An aside on accountability

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The difference between a five-run shutout and a six-run shutout, the latter of which seemed a definite possibility as the nightcap of last night’s doubleheader between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals entered the bottom of the eighth inning, is insignificant.

The difference between a 6-6 tie and a one-run lead held by the home team heading into the top of the ninth, however, is huge.

After mounting a six-run comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning last night, the Nationals took a tied ballgame – what should have been a one-run lead – into the ninth inning. The Matt Kemp home run that followed should have tied the ballgame, not won it. But because of a blown call in the top of the fourth inning, one that bestowed one of the most unearned-scored-earned runs ever upon the Dodgers, everything that should not have happened did, in fact, happen. Continue reading →

Nationals-Dodgers doubleheader preview

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After being swept in a three-game weekend series by the second-place Atlanta Braves, the Washington Nationals, now 89-57, have had plenty of time to regroup following a scheduled day off on Monday and the postponement of last night’s series opener with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who bring a record of 76-71 to Nationals Park. For those who have yet to hear, last night’s game will be made up this afternoon as part of a single-admission doubleheader that is scheduled to begin at 4:05 p.m.

The good news for the Nationals is that their magic number for clinching the National League East, which had remained stagnant since September 12, finally ticked down a notch with the Braves’ extra-innings loss to the Miami Marlins last night. As for their magic number to clinch an NL Wild Card, that number still sits at three. It could, however, vanish altogether with a sweep of the Dodgers in this afternoon’s doubleheader and would mark the first playoff berth for a D.C. baseball team since the 1933 Washington Senators.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson, however, will not be celebrating a Wild Card.

“The additional Wild Card, to me, just really put more of a burden on the manager, because nobody wants that one,” Johnson said. “A one-game playoff to get in? The other format, if you were the Wild Card, you’re in the playoffs. So clinching a one-game playoff doesn’t have any appeal to me.”

As such, one can assume that the Nationals will still be looking to take both games of the doubleheader, but only to put as much distance between themselves and the Braves as possible in an effort to ensure a division crown. To do so, they will have to best Dodgers right-hander Aaron Harang, who will be opposed by Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann in game one of the doubleheader. Continue reading →

Nationals reeling, but far from falling

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For some reason, there seems to be an air of uneasiness about the Washington Metropolitan Area – uneasiness that is amplified by every passing mention of the Washington Nationals and their shrinking lead in the National League East, which now sits at five games.

Perhaps a part of the anxiety was brought about by a recent series sweep, suffered at the hands of the Atlanta Braves, who appear unwilling to settle for one of the two NL Wild Cards. More than likely, a good part stems from the uncertainty surrounding a few key players in the Nationals’ starting lineup. Continue reading →

Johnson wants LaRoche in a Nationals uniform for 2013

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Amidst the three-game sweep suffered at the hands of the Atlanta Braves and the news that second baseman Danny Espinosa will undergo an MRI on his ailing shoulder, a couple of interesting quotes seem to have slipped through the cracks.

On Sunday afternoon, Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson expressed his desire to see Adam LaRoche with the club in 2013. Looks like Johnson and I have something in common.

“I was unhappy to hear that he could test the free-agent market,” Johnson said. “We need him back more than we need me back.” Continue reading →

A look into the remainder of the Nationals’ regular season

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If you will, take a trip with me to September 2011. It was only a year ago that the Atlanta Braves entered September with an 8 1/2 game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals for the National League Wild Card, while the Boston Red Sox held an even larger nine game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League Wild Card. It would take two simultaneous disastrous collapses, collapses that rivaled the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies and the 1978 Red Sox, for either of the leaders to fall out of playoff contention. Well, in 2011, the Cardinals and the Rays took the Wild Cards in their respective leagues.

Now, back in the pseudo present, the Washington Nationals took an 8 1/2 game division lead into Turner Field on Friday night to begin a three-game series with the Braves. The good news for the Nationals was that their worst-case scenario was taking a 5 1/2 game division lead back to the district. The bad news is that they will be returning to the district with a 5 1/2 game division lead after being swept by the Braves and leaving their magic number untouched.

Before you begin wondering when Positive Mental Natitude became Negative Mental Natitude, let me say that I am in no way suggesting that the Nationals are on the verge of suffering a collapse on par with those seen last year. To do so would undermine the talent that makes up the roster and would suggest that I have failed to follow the team closely at all this season.

I am suggesting, however, that baseball is anything but predictable. With 16 games remaining on the regular-season schedule, the Nationals are all but assured a playoff berth – needing only to go 3-13 for the rest of the season to ensure it. But for a division win, which is more desirable than ever considering the new playoff system, the Nationals have their work cut out for them.

Having said that, let us take a look at the remaining 16 games on the Nationals’ schedule. Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 146

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The good news coming into this weekend’s final regular-season meeting between the Washington Nationals (89-56) and the Atlanta Braves (83-63) was that a series sweep at the hands of the Braves would leave the Nationals with a still-sizeable 5 1/2 game lead in the National League East. Of course, no one really expected that the Nationals would find themselves in such a position come Monday morning; but barring a win in tonight’s finale, it is exactly where they will find themselves, which explains the team’s renewed sense of urgency regarding the game.

“You don’t want to get swept anywhere, especially against the team behind you, so it’s a big game,” Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche said. “I think they’re all pretty big from here on out.”

If the Nationals hope to avoid a sweep and lower their magic number to a single digit for the first time this season, they will need a strong showing from Gio Gonzalez, the league’s sole 19-game winner. Braves left-hander Mike Minor will oppose him. Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 145

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After an exceptional pitchers’ duel between Washington Nationals (89-55) left-hander Ross Detwiler and Atlanta Braves (82-63) right-hander Kris Medlen at Turner Field last night, the Nationals dropped the first of a three-game series with the Braves in what will be their final meeting of the regular season. Now, with their lead in the National League East cut to 7 1/2 games, the Nationals’ magic number for a playoff berth remains at four while the magic number for a divisional crown still sits at 11.

A Nationals win tonight would mark the team’s 90th win – the franchise’s first 90-win season since the 1933 Washington Senators won 99. Coincidentally, a playoff berth would be the first for a D.C. baseball team since the same Senators team made a World Series appearance.

To get that win, the Nationals will rely on right-hander Edwin Jackson, who will take the mound opposite Braves right-hander Tommy Hanson. Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 144

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What was originally scheduled to be the most significant series of the year for the Washington Nationals (89-54) and the Atlanta Braves (81-63) is now scheduled for standard fanfare – and it begins tonight as the two division rivals open a three-game series in what will be their final meeting of the regular season.

Since drawing to within four games of the Nationals on August 28, the Braves have played .500 baseball and watched their deficit jump to 8 1/2 games while the Nationals have scored a league-high 96 runs. Now, rather than hoping to close the gap that separates them from the Nationals, the Braves will look to put distance between themselves and the myriad teams hoping for a wild card.

Tonight’s matchup pits Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler against Braves righty Kris Medlen, who has returned to the rotation in his first full season since a 2010 Tommy John surgery, in what will be a rematch of their last meeting on August 22 at Nationals Park. Continue reading →

Nationals-Braves series seems less exciting than promised

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Tonight, the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves will play the first game in a three-game series that will mark the final regular-season meeting between the division rivals.

The series, which was originally slated to provide the unyielding excitement that is typically characteristic of a down-to-the-wire pennant race, will now hold far lesser stakes for a Nationals team that holds a sizeable 8 1/2 game lead over the Braves. In fact, this series was originally so favored that Fox picked up the Saturday afternoon game for national broadcast while ESPN did the same for Sunday’s game, moving it to the 8:05 p.m. time slot on “Sunday Night Baseball.”

Now, one can only assume that the excitement will be replaced by standard end-of-season baseball as the Nationals are assured to bring, at least, a 5 1/2 game lead back to the district. Of course, those results assume that the Braves will sweep their white whale – an outcome that seems unlikely given the quality of play displayed by the two teams as of late.

What happened to the excitement? Well, the aforementioned quality of play has a thing or two to say on the subject. Continue reading →

Tyler Moore: the southern gentleman

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Washington Nationals rookie Tyler Moore has made quite a name for himself with nothing more than a piece of lumber. In just 138 at-bats this year, Moore has posted a .283/.344/.536 line with eight doubles, nine home runs and 26 RBIs.

His most recent contribution came in last night’s 5-3 win over the New York Mets. With the Nationals down 2-1 in the top of the seventh inning, Moore hit a first-pitch knuckleball into the left field seats at Citi Field to put the team up 3-2. It marked his second pinch-hit home run since being relegated to a bench role with the return of a healthy Jayson Werth to the everyday lineup. Continue reading →