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What a difference a year can make in Major League Baseball. In 2024 the Nationals were on their way to a fourth straight fifth place finish in the NL East while Miami was scraping its way to an improbable playoff berth, going a ridiculous 33-14 in one-run games to earn a Wildcard berth despite a -57 run differential (eight teams with better run differentials had worse records to finish out of contention). You might call this year one of market correction for the fish, who languish in last place of the division and are 1-4 in one-run affairs to begin 2024. And thus they have become chicken soup for the Nats, who got swept by the World Series preseason favorite Los Angeles Dodgers in DC despite two decent pitching performances (5.1 scoreless from Patrick Corbin!). But the offense that ran aground (four runs over three games against LA) got healthy in a hurry (26 runs in three games over the weekend) and saw a comeback for the ages (the rally from seven down Sunday was their biggest comeback since 2018) to secure a series win. Monday night they go for a sweep of the Marlins to reach .500 for the first time since they were 1-1.

Digesting the Division- Atlanta (19-7) keeps its cushion thanks to a lineup that leads the Majors in batting average and slugging percentage while ranking third in runs scored. Their late-game barrages is one reason why A.J. Minter leads the club with five wins out of the bullpen. Philadelphia (19-10) remains 1.5 games back thanks to their sweep in San Diego. The Phillies are dominating on the mound, leading MLB in quality starts and opponents’ batting average. The New York Mets (14-13) were this close to dropping into a tie for third with the Nats, but avoided a sweep against St. Louis by beating the Cardinals in extra innings Sunday. Washington (13-14) is closer to first place than last in the division, something they haven’t been able to say a lot over the last four years. But Miami (6-23) has found its level with losing streaks of nine and six games already.

Break up the Birds- Baltimore (17-10) was this close to sweeping Oakland, only to have Craig Kimbrel cough up a two-run homer in the ninth inning of a 7-6 loss to the A’s. The defeat drops the O’s one game behind the New York Yankees, who come to Camden Yards for their first meetings with the Orioles this year. If you’re going you might want to bring your glove as the two teams rank 1-2 in the majors in homers. And brace yourself for Juan Soto, who’s batting .318 with seven homers and 24 RBI.

Diamonds Direct Diamond King of the Week- Nick Senzel proved quality is better than quantity, because while he notched just four hits (in 17 at bats for a .235 average) they were all home runs. The third baseman drove in eight and on a team where runs have been more than tough to come by, the slugger is a welcome addition to the lineup.

Last Week’s Heroes- Trey Lipscomb batted .500 with six runs scored in his second go-around at the Major League level this year while Alex Call went 2-2 with two walks and three runs scored after being promoted from the Minors over the weekend. MacKenzie Gore allowed one run over six innings while Trevor Williams gave up one run over five frames. Kyle Finnegan posted a pair of saves while Jacob Barnes tossed 3.1 scoreless innings over three outings.

Last Week’s Humbled- Tanner Rainey coughed up five runs over three innings while Matt Barnes allowed four runs over three frames. Patrick Corbin delivered the best of times (5.1 scorele2-0 ss Tuesday against the Dodgers) and the worst of times (four earned runs allowed over frames against the Marlins Sunday) for the Nats. Eddie Rosario (0-15) went hitless while Joey Gallo (0-11) went on the Injured List.

Game to Watch- Thursday the Nats wrap up their road trip in Texas where it very might be 100 degrees when they face the Rangers at 1:35 p.m. local time. But they’ll be starting Mitchell Parker who has been quite a surprise through his first three starts (2-0 with a 1.69 ERA and 14 strikeouts over 16 innings pitched). Can he stay hot in the heat?

Game to Miss- Saturday they host Toronto at 4:05 p.m. in an interleague series we get a lot more of in the new scheduling era. And while I appreciate Dave Stieb as well as the 1992-93 champs as much as anyone, it’s tough to ignore the first leg of Horse Racing’s Triple Crown…as well as Virginia Gold Cup (my Bus Captain days are done though, having handed my madras jacket to Timothy Dalton). Break out the boater hat…

Sully From Southie Speaks- Somehow the Sox (16-13) will enter May with a winning record. The offense (10th in runs scored, 12th in batting average) is doing just enough to shine while the pitching staff continues to lead the majors in ERA while allowing the fourth fewest homers in the big leagues. This week they play fellow middling teams San Francisco and Minnesota, so there’s a chance they can build on what’s been a pleasantly surprising April. Meanwhile, the Celtics and Bruins have the hub’s hearts at this moment.