Nats Notebook- Definitely Maybe…

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Baby steps are just that. Baby steps. Big in the moment that they happen, but nothing more than a signpost on the way to something far more important. Last Tuesday the Nationals moved over .500 for the first time since July of 2021 with a 3-0 shutout of the Orioles, an achievement not lost on Kyle Finnegan. “This one for whatever reason felt a little more meaningful,” closer Kyle Finnegan said. “It’s been a while since we’ve been over .500 and we’ve been putting in all of the work necessary behind the scenes and to see it start to come to fruition has been exciting.” But three losses in four games has the Nats right where they’ve been for most of the time since they won the World Series, and Manager Davey Martinez knows that this team is only a rough patch away from seeing the division cellar that has been their home since 2019. “I don’t look at the record, I’m just worried about going 1-0 (every day). It’s nice though,” Martinez said. “we’re playing well, but we have long way to go.”

Digesting the Division- Philadelphia (28-13) has opened up a two game lead as they’ve continued to win minus the injured Trea Turner (J.T. Realmuto is hitting .423 in Turner’s No. 2 spot of the lineup). Atlanta (24-13) has won consecutive series to remain tied in the loss column with the Phillies but a Braves’ big bat has been somewhat silent this year: Austin Riley after three consecutive seasons hitting 30+ homers is on pace for 13 at this time. The New York Mets (19-20) and Washington (19-20) are tied for third, with the Mets heading across the Atlantic for the London Series this weekend to face Philadelphia. Miami (11-31) used an extra-inning victory Sunday over Philadelphia to avoid getting swept while also snapping their losing streak at five. Previous losing streak this year have been seven and nine games, so I guess they’re trending in the right direction.

Break up the Birds- Baltimore (26-13) even with their split in DC is on pace to win 108 games this year. Only the 1969 AL champs (who lost to the Mets) have posted a better mark in team history. Next up: series with the 1977 expansion duo, last-place Toronto and AL West-leading Seattle.

Diamonds Direct Diamond King of the Week- Eddie Rosario might be “Mister May”. The outfielder is hitting .409 this month and batted .467 last week with three homers and five RBI.

Last Week’s Heroes- Joey Meneses may have batted .190, but he’s the only other National to homer. Trevor Williams tossed five scoreless innings for his fourth win of the season, dropping his ERA to 1.96. Patrick Corbin posted his first win of the season while allowing one run over five frames. And Kyle Finnegan secured his MLB-best 12th save in 13 chances this year.

Last Week’s Humbled- a rough week for the bats included Keibert Ruiz (.188) still trying to find his groove, while Jacob Young (.077) has become an anvil atop the batting order. But one gives a semi-pass to players at defensive positions, while designated hitter/third baseman Nick Senzel hit .100.

Game to Watch- Tuesday evening the Nats play the Chicago White Sox with rookie Mitchell Parker (2-1, 2.67 ERA) looking to stop a recent trend (five runs allowed in 11 innings over his last two starts) while the Pale Hose pitch a guy who knows what it’s like to swim against the current in DC: Erick Fedde was in the mix to be Washington’s fifth starter in 2020-22 but went 15-26 in that span with an ERA of 5.42 and spent last season in South Korea. Fedde is on fire this year, posting a 3-0 record with an ERA of 3.00. While it’s nice to see a former First Round pick for the Nats find himself, it’ll also be fun to see Parker adjust to lineups that have adjusted to him.

Game to Miss- the Nationals wrap up their road trip with three games at Philadelphia. Zack Wheeler starts Friday and Aaron Nola pitches Sunday, meaning Saturday’s game against Christopher Sanchez is the least compelling. Add into the mix that the Preakness has Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan competing, and the Black Eyed Susans sing the siren song.

Sully From Southie Speaks- or shrieks as the Bruins go down three games to one with a third straight loss after stealing home ice in Game One against the Panthers. But while one team takeths away, another gives and the Celtics bounced back nicely from their Game Two loss at home. And the Sox? Three games out of the Wildcard after taking their series against the Nats (they got swept in a two-step with Atlanta earlier in the week). They visit perennial overachiever Tampa Bay for four games before facing last place St. Louis this week.

Nats Notebook-Miami Nice!

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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.

Nats Notebook- Celebration of the past, pointing to the future.

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Saturday’s finish felt fitting: on the weekend where the Nationals celebrated the fifth anniversary of their World Series triumph (even handing out replica rings) they took two of three from Houston, jumpstarting their series win with a ninth-inning comeback and extra-inning victory Saturday. And Sunday the Nats wrapped up the weekend with a 6-0 win that involved a peek at the possibilities of the future: rookie Mitchell Parker struck out eight over seven scoreless innings to post his second win in seven days, a huge accomplishment for a guy making his first two big league starts.

Even though they’re still under .500, the Nats have won consecutive series for the first time all season. “I think there’s momentum anytime you win games, especially to take two out of three in LA (against the Dodgers) and then two out of three at home against the Astros,” Nick Senzel (fresh off hitting his first homer of the season) said. “Our expectation is to go out there and win every game and if not we’ve got to take the series, and we can roll over this and keep the momentum going.” But there’s little time to bask, as the Dodgers drop by the district Tuesday. “This game is hard and it’s a grind right, and all of a sudden everybody wants to be ‘that guy’,” Manager Davey Martinez said. “And I always tell them: ‘Hey don’t try to be “the guy”, just be “a guy”.’ And get on for one guy and the next one gets on. And good things will happen.”

Digesting the Division- Atlanta (14-5) has won seven in a row/six of seven) and a big reason has been the bat of Marcel Ozuna, whose 24 RBI lead all of Major League Baseball. Philadelphia (14-8) has won six straight (and 10 of 14 since losing their three game series to the Nats). But it’s the New York Mets (12-9) who have surprised lately, winning six of seven to move over .500 (they hadn’t been four games over .500 since April 27 of last year). Washington (10-11) finds itself with plenty of room to hold fourth place as Miami (6-17) split their series with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field over the weekend but remains 2-11 at home.

Break up the Birds- Baltimore (14-7) is one of five AL East teams with winning records after taking two of three from Kansas City. The O’s continue to get production from young players like Colton Cowser (.373 with five homers and 16 RBI) and Jordan Westburg (.333-5-18) in the bottom half of their order. They play their next two series against sub-.500 Oakland and the Los Angeles Angels before squaring off against the division-leading New York Yankees next Monday.

Diamonds Direct Diamond King of the Week- Mitchell Parker struck out 12 over 12 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits while posting two wins in his first two Major League starts.

Last Week’s Heroes– C.J. Abrams hit .320 with three homers while scoring eight runs and Jesse Winker drove in five while scoring six runs. Jake Irvin tossed six scoreless innings to post a victory in his lone start. Kyle Finnegan notched a win plus two saves.

Last Week’s Humbled- Patrick Corbin allowed five runs over 6.1 innings as his 2024 (0-3, 8.06 ERA) has yet to take off. Eddie Rosario batted .125 while Joey Gallo hit .154.

Game to Watch- Thursday the Nats wrap up their series with a matinee against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and MacKenzie Gore tries to bounce back from his shortest outing (four innings) of the season against a suddenly-slumping superteam (LA has dropped three straight series entering this week).

Game to Miss- Friday the Nationals are in Miami to face a bad team in a worse ballpark. Meanwhile the Capitals have their first home playoff game in almost two years. Rock the Red, indeed…

Sully From Southie Speaks- April is a fickle month as the small sample size can move teams from first place to .500 and back again. Last week Boston had a pair of division leaders (Cleveland and Pittsburgh) on tap, and lost three of four to the Guardians before a sweep of the Pirates returned them to third place in the AL East. Can the pitching staff keep up its incredible start (2.52 ERA is best in MLB)? And will someone in this lineup get on pace for more than 75 RBI in a season? This week they play at Cleveland before hosting the Chicago Cubs (the two teams are a combined 29-15 to start the season).

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-Can they Catch the Marlins?

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The Washington Nationals don’t have a lot to play for as they careen through mid-September. They’ve been eliminated for some time and a 100-loss season is almost a certainty (you convince me they have a 12-4 finishing kick in them). They’ve also avoided infamy by posting their 50th win of the year. But they can still grind their way to a fourth place finish in the NL East. After Sunday’s loss to Miami the Nats trail the Marlins by eight and a half games with sixteen to play. Now before you start doing the math let me point out that the Sons of South Beach have lost 16 of 21 to keep the door out of the division cellar open and the two teams play three more times. Miami also plays its final nine games against teams in contention (Mets, Brewers, Braves). A fourth place finish isn’t something that you’d hang a banner for, but that’s the carrot for the team that’s been in last place since late-April.

Ain’t Missing You- Juan Soto is hitting .221 with four homers and 12 RBI over 38 games since joining San Diego while Josh Bell is batting .203 with three homers and 11 RBI for the Padres. Now Soto does walk a ton (34) and each would be on pace to score 90+ runs over a full season with their new club. At this time San Diego holds the second Wild Card spot in the National League.

Digesting the Division- the NL East race is the one to watch this month as the New York Mets (93-55) have won four straight while Atlanta (91-55) has won three in a row. The Mets lead is one game but the two teams are tied in the loss column. New York can clinch a playoff berth as early as Monday night with a win over Milwaukee while the Braves’ magic number is four. Philadelphia (80-66) is recovering from being swept by the Mets and now lead the Brewers by two games for the final Wild Card. Miami (60-87) has a magic number of eight to avoid last place in the NL East while the Nationals (51-95) see the dreaded century mark in losses staring them in the face.

O’s Woes- after sweeping the Nats in their midweek interleague miniseries the Birds flew north and dropped two of three to Toronto. At 78-69 Baltimore trails Seattle by four games for the third Wild Card spot in the American League. They’ve got series with Detroit and Houston this week, but even if things begin to unravel the Orioles have shown quite a peek at their future with rookies Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson contributing to the stretch drive.

Last Week’s Heroes- Luke Voit, unbuttoned tight jersey and all, hit .421 with two homers and three RBI while Victor Robles batted .375 with a homer and two RBI. Patrick Corbin allowed one run in six innings of his lone start while Carl Edwards Jr. and Kyle Finnegan tossed three scoreless innings over three outings.

Last Week’s Humbled- Josiah Gray and Erick Fedde had less than ideal starts, with Gray allowing four runs over five innings and Fedde giving up three runs over four frames. Mason Thompson coughed up four runs over 2.1 innings (15.43 ERA for those not ready to do the math). Ildemaro Vargas batted .176 while Alex Call hit .118.

Game to Watch- Monday the Nats begin a series in Atlanta and the Braves will be pitching Kyle Wright (18-5, 3.18 ERA). Is it wrong for me to root for somebody to win 20 games in this era of over-reliance on bullpens?

Game to Miss- Friday the Nationals visit Miami to play a bad team in a worse ballpark, although their “City Connection” uniforms can’t possibly be as bad as the Padres. Also, a certain alma mater is trying for its second 4-0 start since 1991.

Nats Notebook- Resurgent against the Reds, Gangbusters for Garcia.

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Sometimes a change of venue is just what a struggling team needs-especially when that place is Cincinnati. After getting swept by the first-place New York Mets (to the tune of 23-5) the Nationals faced the Reds in a showdown of last-place teams and took three of four. This week also saw the highly-anticipated Luis Garcia (.254 with eight homers and 38 RBI over 110 games from 2020-21, .314 with 39 runs and 32 RBI IN AAA Rochester this year) arrive in Washington with Alcides Escobar (.220 with five walks and 30 strikeouts plus five errors in the field) on the Injured List with hamstring issues. So far he’s hit .333 with two doubles and four RBI over four games. There was a concern of rushing the converted shortstop to the majors (90 of his 98 starts from 2020-21 came at second base) in light of previous promotions (Carter Kieboom in 2020) gone awry. And he very well could find his way back in Rochester when Escobar’s hamstring heals. But in a season where we’re waiting for Strasburg (four strikeouts over six scoreless innings Friday in Rochester) to arrive and hearing about Soto’s potential departure (the trade rumors refuse to go away), it’ll be nice to see what’s here in Washington.

Digesting the Division- it took a while, but the New York Mets (37-19) have company in the over-.500 club with Atlanta (28-27) winning its fifth straight. Philadelphia (25-29) has won four in a row with three of those coming after the firing of Manager Joe Girardi. In two-plus years at the helm the former Yankee skipper went 132-141 with less than ideal finishes: 28-32 in 2020 thanks to a 1-7 closing kick that pulled them out of the expanded playoffs, and 82-80 in 2021 despite the presence of MVP Bryce Harper. Interim Manager Rob Thomson may be 3-0 to start his stint but the Phils have NL-Central leading Milwaukee on deck. The post-fire surge may flame out quicker than one thought. Miami (22-30) is within striking distance of the last-place Nationals (21-35) and is next on the Nats’ slate.

O’s Woes- the Birds celebrated after taking three of five from fourth-place Boston before dropping back to back series against Seattle and Cleveland at Camden Yards. And with the Red Sox continuing to surge (17-8 since May 9) the Orioles are now the only team in the AL East with a losing record. Sunday’s loss to the Guardians dropped them to ten games under .500-last year at this time they were 18 games under. So there’s progress.

Last Week’s Heroes- Lane Thomas made the case for being in the lineup everyday by hitting .412 with three homers and five RBI (his three homers Friday puts him in the company of former Nats Alfonso Soriano, Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Kyle Schwarber). Nelson Cruz batted .368 while Josh Bell hit .379 with a team-high six RBI. Josiah Gray allowed two runs over six innings while winning his start while relievers Paolo Espino (5.0 innings over three appearances) and Carl Edwards Jr. (3.0 over three) posted 0.00 ERA’s out of the bullpen.

Last Week’s Humbled- Erick Fedde followed up his great outing against the Dodgers (six scoreless innings) with a disaster against the Mets (10 runs over six frames). Jordan Weems (22.50 ERA) didn’t do himself any favors while Andres Machado (20.25 ERA) was briefly sent down to Triple-A Rochester and Austin Voth (20.25) was designated for assignment. Batting average may not be the perfect barometer in the 21st century, but hitting under .100 is not good: Yadiel Hernandez (.091), Victor Robles (.071) and Keibert Ruiz (.056) did not do themselves any favors even in this world of advanced metrics.

Game to Watch- Thursday the Nats wrap up their series in Miami as Josiah Gray tries to win his third straight start for the first time in his Major League career. The Marlins have tweaked their rotation and instead of Sandy Alcantra (6-2, 1.81 ERA and 3rd in the NL in strikeouts) Gray squares off against the rather human Travis Rogers (5.80 ERA). Washington has also won five of six series finales.

Game to Miss- Milwaukee drops by the district this weekend and they’ll likely be wearing their Cub Scout uniforms from the 1980’s. Sunday afternoon the series concludes with rookie Evan Lee (0-1, 4.91) on the mound against a Brewers starter to be named later. I will use this opportunity to head out I-66 for some “research” for this fall’s “Kippy & Buffy Selection” segment of “Presto’s Picks”. Off to the Howard Valley for a visit with Winesnob Marcel.

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…

Nats Notebook-Under Cover.

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The Washington Nationals may be 59-84 and in last place of the National League East but for the final few weeks of the 2021 regular season they will enjoy the cover of being a baseball team in a football town. Because no matter their problems over the last final few weeks of the season, they’ll happen under the cover of whatever happens to the Burgundy & Gold. The Capitals and Wizards/Bullets long had the luxury of starting slow because for a while nobody paid close attention until January…and the Nats have that semi-anonymity at their disposal in 2021. Unless they somehow find a way to lose 100 games.

Digesting the Division- Atlanta (76-66) owns a four and a half game lead over Philadelphia (72-71) and has a magic number of 16 with 20 to play. The New York Mets (72-72) find themselves at .500 again while Miami (60-83) has clinched a losing record for the 11th time in 12 years (and do we really count their 31-29 finish last year?). The Nationals (59-84) now have a tragic (elimination) number of three.

O’s Woes- Meanwhile the team in Baltimore (46-97) serves as a regular reminder as to how bad things can actually be. The Birds have already wrapped up last place in the AL East for the fourth time in five years and this past weekend allowed 44 runs in three losses to Toronto. They should be able to avoid a franchise-record 116 losses by winning at least one more game this year. I think.

Sully From Southie Speaks- at least they didn’t get swept by division leaders Tampa Bay or the Chicago White Sox. But the Sox now find themselves tied with Toronto for the Wild Card lead, and only one game ahead of the New York Yankees (Seattle and Oakland are also nipping at Boston’s heels). The run of nine straight games against contenders ends this week with three games at the Mariners.

Say Isn’t That? Cover your eyes for a moment because Max Scherzer notched his 3,000th career strikeout while flirting with a perfect game Sunday. The former Nats pitcher is now 6-0 with a 0.88 ERA in eight starts with the Dodgers. Meanwhile, Trea Turner has a chance to reach 100 runs for the second time in his career. Kyle Schwarber won’t reach the century mark but does have 21 runs in 26 games with Boston. Josh Harrison and Yan Gomes are both contributing to Oakland’s playoff chase (A’s are three games back in the Wild Card).

Last Week’s Heroes- Juan Soto hit .480 with 8 walks and 7 runs scored. Josh Bell scored 4 runs while homering twice with 5 RBI. Kyle Finnegan tossed 4.2 scoreless innings of relief over three appearances and Patrick Corbin tossed seven strong innings Sunday to notch his second victory since the All Star break.

Last Week’s Humbled- Josiah Gray allowed 5 runs in 5 innings while relievers Alberto Baldonado and Ryne Harper posted double-digit ERA’s. Carter Kieboom hit .200 while Keibert Ruiz batted 1-10.

Game to Watch- Saturday the Nats play in Colorado with Patrick Corbin trying to win consecutive starts for the first time since June 20. He’s slated to face rookie Ryan Feltner who owns a career ERA of 11.37. Even with the DC air as opposed to Coors Field, I’m feeling the bats have a chance to heat up with a 4:05 start.

Game to Miss- The Nationals face the bottom-feeding Marlins six times over the final 19 games this year, with last place potentially being determined in their matchups. Wednesday they play a matinee. I will be doing laundry.

Nats Notebook- The Sunday of Summer.

PORTIONS PREVIOUSLY APPEARING ON WTOP.COM-

There’s a saying that even a dead cat bounces once. Perhaps for the Washington Nationals that was last weekend when after the deadline deals sent four pitchers and four position players elsewhere. Perhaps we’ve been underrating underachieving Philadelphia and Atlanta, but whatever the case the Nats dropped six of seven-including four straight at home to the now-first place Phillies. The sweep-clinching four runs allowed in the ninth inning Thursday probably would have hurt more if this fan base wasn’t so numb after 100-plus games of miscues, missteps and misplays. Unlike many of the Septembers from 2012-19 and much like last year we’ll be charting when this team will officially be eliminated from contention. But in the ashes of 2021 there is the promise of a future as we are going to see much more of pitcher Josiah Gray and catcher Riley Adams as well as others who will be key parts of eventual contenders-we hope (I mean, there are no guarantees). I want to say it was ESPN’s Mark Schlereth who said that “August is the Sunday of Summer”. The Nationals’ Sunday afternoon of their 2021 season is well underway. Hope you enjoyed the weekend.

Digesting the Division- Last week we looked at the July records, so it’s only fair to check out the post-All Star break marks as there is a change atop the standings. Philadelphia (59-53) is 15-9 since the hiatus and has won eight of ten to take over first place in the NL East. Atlanta (57-55) is two games back in second and is 13-10 since the break, and won’t face the first place Phillies until August 28. The slumping New York Mets (56-55) are two and a half games back, while their 9-15 record since the midsummer classic has my pal Freddy from Flushing extremely nervous. Washington (50-62) is 8-15 since the break and is 10-24 since the end of June. To reach .500 they’d need to finish 31-19 with the current roster. Miami (47-65) is 8-15 since the All Star Game and amazingly isn’t completely out of contention.

O’s Woes- Getting swept by Tampa Bay means the Birds’ tragic number is now 23. And the play of centerfielder Cedric Mullins (.320 with 20 homers) needs to be noted again. The 26-year old might be a better fit (39 walks to 86 strikeouts this year) deeper in the lineup, and one is tempted to wonder what sort of pitching he can yield in a trade for a staff that owns the highest ERA in the Majors.

Sully From Southie Speaks- The Sox are certainly slumping after dropping three of four over the weekend in Toronto. They’re now four games behind Tampa Bay (they get the Rays ten more times before the season ends) and are tied with Oakland for the Wild Card lead (the A’s are percentage points ahead). And it hasn’t been the pitching (the 4.27 ERA since the break ranks 14th) that has been a primary concern during the 10-13 stretch since the All Star break: the Boston bats are hitting .250 (14th best in the Majors) while their 87 runs scored is tied for 24th. And Kyle Schwarber’s debut is potentially delayed as his bad hamstring is now matched by a shaky groin. They host the Rays and Orioles this week, and while they’re 4-5 against the division leaders they’re only 6-4 against the O’s. And the Birds have a way of beating Boston-witness the sweep at Fenway Park to start the season.

Say Isn’t That? This is where things get painful. Max Scherzer struck out 10 in his Dodgers debut. And I wish I could have been in the stands. As for other Nats dealt at the deadline, Yan Gomes hit .250 with a homer and 5 RBI for Oakland while Josh Harrison batted .300 with a home run and 2 RBI for the A’s. Brad Hand went 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA over three games with Toronto (at least there weren’t any blown saves). Jon Lester allowed 6 runs over 5 innings a St. Louis loss to Atlanta while Kyle Schwarber and Daniel Hudson have yet to play for Boston or San Diego. Trea Turner went from a shortstop wearing #7 to a second baseman wearing #6 and went 2-for-8 with two walks while scoring for three runs for the Dodgers. He also added that the Nats never tried to sign him to a long-term extension, which if it is true is the most depressing part about the team’s fire-sale.

Last Week’s Heroes- Carter Kieboom hit .308 with 2 homers and 6 RBI and we’ll forget his throwing error that led to Thursday’s loss in this space. Josh Bell and Luis Garcia also homered twice while Riley Adams home run in the ninth Saturday night ended a five game losing streak. And Ryan Zimmerman hit .556 with 4 RBI over five games played. Rookie Josiah Gray struck out 12 over 10 innings in his first two starts with the team. Andres Machado went 1-0 while tossing 3.2 scoreless innings over 4 appearances.

Last Week’s Humbled- Kyle Finnegan’s ERA for the week may read “0.00”, but the reliever allowed four runs on three hits in Thursday’s loss to the Phillies. Relievers Javy Guerra, Wander Suero, and Sam Clay each posted ERA in the double digits. Starter Patrick Corbin went 0-2 while allowing 9 runs in 13 innings-while nobody is expecting him to be Max Scherzer it’d be nice to see him be better than Anibal Sanchez. At the plate, the centerfield duo of Andrew Stevenson/Victor Robles combined for the vacuumish 6-for-33 that buries a lineup in the National League.

Game to Watch- He’s only pitched two games, but Josiah Gray has looked sharp since coming over in the trade from the Dodgers. Friday he starts in Atlanta against Charlie Morton (10-4, 3.52 ERA). I’m looking forward to seeing what the future might be in the present.

Game to Miss- Thursday the Nats wrap up their series at the New York Mets. The two teams are a combined 17-30 since the All Star break entering the week and the Nats pitch Erick Fedde (5.91 ERA in August after posting an 8.02 in July). Meanwhile the Washington Football Team plays its first Preseason game, and although it’s an evening kickoff one will use that excuse to avoid this matinee.

Nats Notebook- Trading Deadline, Season Lifeline.

August 31 and Labor Day weekend do not always go hand in hand, but those are two key signposts in a normal baseball season.  This year they represent a trading deadline and a little over the halfway mark of the regular season. By losing five of six games they’ve dropped to under 12-19 which puts them on pace for 23-37 on the season. It’s also the equivalent of 19-31.  And unlike 2019 Stephen Strasburg is not pitching every fifth day this September.  The final day of August this year is also the MLB trading deadline, but these deals are even more difficult to make because the prospects usually thrown into late-summer swaps would normally be playing minor league ball instead of behind closed doors at training sites like Fredericksburg.  Traditionally the trading deadline in DC has meant attempting to upgrade a sagging bullpen;  this year the Nats relievers own a 4.32 ERA (14th in MLB).  But as bad as this season looks now and as logical as it would be to turn one’s eye towards 2021–they’re not completely out of contention.

Santangelo Math- the MASN TV analyst mentioned on the air that with the shortened schedule, each game is now worth “2.7” games on a 162-game slate.  So the Nats are now “32-51” for what it is worth.  In order to reach the equivalent of last year’s 93-win team they’d need to post a 22-7 mark this month.  The shadows grow longer as summer comes to a close.

Dissecting the Division- Atlanta (19-14) isn’t just the only NL East team with a winning record, the Braves are also the only club with a positive run differential.  That’s good enough for the number three seed this fall.  Miami and Philadelphia (14-15) are tied for second, with whoever takes the tiebraker earning the fifth seed and the loser taking eighth. The New York Mets (15-19) are a game and a half back while the Nats may be in last but are just three games out of the playoffs.

O’s Woes- sorry, but we’ve put “Break up the Birds” on the bench for the moment. Eight losses in ten games have the O’s four and a half games out of a playoff berth at 14-19. The seventh best offense in the bigs couldn’t carry the 19th best pitching staff forever.  Even though they’re not on pace to match last year’s record-305 (113 over a 60-game season) home runs, they are allowing 46 which is tied for sixth most in the majors.  And now Tommy Milone’s been traded to Atlanta.  They didn’t even give me time to get to the team shop to purchase my jersey.

Anthony’s Song (Movin’ Out)- Tony two-bags came down from his .531 mountaintop to hit in a .188 valley last week, dropping the former Nationals third baseman’s batting average to .299.  He’s still leading the team with 24 walks.  The Angels are 12-23 and are tied for the second-worst mark in the majors.

Last Week’s Heroes- Trea Turner hit .519 while scoring a team-high six runs.  Howie Kendrick hit .375 with a homer and five RBI and while Juan Soto is no longer hitting .400 he batted .346 with two homers and five RBI.  Adam Eaton was dropped in the batting order to sixth and drove in a team-high seven runs.  Max Scherzer struck out 11 over six innings while directing the Nats to their lone victory of the week.

Last Week’s Humbled- Austin Voth started twice last week and allowed 11 runs over 5.2 innings. Anibal Sanchez allowed five runs in five innings in his lone start, and Erick Fedde has become a human rain dance (his start last week was truncated due to mid-game rains while his start in Atlanta was rained out). Asdrubal Cabrera hit .143 while Luis Garcia batted .158.  Carter Kieboom was optioned to the training site after striking out 20 times in 64 at bats without an extra base hit.

Game to Watch- Wednesday Max Scherzer pitches against the Phillies;  if the Nats are going to find a way back into the playoff picture they’re going to need to climb over the Phillies.  And in a season where so many things are going wrong, Max Scherzer represents what can go right.

Game to Miss- Saturday the Nationals face NL East-leading Atlanta while Labor Day weekend offers a different distraction:  the Kentucky Derby was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns earlier this year and even thought they won’t be having fans at Churchill Downs, it’s the DERBY.  There may even be a Bus Captain decked out in madras jacket and breathable fedora enjoying a Manhattan or Mint Julep.  Plus, Erick Fedde is supposed to start and if there’s anything we’ve learned it’s that Fedde on the mound means a monsoon in the skies.