornelio was erratic and allowed the go-ahead run to score. This was a situation where Butera should have used some feel instead of sticking with a script that was not working. That was not the only mistake Butera made last night either. He tried to run the first and third play again, this time with nobody out. It is pretty clear that teams know the Nats have that play in their back pocket. Butera has lost the element of surprise and probably should not run that play for a while. He also elected not to pinch hit for Nasim Nunez in the top of the 9th inning in a one run game. I get and are better against lefties, but I have more faith in them to make something happen than Nunez. Overall, it was just a rough night for Butera. The biggest mistake was that Cornelio move though. It was just unfair to the kid, who was clearly emotional after the game. Putting a debuting starting pitcher in a high leverage relief role is just not a smart idea, and it predictably backfired. I do not want to rag on Butera too much. I still like Butera as a manager and think he has brought much needed energy to this clubhouse. His youthful enthusiasm is something that has been missing for a couple years now. However, he showed his inexperience last night and hopefully he can learn from his mistake.