So, so true.
Washington Nationals Homestand Review
After correctly predicting on 25th July that come the end of the Nationals homestand they would be sat on 53 wins, the Nats didnt disappoint. That said, the manner in which they reached it was not forecast; swept by the Marlins, then rebounding to win the series against the Mets and the Braves is the exact opposite of what had been anticipated. So how do these past nine games impact upon the objectives stated in my prior post?
- Get a few games clear of Florida
This has not happened, prior to Marlins V Mets game three the Nationals are now two games back on Florida, two worse than before the homestand. FAIL.
- Reclaim 3rd spot from the Mets
Prior to the homestand the Nats were two games off third spot and will be three gamess off third by the morning of 4th August. FAIL.
- Lay down the gauntlet to the Braves
Still ten games behind Atlanta, this homestand has not seen any improvements in Washington. FAIL.
On reflection then, this homestand will have hurt the Nationals as they failed to make home advantage count and close the ever increasing daylight between themselves and the rest of the pack. One small mercy is that despite going 4-5 they have to feel as though third spot is still attainable (with the Mets and Marlins looking pretty even right now). Ultimately however it is a case of what might have been, if the Nationals had played as well against the Astros and the Dodgers as well as they did against the Mets and the Braves they would easily be mingling with the Marlins and the Mets for third…as it stands however the Nats are nursing that familiar neck ache that only comes from looking up.
Washington Nationals Homestand 26th July-3rd August
After poor recent performances against the Astros and the Dodgers, the importance of the Washington Nationals next nine games has risen significantly. In an all NL-East homestand the objectives must surely be the following:
- Get a few games clear of Florida
- Reclaim 3rd spot from the Mets
- Lay down the gauntlet to the Braves
Atlanta have several tricky series’ in August so if the Washington Nationals can close that gap then that Wild Card spot may just be a possibility going into September. Realistically it is a huge ask, but the frustrating thing is that towards the end of the Riggleman era it really did look like a possibility. Under DJ the spirit has wavered and the ‘can do’ approach has been replaced by a ‘what will be will be, we are a young team’ mentality that has resulted in a series of errors and sloppy play against sides that the Nationals really should have swept. As it is the basement door is wide open and whoever loses tonight’s opener at Nationals Park will wake up in bottom spot on Wednesday morning.
My prediction? Nationals will win the series 2-1 against the Marlins but lose 2-1 to the Mets. The Braves series should be an interesting one but by then it’ll be too late, the Nationals need sweeps, and going up against Atlanta knowing they haven’t done that will count against them so another 2-1 defeat is a real possibility.
Prediction: by the morning of August 4th the Nationals will be on 53 wins
Cubs V Nationals
Tonight the Washington Nationals have the chance to do the sweep over a poor Cubs side, but only a few weeks ago the Nats were swept themselves by the Angels so you have to wonder: where is the consistency? Sure the Angels are a stronger side than the Cubs so the calibre plays a part but am I the only Nats fan that isnt quite feeling it yet since DJ took the reigns?
That sense of excitement towards the end of the Riggleman era when we were winning some big boy games was just beautiful and has been replaced by somewhat fortuitous, yet hard fought victories offset by errors creeping back into our game, and bats going quiet.
Yes on Nationals terms we are having a good season, but bearing in mind the way we were rolling over teams a couple of months back, is it too much for me to want just a little bit more?
After watching how hard the Washington Nationals fought to get over the .500 mark it is with great sadness that I watched the recent series against the Angels and saw them pass that accolade over to their opponents, who now sit on 42-40 while the Nationals have dropped down to 40-41.
It was all going so well until recently, so what has changed? The management has for one, and while we should give that time to settle down before jumping to hasty conclusions you cant help but question the current lineup decisions. It is very frustrating to see players like Bixler and Stairs stepping up to the plate, doing nothing, then getting picked again for the next game. The Nationals lineup is pretty decent these days, Bernadina, Werth, Zimmerman, Espinosa, Morse, Nix - all names that you feel confident with, but I just don’t get it with the other two. They add very little, and it can be no coincidence that we were winning without them, and are now losing with them.
Rectify.
28/06/11
Final: WSH 3, LAA, 4
You will not win ball games playing Matt Stairs and Brian Bixler. That is all.
27/06/11
Lineup v Angels
6/27 lineup vs Angels: Bernadina CF, Werth RF, Zimmerman 3B, Nix LF, Morse 1B, Espinosa 2B, Ramos C, Stairs DH, Desmond SS, Lannan P
My only comment here really is: what the hell is Stairs doing in there?!
27/06/11
Washington Nationals (40-38) @ L.A. Angels (39-40)
West coast series are an unenviable task for a UK based baseball fan and with a 3:05am start, dont expect any play by play commentary. It is frustrating becuase it should be an interesting game, Davey Johnson’s first game in charge and another good challenge for the Nats up against a side that they should be beating if they want to realise their goal of hitting the Wildcard spot.
Jayson Werth needs to start pulling his finger out soon, John Lannan needs to keep pitching like a God, the Angels need to continue to post up poor results at home, and with a bit of luck the Braves might drop a game or two. No line-ups have been posted yet but fingers crossed no Brian Bixler and no major changes from the norm. If the above guidlines are followed then the Nationals should post a victory tonight/tomorrow morning (depending where you are watching).
Predition - Nationals Win
What do you think?
25/06/11
Final: WSH 9, CWS, 5
Quite a game, and quite a result that will allay any fears Nationals fans may have had about the wheels coming off now that Jim Riggleman has taken his nuts and bolts away. It took 14 innings but the Nats eventually got the result that they deserved, after a throwing error allowed runners to come home. After Nats’ recent bottom of the ninth antics it seemed only fair that Chicago would bite back at the death, leveling the game with a two on home run with one out. Washington then blew leads in the 10th and 12th innings but the White Sox never managed to get their noses in front.
Another fine performance from Jordan Zimmermann, as well as Morse, Nix, and the man with the worlds best name Roger Bernadina all capped a big boy performance from a side really devloping nicely. Significantly also were results from elsewhere that the Marlins, Braves, and Mets all lost, making this victory resonate even more in the AL East.
