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Nationals' Doolittle feels 'out of whack' due to workload

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Sean Doolittle locked down Monday's victory against the Cincinnati Reds, but certainly didn't make it look easy.

The Washington Nationals closer allowed two runs on three hits - including a homer - en route to his 27th save of the season, attributing the shakiness to his workload.

"I haven't really amassed this kind of bulk in several years," Doolittle said during an appearance on "Grant and Danny Show" on 106.7 The Fan, according to Grant Paulsen. "There's nights like last night where you feel a little bit out of whack, a little bit sluggish. It catches up to you after a while."

The 32-year-old lefty has already amassed 50 2/3 innings this season, eclipsing last year's total of 45 frames. Doolittle set a career-high 69 innings back in 2013 as a member of the Oakland Athletics and tossed 62 2/3 frames in the following season - the only other time he has eclipsed the 60-inning plateau.

Washington has been forced to rely heavily on Doolittle this season with the rest of the bullpen struggling all year. The Nats' bullpen ranks 10th in the National League by FanGraphs WAR and has posted a league-worst 6.05 ERA.

The workload does seem to be taking a toll on the two-time All-Star, who has a career-high 3.73 ERA and 3.55 FIP with the Nationals this year.

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