Going Deep with The Nats

Nationals Park, Washington, D.C. | Paolo Espino records a strikeout; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

Getting to 100 losses seemed inevitable for the Washington Nationals and last night they reached that mark. Clearly not a good thing unless you consider a key draft pick in 2023 to be the best consolation prize. For the players on the field, they have to dig deep to finish these final eight games. Playing for pride, playing to win, and playing for a roster spot on the 2023 team should be motivation enough to give it everything you have. Continue reading →

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

The big news of the day is that CJ Abrams has been moved up to the 2-spot in the batting order. Today’s lineup could be close to the 2023 Washington Nationals’ Opening Day lineup if you add back Keibert Ruiz and a new leftfielder. Continue reading →

Strikeout by Anibal Sanchez; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The ignominious stats of the day are about what losing does. There are two big numbers on the line today for the Washington Nationals. The team is at 99 losses for the season, and they want to avoid their 100th loss for as long as they can. This is also the 21st salvage game in a series this season meaning the Nats have come into the final game of a series with a chance of getting swept. The team has been swept 11 times this season and want to avoid a dozen of those. Continue reading →

Photo by Michael LG for TalkNats

The Washington Nationals have only missed Sandy Alcantara once this season in their series matchups with the Miami Marlins. Today will be the fifth and final time for 2022 that the Nats will have to face the Cy Young hopeful. Continue reading →

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

Tonight on the mound for the Washington Nationals is RHP Josiah Gray. against the Marlins in Miami. This starts this weekend’s series and the final one south of DC this season. Continue reading →

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

We have early afternoon baseball in Atlanta leading into a day-off in Miami tomorrow. This is another salvage game in a series for the Washington Nationals. A sentence that has been repeated too many times since the end of the 2019 season. But don’t fret, this was expected this year, although most would agree that it was not expected to be this bad of a showing in 2022. Continue reading →

Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The Nats have about four more starts for Patrick Corbin remaining this season, and he has a tall task tonight against the Atlanta Braves. In his three starts in September, Corbin has pitched to a 3.20 ERA and averaging over 6 1/3 innings per start.

Ever since shortstop CJ Abrams took over at shortstop, Corbin has looked like a new pitcher. He is relying much more on contact than strikeouts. His K rate is down to 5.0 in the month of September while it was more than doubled that at 10.5 in April. You would expect a K rate that changed like that to spell doom and gloom for the pitcher, but for Corbin, pitching to his defense is working well. He’s almost ditched his 4-seamer and replaced it with a sinker, and counting on his defense. When the sinker is working the bottom of the plate, Corbin has been effective. Continue reading →