The Nats win Game 1 of the doubleheader on pitching, defense and some big hits!

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

This was a game that included everything in this 3-2 win for the Nats. Perhaps the most important play was manager Dave Martinez pulling his starter, Erick Fedde, in a 1-0 game with bases loaded and 2-outs in the 4th inning for a pinch-hitter. This time Martinez was not bluffing when he sent Gerardo Parra to the on-deck circle, and sure enough, Parra came up to bat and worked a bases loaded walk to tie the game. Later, Adam Eaton hit a home run but then had a misread on a Yonder Alonso liner that tied the game — again. The game needed a big play to finish the game and Anthony Rendon obliged as he led-off in the 7th inning and on the first pitch he saw he smashed a home run into the “Red Porch” seats in centerfield for the game winner. Continue reading →

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Game #100 Yes, game one hundred is the front end of a doubleheader!

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Erick Fedde; Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

The season is almost at the point where it is a dash to the finish in a marathon season, and doubleheaders will test your stamina. The Nationals will get to call-up a 26th man today, but you also have to plan ahead that you might need to cover several innings in the bullpen with Erick Fedde starting the afternoon game and Patrick Corbin in the second game of the twin-bill. You hope that both of these starters can go at least 6.0 innings, but you have to pre-plan for 5.0 innings each. One reliever that should not be available is Michael Blazek who went 2.0 innings last night with a 40-pitch count. When pitching for Fresno, Blazek threw 44-pitches and then sat for 3-days which seemed prudent, but if you follow that protocol now, that would have him down until Saturday, and you need all hands on-deck. Will the 26th man today be a long-man like Kyle McGowin or will it be a position player? Last night, Blazek was nothing special giving up three hits and two walks and one run in those two innings of work. Do you send him back to get in a fresh arm? Continue reading →

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Trea Turner starts the game with a HR then goes full Trea-cycle to get Stephen Strasburg the W!

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

The day-off from the rain-out yesterday seemed to energize Trea Turner who began the night with a Nats record 9th lead-off home run, and then he added a single, triple and capped it off with a RISP double to complete his second career cycle which has victimized the Colorado Rockies both times. The first Turner cycle came on April 25th of 2017 in Colorado, and this is the first cycle the Rockies have ever given up on the road. Turner became only the 26th player in MLB history to have multiple cycles, and he is only the third player to do it against the same team. Add the rarity that Turner did this against a team he only faces two series per year. The early run support was all Stephen Strasburg needed as he went 6.0 innings of shutout baseball with eight strikeouts and only three hits.  Strasburg lowered his ERA to 3.37 and increased his win total to a league best 13 W’s. Continue reading →

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Game #99 Better weather? Let’s try it again with Stephen Strasburg on regular schedule!

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

You would think Washington, D.C. was Seattle, Washington with all of the rain that has disrupted outdoor activities in the region for two summers now. Last night’s game was a wash-out, and the Nationals will go with Stephen Strasburg in this game instead of Erick Fedde who was scheduled to pitch last night. While the Rockies will stick with their right-hander Peter Lambert, the rookie has never faced the Nats before because he just made his MLB debut last month. Tomorrow will be a day/night split doubleheader with the finale of the four-game series on Thursday. The Nationals have not announced who is starting the second game of the doubleheader tomorrow, and it could always be a surprise like Max Scherzer or it could be Fedde — but the team also has the option of calling up a 26th man to start which does not make a lot of sense. Expect manager Dave Martinez to announce the Wednesday evening starter before or after the game today. Continue reading →

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Max Scherzer says he’s 100% and that could set the rotation strategically!

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

There has not been a sighting of Max Scherzer on a mound since he donned that throwback Expos uniform before the All-Star break. Scherzer has skipped two starts, but he threw a bullpen session today and stated that he felt 100%. If he wakes up tomorrow and still feels 100%, it would make more sense to pitch him on Thursday and then again on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves. Tonight’s postponement could give the Nationals an advantage in the series since Joe Ross and Erick Fedde are still on the roster, and with a doubleheader on Wednesday, the Nationals will need six starting pitchers in five days. After that, the Nationals could use the day-off to skip the #5 spot in the rotation. Continue reading →

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Game #99 Nats are home! Expect rain!

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

The Nats are back home in Nationals Park which they have not seen since the Sunday before the All-Star break. This will be the start of a three series homestand beginning with a four game set with the Colorado Rockies. Continue reading →

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The Nats really miss Max Scherzer!

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

The Nationals ace of aces, Max Scherzer, remains on the 10-day IL although manager Dave Martinez was optimistic that Scherzer would return this week. He has now missed two starts which included the Sunday start out of the All-Star break in Philadelphia which ended in a loss, and then the Nationals were looking to start Scherzer  yesterday which was filled by Joe Ross and ended in a loss. In the last 10-games, the Nats are 6-4 which included three bullpen losses and the Joe Ross loss last night. That is still .600 baseball, but this team is making up for lost time. Continue reading →

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You won’t win many games scoring 1 run or giving up 4 runs from the bullpen

Posted on July 21, 2019 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Kevin Nibley for TalkNats

The Nationals did not get the results they wanted and mostly because they hit into extreme bad luck, and the bullpen sprung a leak. A 3-0 deficit soon became 7-1 which was too much to overcome. The Nats put 24 balls into play and had a .250 BABIP, but there were several balls crushed that were caught in the outfield. Joe Ross pitched 5 1/3 innings and was victimized for 3-runs but he was also squeezed by the umpire that put him in several tough spots. Freddie Freeman once again was the guilty party in causing the Nats much trouble tonight. Continue reading →

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Game #98 In a case of what you hope is déjà vu, Joe Ross has a chance to do what John Lannan did exactly 7 years ago!

Posted on July 21, 2019 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

The Nats faced the Atlanta Braves exactly 7 years ago today, and the desperate Nats called up John Lannan for a spot start in his debut game of the season with the Nats as they were perilously hanging on in the standings. On that day. Lannan won the game for the Nats a day after a crushing loss. Joe Ross finds himself in a similar situation today getting his first start of the season for the Nats. Both pitchers thought they were going to factor into the team’s Opening Day rotation,  and that was not reality in either case. The similarities and parallels are there for both of these pitchers who fell out of favor and now asked for a big performance as the underdog to help a season they might only be a role player in. Continue reading →

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On paper, it was Braves all the way. #Nats take down Soroka!

Posted on July 20, 2019 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Marlene Koenig for Talknats

On paper, the Braves were the overwhelming favorite in this game especially after their walk-off win last night, but the games are not played on paper and the Nats scored four runs off of the Atlanta ace Mike Soroka who was second in the Majors in ERA coming into this game just trailing Hyun-Jin Ryu and ahead of Max Scherzer. It was Matt Adams who got the start tonight at first base, and he made an impact early. Adams got the scoring going for the Nats with a solo home run to tie the game in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, the Nats poured it on and put together five straight hits from Anibal Sanchez to Trea Turner to Adam Eaton to Anthony Rendon to Juan Soto to score three more runs. A combination of Trea Turner and Adam Eaton scored the fifth run for the final score of 5-3. Continue reading →

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