by Andrew Lang
by Andrew Lang
by Andrew Lang
Max Scherzer on Jackie Robinson Day in Fenway got the last Nats’ win; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
The Washington Nationals cannot seem to put all facets of the game together in a nine inning game. Last night Patrick Corbin gave up two runs and got zero in support and while there was some good defense for him — there was more plays that were not made. Continue reading
This photo from the 2019 Spring Training became an image of positivity
When you have a pitching staff loaded with aces, you can win a World Series, and that is exactly what the 19-31 Washington Nationals pulled off in 2019. Their encore act though is missing a key ace in Stephen Strasburg who needed surgery to relieve the pain from carpal tunnel neuritis. Add to that the untimely regression of 36 ½ year old Anibal Sanchez, and it is like 40 percent of the starting rotation is gone.
There is more bad news, the fifth starter named on Opening Day, Austin Voth, is carrying a 7.99 ERA and at times looks like a right-handed Ali Modami throwing BP. Strasburg’s replacement, Erick Fedde, is not fooling batters anymore also. All of this has added to the demise of the 2020 Nats team where there has been a long and storied history of great starting pitching over eight straight years of winnings seasons from 2012-2019. Continue reading
Photo by Craig Nedrow for TalkNats
The Washington Nationals are scoring plenty of runs, but not enough to get the team in the win column lately when their starters the last three games have surrendered 16 earned runs in just 13 combined innings. All of those game were tough losses given the offense averaged 4.67 runs per game.
The combination of Saturday and Sunday’s losses kind of sealed the deal on making any trades to add to the Nats roster. Here we are in Philadelphia with a 12-20 record that is actually worse in a winning percentage than the improbable 19-31 of May 24, 2019. That is how far this starting rotation of Anibal Sanchez, Austin Voth and Erick Fedde has sunk this team. With the injury of Stephen Strasburg, and the opt-out of Joe Ross, this team just lacks the depth and they could not afford the pitching demise of the 36 ½ year old Sanchez. Continue reading
Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
Suckitude has its privileges. A top draft seeding is the only silver lining to a woefully under-performing season. The darkest years in Nats history from 2008-2010 yielded three top of the draft prizes in Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and Anthony Rendon. The resulting winning years can drill back to those drafts. The World Series win can easily be traced to that bounty of the 2009 and 2011 drafts.
If the season ended today, the Washington Nationals would have the fifth worst winning percentage in baseball. Baseball America believes like most that Kumar Rocker out of Vanderbilt will be the first pick in the 2021 draft. In that same mock draft, the fifth pick would be Matt McLain, a shortstop from UCLA who previously chose college and turned down millions when he was drafted out of high school as a first round pick in 2018 by the Diamondbacks. Continue reading
Erick Fedde is good about observing mask etiquette, but not as good about keeping the ball in the ballpark. (Photo by Hal Jak for TalkNats)
You’d think when you have lost 20 games, you would have found some new ways to lose. Unfortunately, the Washington Nationals treated fans tonight to a virtual carbon copy of the game they lost yesterday…and the day before that. Continue reading
Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats
The Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies could change how the NL East looks depending on how this 4-game series goes. Continue reading
Mike Rizzo; Photo by Laura Peebles for TalkNats
Extrapolating the Washington Nationals’ 12-19 record to a 162-game season would put this team at 32-51 to give you some perspective on how dire it looks. To lose this weekend’s series in Boston could have changed the outlook on this 2020 season’s trade deadline strategy. The Lerner ownership group and general manager Mike Rizzo will be having a lengthy conversation of how this team will approach the 4 pm ET trade deadline on Monday. They can buy, sell, or hold firm, or a hybrid approach where they could sell and buy if the right deals are there. Continue reading
Photo by Andrew Lang for TalkNats
With the loss in this series to the Red Sox, the Nats dropped to 12-19 in a new low for the season. The team is digging a deeper hole in the cellar of the NL East, and at some point you have to wonder what direction ownership and general manager Mike Rizzo will want to go for a team that has not had a losing season for 9-years. Continue reading
Fenway Park by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
Digest this record at the halfway point of a 162-game season: 32-49. If this was early July in a normal season, the Nats would be 17-games under .500 based on their disappointing .400 winning percentage and would be sellers at a July trade deadline. Those are facts, yet they are 12-18 in reality in a 60-game season while desperately needing a Ruthian 10-game winning streak to force Matt Williams to fulfill his promise and do his “Great Bambino” circling the bases. Okay, right right, Williams is out of MLB. Manager Dave Martinez needs to do his version of the Babe Ruth to get a 10-game winning streak. Anything is possible as the 2019 Nats showed. Continue reading
Fenway Park; Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats
In a short season, you cannot try to repeat a 19-31 start to the season and expect to make the postseason. The Nats are at their halfway mark and are at 12-18 in this 60-game season. The Nats lost this game 5-3 on a night that their leadoff man, Trea Turner, went 5-5. Continue reading
"Opening Day should be a National holiday"
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