Nats Notebook-Small ball comes up big.

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It’s easy to be impressed with big swings. Power pitching and power hitting are the most impressive, and we’ve seen both in DC over the years in Max Scherzer’s 20 strikeout night to Bryce Harper hitting 42 homers during his MVP season of 2015. But in a world where the Nationals don’t have a collection of home run hitters (their eight are tied for 21st in the majors and that number puts them on pace to be in the neighborhood of 2023’s total of 151 that ranked 29th), you’ve got to scratch and claw your way to pad your scoring. Sunday’s sweep-averting 3-2 win over Philadelphia saw the Nats steal four bases and get their game-winning run on a sac-fly. Lane Thomas actually jumpstarted the game-winning rally with an infield single before stealing second and taking third on an error. “We’ve been talking to him about how to steal,” Manager Davey Martinez said. “Gerardo Parra has been doing a great job with him and the other guys on what to look for. We’re going to expose other teams when we can.” Thomas stole a career-high 20 bases last summer and already has six of the team’s 16 steals in 2024. “We’re going to hit our home runs, but I don’t think that’s our identity as a team so I think it’s really important to take advantage on the bases and get some runs early that way.” And in Sunday’s win the little things loomed large.

Digesting the Division- Atlanta (6-2) isn’t just in first place; the Braves spent the weekend sweeping reigning National League champ Arizona. Philadelphia (4-5) has moved up in the standings thanks to their series win over the Nats. Washington (3-6) and the New York Mets (3-6) are off to the same start two years removed from the Nats’ 100-loss campaign and the Mets’ 100-win season. Miami (1-9) is the first team to lose its first 8+ games the season after making the playoffs, and even with a 10-3 win Sunday owns a -25 run differential.

Break up the Birds- The Orioles (5-4) started the week by winning their series with Kansas City thanks to a pair of walk-off victories.  Then they dropped a pair of one-run games at Pittsburgh. It’s only April, but the O’s are in third place behind the New York Yankees (ugh) and Boston (gasp!). They’ll battle both between now and the end of the month.

Last Week’s Heroes- Joey Gallo hit .313 with two homers and three RBI, making his 0-12 start at the plate a distant memory (or at least until the next 0-12).  C.J. Abrams went .389 while driving in four.  Kyle Finnegan (two saves) and Hunter Harvey (2.2 scoreless innings) pitched well out of the bullpen while MacKenzie Gore struck out six over 5.2 innings Sunday to post his first win of the season.

Last Week’s Humbled- Josiah Gray pitched a little better than the opener but still coughed up six runs over 4.1 innings. Robert Garcia (two runs over two innings) and Matt Barnes (two runs over 2.2 innings) had less than ideal outings. Joey Meneses batted .136 while Jesse Winker hit .091.

Game to Watch- Monday the Nats begin a three game series in San Francisco, playing in a beautiful ballpark by the bay. Trevor Williams makes his second start of the season after posting arguably the best start during the rotation’s first turn and pitches against reigning Cy Young winner Blake Snell. Even with the Men’s National Championship game being played at the same time, spending the evening watching two TV’s is a good way to eliminate a case of the Mondays.

Game to Miss- Saturday the Nats wrap up their series in Oakland, playing in a less than beautiful park on a different side of the bay. Trevor Williams pitches again but this time his counterpart is Alex Wood, who’s early-season ERA is 9.72. Laundry and house-cleaning time!

Sully From Southie Speaks- somehow the Sox finished their ten-game road trip to start the season 7-3. Tyler O’Neill’s off to a scorching start (.357 with five homers) while the pitching is using whatever duct tape, paper clips and mirrors they have at their disposal to post an MLB-best 1.49 ERA. Don’t worry, the season is long.

Nats Notebook-Earning Straight A’s!

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The Nationals may not be in playoff contention, but they’re playing in a manner that makes them an intriguing club to watch in between Commanders’ dress rehearsals (is it okay to sing the “Comma Commanders” song after touchdowns during the preseason or should that be saved for the regular season?). After losing a tough series in Philadelphia that included being no-hit for the first time since they were the Montreal Expos in 1999, they came home and swept Oakland by outscoring the A’s 19-11. Now Oakland is already assured of a losing season and is at the bottom of the AL West. And the Nats did win a pair of those games in walk-off fashion. But as this team’s young nucleus begins to mature it’s nice to see them win games against teams they should be beating. First place may be out of the question but fourth is not, especially with the way the Mets have been playing.

RECORDS AND STATISTICS ARE THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT

Digesting the Division- Atlanta (75-42) owns a double digit lead in the NL East and their top two bats are heating up in August with Matt Olson (.362 with seven homers and 18 RBI) and Ozzie Albies (.345 with four homers and 16 RBI) leading the hit parade. For those curious the Braves’ magic number to win the East is 34. Second place Philadelphia (65-54) took over sole possession of the Wild Card lead while Kyle Schwarber is putting himself in position for one historic season: the slugger’s currently batting .182 but is on pace to drive in 99 runs. I can’t ever recall somebody hitting under .200 while driving in 100+. Miami (62-57) may not be cruising like they were earlier this season but the Marlins have won back to back series to remain in the hunt (one half game separates three clubs fighting for the final playoff spot in the National League. The New York Mets (53-65) have dropped seven of ten to slide within a half game of the division cellar while Max Scherzer (2-0, 2.76 ERA) and Justin Verlander (1-1, 3.46) are enjoying their post-Mets lives. The Nationals (53-66) only get two more cracks at the preseason favorites (September 5 & 6 in DC).

Birds Battle Baseball Karma- the Orioles (73-45) may begin the week three games in front of Tampa Bay in the AL East and their collection of young players hitting their strides at just the right time has one thinking playoffs. But the ominous clouds have shown up in the previously sunny Baltimore skies: last week it was revealed that the team suspended announcer Kevin Brown for stating the facts regarding the O’s recent struggles with Tampa Bay-and he had little choice as those facts were presented as a graphic by MASN during the broadcast. Multiple reports said the club benched Brown because he wasn’t enough of a “homer”, and while he returned to the booth over the weekend the O’s have split their six games since the suspension became public knowledge. Do not tempt Karma, especially with an Orioles franchise that has seen its share of late-season collapses (two that come to mind are 2017 when they went from 71-68 to 75-87 and 2002 when they went from 63-63 to 67-95). You’ve been warned.

Last Week’s Heroes- Keibert Ruiz hit .407 with three homers while Ildemaro Vargas drove in a team-high nine. Patrick Corbin tossed five scoreless innings in his start while Jose Ferrer threw 4.1 scoreless frames over four appearances and Kyle Finnegan notched a win and a save out of the bullpen.

Last Week’s Humbled- MacKenzie Gore (six runs allowed over five innings) and Trevor Williams (11 over nine frames) posted double-digit ERA’s as starters while Amos Williams coughed up two runs over 1.1 innings. The top of the order had issues with C.J. Abrams and Lane Thomas each hitting .185 while Alex Call batted .125.

Game to Watch- Philadelphia drops by the district this weekend with Bryce Harper’s comments that he wished he had started his career in Philly still bubbling under a week after he spoke those words. Sunday the Nats are technically the home team but the game will be played in Williamsport, PA in conjunction with the Little League World Series and although the starting pitchers Trevor Williams and Ranger Suarez are a combined 7-13 this year this is one great way to wrap up the weekend.

Game to Miss- Boston stops by for three games this week and the Red Sox have been a tough team to follow for the Fenway faithful. But they begin the week six games over .500 and in the AL Wild Card race despite themselves. Tuesday Josiah Gray pitches against former Nats farmhand Nick Pivetta (traded to Philadelphia for combustible closer Jonathan Papelbon), and one doesn’t want to be reminded of perhaps the worst deadline deal for the franchise since they moved to D.C.

Sully From Southie Speaks- back to back winning series move the Sox six games over .500, three games back in the Wild Card race. They play three games in Washington before wrapping up the month with four straight series against contenders (yes, we’re still calling the 60-59 Yankees a contending club). Those 13 games to end the month will give us a better idea how long the Sox will overstay their welcome.

Nats Notebook-Mets Move Max…

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The Washington Nationals may have lost three of four to the New York Mets over the weekend and their hopes of climbing out of the cellar shrink with every day (they’re five and a half back with 54 games left in the regular season), but they’re in a better mindset than those Mets. Because as the Trading Deadline looms the team that was picked by many not just to repeat as NL East champs but also advance to the World Series finds itself under .500 entering the dog days of the season. Saturday the Mets made the first move in their “restructuring” by dealing Max Scherzer to Texas. The 40+ million dollar man went 20-9 while posting a 3.02 over 42 starts in his time with the Mets and even gave the club a parting gift Friday night by striking out seven Nats over seven innings in his final start for the Mets. The trade lessens the sting for those who find it tough to stomach watching players from the 2019 World Series champs on other NL East teams (we’re looking at you, Trea Turner). It also means Max’s chances at another October showcase increase in a big way (the Rangers currently lead the AL West). The question now is what other moves might the Mets make? Meanwhile the Nationals deal Jeimber Candelario to the Chicago Cubs to commence their roster reshuffle.

Records and stats are through Sunday night:

Digesting the Division- Atlanta (67-36) will enter August with a double digit lead thanks to their second series win in as many weekends over Milwaukee in what could be an October showdown. Miami (57-49) moves back into second after taking two of three from Detroit (Marlins have won five of seven). Philadelphia (56-49) dropped two of three to Pittsburgh, with fans wondering if Aaron Nola’s implosion Saturday was worse than the fielding errors and baserunning blunders in Sunday’s extra inning defeat. The New York Mets (50-55) as you know are the biggest disappointment this side of San Diego and are already entering a “modified sell” of their assets. Washington (44-62) remains in last place but take heart: they didn’t win their 44th game last year until August 31. So there’s that.

Break up the Birds- Baltimore (64-41) took two of three from the last-place New York Yankees over the weekend, winning in both thrilling (Anthony Santander’s walk-off HR after the rain delay Friday) and impressive (scoring seven first inning runs in a 9-3 rout Sunday) fashion. Things don’t lighten up a bit with four games against third place Toronto who has Home Run Derby champ Vlad Guerrero Jr. (17 homers with 66 RBI). Enjoy the summer at Camden Yards before it slips away.

Last Week’s Heroes- Riley Adams it .444 with four RBI while Jeimer Candelario hit .318 with a homer and six RBI. Stone Garrett notched five runs scored and five RBI while C.J. Abrams stole five bases and scored six runs. Josiah Gray didn’t get the win Thursday but tossed six scoreless innings against the Mets while Kyle Finnegan (2.1 scoreless innings and a save over three outings), Joe La Sorsa (2.2 scoreless over two games), and Jordan Weems (3.1 scoreless over three) shined out of the bullpen.

Last Week’s Humbled- Reliever Rico Garcia allowed four runs over two innings of work to post an ERA of 18.00. Mason Thompson topped that with an ERA of 27.00 (two runs over 0.2 frames). Patrick Corbin (nine earned runs over 12 innings pitched) and Trevor Williams (nine runs allowed over ten innings) struggled in their starts. Lane Thomas hit .125 with seven strikeouts while Dominic Smith batted .150.

Game to Watch- Monday Milwaukee drops by the district with Corbin Burnes (not Bernsen from “Major League” but a righthander who’s 9-6 with a 3.46 ERA) on the hill. Sadly the Nats didn’t adjust their rotation to have Patrick Corbin starting, but Jake Irvin has won his last two decisions.

Game to Miss- Friday Corbin is starting, only in Cincinnati against the Reds who counter with Graham Ashcraft (5.64 ERA). Skip the game and enjoy a night by the Ohio River with some Skyline Chili if you’re in the Queen City, or if you’re in the DMV enjoy a night by the Potomac at Tony & Joe’s.

Sully From Southie Speaks- the Sox swept Atlanta last week and then dropped a pair of one-run games over the weekend to San Francisco. Boston is now 14-18 in one-run games and stands two games out of the third Wild Card in the American League. Next up: fellow contenders Seattle and Toronto.

Nats Notebook-How Sweep it is!

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One Major League Baseball game within the regular season is but a drop in the ocean. The longest professional season allows for plenty of ebbs and flows and with the exception of Opening Day and the final weeks of the season, most of the games blend together. Sunday’s 6-1 win over San Francisco for the Washington Nationals was just another of those games. But for a club coming back from a 100-loss season, their first sweep since 2021 (two games against Toronto in August and three games against Pittsburgh in June) represents a benchmark. They might not be in contention like the AL East-leading Orioles but the team is now 8-10 in July with a chance at their first winning month since June of 2021. While the present looks a little better the future begins to look even brighter with the signing of First Round pick Dylan Crews. The road to respectability is not easy but for the Nationals they can see more signposts to the land of contention.

Digesting the Division- Atlanta (64-34) took two of three from Milwaukee in a potential playoff preview. Philadelphia (53-46) has moved into second place (by percentage points) despite losing four of five. That’s because Miami (54-47) had an eight game slide that ended with Sunday’s win against Colorado. And the slumping Marlins visit Tampa Bay this week. The New York Mets (46-53) dropped two of three to Boston over the weekend and are likely going to be in the selling mode over the next week before the Trading Deadline. Washington (41-58) will also be a seller and the question is will they get rid of too many parts to have a chance to catch the Mets for fourth place?

O’s Piling Up the W’s-  As previously mentioned the Orioles (61-38) are in first place of the AL East. One of the reasons is they’ve not been swept all season-in fact Baltimore hasn’t been broomed since May of 2022. That’s 71 series and counting. Last week the Birds took three of four in Tampa Bay after entering the series percentage points ahead of the Rays. And while you can call them Rays you can also call them slumping: Tampa Bay has lost 14 of 18 games in July and they’re now 3-6 against the O’s. After being the hunter all season, how will Manager Brandon Hyde’s team respond to being the hunted?

Last Week’s Heroes- Keibert Ruiz hit .529 with a homer and four RBI while backup Riley Adams batted 2-4 with a home run. C.J. Abrams remains a demon on the basepaths with three steals and five runs scored. Enjoy Jeimer Candelario while you can as the third baseman drove in four while playing a solid third base.  Josiah Gray tossed seven innings of one run ball to post his seventh win of the season while Kyle Finnegan (2.1 scoreless innings over two games), Jordan Weems (three scoreless over three games), and Joe La Sorsa (three scoreless over four games) shined out of the bullpen.

Last Week’s Humbled- Paolo Espino’s on the Injured List after coughing up eight runs while getting one out at Wrigley Field Tuesday.  Amos Willingham showed growing pains as the rookie allowed five runs over 1.2 innings while Cory Abbott and Mason Thompson also posted double digit ERA’s.  Joey Meneses hit .208 while Alex Call batted .150.

Game to Watch- the Nats can’t eliminate the New York Mets this weekend, but they can certainly persuade them to move all of their chips into selling off part of the table.  Friday MacKenzie Gore pitches against Max Scherzer.  Max might not be the Cy Young winner he was in DC, but he’s still must-watch.

Game to Miss- Saturday at Citi Field it’s a showdown of teams on the verge of selling off with veteran pitchers who have seen better days. Patrick Corbin (6-10, 4.89 ERA) might be auditioning for a trip to a contender while Hector Carrasco (3-4, 5.82) has allowed nine runs over seven innings in his last two outings.

Sully From Southie Speaks- one wicked underwhelming week after losing two of three to Oakland but winning two of three from the New York Mets. So much for gaining ground on the playoff pack after going 5-4 against three sub-.500 clubs. Now the Sox have back to back to back to back series against contenders. And being tied for fourth in the AL East 100 games into the season makes one think it’s another wait until next year summer for the Fenway Faithful. When does Pats Training Camp start?

Nats Notebook- Fighting for fourth but stuck in the Cellar.

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For one brief shining moment (actually about 20 hours) the Nationals climbed out of fifth place thanks to their 8-7 win Friday night against Philadelphia, only to slide back into the cellar with losses in the next two games. Sunday’s 11-3 drubbing highlighted how far the Nats have to go before they leave the NL East basement behind for good.  “You know, I think we have a very competitive team on this side,” Joey Meneses said through an interpreter after the series finale. “Unfortunately there was one big inning for them that just kind of opened the game and the floodgates but I think that compared to them we’re a very good team as well.” The Phillies pounded five home runs, with their leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber (remember him?) and their number nine batter Drew Ellis each blasting a pair.  The Nats currently rank 29th in the Majors with 46 homers, meaning they have to grind their offensively and scored 13 runs on 28 hits over the weekend. “It’s not very easy to drive in runs and get your RBI’s,” Meneses said. “We’ve just got to focus more on those at-bats and try get as many runs as we can in.”

Digesting the Division- Atlanta (35-24) owns a three and a half game lead thanks to dominating on the road (the Braves are 20-10 away from Truist Park). Miami (32-28) get fat off of a sweep of last place Oakland while the New York Mets (30-30) come back to earth after getting swept by Toronto (they get a crack at the Braves this week with Max Scherzer pitching Tuesday and Justin Verlander starting Wednesday). Philadelphia (27-32) suffers from the same quality/quantity batting that haunts the Nats, ranking 23rd in runs scored despite ranking 11th in batting average. The Nationals (25-34) offer a wider variance, ranking fourth in hitting and 22nd in scoring.

Break up the Birds- after dropping consecutive series to Texas and Cleveland the O’s (37-22) took two of three in San Francisco and remain within striking distance of first place Tampa Bay in the AL East. Just like the Braves, the O’s are also 20-10 on the road this season. They’ll be tested this week at NL Central-leading Milwaukee before coming home to face AL Central cellar dwelling Kansas City (9-18 on the road-second worst in MLB) at Camden Yards.

Last Week’s Heroes- Keibert Ruiz belted three homers with five RBI while Jeimer Candelario drove in a team-high six. Joey Meneses hit .391 with a team-high five runs scored. Hunter Harvey tossed 2.2 scoreless innings over two outings while recording a save while Chad Kuhl tossed two scoreless frames. Trevor Williams posted the best ERA of the starters (3.38).

Last Week’s Humbled- Jake Irvin allowed four runs over five innings in his start while Andres Machado coughed up three homers and six earned runs over three innings (18.00 ERA). Carl Edwards Jr. and Thaddeus Ward also posted 9.00 ERA’s in relief. First baseman Dominic Smith hit 4-24 (.167) while leadoff hitter Lane Thomas was held to .200 at the plate.

Game to Watch- Thursday the Nats wrap up their homestand by hosting Arizona. Josiah Gray 4-5, 3.09 ERA) has tossed just 14.1 innings over his last three starts while the Diamondbacks counter with Merrill Kelly (7-3, 2.80 ERA). With an early forecast of 80 degrees and 10% chance of rain, I’m looking forward to this getaway day (1:05 first pitch) game.

Game to Miss- Friday the team begins a road trip in Atlanta with MacKenzie Gore looking for his first win since April 26. The Braves scheduled starter Michael Soroka owns an ERA of 8.38 over his two 2023 appearances. Add this to the 7:20 game time (can’t they go back to TBS?) and with this mound matchup one might expect a late night, spend this evening with friends.

Sully From Southie Speaks- one very wicked tough week that began with a Celtics Game Seven loss. Gonna irritate for almost as long as the time one got Poison Oak as a nine-year old. While the Green Team watches Miami show what a team whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts instead of vice versa, the Sox dropped two of three to non-contending Cincinnati before dropping two of three over the weekend to Tampa Bay. Whatever joy one gets out of not being swept by the Rays is diminished by not being able to take care of sub-.500 foes. The Sox are back in last place and five games out of the Wild Card with less than 40% of the schedule under their belt. When does Patriots Minicamp begin?

Nationals 2023 Preview: Nats try to find the right road back.

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Very few people thought the Washington Nationals-even with the likes of Josh Bell and Juan Soto in the lineup-would contend for a playoff spot last spring. And many had them (I had projected 69-93) finishing under .500. But very few had the 2022 in their mind that transpired: a 55-107 season where they never reached .500, not even for a day after dropping their opener (2-3, 4-5, and 6-7 was the best they could do) and the trade of generational talent Juan Soto a few years before the All Star hit free agency. If 2020 (26-34 and last in the NL East) was a disappointment and 2021 (67-95 plus the late-July fire sale of Max Scherzer and Trea Turner) was disturbing, 2022 had the feel of a thud. As the 2023 season nears, the road back to respectability is underway. There will be bumps, potholes, even some potential wrong turns. But one feels that the worst is behind this team and organization in the latest cycle and they’ll be booming before the next bust.

For starters, the opening day lineup will look vastly different than last year: only Lane Thomas, Keibert Ruiz, and Victor Robles return to the roster from the nine who started against the New York Mets last April 7 (I hate labor strife but last year’s lockout at least meant we weren’t starting the season in March, a month where it’s winter for the first 20 or so days). Thomas was second on the team in hits and runs scored last year and is the likely leadoff hitter in 2023. He was one of five the team used in 2022 (55 starts batting No. 1 was second to Cesar Hernandez) and that quintet hit a combined .228 (29th in MLB) with 56 walks (20th), a major reason why the club that ranked 11th in the majors in batting average last season finished 26th in runs scored.

Thomas also finished second on the team last year in homers with 17, although an asterisk is in use as the Nats leading total was Juan Soto’s 21 before he was traded. Joey Meneses (13 homers in 56 games last year) tries to prove his rookie season wasn’t a one-hit wonder while offseason pickups Corey Dickerson (21 homers per 162 games played in his career) and Jeimer Candelario (AL-best 42 doubles in 2021) were brought in to provide power for the middle of the order. Candelario is also key to solidifying a third base position that has seen plenty of instability and ineffectiveness since Anthony Rendon left via free agency three years ago.

Defensively this team looks to be much better in 2023 (last year’s team committed 104 errors, second most in MLB to Pittsburgh) as this team is built strongly up the middle: Keibert Ruiz has the makings of an All Star catcher and is signed by the team long-term while CJ Abrams is ready to shine at shorstop and second baseman Luis Garcia is playing his natural position. And whatever offensive or baserunning issues Victor Robles may have, the Nats centerfield has a great glove and arm.

Pitching was a problem in 2023, specifically starting pitching: the Nats’ rotation’s 5.97 ERA was the worst in the majors and their 4.78 innings per outing ranked 28th. While Stephen Strasburg’s status isn’t even in the equation after he was shut down before even leaving for Spring Training (he’s tossed just 31.1 innings since throwing 36.1 in October 2019 on his way to being voted World Series MVP), Patrick Corbin’s ability to bounce back from consecutive subpar seasons (leading the National League in losses in 2021 and 2022-first since Phil Niekro from 1978-80) is expected. Josiah Gray also lead the NL in a less than ideal category, coughing up 38 home runs, but the 25-year old posted an MLB-best 0.55 ERA in Spring Training (pumping the brakes on the fact that it’s still in exhibition action). The most intriguing piece of the rotation might be MacKenzie Gore, who as a rookie for San Diego in 2022 had an ERA of 1.50 over his first nine Major League starts but was 0-3 with an ERA of 11.05 over his last seven outings.

The bullpen actually held its own last season, posting a winning record (25-21) while ranking 15th in ERA despite tossing the sixth most innings per game. Kyle Finnegan (11 saves in 2022) along with Erasmo Ramirez and Carl Edwards Jr. each pitched in more than 55 games last year and will be relied on again for the heavy lifting in 2023.

The schedule begins with a pair of home series against 2022 playoff teams: Atlanta and Tampa Bay. That’s less than ideal for a team that hasn’t entered May over .500 since Dusty Baker was name-dropping Jimi Hendrix and Bill Walsh back in 2017. In three of the team’s four non-pandemic seasons under Manager Davey Martinez they’ve entered May with 16 losses, and even the pandemic campaign saw the team end the first month of the shortened season (July 2000) 3-4.

Notable early-season series in DC include April 18-19 against the Orioles, May 12-15 against the New York Mets (80% chance we’ll see Max Scherzer), May 23-25 against Juan Soto and San Diego, and June 2-4 against Philadelphia for those who forgot what Trea Turner and Bryce Harper looked like. Barring rainouts this year’s Nationals will have played 59 games when the Phillies leave town and we’ll have a better idea how the rebuild is going.

Nats Notebook- Let’s Make a Deal?

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The trading deadline looms with the Nationals knowing exactly where they are this year (unlike 2021 where they began July with a winning record) and the “quick reboot” led by General Manager Mike Rizzo has them in the seller’s role for the second straight summer (after being a buyer for most of the 2012-19 stretch). And they’ve already made the first move: sending utilityman Ehire Adrianza to Atlanta for Minor League outfielder Trey Davis (hitting .244 with 10 HR and 66 RBI in 155 games at AA in 2021-22). But who else goes? Josh Bell has an expiring contract and his numbers (.305, 14 homers and 57 RBI) make him attractive to any contender while Steve Cishek can provide bullpen depth. Nelson Cruz has a mutual option for 2023 and is hitting under .240. Reliever Kyle Finnegan has a few more years of team control but bullpen arms are a luxury for last place teams. And then there is the continuing case of Juan Soto, the player most talked about even though he has two-plus years before reaching the market. But just like the inclusion of Trea Turner into the Max Scherzer swap with the Los Angeles Dodgers seemed premature (he had a year-plus remaining before Free Agency) anything is possible regarding the Nats’ best player.

Digesting the Division- the New York Mets (64-37) have won six straight to open up a bit of a cushion entering this upcoming weekend’s monster series with Atlanta (62-41), who also ends July on a strong note with three straight wins.  Philadelphia (55-47) has won five straight and is hanging on to the final playoff spot in the National League while Miami (47-55) owns a 12 and a half game lead over last place Washington (35-68).

Break up the Birds? How do you best ruin a feel-good season for a franchise that hasn’t had one in at least seven years (keeping Zach Britton in the bullpen during the Wildcard Game ruined 2016)? The Orioles are 51-51 and 16-7 since July 2. Consecutive winning months after not having a winning month between August 2017 and May 2022 (discounting a 2-1 March 2018). They’re currently three games out of the final playoff spot. Do they make a go for the third Wildcard spot (they’re three games behind Tampa Bay Toronto at this time)? Or do they continue to build by swapping players for prospects? Both of their regulars with expiring contracts (Roughned Odor and Robinson Chirinos) are hitting under .200 at this time–not exactly. Do they deal one of their bigger bats like Anthony Santander (under team control for two more seasons)? And what to do with homegrown hero and Cancer survivor Trey Mancini? He’s a year-plus away from Free Agency and would yield more than a few quality prospects, but would the Camden Yards faithful view the return as 30 pieces of silver?

Last Week’s Heroes- Lane Thomas hit .417 while Tres Barrera batted .400. Yadiel Hernandez hit .353 with a homer and three RBI. Josh Bell paced the team with six RBI and Cesar Hernandez scored a team-high six runs. Erasmo Ramirez went 2-0 out of the bullpen and tossed five scoreless innings over three appearances while Victor Arano (three scoreless over three games) and Hunter Harvey (four scoreless over four) also shined.

Last Week’s Humbled- Patrick Corbin allowed six earned runs over two-thirds of an inning (81.00 ERA for those not wanting to do the math) to drop the lefthander to 4-14 with an ERA of 6.49 this year. Anibal Sanchez allowed six runs over 5.2 innings in his third start of the season. Maikel Franco hit .083 while Ehire Adrianza batted .100.

Game to Watch- Tuesday the Nationals may very well might look markedly different than the club we’ve seen for the first 100+ games due to the trading deadline. It’s also the 2022 debut of Jacob deGrom who is finally coming off of the injured list for the Mets.

Game to Miss- Saturday the Nats are in Philadelphia and Patrick Corbin pitches. Enough said…

Nats Notebook-Troubling Trade Winds…

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The Washington Nationals spoiled us from 2012-21 with high preseason expectations and meeting those expectations more often than not with five playoff appearances over an eight-year span. Now that they’re on the other side of the coin (their 14 wins are half of the division-leading Mets and they’re just as close to the NL East lead as they are to being winless) midseason roster maneuvering goes from putting finishing touches on a contending club to dealing productive but expensive pieces for prospects. But one would think that there would be at least one “untouchable” player on this team. A player who when other GM’s bring up their name on a call to Mike Rizzo, he laughs before hanging up immediately. But evidently the very player many thought would be the building block of the next Nationals team to contend might be in the mix to be moved for the right package.

This past week ESPN’s Buster Olney wrote a story (for the exclusive ESPN+) citing that the team might be looking to move Juan Soto. Yes, Juan Soto. The 23-year old face of the franchise. The best player on a team that is unwatchable at times. The All Star who has two more years of team control before hitting free agency. A generational talent that will hit the market (as most Scott Boras clients do), giving deeper-pocketed teams the chance to outbid a franchise that might either be in the process of being sold or sold already at that point. And the team is less than a year away from trading Trea Turner a year before his walk-season. To walk away from Soto at this time would be akin to trading Ryan Zimmerman in 2010. If they do so this summer it will be a dark day on the diamond in the District.

Digesting the Division- the New York Mets (28-15) have now won 14 straight games after a loss, but the question is how will they deal with the loss of pitcher Max Scherzer for the next six to eight weeks due to an oblique strain? Jacob deGrom has been on the shelf all season long, and one wonders how they’ll perform when-or if-they return to the mound. It’s a good thing the rest of the division is a soggy plate of nachos, with Atlanta (19-22), Philadelphia (19-22), and Miami (18-22) each under .500 a quarter of the way through the season. The Nationals (14-28) are five games out of fourth place.

Break up the Birds- Baltimore (17-25) lost three of four to the AL East-leading New York Yankees before taking two of three from second-place Tampa Bay with both of those wins coming in extra innings. Unfortunately the series victory over the Rays wasn’t enough to keep the O’s in front of surging Boston who has won five straight and nine of twelve to move out of the cellar. Another bright spot was the debut of catcher Adley Rutschman, and the number one prospect in the organization did not disappoint. The kid tripled Saturday.

Last Week’s Heroes- Keibert Ruiz batted .412 with four walks while Lane Thomas had four extra base hits and a team-high five RBI. Leadoff man Cesar Hernandez hit .333 and scored a team-high four runs. Carl Edwards Jr. threw 3.1 scoreless innings over three appearances while Steve Cishek tallied three scoreless frames over three games. Aaron Sanchez tossed five solid innings in Sunday’s win over Milwaukee and became the only starter to post a win since…Aaron Sanchez on May 11.

Last Week’s Humbled- Patrick Corbin allowed five runs over five innings in his start Saturday to fall to 0-7 with a 6.60 ERA this year. Austin Voth coughed up seven runs over 1.1 innings over to games (47.25 ERA for those without calculators). Josh Bell hit 1-for-23 (.056) while Juan Soto batted .143 and Nelson Cruz drove in just one run (the Soto-Bell-Cruz trio combined for four RBI over six games).

Game to Watch- Tuesday the Nats play the Los Angeles Dodgers as Josiah Gray faces his former team for the first time since being traded last summer. Keibert Ruiz (also a part of the deal) likely will be in the lineup as well. And Walker Buehler (5-1, 2.89 ERA) is off to a strong start.

Game to Miss- Saturday the Nats clash with Colorado at 4:05 p.m., instead of a 1:05 start when it’s still warming up or the 7:05 start when it’s beginning to cool off. It’s also the day many pools open, and I’m thinking one would rather be wet from chlorinated water than by perspiration. And if you’re going to cannonball, please call it out before jumping in.

Nationals Preview- Constructing the next Contender.

PORTIONS PREVIOUSLY APPEARING ON WTOP.COM-

For the first time in over a decade, the Opening Day expectations for the Washington Nationals are, how shall we say it? Relaxed? Reduced? Somewhat different?  After making the playoffs five times from 2012-19 and having the World Series nucleus mostly intact for the two seasons following their title, the 2022 edition will have a rather different flavor. It’s not the days of Nuke Logan’s baserunning blunders, the I missing from Ryan Zimmerman’s home jersey, or sausage pellets raining on fans, but it’s safe to say that putting down the mortgage money on a postseason berth (even with the expanded field) might not be the wisest thing to do.  The building towards the next postseason run began last summer with the shedding of veterans and their salaries and phase two starts Thursday when the Nats host the New York Mets (weather permitting).

For starters, you will need to purchase a scorecard or at least print a roster off of your computer. Six of the eight starting position players on Opening Day last year are not with the team, and that doesn’t include pitcher Max Scherzer or multiple bench players like Carter Kieboom or Luis Garcia. The fans and the media aren’t the only ones noticing a vastly different clubhouse in 2022. “Yeah it’s definitely weird but I mean it’s part of baseball,” said Erick Fedde, who in the last year has gone from one of the young kids to one of the veteran voices. “There are so many times where you see a guy for the last time in your life when he gets sent down or traded.”

But while this team won’t be the oldest in the Majors as they were the last three years, the Nats won’t be as young as the pre-contention clubs of 10-15 years ago. “I think we have an awesome mix of veteran guys with a lot of experience and a lot of younger guys,” once and former reliever Sean Doolitte said. “It’s really good to have that mix because you get the hunger and the fire and the energy from the youngers guys and balance that with the experience of the older guys- it keeps us young.”

Nelson Cruz is 41 years old and this will be his seventh big league team. He likes the world he’s stepping into on South Capitol Street. “Great group of guys: young and veterans. We’re all pretty tight and pull for each other and that’s what you’re looking for. You want to have the good teammates, you know?” Cruz has hit 30+ home runs in each of the seven non-pandemic seasons. He was brought in to provide lineup protection for All Star Juan Soto who led the majors last year with 145 walks (the next four-most walked in the lineup combined for 156 free passes). Cruz wrapped up Spring Training with the bang of a grand slam against the Mets Tuesday, and even though Grapefruit League stats are fool’s gold the veteran is pleased with how he’s swinging the bat. “I’m where I want to be. I worked on different stuff (at the plate) in Spring Training,things that I believe witll help me for the season,” Cruz said. “But also it’s nice to know that everything’s be put on that are clicking.”

How much the lineup clicks will depend on other offseason pickups like Cesar Hernandez, who might not have the typical leadoff-hitter look (more than double the strikeouts to walks in each of the last three years) but will be expected to be the team’s table-setter. Josh Bell recovered from a slow start to drive in 88 runs last year, closer to his ceiling of 116 in 2019. Catcher Kiebert Ruiz will be expected to make strides while the third base eyesore of the last two seasons has been patched up by ex-Brave Maikel Franco. And then there’s Victor Robles at the bottom of the order. The former phenom is only 24 years old, but saw his 2021 go from leading off the lineup to winding up in AAA.

While the last-place Nationals still finished with the fourth best batting average in MLB last year, team ERA ballooned to 4.80 which ranked 24th in the big leagues. If this team is going to find its way out of the NL East cellar in 2022, they’re going to need much better pitching. And the team’s best pitcher over the last seven years (Max Scherzer) was traded at the deadline last summer, while their second best pitcher (Stephen Strasburg) has tossed only 26.2 innings due to injuries over the last two years. That means Patrick Corbin will become the first man not named Max or Stephen starting Opening Day for the Nats since Livan Hernandez took the mound in 2011. “You’re excited, obviously. It’s gonna feel like a playoff game out there,” Corbin said. “I’m prepared to go out there and just be myself and I know what I’m capable of doing. Like I said it’s going to be fun.”

Corbin was the final piece of the World Series-winning rotation in 2019, going 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA during the regular season and winning Game Seven of the World Series in relief. But the last two years have been a nightmare: 11-23 with a 5.49 ERA while leading the league in losses and earned runs allowed in 2021. What will the key be for the lefthander to get back on the right track? “Just locating my fastball, getting back to that and simplifying things. Being back to controlling my slider,” Corbin said. “I think my slider has always been right, it’s just the command of the fastball, falling behind guys, things like that.” Stephen Strasburg is on the shelf until at least May, so pitching behind Corbin will be Josiah Gray (he’s slated to pitch against Max Scherzer- the very guy who was traded to the Dodgers for Gray last July). Erick Fedde , Joan Adon, plus once-and-current National Anibal Sanchez round out the rotation in pencil, but one thinks we’ll see prime prospect Cade Cavalli at some point this summer.

A shortened Spring Training delivered with it quite a bit of anxiety surrounding the team’s arms. It takes a certain amount of throwing to be able to handle the amount of innings during a regular season. And sixteen exhibitions is not ideal: think of a pitcher’s arm as a cake that’s baking in the oven. It’s not ready until its ready. That means perhaps additional pressure on the bullpen as the starters get their arms into form. That also means usage of relievers will be looked at under a microscope as one doesn’t want to burn the bullpen in April. “I think we brought some extra guys so that we have the depth. With camp shortened everybody’s kind of dealing with the same thing,” Doolittle said. “I think we have some different matchups and different looks that we can slice the back half of the game up and we can get it done so that’s gonna be April for pretty much every team here this season. But I think we’re in a good spot.”

The Nationals begin the 2022 season with seven straight games against NL East foes, from hosting the preseason favorite New York Mets and continuing by visiting defending World Series champ Atlanta. Starting slow has become synonymous with the Davey Martinez era (they were 10-12 last April 30th, 12-16 in 2019, and 13-16 in 2018) and this team doesn’t have the margin of error that a Max Scherzer in the rotation or an Anthony Rendon in the lineup can provide. “It really does take a special team to come back from being down in a hole and I think any team would prefer to be in front of the 8-ball I guess in that sense to start the season,” Fedde said. “Hopefully we can break that trend and get off to a hot start this year.”

Nats Notebook-Swept out of the Season.

The 2021 season is finally in the books for the Washington Nationals, who began the year with hopes of returning to the postseason after a year absence only to find themselves on a different track. When they get together for Spring Training next February, even fewer strands linking the current club to the 2019 World Series will be in place. And they’ll be a club trying to dig itself out of consecutive last place finishes.

Digesting the Division- Atlanta (88-73 )wrapped up their fourth straight NL East title Thursday when they beat slumping Philadelphia (82-80 after losing six of seven to end the year). The New York Mets (77-85) take third and continue to waste the prime of Jacob deGrom with a fifth straight season of not reaching the playoffs. Miami (67-95) finishes out of last place for the second straight season while the Nationals (65-97) finish last for the second straight year.

O’s Woes- the Birds finish 52-110, although they were pleased as punch Thursday night to have taken two of three from Wild Card hopeful Boston. Because beating the Sox (four World Series titles this century) is a big deal, even when one loses three straight in the following series in Toronto (two World Series titles since the O’s last) or 11 of 19 games to the New York Yankees (two titles this century and five since 1990) this year. O’s fans also pat themselves on the backs for sweeping the Nats this summer, accelerating the demise of the 2019 World Series-winning nucleus. Hang your banners, my Baltimore friends.

Sully From Southie Speaks- THE SOX ARE PLAYOFF BOUND!!!!! Think about that the next time you shout “OHS” during the anthem. The team that was projected to win 80.5 games finishes 92-70 and is playing October elimination baseball for the first time in three years. Boston’s sweep gives it home-field advantage against the Yankees in a one game Wild Card Playoff…how have the Sox fared against the Pinstripes in one-offs? Um, don’t remind me. Perhaps Yaz can throw out the first pitch…

Missing You- Trea Turner takes the batting crown, hitting .328 for the season (.338 since being dealt to the Dodgers) while posting career highs in runs, hits, homers and RBI. It’ll be a hoot watching him in the Playoffs. Max Scherzer (15-4, 2.46 ERA) had a second straight rough outing as he allowed five runs over 5.1 innings against San Diego. Does he start the Wild Card Game?

Last Week’s Heroes- Alcides Escobar hit .375 with a homer and two RBI. Josh Bell batted .389 and finishes the year with 27 homers and 88 RBI. Josiah Gray went 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA over two starts, giving one hope for the future. And Ryan Zimmerman received a standing ovation Sunday after what could have been his final game as a Washington National. The team’s first-ever first round pick has played in 1,799 career games for this team, and while it’s a shame if this is the end that Zim couldn’t have gone out under better circumstances it’s awesome DC had him as long as they did.

Last Week’s Humbled- Juan Soto hit 2-for-20, dropping his batting average to .313 as he finishes with 29 homers and 95 RBI. The less than ideal ending plus the fact that the Nats wound up in fifth place hurts what was a compelling case for MVP. Carter Kieboom hit .143 and wraps up the season at .207 with 20 RBI over 62 games. Can he turn the corner in 2022 and become an everyday third baseman in the majors? Mason Thompson walked a reliever Saturday night and posted an ERA of 27.00 for the week, while Paolo Espino, Alberto Baldonado, Tanner Rainey, and Erick Fedde also had double-digit ERA’s during the final week of the season.

Offseason Questions- it all begins with pitching and one wonders if Stephen Strasburg will be healthy next year and if Patrick Corbin will be more like the 2019 pitcher than the one we’ve seen the last two years. Does Victor Robles return to form or will we see others in centerfield? The moves that were made at the trading deadline in July signified the end of one era but also the start of another. See you in February…